The Davenport Christmas Chronicles - Piper Davenport Page 0,58
find Olivia and a couple of the old ladies attempting to add yet more decorations to the tree. Drunk.
Their husbands were trying to help, but by the time Olivia started giggling, it was like a domino effect, and their feminine guffaws lasted long enough for the men to tap a keg and join them. I grabbed a solo cup, filled it to the brim, and partied with my club, trying my damndest not to text Kennedy to make sure she was okay.
Last night, I’d come to the conclusion, in my beer haze, that I had to give her space, not because I believed she really wanted it, but because she’d asked for it.
Today, however, I’d decided all of it was bullshit. The last thing Kennedy needed was space. She spiraled when she was alone, and I’d made a promise to Remington I’d keep an eye on her.
I dragged my ass outta bed and made a pot of coffee as I tried to figure out what to do about Kennedy.
“...yeah, honey, no problem,” Olivia said, speaking with someone on the phone. “I have your key, it’s all good. Go, have fun.” She glanced at me. “Lips are sealed. Promise.”
Well, shit.
I raised an eyebrow at my president’s woman and crossed my arms.
“See you when you get back.” She hung up and smiled at me. “Morning.”
“Who were you talking to?”
“Nobody.”
I shook my head. “Jesus, you’re a shit liar.”
She shrugged. “Not really my problem.”
“Everything okay with Kennedy?”
She poured herself a cup of coffee. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Liv, seriously.”
She sighed. “She went skiing.”
“That wasn’t until next week.”
“She left early.”
I sighed. “Right. You checkin’ on her place?”
“Yes.”
“I’d be happy to do it.”
Olivia grinned. “I’m sure you would. But she asked me to do it, so I’m going to do it.”
I nodded “Where’d she go this year?”
“Nope. If she didn’t disclose her location, there’s no way in hell I’m going to.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“Mama!” Doc and Olivia’s toddler, Chloe, came running into the room, followed closed by Doc who was holding her twin brother, Phoenix.
“I was hoping you’d sleep in, baby girl,” Olivia said, picking her up and kissing her neck.
“She woke Nix,” Doc said with a sigh. “I could hear her babbling to him through the monitor.”
“Lord, the two of them together are gonna be hell on wheels when they get older.”
“They’re hell on wheels now,” Doc said.
Olivia smiled. “This is very, very true.”
“I’m gonna head out unless you need me,” I said.
“Go before the mayhem really starts,” Olivia suggested, and I grinned.
“You still plannin’ on being here tonight for family night?” Doc asked.
“I think so.”
He gave me a chin lift, and I made my way back to my room, sending Kennedy a text on my way.
Which she ignored.
In fact, she ignored every text I sent her, and it was beginning to piss me off, so Tuesday afternoon, I did something desperate. I called Remington.
She answered immediately. “How did you hear? Jesus, she didn’t want you to know.”
“Know what?”
“Um. Shit. Nothing,” she stuttered.
“Remington, you need to fuckin’ spit it out,” I hissed.
“Hold on.”
“Mouse?”
Remington had handed her phone to her old man, Finch.
Fuck me.
“Jesus, Finch, how fuckin’ bad is this?” I growled.
“Bad enough that Rem’s been sworn to secrecy.”
I dragged my hand down my face. “What?”
“Kennedy’s been in an accident.”
“What the fuck?” I hissed.
“She broke her leg skiing.”
“Jesus,” I hissed. “When?”
Kennedy was a crazy good skier, and she and a few friends took a trip every year somewhere she could do just that. Last year it was Tahoe, but she hadn’t filled me in on the plan this year, probably because she was trying to break it off with me.
“A couple hours ago,” Finch said. “She was scheduled for surgery this afternoon, but they postponed to tomorrow, because they wanted to wait for the ortho specialist.”
“Where is she?”
“Breckenridge,” he said. “St. Anthony Medical Center.”
“Colorado?”
“Yeah.”
I frowned. “Is her family with her?”
“No. She went alone.”
“What the fuck do you mean she went alone?” I growled.
“Yeah, I hear ya, brother.” He sighed. “Remington just confessed that little nugget of information.”
“Right. I’m gonna let you go,” I said, and hung up, vibrating with rage and fear. I stopped by Doc’s office on my way up to my room to pack. Knocking on the door, he bid me entrance, and I pushed the door open. “I need to head out for a few days.”