Chapter 56

Wade

It's been a few days since Nicki showed up here at Caulder Creek with my newly assembled family, which is still wild and taking time to sink into my overactive, muddled brain.

First was Marcus staying behind to apologize and desperate to make everything right.

Then there was the invasion of ex-Eagles players, with poor Thomas and Joe tagging along.

And then Lola and Zane.

I've done more talking in the last three days than I have all year.

Nicki called yesterday, suggesting we start family counseling, which I agreed to, knowing firsthand how beneficial therapy has been for me.

And now I'm here, all alone, with a few more days before I have to haul my ass back to Edmonton and face the music.

Kali would have gotten my letter by now. Lola would have given it to her this morning because it was late when Zane and her left last night.

Through my stupidity, I might have lost her and it may be too late.

If I"ve truly lost her, then I'll have to sell the house.

The thought of watching Kali move on with someone new while living across the street from me every day would break my heart. There is no way I can do that.

My phone dings loudly from the table, alerting me to a text which Lola does every day and often, checking in, ensuring I'm okay. Which I'm not. Far from it.

LOLA:

Have you seen this?

I click on the link she's sent me and tap the play button on the video.

Turning the volume up on my phone, the crappy gossip show Kali loves fills my screen, the presenter's commentary explaining what's coming up…

Today on The Buzz, we spend a day in the life with Kali Roth, ex-supermodel turned publicist, as she opens the doors on her new Talent Management Agency, plus she'll be sharing her exciting plans for the launch of her new offices, which means she'll be moving back to New York. Stick around for her exclusive news… you do not want to miss it.

Moving to New York?

She hated New York.

What's her exclusive news?

Unable to take my eyes off the screen, I watch the video play, my brain spinning around in my head, unable to work out why she would move.

God, I miss her.

Looking more like a female entrepreneur than a supermodel, frame after frame I watch her guide the presenter around every inch of her Edmonton office, meeting and greeting her staff where they discuss their plans for the New York office.

There are clips of her walking the catwalk, photos of Kali, her clients, logos of the businesses she works with, snippets of her greatest business accomplishments, there's a shot of me and her at the Calvin Klein photoshoot, then me on the ice, highlighting all her successes. Then it switches back to just Kali sitting with the presenter in her office.

Why would Kali do this show? It makes no sense.

Unable to stop, I keep watching, my heart in my mouth as the television host asks her, "You've created a completely new life for yourself, Kali. What made you change your career direction?"

Question after question, Kali answers everything. She's articulate and professional, which I have only ever known her to be.

Until I thought she wasn't.

Another question is asked, "So, New York? Big changes for you ahead."

"Which I'm excited about. Also, I'm a little worried." She replies.

I can tell she's nervous because she always does that fiddling thing with her fingers when she is.

"So, why the change, Kali?" The host keeps firing questions her way.

"New York is where I started my modeling career with Fame. I'm going back to my roots. Sort of. It makes sense to be in the world's capital city of creative talent."

Which she doesn't sound too happy about. She's not excited. She's lying and running away. Like I have.

"If you were to choose, which one would you say was rewarding, being a model or being a publicist?" The host asks.

Kali smiles wide. "Publicist. My greatest achievement was the work I did with Wade Collins. The hockey player."

"Your fiancé?"

"Ex." Her reply is firm and to the point.

I lost her.

The host looks regretful. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Kali sighs and looks straight into the camera. "I made a mistake. One I will never make again. I hurt him."

"Please don't say that, baby. It wasn't your fault," I say to the screen.

"How was it your fault?" The host pushes her for more detail.

"I carried a huge burden around for months." Kali sighs again. "I learned something which, in hindsight, I should have told him about. But I didn't. I genuinely thought I was protecting his feelings. His reputation. I wanted everyone to see he was a star first and foremost and nothing else. I messed up."

The host then asks, "I think it's okay to keep secrets to prevent other people from getting hurt, don't you?"

