The Way Home Read online

  “You thought Dad was dancing with Sarah didn’t you?” Wyatt’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. His brother’s expression was intense, his gaze unwavering. Blue could tell he wasn’t about to let him off the hook. Wyatt never did.

  “No, of course not—,” he said before running a shaky hand through his hair. Much to his mother’s dismay, it was still shoulder length, still a bit wild. Kind of like the way he felt at the moment. Wild. What was the point in denying it? Wyatt knew him like the back of his hand.

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “I saw the curly hair and for a minute I thought it was Sarah.”

  “Have you seen her since you’ve been back?”

  “No, I haven’t. I ran into her sister at the gas station, so I’m pretty sure she knows I’m back in town.” Sarah’s sister Lilah had been all smiles and polite conversation, but he knew the minute he was out of sight she would call to tell Sarah he was back in Breeze Point. The sisters were like two peas in a pod. Just the thought of seeing Sarah sent a shiver down his spine. With her graceful, athletic body and sweet, angelic face, she’d imprinted herself on his heart a long time ago. How long had it been? Four years. Four long years of wondering about whether or not he should have stayed and tried to work things out between them. Although she’d made it clear that she was done with him, he’d always wondered if he should have fought for her. Over the last four years he’d never allowed himself to give his heart to another woman. How could he have when Sarah was so deeply entrenched in his soul, in his heart and mind?

  “It shouldn’t be long now before the two of you run into each other. In a town this size it’s bound to happen sooner rather than later.”

  He shrugged, trying to keep cool and ignore the tugging sensation inside his chest. Wyatt simply raised an eyebrow at him.

  “It’ll be fine,” he said, not sure whether he was trying to convince himself or Wyatt of that notion. He couldn’t imagine it being fine, not when there was so much standing between them. Not when he still hadn’t forgiven himself. Perhaps his prayers would finally be answered and they could achieve some closure. Having Sarah in his heart and mind wasn’t allowing him to move forward with his life. He was stuck. Stuck on stupid. Stuck on the past. Stuck on a dozen regrets he had about leaving Breeze Point and the only woman he’d ever loved. But there hadn’t been much choice, had there? There are always choices. The sage voice of his father echoed loudly in his ear, reminding him of what might have been.

  As his eyes swung back towards the dance floor he watched as his father gripped his left arm and stood motionless. The next thing Blue knew, Alec was doubled over and clutching his chest.

  “Dad!” he cried out as he watched him crumple to the floor. Leaving Wyatt behind, he ran towards the dance floor, firmly pushing aside anyone who stood in his way. Remy was on his knees next to their father, alongside their oldest brother, Ryder. Their mother fell to her knees beside her husband, her voice full of panic as she cried out, “Alec! Alec!”

  Ryder laid their father on his back and began doing chest compressions, his movements swift and precise. As a paramedic, Ryder was well versed in CPR.

  “Someone call 911!” Ryder yelled as he lowered his head to begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

  “Mac’s already calling it in!” Nick yelled back. He was pacing back and forth, shooting furtive glances in their father’s direction. As deeply as he cared, Blue knew his tightly-wound emotions were keeping his brother at a distance. It was Nick’s own way of handling things.

  Remy placed his arm around their mother and began to console her in hushed tones as she quietly wept. All of his brothers were standing by, looking devastated and fearful. Brandon moved next to him, sending him a helpless look that spoke volumes about their collective anxiety. Blue reached out and placed his arm around Brandon’s shoulder, drawing him in close to his side. Within the space of a few minutes, the paramedics had arrived, all of whom were members of Ryder’s team. Even though he was scared to death, Blue knew his dad would be in good hands.

  “I’ll ride along in the ambulance,” Ryder said as he helped his team strap his father onto the stretcher. “Remy, make sure Ma gets to the hospital.

