RINGOFTRUTHEBOOK (1) Read online

  Erin filled Carissa in on everything she’d learned about the designer, then Carissa talked about her wedding. Erin pushed away the rest of her food, no longer hungry.

  “Oh, hey, I need to run by and finalize my invitations. See you back at the office?” Carissa picked up her purse.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you there.” Erin waved and headed back to the office. When she checked her messages, she saw that Debra had approved both accounts. Erin cheered silently and went back to the mockups for the designer.

  Erin’s phone rang, and she grumbled when she realized it was her parents. They knew they weren’t supposed to call during work, but her mom never listened.

  She turned the speaker on and kept researching. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

  “It’s your dad.” Her mom’s voice shook.

  Erin grabbed her phone and turned the speaker off, her heart beating rapidly. “What’s wrong with Dad?”

  “He was onsite at one of the farms he was advertising for, and one of the stacks of hay fell right on top of him.” She paused. “Sweetie, it’s bad.”

  The world seemed to close in on Erin. Her daddy was hurt? She shut her computer down and grabbed her keys. “I’m coming. I’ll be on the next flight.”

  “Thank you.” Her mom sobbed into the phone, making Erin’s heart ache. “Oh, I need to go. The doctor’s here.”

  “Love you.” She hung up and rushed into Debra’s office. “Hey, my dad’s been in an accident. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll have my computer with me, so I’ll work on the accounts when I have a chance.

  Debra gasped. “Go. Don’t worry about the accounts. Carissa can take over while you’re gone. Good luck.”

  “Thank you for understanding.” Erin rushed out of the office and wiped the tears that ran down her face. She called Carissa, but no one answered. She must have been held up at the store. Erin left a quick voicemail telling Carissa to call, then broke into a run.

  She ran up the stairs to her apartment and stopped in her tracks. Her apartment door was open. She pulled out her keys to use as a weapon and crept inside. A quick check of each room showed her that no one was there. But then, neither was Coco. She growled in frustration. By the look of the living room, Carl’s daughter had been here. She wasn’t supposed to be cleaning the apartment anymore.

  Erin quickly packed a bag and left the apartment, making sure it was dead-bolted. She’d have a talk with Carl when she got back.

  She tried Carissa one more time.

  “Hey, Erin. I got your message and was just about to call. What’s going on?”

  “Dad was injured in a farm accident. Coco is missing. And I need to leave.” Erin double checked to make sure she had everything she needed.

  “Whoa. That was a lot of information. You go to your dad. I’ll take care of Coco.” Carissa was using her “Don’t mess with me” voice.

  “You sure?” Erin could just see Coco wandering aimlessly in the streets of New York.

  “Go. Now.” Carissa hung up and Erin stared at her phone before running for a taxi.

  The trip to the airport was agonizing. Erin checked flights on her way there and managed to book one leaving in two hours. That gave her just enough time to get checked in and get to the right terminal. She thanked the driver and handed him cash before running through the door of the airport. She checked in using her phone and stood in line for security. It was quite a wait, and she hoped she’d be to her flight on time.

  After going through the metal detector twice—she’d forgotten to take her keys out of her pocket—she raced to the gate and dropped into a seat so she could catch her breath. They’d already started boarding, so she waited until the line was a little shorter before standing and getting onto the plane.

  It was crowded and there was barely room for her small bag by the time she found a space to store it. She pulled out her laptop to do some work on the flight. Her nerves were shot, and she wanted to bury herself in planning the ads so she could calm down. Her mom would be a nervous wreck, and Erin needed to be there for her.

  There was a slight delay due to a storm in Atlanta, but soon they were off the ground. Erin got to work, ignoring the couple sitting next to her. By the time they reached Georgia, she’d managed to outline ideas for both accounts, and find a few people for the chocolate ads in her database. She closed her laptop and slipped it into her bag on the descent. There were a few bumps of turbulence on the way down, but soon she was in her home state.

