Binder Full of Women by Kathleen Miles Read Free Book Online Page A

She was going back and going to talk some sense into him.
     
     
    ~*~*~*~*~
     
    Back in Indianapolis, Trent was cursing himself for all of the mistakes he made with Rachel. She did deserve it all – the real thing. He was too broken to provide it. At the same time he couldn’t stop thinking about how right it had been.
    After discretely calling in some favors to make sure that nothing was to be printed in the gossip columns about either Rachel or himself he set into working on a new way to revive Pearson Chemicals. With the revived energy and adrenaline that carried over from Cozumel he knew he could find a way.
    After taking care of the gossip column issue he stopped at the cemetery. He walked back to the large headstones marking where his parents and grandparents were buried. Kneeling he started talking to his mom and dad, asking them what he should do. If only they were there to provide answers.
    He needed to make the situation right for Rachel. That meant shutting the door on the fling they had and opening the door for her future. He had to do what was right for her.
    Trent had planned on picking her up from the airport. He wanted to make things up to her and get their friendship back on track. He couldn’t live without Rachel’s friendship. A last minute safety incident with potentially serious implications happened at one of his plants and he wanted to be there in person to see that everyone was ok. In his place he sent a driver to pick her up. He also sent her a text letting her know he would stop by her place as soon as he could that night so they could talk.
    After seeing that all was under control at the plant and that no one in fact was seriously injured Trent started towards Rachel’s house when his phone rang. The caller id showed it was Rachel’s parents so he pulled over and picked up immediately.
    “It’s Rachel. There’s been an accident,” Rachel’s mom said between sobs.
    The words felt like a nutcracker cracking his heart open.
    They didn’t know many details. St. Vincent hospital called them and told them she needed someone there. Her parents were getting on the first flight they could catch, but likely wouldn’t be there until the next morning.
    “I’ll have a jet chartered for you. I’ll call with the details soon. It should get you here tonight.” Trent assured them he was on his way and would update them immediately.
    Rachel, was she going to be gone? What happened? He had caused this, all of this.
    When he arrived at the hospital they asked if he was her husband. “Yes,” he replied. He had to make it past security to get into the ICU and get information.
    He could see her through the window hooked up to an IV and more machines with monitors than he knew existed. There were steady beeps and lines crossing the screens. Her delicate body was covered in sheets and her head was in some sort of brace. His Rachel. His poor Rachel.
    Was he going to lose her?
    Trent learned from the doctor that she was in a coma ever since she arrived. There were somehow no broken bones, but she had a lot of head trauma which was potentially serious.
    “Can I go in?” he asked pressing his hand against the cold window that looked into her room.
    The doctor let him enter and he laid a hand on Rachel’s. She was so fragile and vulnerable relying on these machines to keep her alive. How could he face life without Rachel? She was what he looked forward to. Her smile, her rose smell, her laugh, her intelligence, her everything. How could he have been so ignorant? His heart ached and his tears fell.
    Not even all of the money in the world could buy back Rachel’s health. He would give it all to have her.
    He wasn’t going to lose Rachel. It was time to face the truth. He loved her and he always would. There could be no other. There was only Rachel. Rachel and Rachel alone would be his to have and to hold for better or for worse.
    Still holding her hand, he leaned close to her ear and gently whispered,