  “I’m going with you,” Blue announced, determined not to be left behind. For a second, Ryder seemed as if he was going to protest, but instead he nodded his head and motioned for him to follow along. In the ambulance, he watched helplessly as Ryder worked with Tess Dailey, one of the paramedics, to stabilize their father’s condition. Together, Tess and Ryder worked in a cohesive manner, each seeming to anticipate the other’s every move. As EMT partners, Tess and Ryder had developed not only a close working relationship, but a tight friendship as well.

  As of yet, he hadn’t seen Dad open his eyes once, and his breathing seemed shallow and uneven. Fear shot straight through him. Were they losing him? The very idea of it was incomprehensible. Dad was their cornerstone. Without him none of it made sense. Their huge, bustling family, handpicked and lovingly nurtured by Alec and Maggie Donahue. He was the finest man Blue had ever known. But had he ever told him so? Had he ever thanked him for rescuing him?

  Blue felt a stab of guilt pierce his insides. Why hadn’t he visited home more often in the past few years? He’d been so busy traveling the globe in pursuit of breaking news stories that he’d neglected his parents in the process. And it wasn’t just his job as a journalist that had kept him away. Sarah. How many times had he avoided going back home so he wouldn’t run the risk of seeing her? So he didn’t have to face up to what he’d done to her. What he’d done to them both.

  His chest felt tight and his eyes moistened as he thought of everything his family stood to lose if Dad didn’t make it through this crisis. He began to do what he always did when things got tough. He prayed. Dear Lord, please don’t let us lose Dad. He’s been the rock for the Donahue family for so long. He deserves to grow old and sit in a rocking chair with my mother and watch the sun go down over the Harbor. I know not every prayer is answered, but please show us your divine mercy and healing. Please help him.

  As the ambulance pulled into the hospital and zoomed towards the emergency entrance, Blue took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew the next few hours would most likely be critical. The Donahues would need to stick together to battle the storm swirling around them. Like the branches of a mighty oak tree, they would shelter and give strength to one another during this crisis. Once the doors opened up, the stretcher was carried off the ambulance and hustled through the hospital doors. Blue quickly followed behind, his heart beating a mile a minute as the stark walls and harsh lighting of the emergency room brought the situation into sharp focus. He hated hospitals with a passion. Ever since Ryder had lost his beautiful wife, Lena, to an aggressive form of cancer, hospitals made him nauseous. It was ironic, considering Ryder was in and out of hospitals all the time, yet his profound loss didn’t seem to stop him from saving lives. It didn’t prevent him from being heroic. For so many reasons, his big brother was his personal hero.

  Without skipping a beat, he rushed past the Emergency Personnel Only sign, pushing past the swinging doors and trailing behind Ryder. Although he had every faith in in his brother, he wasn’t going to sit by passively while his father’s life hung in the balance. He wanted to know Dad was being given the best care by the finest doctors at Breeze Point Hospital.

  “Sir, you can’t be back here without authorization!” Time stood still for a second as the firm, honeyed voice flowed over him. She was lightly grasping his arm to restrain him. When he turned around and lowered his gaze he laid eyes on five-foot-four-inches of the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. She let out an audible gasp. Shock registered in her eyes. Warmth flowed through him as the realization hit him that he was standing face-to-face with his ex-fiancée, the same woman who’d vowed to hate him forever.

  *

  Sarah Dalton almost didn’t have time to register the fact that she was staring straight into Blue Donahue’s unforgettable ha
zel eyes. She was standing so close to him she could see the flecks of gold shimmering in them. His dark blond hair hung to his shoulders. On most men it might have looked silly, but in Blue’s case it only served to heighten his masculine appeal. Six feet tall, muscles for days and a face handcrafted by angels. If it was possible, he looked even more handsome than ever.

