Safe in the Tycoon's Arms

As though reading her thoughts, Lucas adjusted the temperature controls and soon warm air was swirling around her. It’d been a long time since someone had worried about her. For just a second, she mused about what it’d be like to date the Bachelor of the Year—he certainly was easy on the eyes and very kind. More than likely, he had his pick of women. The thought left her feeling a bit unsettled.

She couldn’t let herself get swept away by Lucas’s charms. She had a notorious record with unreliable men. Why would Lucas be any different? After all, she knew next to nothing about him—other than he was a lousy housekeeper. He’d dismissed his desperately needed maid service. And he went out of his way for strangers he found squatting in his house. Wait. She was supposed to be listing his negative qualities.

She needed to make an important point not only to him but also to herself. “You know, I would have been fine on my own. You didn’t have to ride to my rescue.”

“I had to go out anyway.”

“And you just happened to be going in the same direction.”

“Something like that.”

The car rolled to a stop at an intersection. Lucas glanced at her. His probing eyes were full of questions. Like what was a small-town girl doing in the Big Apple? And how had she befriended his aunt? And the number one question that was dancing around in his mind: Why was she going to the hospital?

He didn’t push or prod. Instead he exuded a quiet strength. And that only made it all the more tempting to open up to him—to dump the details of the most tragic event in her life into his lap. No, she couldn’t do that. No matter how nice he was to her, letting him in was just asking for trouble.

Afraid he’d voice his inevitable questions, she decided to ask him a few of her own. “What’s the story with the house? Why does it look frozen in time?”

Lucas’s facial features visibly hardened. “I haven’t had time to deal with it.”

“Have you owned the place long?”

“My family has lived there for generations.”

Wow. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have family roots that went that deep. Her relatives were the here-today-gone-tomorrow type. And they never bothered to leave a forwarding address. Once in a while a postcard would show up from her mother. Her father... Well, he’d been out of the picture since she was young.

She tried not to think about her lack of family or her not-so-happy childhood. It didn’t do any good to dwell on things that couldn’t be changed. The only thing that mattered now was the future. But there was one thing she could do to help Lucas hold on to a piece of his past.

“You know the house is in desperate need of repairs, especially the upstairs,” she said, longing to one day have an opportunity to work on an impressive job such as his historic mansion. “I’m an interior designer and I have some contacts that could help—”

“I’m not interested.”

The thought of that stunning architecture disintegrating for no apparent reason spurred her on. “But houses need to be cared for or they start to look and act their age. And it’d be such a travesty to let the place fall down—”

“It’s fine as is. End of discussion.”

She wanted to warn him about the leaking roof, but he’d cut her off. She doubted anything she said now would even register in his mind.

With a huff, she turned away. Frustration warmed her veins. Here was a problem that could so easily be resolved and yet this man was too stubborn to lift up the phone and ask for help. If only her problems could be fixed as readily.

Her thoughts filled with the possible scenarios for today’s meeting with Molly’s specialist. This surgeon was their last hope. Kate prayed he wouldn’t dismiss the case as quickly as Lucas had dismissed the problem with his house.

She tilted her head against the cool glass. It soothed her heated skin. She stared blindly ahead, noticing how even at this early hour, the city was coming to life. An army of people with umbrellas moved up and down the walks while traffic buzzed by at a steady pace. Her world might be teetering on the edge, but for everyone else, it was business as usual.

Now was not the time for self-pity. As the towering hospital came into view, she straightened her shoulders and inhaled a deep breath, willing away all of her doubts and insecurities.

“Which entrance should I drop you at? Emergency?”

“No. I told you I’m fine. Fit as a fiddle.” She forced a smile to her lips before gathering her things.

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. The main entrance will do.”

“You know hospitals aren’t a great place to be alone. Is there someone I can call for you?”

He surprised her with his thoughtful offer. How could a man be so frustrating in one breath and sweet in the next?

“No, thanks. I have some people waiting for me.”

He pulled the car over to the curb. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. What she failed to tell him was that the people waiting for her consisted of the medical staff. No family. Except for Molly. She was all the family Kate needed.

“Thank you for everything.” She jumped out into the rain. “I just have to grab my suitcase.”

Lucas swiveled around. “Leave it.”

“But I—”

“Obviously you have enough to deal with already. Besides, I’m planning to work from home today. Call me when things are wrapped up here and I’ll give you a lift to your hotel.”

