Mountain Challenge (Mont Blanc Rescue #9)

Chapter 27

27

Ry

R y had just parked in front of Isla’s studio when his phone rang. He prayed it wasn’t work-related. As glad as he was to be back at work, it’d been a long day, and he was looking forward to a quiet dinner with Isla and Laura.

His face lit up as his sister’s name came onto the screen. “Vic! How are you? And how’s my beautiful niece?”

“Ava’s doing well. Growing by the minute,” she bragged. “She’s already wearing 6-month-old clothes.”

“Of course. Ava Grace is going to be big and strong,” he said. “She’s going to love climbing and hiking and swimming.”

His sister laughed. “I know you and Conor will make sure of that. Oh, Ry, I can’t wait for you to meet her.“

Ry heard the love in his sister’s voice. Vic and her husband Conor had been together since high school. Ry knew his sister had been happy before, but nothing like the happiness shining in her voice now.

“I’m glad you’re happy, Vic,” he said quietly. “You’re going to be an amazing mother to Ava … and to any kids who come along.”

His sister paused for a long instant—which was unusual, because nothing gave Vic pause. His twin was always in motion. “It’s not happiness … or it is, but it’s not just happiness, Ry. I feel … complete , in a way I didn’t even know was possible until now.”

Ry’s heart contracted. Complete. That was the way he felt about Isla. Like this was something so new, so different, it was impossible to compare with anything he’d ever felt before.

“How about you?”

“Me?”

“You sound happy, too. Mom even mentioned it a few days ago, when we had lunch together.”

Ry found himself nodding into the phone. “I am happy. I’ve … I’ve met someone, Vic.”

“Someone you’ve seen more than once? More than twice?” His sister joked.

Ry’s mind spun. He wasn’t sure how many times he’d been out with Isla, because for the first fucking time in his life, he wasn’t counting. “She makes me happy, Vic,” he said, carefully. “This isn’t something I’ve ever felt before.”

“Oh, Ry …”

“She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. And she makes me feel …”

“I’m so happy for you, Ry. Have you told her?”

Ry paused for a long instant. How much had he told Isla? He’d mentioned he liked her, for sure, and she’d said the same thing back to him. But he hadn’t told her the truth about how he really felt. That the word like wasn’t enough, was almost meaningless, in fact, because like was a preference, and what he felt about Isla was … something essential. One didn’t like breathing.

His sister interpreted his lack of answer correctly. “You need to tell her, Ry. Tell her how you feel.”

“I will,” he promised his sister. “I’m going to tell her. And I want you to meet her, Vic. For the first time in my life, I—“ A baby began crying in the background. Ry laughed. “I think Ava Grace is up from her nap. I’ll let you go now, Sis.”

“But we’ll talk soon?”

“We’ll talk soon. I love you, Vic. Tell Conor and Ava Grace that I love them, okay?”

Ry hung up the phone and looked outside. It had been raining for some time now, and the sky looked dark and gray. He looked down at his watch. He was still a few minutes early, but he didn’t imagine Isla and Laura would mind, and he’d rather wait inside with them than out here in the car.

He walked past the studio, which was dark, and made his way to the staircase off the side of the building. Small lights came on as he walked, illuminating the steps beyond, until he reached the top. He stopped for an instant, not expecting the door to be ajar.

Ry’s breath caught in his throat. There were multiple reasons why they could have left the door open. But it didn’t feel right. He knocked and pushed the door open at the same time, walking inside. Isla and Laura weren’t in the kitchen or living area. Beau made his way quickly to the bedrooms, checking the bathroom as well. No sign of either woman.

But something felt wrong. In the kitchen area, the fridge sat open, beeping its annoyance. The growing puddle on the floor told him it’d been that way for some time. There were apples on the floor that looked like they’d tumbled out of a paper bag. Worried now, Ry made his way around the small kitchen island, his eyes stopping at a small splotch of blood on the wooden floor.

It was only a few drops. As a medic, Ry was familiar with the sight of blood, but the sight of those few droplets made him feel light-headed. Panic hit him in the center of the chest. He shoved it back, forcing a breath into his lungs before he passed out. He had to get help.