  Blue looked stunned to see her, and for a single second she allowed herself to just soak in the raw beauty of him. There weren’t many men on the planet who held more appeal than Blue. Before she could utter a single word, the entire Donahue clan came bursting through the swinging doors. Brandon. Mac. Remy. Wyatt. And Nick. In the center of the five brothers was Maggie Donahue, looking as if she’d been run over by a semi. Red rimmed eyes. A stricken expression on her face. Her lovely auburn hair, windswept and out of place. Beautiful, sweet Maggie. Sarah loved her dearly. At one point, it had seemed as if she was destined to become her daughter-in-law, but that had all crashed and burned. It pained her deeply to remember how badly she’d been hurt by Blue. It wasn’t something she liked to think about, except for those rare occasions when she lay awake in the middle of the night and relived the worst moments of her life. She’d loved him so much and he’d crushed every dream she’d ever had for the two of them.

  She shook her head to rid herself of those dark thoughts. No, she wasn’t going to spend a single second walking down memory lane, not when there was so much going on in the present. Not when she’d worked so hard to forgive Blue. The scene unfolding before her was verging on madness. Alec Donahue had been rushed in on a stretcher with his oldest son, Ryder, at his side. Before she knew it, a tall, unaccompanied man rushed by. Given the recent security crackdown, she’d had no choice but to try and stop him. In her wildest dreams she’d never imagined she’d face Blue Donahue in her hospital, a place he’d always avoided like the plague. Nor had she ever imagined the entire Donahue family invading the ER like a swarm of bees.

  She desperately needed to get this situation under control. Not knowing what else to do, and feeling emboldened by a burst of adrenaline, she put her two fingers to her lips and let out the loudest whistle known to man. Seven pairs of surprised eyes gazed at her, lending her their undivided attention.

  She put her hand by her side. “Well, now that I have your attention we need to get a few things straight. I know you’re all probably scared to death about your dad. That’s perfectly understandable.” Her voice trembled as raw emotion took over. Alec Donahue could never be just another patient to her. He was Blue’s father, a man who was almost as near and dear to her heart as her own dad. Feelings aside, she needed to be professional. There was just no way this many Donahue family members could be back in the emergency area. It wouldn’t be fair to any of the other patients and their families. Despite how much she loved each and every one of them, she had to lay down the law. She had to assert control over the situation. There was no way she could play favorites.

  “Alec is being looked at now by one of our best ER physicians. Ryder is with him. As soon as possible, I’ll try to give you an update on his condition. I cannot allow all of you back here. Simply put, there are just too many of you.” She held up her hands as loud groans emanated from the brothers.

  “Maggie, why don’t you come and sit in one of our intake rooms. There’s not much space, but it’s a quiet area.”

  She cast her gaze around the circle of Donahue boys, settling on Blue’s face. His expression gutted her. She knew all too well the telltale signs of stress. There were furrows in his brow—tiny little marks that didn’t belong there. He was clenching his teeth ever so slightly, making his jaw look tight. His eyes looked a little dazed. “Blue, why don’t you stay with her.”

  Blue nodded, and then shot her a look of gratitude. She quickly looked away, trying desperately to ignore the quickening of her pulse. With a few grumbles, the remaining five Donahues left the emergency area in order to congregate in the waiting room. Blue promised to give them word as soon as the doctors updated them about the situation. As beloved as the Donahue family was in Breeze Point, she knew it would only be a matter of time before friends and relatives began to swarm the hospital, eager to check in on Alec.

  From what she’d heard when the paramedic team radioed the hospital, it was suspected that Alec Donahue had suffered some type of cardiac episode. Sarah quickly led Blue and Mrs. Donahue to one of the empty intake rooms. Thankfully, it had been a quiet night at the ER, and as long as it stayed that way they could remain here in this room, which was as close to their loved one as they could possibly get at the moment. Once she left them here she planned to find out about Alec’s condition and relay it to the family. She silently prayed for good news, knowing that the loss of Alec Donahue would be unbearable for his family. It would pain her heart, as well.

  Maggie reached out and squeezed Sarah’s hand as a sob escaped her lips. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose him.”

  Sarah held tightly onto Maggie’s hand. “Alec’s a fighter. Always has been, always will be,” she said in a soothing voice. “He’s tough, Maggie. Donahue tough.”

