Julie Garwood - Slow Burn

She had pored over the records multiple times hoping against hope that she might find a solution before she had to reveal the problem to her sisters. The ringing jarred her from her thoughts and she quickly snatched the receiver so it wouldn't wake the rest of the household. No one ever called with good news at two in the morning. She feared it might be Reece on the other end of the line as she answered.

"Did I wake you?" Jordan asked.

Kate let out a quick breath in relief. "No, I'm wide awake. What's going on?"

"Why don't you answer your e-mail? I've been sitting here in front of my computer since nine o'clock."

"I'm sorry. I was going through bills." Kate could hear the anxi-ety in Jordan's voice and knew something was wrong. It had to be something awful, too, or she wouldn't have called in the middle of the night. Good news could always wait until morning.

Kate knew better than to come right out and demand to know what the problem was. She and Jordan had been best friends for a very long time, and Kate understood how her mind worked. When pressured, Jordan closed up.

"What's going on there?" Jordan asked.

"Not much. Just the usual stuff."

"What usual stuff? Kate, I need to talk about mundane things for a minute. Okay?"

Oh, Lord, the news was bad all right. Kate felt a knot form in her stomach. "Okay," she said. "I've been going through bills, and guess what I found? Never mind, don't guess. Before she died, Mom signed away the house, the car, and all other assets, including my company and my name. She took out a loan the size of Nebraska and only paid the interest for the last three years. The balloon payment is due in thirty days. Oh, and last night, I almost got blown up."

"I miss talking to you."

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

"I'm sorry? What did you say?"

The question wasn't a joke. Jordan sounded a million miles away. The knot twisted in Kate's stomach.

"I was saying it's hot here, hot and humid. What's going on with you?"

"I found a lump."

Four little words and everything changed in that instant. The worry about the house and bills and tuition was forgotten, and all that mattered was her friend.

"Where? Where is it?" She tried to keep the urgency out of her voice.

"Left breast."

"Have you seen a specialist yet? Have you had any tests?"

"Yes and yes," she answered. "Surgery's scheduled for Friday morning. The surgeon wanted to do the biopsy tomorrow, but I wouldn't let him. You need time to get here… right?" She sounded like a little girl now, a scared little girl.

"Yes, that's right. I can be there tomorrow."

"I'll book you on a flight. I'll e-mail you times and flight numbers, and I'll pick you up at the airport."

Kate knew Jordan was focusing on the details as a way of staying in control. It was the same thing she would have done. Control was one way to combat fear.

"I'll be waiting at baggage pickup."

"Yes, okay." Kate was so shaken she couldn't think of what questions to ask. Her hand was aching and she realized she was gripping the phone. She forced herself to relax.

"Listen. I've decided not to tell the family, not yet anyway. After I know what I'm dealing with, then I'll tell them. I couldn't stand all of them hovering around me. Mom and Dad have really been through it the last couple of months. As proud as they are of my brothers, having most of them in law enforcement has taken its toll. When Dylan was shot on duty, I think they aged twenty years. For a while there, none of us knew if he was going to make it or not. You were there. You know how bad it was."

A shiver rushed down Kate's spine. "Yes, I remember."

"And you saw how the stress affected everyone, especially my parents. Now that Dylan's home and mending, the family's calming down. Just the other day Mom called and mentioned that it had been eight weeks since that nightmare phone call, and she's just now able to take a deep breath. What was I supposed to say to that, Kate? Brace yourself? I've got more bad news for you?"

"You don't know if it's going to be bad news or…"

"Right, but it's the not knowing that gets everyone all stirred up. It's better to wait until I find out… everything."

"Whatever you want…"

"Besides, Dylan is sending Mom and Dad on a cruise."

"That's sweet of him."

"Are you kidding? He just wanted to get them out of his hair. Mom's been driving him crazy, showing up at his place at least once a day with food. He's not used to being pampered."

"What about your sister? I know how close you and Sydney are. Aren't you going to tell her?"

"Have you forgotten? She's in L.A. She starts film school in just a couple of weeks, and she's busy getting settled."

"That's right, film school. I forgot all about that."

"If Sydney knew about the surgery, she'd come home, and I don't want her to do that. If it's bad news, then of course she and Mother will need to know right away."

"Yes."

"But for now it's just you and me. Are you up for this?"

"Absolutely."

They talked for another few minutes and then hung up. Kate stayed in complete control while she gathered up the papers from the table and dumped them into a laundry basket. She wanted to put it all in the trash, but that wouldn't solve anything.

She still had a little time before the roof came crashing down and the creditors were banging on the doors. There was enough money in the checking account to pay the current bills. When she returned from Boston, she would figure out what to do. She wouldn't tell her sisters about the financial disaster until then.

She turned the lights off and carried the laundry basket upstairs to her room. She put it in her closet and got ready for bed.

She didn't start crying until she was under the sheets.

Jordan had never been on time for anything in her life, and today was no exception. Kate was waiting with her bag at her feet outside the airport doors when her friend pulled up to baggage claim. Jordan put the car in park but left the engine running, popped the trunk, and got out so she could hug Kate.

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too."

"I knew you'd come."

"Of course."

A policeman motioned for Jordan to move the car. Neither Kate nor her friend said another word until they were on the airport exit road heading toward Jordan's apartment.

"How late was I?" Jordan asked.

"Just fifteen minutes."

She glanced at Kate, smiled, and said, "You look like hell."

"You look worse."

Kate was teasing. Jordan always looked beautiful. Though her hair was a deep auburn color, she had a redhead's complexion. She usually had that ail-American, freckle-faced, Ralph Lauren model look about her, but not today. There was very little color in her face. Even her freckles looked pale.

"No wonder we're best friends. We're both painfully blunt."

She concentrated on merging onto I-90, then cut over to the middle lane and shot forward. "I wish you'd move here."

"I do love Boston, but…"

"I know. You have to keep the home fires burning for your sisters."

"Mostly for Isabel, and just for a little while. She deserves to have some family at home. Of the three of us, Isabel was closest to Mom, and she's had a hard adjustment."

"Is she still headed to Winthrop?"

"Yes," she answered. "She's very excited. It's the perfect school for her." If I can come up with the money for more them one semester's tuition, she silently added. "I'm hoping that going away to college will help her grow up a little. Mom always treated her like a baby."

Jordan nodded. "She is the baby in your family, but she's got a good head on her shoulders. She'll be okay."

"How scared are you, Jordan?"

The abrupt change in topics didn't faze her friend. Her mind worked just like Kate's, bouncing from one thought to another. "Very," she answered.