  Once she was off the plane, she pulled out her phone and dialed her mom. “Hey, Mom. I’m in Atlanta. How’s Dad?”

  “He was life flighted to the Emory University Hospital. He’s in surgery right now, but is expected to recover. Do you need me to give you a ride?” Her mom’s voice was shaky, but less upset than when Erin had talked to her last.

  “No, you stay there. I’ll rent a car and be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you. Please drive safely.”

  Erin headed for the rentals. “I will. Love you.” She hung up and got in line. Once she had her keys in hand, she ran toward the garage to pick it up. She wanted to be there when her dad woke up.

  Chapter 14

  Jake sat at the desk in the shelter staring at a script that had been mailed to him. He took a bite of his sandwich and turned the page, still surprised that he’d been asked to consider the part. Something about having heard rave reviews about him. He’d laughed at the idea since he’d only done the two commercials, but apparently the owner was a friend of Debra’s.

  The bell on the door rang as someone entered the shelter. He took one more bite and set his sandwich down before going to see who it was.

  “Please tell me you have her,” Carissa pleaded. She leaned against the counter trying to catch her breath.

  “Who?” Jake hadn’t seen any animals come in all day.

  “Coco. I promised Erin I’d help her find her cat while she flew home.” Her hands gripped the side of the countertop.

  Jake’s mind was spinning. “When did she get out?”

  Carissa shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know that when Erin went home to pack, the door was open, and the cat was gone.”

  “Give me a sec.” Jake searched each of the cages in case she’d come in earlier, then leaned back into the office. “Hey, I need to take off for a bit. Lost cat.”

  “That’s fine. See you tomorrow.” Mr. Dayley waved.

  Tomorr—?” Jake checked his phone and realized the time. He was supposed to be at his ad shoot in an hour. “Right. See you then.”

  Carissa was typing into her phone when Jake came back out. “Erin said she has a couple of different hideouts, but I tried them already.”

  “Do you know if she ever just goes home?” Jake pulled the door closed behind them and they hopped in Carissa’s old Honda.

  “I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve had to look for her.” She pulled out and headed back toward Erin’s apartment.

  “So … what did Erin go home for?” Jake had never heard if she’d told her parents about their lie.

  Carissa was silent for a moment as she drove. “Her dad was in a bad accident. She went home to help out.”

  Jake felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “Is he okay?”

  “Last I heard, he was pretty beat up.”

  They drove around several blocks, hoping to find the small cat among the crowds. With it being near rush hour time, it was nearly impossible.

  “I don’t think she’d be on the busier streets. Let’s go back around Erin’s apartment in case she was headed home.”

  “You’re probably right.” Carissa turned down a side road and slowed down so they could watch for the cat. After several minutes, she slammed on her brakes and pulled over suddenly. “Isn’t that her cat right there?”

  “Yes.” Jake jumped out and walked slowly toward Coco. He talked softly and bent down to pick her up. “There you go. Let’s get you back to the shelter.”

  Carissa rais
ed an eyebrow. “Why? So you can charge her another thirty-five dollars?”

  Jake winced at the accusation. “Unless you want her to stay at your house, it’s best to have her at the shelter where she’ll be taken care of for now. No one is at Erin’s and who knows when she’ll be back.”

  “Good point.” Carissa waited for the traffic to go by, and then flipped a U-turn to head back to the pound.

  Jake took Coco inside and talked to Mr. Dayley about it before setting her down in the office with food and water. Thankfully, Mr. Dayley knew Erin well enough that he was okay with the arrangement.

  Carissa was still outside when Jake left the pound for his shoot. He tapped on the window and waited for her to open it.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I was just waiting to see what happened so I could tell Erin things were okay.”

  Jake nodded. “Good idea. Coco has her own cage, and she seems to be fine. Hey, could I get a ride to my photo shoot? I’m running late. It’s not too far from here.”