  Maggie smiled weakly. “Thank you for your kindness, Sarah. And for making this room available to us.”

  “It will give you some privacy and some time to get your bearings,” Sarah said. Without looking at Blue, she moved towards the door. “I’ll tell Ryder you’re in here in case there’s any news.”

  As she closed the door behind her and walked back towards the nurse’s station, she heard footsteps behind her.

  “Sarah. Wait.” Blue’s unmistakable voice stopped her in her tracks. She whirled around to face him, shoulders back, head held high. There was no way she was going to let him see how much his presence rattled her.

  “What is it? Do you need something?”

  He let out a little huff of air, and then shoved his hands in the front pockets of his slacks. “I just wanted to know how you’re doing. So many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call you, but I-.”

  “Don’t, Blue,” she said in a curt tone, holding her hand up to stop him. “If it doesn’t have to do with your father’s care, then I don’t want to hear it.”

  Blue took a step closer towards her, easily swallowing up the existing space between them. Their eyes locked and held. Something electric sizzled in the air between them.

  “Sarah,” he said gently. “I’ve missed you.” He reached down and tugged at one of her curls, wrapping it around his fingers. Sarah sucked in a deep breath, so shocked at Blue’s intimate gesture that she froze. He’d always loved playing with her hair back when they were a couple. He’d teased her mercilessly about the way her curly hair had a bad habit of being unruly. For a moment she considered leaning in to him. At the moment, he was standing so close to her she could lay her head on his chest just by leaning forward an inch or so. Being held in Blue’s arms had always felt like heaven. Warm. Safe. Loving. There was no place that had felt sweeter. She closed her eyes, loving the way his touch made her feel.

  What was she thinking? She pulled herself quickly back into reality. Who did Blue think he was to just waltz back into Breeze Point and act as if he hadn’t trampled over her heart four years ago? She was no longer the naïve twenty-three-year-old who’d believed every word that came out of Blue Donahue’s mouth. No, there was nothing like time and a bad experience to wise a person up to the cold, stark realities of life!

  She pushed him away from her, a low growl emanating from somewhere inside her. “You missed me, huh?” She let out a harsh laugh. “That’s funny, considering the last time we saw each other, you blew off our wedding right before walking out of my life with your tail between your legs.”

  “A man isn’t measured by his mistakes. It’s what he does after he makes those mistakes that determines what he’s made of.” Alec Donahue

  Chapter Two

  Sarah sent him a scathing look, as if daring him to question her version of events. Under the circumstances, he knew it was best to keep
quiet. Something told him he would never win this battle. Not when Sarah had come out with guns blazing. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and walked over to the nurse’s station where several of her colleagues were checking charts and talking in hushed voices. His first instinct was to follow her. He didn’t know why he still felt the need to plead his case after all this time, but he did. This wasn’t the time or place to get into a heavy conversation. He needed to get back to Mom.

  As he walked back towards the room, Sarah’s words rang in his ears. Tail between his legs? Had she really said that to him? It hadn’t been that bad, had it? And he hadn’t actually called off the wedding! Granted, he’d shown up late at the church—two and a half hours late in fact. But it had all been a gigantic misunderstanding. By that time he’d arrived all the guests had left per Sarah’s orders. She’d wanted to face him alone at the church when she cast him out of her life forever. When he’d finally made his way to the church, Sarah’s anger towards him had been explosive. And unforgiving. He couldn’t really say he blamed her. What woman wanted to be humiliated on her wedding day?

  He let out a sigh as he remembered all the beautiful moments they’d shared in their relationship. What might have been if he hadn’t left town two days before his wedding and missed his return flight from Florida? What if he’d made different choices? It made his stomach roil just thinking about it.

  Just as he opened the door to rejoin his mother, Ryder came striding towards him, his strong, rugged build giving him the appearance of an athlete. “Where’s Mom?” Ryder asked, his face creased with worry.

  “She’s in here,” he answered, ushering his brother into the room. As soon as she laid eyes on Ryder, their mother jumped up from her seat.