Waiting For Love (Wild Creek Ranch Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ember gained consciousness and after a day at the hospital, she was released with strict dietary specifications and ample rest prescribed for her. Under the circumstances, granny did not allow her to return to Helena. She stayed at her grandparents house and Adelaide, Rhett, Rihanna and Renée came regularly to see her. Even granny Jenny came over to enquire after her health but Rex never came. She found out that he had left home to spend time with his best friend, Blake for a few days. 

All Adelaide' plans to talk to Rex had been dashed when she found out that he had a fight with the bitch Charmaine who had no plans of leaving Wildcreek Ranch and him. Rex, wild with fury threatened his family that it was either him or Charmaine living there. Charmaine refused to leave so he had packed all his stuff and drove away. 

Rex's granny and granddad spoke to aunt Charlotte to send Charmaine away to her own house immediately. Charmaine felt very insulted and fumed from head to foot at being snubbed by Rex and his family. While she waited for her dad to arrive to take her back, she kept thinking of a way to take her revenge. Finally, she found her way when she heard Adelaide and Rihanna talking about how much Rex still loved that zombie girl, some Ember whom she had seen that day. From their conversation, she realized that they had a misunderstanding of some sort. So when Renée went to meet Ember in the morning, she too followed her. After an hour Renée left while she waited for the bitch to emerge from her house. After waiting for nearly an hour, she was about to give up hope and think of another plan,  when Ember emerged from her house to go to her garden. She was busy planting some seeds and there was no one with her. Seeing that she was all alone, Charmaine strode up to her. 

"Hey! Are you Rex's ex?" She asked with a scowl. Ember froze hearing Rex's name and then slowly turned on her heels and looked up from her scouting position beside the rose bushes. She was shocked to see Rex's girlfriend standing right before her.

"What do you want?" She asked slowly, lowering her eyes and resuming her gardening work.

"Look hoe, stay away from my man. We're planning to marry soon. Why don't you get lost to where you came from?" Charmaine warned in her nasal tone. 

"Why are you so insecure? I'm at my house, minding my own business, " Ember said quietly. 

"If anyone is insecure, it's you. I'm just ensuring that you don't turn up to ruin my perfect wedding," lied Charmaine, feeling ecstatic seeing the hurt on the other woman's face.

"Don't worry, I won't, " said Ember, trying hard not to show her pain. 

"I don't believe bitches like you. Have you seen yourself? You look like a zombie. Even if you appeared before Rex, he wouldn't look at you without pitying you," laughed Charmaine. 

"I'm expecting his baby, so go away from our lives. I won't leave you, if you try anything with my Rex. Take this as a threat, " said Charmaine, walking away with a malicious smile on her face. In two hours her dad would arrive to take her away but she had broken that zombie woman forever and Rex would never have any future with her. Happy with her revenge, she left for Wildcreek Ranch to pack her stuff. 

Ember sat slumped to the ground thinking about what the woman had just told her. What she had wanted to avoid was finally happening. Rex was marrying the mother of his child. There wasn't any place for her in his life. 

Ember got up and walked into the house in a daze. Her granny was at the departmental store while granddad had gone to fetch her medicines from the nearest pharmacy. Ember packed the little stuff that she had brought along with her. Then she wrote a simple note.

Dearest granny and gramps,

There was an emergency at the hospital and I need to rejoin work at the earliest. Don't worry about me. I'll take care of myself. The moment I'm able to take some time out, I'll surely come down to visit you both. Sorry for not being able to wait for you to return home. Hope you will understand. 

Love
Ember

She left the note on the coffee table in the living room and picking up her car keys, she closed the front door without locking it and drove out of the house. She knew her gramps would return in a few minutes and she wouldn't be able to leave when he returned. 

With a more shattered heart than before, she returned to her small apartment in Helena. She couldn't face anyone and didn't join work immediately. Her grandparents had called later and she had explained to them the same thing that she had written in her note. She was the only one who knew of Charmaine's visit and she didn't tell even Adelaide about it. In fact Adelaide hadn't called her even once after she had returned to Helena. Maybe she was upset with her too just like her grandparents were. So she just locked herself in for the next two days.

Two days later Rhett called his brother to break the good news to him that Charmaine had left their house forever. Rex immediately packed up and returned home. The whole family especially the boys wanted to celebrate the event with drinks. Rex just arrived and forgot to unload his luggage from his car in his excitement at Charmaine's departure. He wanted to catch up with Rhett and the boys to find out how they finally got rid of Charmaine. He was passing Rihanna's room when he overheard how Ember was too sick and admitted to the hospital. 

He immediately stopped in his tracks and walked into Rihanna's room to find her chatting with Adelaide. "Ember's in hospital?" He asked with disbelief. How noone told him? He gave a hurt and accusing glance at Adelaide. 

"She was in the hospital bro. In which world are you in?" Said Rihanna. 

"When was this?" Asked Rex with more annoyance at not being informed about something so important. 

"When you were partying at Blake's house, " said Rihanna. 

"I wasn't partying there, Anna. Charmaine forced me to leave and you know it," gritted Rex out. "And why wasn't I informed about Ember?" He asked looking very hurt.

"Sorry," said Rihanna. 

"I'm going to see her at granny Stacey's house," announced Rex with determination. 

"She's gone back to Helena two days back," informed Adelaide, talking to him for the first time in months. Rex blinked with disbelief. 

"She l left? Wasn't she sick?" He asked with a blank face, unsure of what to do. 

"She left although the doctor asked her to rest," said Adelaide. 

Rex sat down on a couch nearby. "How could she be so callous about her health?" He asked with concern.

"Why don't you go and ask her that?" Said Adelaide. Rex turned to look at her, with wide eyes. 

"You're asking me to go to Helena?" He asked slowly. 

"Why not? It's not that far," said Adelaide. 

"It's not a question of distance. What if her boyfriend throws me out?" He asked with worry.

"See for yourself. Here, the photographs of Andrea's party a
have arrived. You can hand them to her. She wanted the photos to frame them and have them around her apartment there," said Adelaide, handing Rex the pack of photographs. 

"Give me her address?" Asked Rex. 

"It's written on the envelope. Check," said Adelaide. Rex checked and smiled at Adelaide and Rihanna. 

"Thanks girls, " he said, rushing towards his room to get ready to go to Helena. However, first he wanted to check the photos that Adelaide had handed over to him. Taking them out he sat checking out each and everyone of them when he froze seeing two photographs of Ember with Adelaide and Andrea. He could clearly see the ring that she wore on her finger. 

He sat on the bed in a daze unable to believe his eyes for the ring that she wore was the same ring that he had given her. What did it all mean? Why was she still wearing the ring that he gave her? Unless? Rex was unable to think anymore. He quickly collected the photographs and his necessary stuff and dashed out if his room.

"Rex, you just came in. Where are you off to now?" Asked his mom with concern.

"I'm going to Helena to see Ember mom," said Rex over his shoulder and disappeared outside. He started his Ford F-250 and drove all the way to Helena, his heart beating excitedly. A new hope filled his heart and mind. There was only one way to find out and he was determined to do it. He was determined to find his answers now.