Page 61 of The Condemned (Echoes from the Past #6)

FIFTY-ONE

Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany

Having collected his rental car, Rhys made several stops before going to the hospital to see Jo.

He bought a bouquet of flowers, the brightest he could find to offset the sterile whiteness of her surroundings, and a bunch of grapes.

He also picked up a box of paczki , round pastries stuffed with a fruity filling and dusted with powdered sugar.

Rhys drove to the medical center, parked the car in a spot designated for visitors, and made his way inside.

He had to admit he was nervous. He hardly knew Jo Turing, and since Dr. Stein had expressly forbidden him from upsetting her, he could hardly spring a long-lost twin sister on her or ask about what had happened in Afghanistan.

They could always chat about mutual acquaintances, since they were bound to have a few, but that conversation would only get him so far, and this was his last chance to prepare Jo for Quinn’s imminent arrival.

Dr. Stein met Rhys at the nurses’ station and smiled at him warmly. “Mr. Morgan, good to see you again. Jo is awake and in good spirits. I think she’s looking forward to your visit.”

“May I offer her a pastry?” Rhys asked, opening the box to allow Dr. Stein to examine the contraband.

“Only if you offer me one as well,” she replied with a wicked grin. “I’ve been on call for the past twenty-four hours and I’m desperate for a sugar rush.”

“There’s plenty. Please, help yourself. ”

Dr. Stein reached for a pastry and took a bite. She rolled her eyes in ecstasy. “Delicious. Thank you. Ask the nurses to page me if you need anything. No more than fifteen minutes, please.”

“Understood,” Rhys replied. Fifteen minutes was a long time to make small talk.

Jo was propped up by several pillows, her face pale in the morning light that streamed between the slats of the plastic blinds.

Her eyes lit up when Rhys walked into the room and she smiled, making Rhys’s heart turn over with a sudden realization that her smile was exactly like Quinn’s: warm, impish, and genuine.

“Rhys, thank you for coming to see me. Are those for me?” she asked, noticing the flowers. There was a catch in her voice, as if no one had ever brought her flowers before.

“I thought the room could do with some brightening up.” Rhys had borrowed a vase from the nurses’ station and filled it with water, setting the bouquet on Jo’s nightstand.

“Oh, they’re gorgeous. Thank you.” For a moment, Rhys thought she might cry.

“In my opinion, these are so much better than flowers.” Rhys handed Jo the box of pastries.

She opened it and inhaled the mouthwatering aroma. “Mm. You’re right. I’ll have one now and save the rest for later. Would you like one?”

“No, I’ve already indulged. I have a weakness for pastries, but I prefer baking them myself,” Rhys confessed. “It’s something of a hobby.”

“Funny thing, that. I’m exactly the opposite,” Jo said, smiling again. “I prefer instant gratification.” She took a bite and chewed slowly, savoring it.

“Jo, is there anyone I can call for you? Charles Sutcliffe?” Rhys suggested .

“There’s no need, but thank you for offering.”

“Surely there must be someone who’s worried about you.”

Jo’s face clouded and she looked away, staring at the window, the pastry in her hand forgotten. “Sadly, no.”

“What about your brother and sister?” Rhys persisted.

“Especially not them.” Jo turned back to face Rhys, her dark eyes searching his face. She looked like a woman desperate to find an answer to a question that had been haunting her for some time. “You know her, don’t you?”

“Whom do you mean?”

“You work with her. You produce her program.” Jo spoke rapidly, breathless with anxiety.

Rhys sat back in his chair, completely taken aback by Jo’s sudden intensity. “Jo, Dr. Stein asked me not to upset you.”

“I’m not upset. Please, answer me. Do you know Quinn Allenby?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Did she send you?” Jo whispered, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Oh, please say she did.”

Rhys nodded and reached for Jo’s hand. “She did, Jo. She raised hell to find you.”

“Really?” Jo’s voice was barely above a whisper, but a light shone out of her eyes, a light of life-altering hope.

“So, you know about Quinn? You got her letter?”

Jo nodded. “I received it the night before I left for Kabul. I tried to reply. I must have scrapped a hundred different versions, but I just couldn’t get it right.

It was such a shock. Such an unexpected gift.

I was terrified of cocking it up, so I decided I’d just meet with her once I got back.

I had to do it face-to-face, because no words could express what I was feeling.

I couldn’t get to sleep that night. I must have watched a thousand videos on YouTube, anything that featured Quinn.

I feel as if I know her face as well as I know my own.

Rhys, what is she like?” She looked like a lovesick teenager, hoping for any sign of interest from a boy she liked.

Jo was desperate for affirmation that Quinn was the woman she hoped she’d be.

Rhys smiled widely and covered her hand with his own. “She’s amazing, Jo. She’s smart, and funny, and so generous of spirit. She’s searched desperately for you these past few months. She was convinced you needed help.”

“I did.” Jo used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.

“Rhys, all my life I felt as if something was missing. I couldn’t put a name to it, it was just this hollow place inside my chest, as if a vital organ had been removed.

I thought it must be the lack of knowledge about my birth parents, but I realized long ago I really didn’t care to find them.

They’d abandoned me, left me ill and alone, with nothing more than a scrap of paper with my name and date of birth.

I have no use for them. But a sister. A twin sister. ” Jo’s face was radiant with love.

“She’s on her way, Jo,” Rhys said softly. “She’ll be here today.”

“Oh God,” Jo sobbed, overcome.

“What’s all this?” Dr. Stein demanded as she walked through the door. “I specifically told you not to upset her.”

“I’m not upset,” Jo moaned. “I’m elated.”

“You don’t look elated to me. In any case, you need to rest now. Mr. Morgan can come back tomorrow and continue elating you then,” Dr. Stein said sternly.

“Rhys, please bring her,” Jo begged as Rhys was ushered out the door. “Please. ”

“You have my word.”

The last thing Rhys heard as she left the room was Jo’s muffled sniffling.

He returned to the car but didn’t immediately start the engine.

Instead, he leaned back against the headrest and stared at the expanse of pristine snow just beyond the car park.

So, Jo knew. She’d known for months. That would certainly make things easier for Quinn.

Rhys glanced at his watch. His first impulse was to call Quinn immediately, to relieve some of the gnawing trepidation she felt at the prospect of meeting her sister, but Quinn would still be in the air.

His news would have to wait until he collected her from the airport later today.

Rhys started the car, and the engine sputtered into life.

There was no other word for it. He’d have happily paid a premium for a better vehicle, but this two-door economy hybrid in bright yellow was the only thing he could get.

He cringed and pulled out of the parking space.

He hoped Quinn would use her time on the flight to learn more about Mary instead of fretting needlessly.