She had to think fast. Without an umbrella, the rain was soaking her. She really should end this here and now, but she’d feel more confident for the meeting if she wasn’t lugging around an old suitcase. Lucas was only offering to keep her possessions for a few hours, not asking her to run off and have a steamy affair or anything. The errant thought warmed her cheeks.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not sure how long I’m going to be.”

“No problem. Let me give you my number.”

In seconds, she had his number saved on her cell phone and was jogging up the steps to the glass doors. Thoughts of Lucas slid to the back of her mind. She was about to have the most important meeting of her life.

She refused to leave until she heard: “Yes. We will help your daughter.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“I THINK WE can help your daughter but—”

Kate’s heart soared. She’d been waiting so long to hear those words. It took all her self-restraint not to jump for joy. She wasn’t sure what the surgeon said after that as the excitement clouded her mind.

For months now, they’d traveled to one hospital after the other. Every time she located a place that offered a possibility of hope, they were there. Now at long last they had come to the right place. The weight of anxiety slipped from her shoulders and left her lighter than she’d been in recent memory.

When a stack of papers was shoved in front of her, she glanced down, spotting her name and a very large dollar figure. Her excitement stuttered.

“What is this?” She couldn’t move her gaze from the staggering dollar figure.

“That is the amount you’ll need to pay up front if we are to perform the operation.”

This couldn’t be right. She had health coverage and it wasn’t cheap. “But my insurance—”

“Won’t cover this procedure.” Dr. Hawthorne steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “It doesn’t cover experimental procedures. I’m willing to donate my time, but in order for the hospital to book the O.R. and the necessary staff, you’ll need to settle this bill with Accounts Receivable.” He paused and eyed her up as though checking to see if she fully understood. “You also need to be aware that this is an estimate. A conservative one at that. If there are complications, the bill will escalate quickly.”

Kate nodded, but inside her stomach was churning and her head was pounding. Her gaze skimmed over the long list of charges from the anesthesiologist to medications. How in the world was she going to raise this staggering amount of money?

Her daughter’s smiling face came to mind. She couldn’t...no, she wouldn’t let her down. There had to be an answer, because this operation was going to happen no matter what she had to do to make it a reality.

“You should also know that we normally like to treat children on an outpatient basis until surgery but with this tumor’s aggressive growth rate and with it already affecting her mobility, I feel it’s best to keep her admitted under close observation.”

Kate nodded in understanding even though her head was spinning with information. “I understand.”

Dr. Hawthorne cleared his throat. “Will you be able to come up with the funding?”

Without hesitation, Kate spoke in a determined voice. “Yes, I will.”

The surgeon with graying temples gave her a long, serious stare. She didn’t glance away, blink or so much as breathe. She sat there ready to do battle to get her daughter the necessary surgery.

“I believe you will,” Dr. Hawthorne said. “I need you to sign these forms and then my team will start working to reduce the tumor’s size before surgery.”

Kate’s lungs burned as she blew out a pent-up breath. She accepted the papers and started to read. Her stomach quivered as she realized the overwhelming challenge set before her.

A half an hour later, with her life signed away to East Riverview Hospital, Kate took comfort in knowing she’d done the right thing. This surgeon had performed miracles before. He could do it again. Kate was spurred on by the thought of Molly healthy once again. She could do this—somehow. She just needed time to think.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened. Kate stepped inside. A man stood in front of the control panel.

“Five, please.” She moved to the other side of the elevator and stared down at the paperwork in her hand, wondering how she’d pull off this miracle.

“Kate?” a male voice spoke.

The door slid shut as Kate lifted her head. When her gaze latched on to the man, her breath caught. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not now.

“Chad, what are you doing here?”

His dark brows scrunched together beneath the brim of a blue baseball cap. “Now, is that the way to greet your husband?”

“Ex-husband.” She pressed her hands to her hips. “I tried to reach you months ago. You didn’t have time for us then. Why have you suddenly shown up now?”

“My daughter’s sick. My family needs me—”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” There was no way she was letting him walk in here and act as if he was their saving grace. “We don’t need you. We’ve been fine all of this time without you.”

His gaze hardened. “I’ve been busy.”

After he’d refused to settle down in one place and create a nurturing environment for their daughter, he’d left Kate on her own to have their baby. He’d succeeded in confirming her mistrust of men.

The elevator dinged and the door slipped open. Kate stepped out first and left Chad to follow. They stopped outside Molly’s door. Kate didn’t want anything to upset her little girl, not after everything she’d been through in the past several months. And certainly not now that she was scheduled for a very delicate procedure.

“How is she?”

“The tumor is causing her some mobility problems.”