Kali shakes her head in response. "I did. Until recently. Now I'm not so sure."

"Which is why you're doing the interview, right? Because you have something huge to share with us today? No more secrets."

"Yeah." Kali beams. "I'm expanding in more ways than one. I'm expecting my first child."

"Pregnant?" I shoot up to my feet, the phone shaking in my hand.

And she's moving to New York.

No. No. No. No. No.

There's a loud knock at my door. "Wade, open up. It's me, Lola."

Lola?

Running, I barely get the door open as she barrels her way through it at the speed of light. "I found out she's having a leaving party then flying to New York tonight. We're crashing the party. You can't let her go." Huffing and puffing, she pushes out her words while holding a suit bag and shoe box.

"When, how, why?" I pull at the ends of my hair. She can't leave.

"Party is in two and half hours, wheels up on the plane in six and she's leaving because she thinks you don't love her, you idiot. Let's go." Grabbing my hand, she drags me down the hall into the house.

"We're going the wrong way."

"Look at you. You're a mess. Shave and shower now. C'mon, chop, chop," she instructs, ushering me to the bottom of the stairs. "You have ten minutes. Run." She hands me the suit bag and shoes.

"Did you give her my letter?" I thought she would call me straight away. I poured my heart out, told her how I felt about her and how sorry I was.

"No. She wasn't in when I went over there this morning."

Shit, well, there goes that plan. "But what if she won't listen to me when I get there?"

Hands on her hips, Lola shoots daggers my way. "Why are you still standing here? Go." She points up the stairs.

"But what?—"

"Less talking, more moving." She claps her hands together. "You have nine minutes." She sounds more like a sergeant major than my sister.

Worry works its way into my brain. The old feelings of unworthiness have taken up residency in my head once more. "What if she doesn't want me?"

"Well, duh, she's leaving because she thinks you don't want her. God, you two are a mess. Do I have to do everything around here? She knows it was the cleaner who was here the other week. I wished you had told her that at the time, though. Anyway, that doesn't matter now. Do you love her?"

"Of course I do." There's no doubt that's my baby. I won't let her leave.

"Well, she still loves you, too, but if you don't tell her how you feel, how will she ever know? She was here every day trying to tell you how she felt and to explain why she did what she did, but you didn't even open the door for her. No wonder she gave up on you. And she's about to jump on a goddamn plane in less than six hours and she's carrying your baby."

My brain is catching up with Kali's explosive news. "I'm going to be a dad." I'm so fucking excited about that, the blood pumping through my veins, sending my adrenaline into orbit.

"You won't be any such thing if you don't get up those stairs and make yourself look at least half presentable. Eight minutes. Go."

"What happens if she—" She doesn't let me finish.

"Just move. Now." She looks like she's about to explode, red patches of frustration bleed across her neck.

"Are you not freezing?" I look down at her dark navy strapless dress and strappy sandals. It's no outfit for winter.

"Very. But we have a party to crash, and we need to look the part if we are to gain entry. Now hurry up. I need to pee. Seven minutes." She darts off to the bathroom under the stairs and I don't know how I manage it, but I'm shaved, showered, and dressed in one of my black Tom Ford suits, black tee shirt and all black chucks, which Lola picked out for me.

Then I'm shoved by Lola, who is being very forceful today, into the back of Max's Range Rover. Lola apparently slipped him a backhander to get the information out of him for Kali's leaving party, then bribed him to take us and escort us to the party.

She's a little bit scary sometimes.

I find it odd Lola wasn't invited to Kali's party, because Kali and Lola get on like sisters. Maybe Kali is so completely devastated and no longer wants anything to do with me or any of my family anymore.

I'm not giving her a choice to walk out of my life like I did to her.

It's time to fucking step up and fight for what I want.

"Kali's not leaving," I tell Lola in the back of the car, already out of breath and in need of another shower.

"You had better hope she doesn't. Think about what you're going to say to her when we get there, okay?"

"Yes, boss."