  “Hop in.”

  He climbed in and gave her the address. She pulled out and dropped him off just a few minutes before his audition was supposed to start.

  “Good luck.”

  “Thank you. Let me know if you hear anything else, please.” He climbed out of the car.

  “Will do.” She pulled away and was soon lost in the crazy New York City traffic.

  Jake walked inside the studio he’d auditioned at, and checked in before heading to the set. He’d been looking forward to this, but now all he wanted to do was hop a plane to go see Erin. He was sent through wardrobe and then onto the set. Each time they had to do another take, it was like a stab to his heart. He was itching to leave.

  Just as they were finishing up a take, Carissa appeared at the door. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she gripped her keys and phone tightly like she was trying to stay under control.

  “One more time, people,” the director called.

  Jake could have screamed. He took deep breaths before running through his lines, and as soon as they announced it was a wrap, Jake shook their hands and excused himself. He followed Carissa out into the hallway.

  “Things are looking bad, Jake.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  Jake’s heart constricted. “What’s going on?”

  Carissa handed him her phone. There was a message saying that Erin’s dad had some internal bleeding and it was worse than they’d expected.

  “Do you know where they are?” Jake pulled out his phone to book a flight. He couldn’t let her do this alone.

  “I think she said Atlanta. Why?” Her eyes widened. “Are you going?”

  Jake looked up from his phone. “I have to. She needs me. What hospital?”

  “I … don’t know. I can ask.” She typed a message into her phone.

  Jake typed in Carissa’s name and handed the phone to her. “Can I get your number so you can let me know what’s going on?”

  “Sure.” She typed it in and handed it back. “Be careful. And, Jake? Don’t give up on her, please. She really cares about you.”

  Jake kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you. I won’t, I promise. And do me a favor. Don’t tell her I’m coming.”

  He took off running down the hall and out of building. He flagged down a taxi and hopped in. “I need to get to JFK as soon as possible.”

  The taxi pulled out and made its way toward the airport while Jake messaged Mr. Dayley and his parents to let them know what was going on. Mr. Dayley told him to take as long as he needed. His parents told him to let them know as soon as he got down to Georgia and offered him a ride if he needed one.

  The drive to the airport seemed to take an eternity as the miles stretched into hours. He’d need to buy a toothbrush and some clothes when he got down to Georgia, but he didn’t want to take any more time. He should have left as soon as he heard about what happened.

  As soon as he got to the airport, he checked in and ran through security. They asked him several questions since he didn’t have any bags with him, then took off running to the right gate as soon as they get him go. He had another half hour before it was time to board, so he texted Carissa to see if she’d heard anything, and she texted back the name of the hospital.

  By the time he boarded the plane, Jake’s nerves were a mess. He knew he’d need to find more acting jobs when he got back to the city, because this trip had pretty much depleted everything he’d gotten the day before. But it was worth it. He hoped. He had no idea how Erin would feel when he showed up.

  Jake fished out the small box that held the ring they’d used in the commercial. Mr. Smith had insisted that Jake use it when he was ready. It was perfect. And Jake hoped he’d be able to use it soon. He stood and joined the other passengers in line to board the plane. He squeezed into his seat and turned his legs sideways, hoping the seat next to him would stay empty so he could have some legroom.

  The flight was just long enough to get in a quick nap. No one had shown up to sit next to him, so Jake was able to sprawl out. He sat up as the plane landed and coasted toward the terminal.

  Now that he was in Georgia, Jake felt the pressure of what he was about to do. He’d only known Erin for a few days, but he knew he couldn’t spend the rest of his life without her. He just hoped she felt the same way.

  Jake climbed off the plane and went through security so he could leave the airport. He climbed into a taxi and asked the driver to take him to the hospital. He watched the city pass by as they drove.

  “I hope everything’s okay.” the driver said. “Family?”

  “I sure hope so,” he muttered.

