Ruby Red 3 - A Romance for All Time (Complete)

Chapter 39

"Give her some room." The voice sounded familiar. Was that her mother talking? Ali didn't want to deal with her mother now. A thought scratched at the back of her mind, trying to burst through the darkness. There was something she needed to pay attention to. Something important.

Green eyes, blond hair, a furrowed brow of concern. Sam.

Her eyes popped open to find a circle of worried faces peering down at her, one of which was indeed her mother.

"Ali?" the older woman asked gently.

Sam's been in an accident.

"I'm fine, mother." The words automatic and very untrue. The arm of the chair she somehow found herself sitting in dug into her back. Ali pushed herself up and caught Nora's eye where she stood by the door, phone still in hand. It all came rushing back. Nora, Sam's mother, the phone.

Ali lunged for it. "Evelyn?"

"Oh, thank goodness." Sam's mother's voice sounded odd on the other end of the line, its usual lightness missing. "It's Sam. There was an..." Evelyn's voice faltered. Ali heard her take a breath. "an accident."

"Is he..." She couldn't force herself to finish the question, even allow the words to be spoken. A pain stabbed at her chest as her heart tried to break free. It couldn't be real. She's spoken with him only a half an hour ago, teasing him to hurry and get here. Another stab. Was this her fault? Had Sam been in an accident because he was rushing to be there for her?

"I don't know... I." Another pause. "The car... They airlifted him to the hospital... unconscious. Christopher's on the phone with the doctors now, but they aren't saying much. Oh Ali, this can't be happening again."

"Where, Evelyn? Where is he?" Ali interrupted, refusing to follow Evelyn's train of thought. Sam was not Thomas.

"Belmont Hospital."

She closed her eyes. "Ok. I'm headed there. I'll call as soon as I see him." Because nothing would keep her from getting to Sam.

"Thank you, Ali," whispered Evelyn.

"He's going to be alright." He has to be.

"Yes." The pain in her soon to be mother-in-law's voice betrayed her words.

"I'm leaving now." She didn't wait for Evelyn's response, just hung up the phone. Everyone in the room stared at her. She didn't care. Needed to get to Sam. Where were her car keys?

Scanning the room, she frantically looked for her purse. Her eyes spotted it on the credenza at the back of the room where she'd left it before her world crashed down around her. It was a heavy piece of furniture Lester made specifically to fit this room. He'd let her help design it, not really much of a task as it was rectangular and functional in essence, yet still it meant the world to her to be part of the process. The day they'd carried it in here, her father had been proud and pleased. Her father... who died in a hospital, alone.

Ali shook her head to clear it. Ran towards her purse, snatched it up and turning to leave, slammed into a wall of muscle.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jack demanded. A hand on her arm tried to stop her motion.

Before Ali's brain could spit out an answer, Lynn slapped Jack's hand off her arm and pushed him out of the way. "To the hospital, of course." She grabbed Ali and pulled her around the man.

"We're in the middle of an important board meeting. You can't just leave."

"Watch us." Ali heard her mother say as pressure on her back propelled her down the hall, leaving the room and its expectant board members behind.