  The driver chuckled. “Trouble in paradise, eh?”

  “You could say that.” Jake pulled his wallet out and paid the driver as soon as they pulled up. “Thank you.”

  The receptionist at the front desk wasn’t willing to give Jake a room number, so he figured he’d look for a waiting room and hope they were still sitting there. He got a fern for Erin’s mom, and a large bouquet of red roses for Erin at the gift shop, then looked for the OR. Jake took a deep breath before stepping into the waiting room.

  Suzanne gasped when she saw Jake but didn’t say anything else. He handed her the plant and sat next to Erin who had her head lying on her arms. Jake hesitated for a second before he set his hand on her back.

  “Erin?”

  Erin jumped and sat up straight. She stared at him with her mouth open before she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

  “I didn’t want you to be alone. And I wanted to give you these.” He set the bouquet on her lap and pulled her closer.

  “Thank you for coming.” She let go of him and wiped her eyes. “We’re still waiting for him to get out of surgery. I just … I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to him.”

  Jake took her hand and squeezed it. “He’ll be fine. They’ll find what’s wrong and fix him. In the meantime, I’m here for you. Is there anything you need?”

  Erin shook her head, but her mom jumped in. “You can take her to get some food. She hasn’t eaten since she got here.”

  Jake stood and pulled Erin up as well. “I’ll take care of that. Do you need anything?”

  Suzanne shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Great. We’ll be back.” Jake put his arm around Erin and led her toward the cafeteria. He couldn’t imagine what she was going through right now.. He just hoped what he said was true, and that her dad would be okay.

  “So how did you know where to find me?” Erin rubbed her eyes.

  “Carissa. She had me help find your cat and told me what had happened. When she showed up at the set, I knew I couldn’t just stay there.”

  Erin’s eyes widened. “I’d forgotten that was today. How did it go?”

  “Good. I think. They seemed to be happy with it.” Jake went into the cafeteria and stood in line to order. He put his arm around her, and she laid her hea
d on his shoulder.

  “That’s great. I’m sure it turned out really well. You’re a natural.” Erin moved forward in the line and ordered a chicken sandwich and a milkshake.

  Jake ordered his burger, fries, and drink, realizing he hadn’t eaten since that morning. He waited until they were sitting before he continued.

  “I’m only a natural because you were there to help cheer me on. I was so nervous for the soda audition, but I knew I’d be fine as long as you were right there. When I found out what had happened, and that you were here dealing with this, I wanted to leave my job and come straight here. For all I know, I totally flopped the commercial since I spent the whole time wanting to just get through it and leave.”

  Erin played with the straw of her shake. “I felt the same way while we were shooting those commercials. But then when you left without saying good-bye, I figured I’d upset you somehow. I thought we had something.” She wiped a tear that escaped down her cheek.

  Jake chuckled. “If you mean the night of the shoot, I thought you left me. I’d gone into the bathroom and almost everyone was gone when I left. We had such a great connection both days that I figured we could make things work. When you weren’t there, I figured you were over me.”

  “That will never happen.” Erin pushed away her plate. Just then, her phone buzzed. “Oh, Dad’s out of surgery. I need to get back up there.”

  Jake stood and followed her out of the cafeteria, dumping their plates in the garbage on the way out. He took her hand as they walked, hoping to bring her some comfort.

  The doctor was still talking to Erin’s mom when they entered the waiting room. “… looks promising.”

  “What’s promising?” Erin asked.

  The doctor turned. “We found the cause of the bleeding and were able to close it up. Your father has a long road ahead of him, but he’s very lucky.”

  Erin teared up. “Thank you so much.”

  He nodded and walked back through the door to the OR. Suzanne stood and hugged her daughter tightly, then turned to Jake and hugged him as well.

  “Thank you both for coming. I couldn’t have done this without you.” She wiped her tears. “I just hope he’s doing better for the wedding. It would be a shame if he can’t walk you down the aisle.”