“Is she in pain?”

Kate shook her head. “Thankfully she feels fine...for now. If they don’t do the surgery soon that will change. But...”

“But what?”

“Money has to be raised to cover the surgery. Lots of money.” Kate stood between Chad and the doorway to Molly’s room. “You should go before she sees you.”

He crossed his arms. “I’m not going anywhere.” His voice rose. “My Molly girl will be excited to see her daddy.”

Before she could utter a word, Molly called out. “Daddy, is that you?”

“Yes, sweetie. I’m here.” He leaned over and whispered, “I always was her favorite.”

Kate bit back a few unkind words as she followed her ex into the room. She hated how he dropped into their lives whenever it suited him and disappeared just as quickly.

Maybe that was why she’d been initially drawn to him—he was so much like her family, always chasing happiness in the next town. Having a child had been too much for her father, who’d split when she was ten. But her mother had stuck it out until Kate’s eighteenth birthday, before skipping town with the current flavor of the month.

But when Kate became pregnant, her priorities changed. She wanted her child to have a real home. She promised herself that her little one would have something she never had—stability.

The same town.

The same house.

The same bed.

She wondered what it’d be like to live in a home like Lucas’s, rich with family history. The man didn’t know how good he had it. The errant thought brought her up short. Why should she think of him now? And why did just the mere thought of him have her heart going pitty-pat? Maybe because she hadn’t anticipated his kindness after finding her, a total stranger, in his house.

“Yay! Daddy’s here.” Molly’s smile filled the room with an undeniable glow.

Chad gave their daughter a kiss and a hug. Kate watched the happy reunion and wondered whether she should be furious at her unreliable ex or grateful he’d made Molly’s face light up like Christmas morning. A child’s ability to forgive was truly impressive. And right now Molly’s happiness was all that mattered.

“How long are you sticking around?” Kate asked, wondering if she had time to grab some much needed coffee and gather her thoughts.

“For a while. Molly and I have some catching up to do.”

“Daddy, wanna watch this with me?” Molly pointed to a cartoon on the television anchored to the wall.

All three of them in the same room for an extended period would only lead to problems. Chad had a way of finding her tender spots and poking them. And having Molly witness her parents arguing was certainly not something her little girl needed right now. Kate struggled to come to terms with the fact Chad was suddenly back in their lives.

“I’m just going to step out and get some coffee. I’ll be right back.” Kate couldn’t help thinking that she was a third wheel here, an unfamiliar feeling. “You should know she sleeps a lot.”

“No need to rush.” Chad used his take-charge tone, which caused every muscle in Kate’s body to tense. “How about I stay until this afternoon and then you can spend the evening with our girl. No need for both of us to be here. After all, you have money to raise.”

Just the way he said the last part let her know that coming up with the money for the surgery would be solely her responsibility. Her blood pressure rose. What else was new?

She was about to inform him of his responsibilities toward their daughter when common sense dowsed her angry words. An argument between her and Chad was the last thing Molly needed. Still, with all three of them crowded in this small room all day, an argument was inevitable.

“You can leave,” Chad said dismissively.

“Yeah, Mommy. Daddy and me are gonna watch TV.”

Maybe it was the best way to keep Molly happy. She caught Chad’s gaze. “Are you sure you want to stay that long?”

“Absolutely. Molly and I have lots of catching up to do. Is that a stack of board games over there?” He pointed to the corner of the room.

Before Kate could speak, Molly piped up. “Yeah. Wanna play?”

While Chad wasn’t reliable for the long haul, when he was with Molly, he was a good father. Kate smiled at her daughter’s exuberance. “What time should I be back?”

“Three. I have some things to do then.”

“Okay. I’ll see you both at three.” And to be certain of Chad’s intentions, she added, “You will still be here, won’t you? Because I can come back earlier.”

“I’ll be here.”

Kate kissed her daughter goodbye and hesitantly walked away. She assured herself Molly would be fine with Chad. In the meantime, she had planning to do. Four weeks wasn’t much time to come up with enough cash to cover the bill.

The thought made her chest tighten. She didn’t have access to that kind of money. As it was, her house in Pennsylvania was being sold to pay some prior medical bills. What in the world was she going to do?

* * *

“Elaina, you have to be reasonable.” Lucas struggled to maintain a calm tone with his ex-wife. “All I’m asking is for you to let me see Carrie when I fly back out to San Francisco.”

“And I told you it’s too confusing for her. She has a dad now—one who doesn’t spend his life at the office. Don’t come around again. All you’ll do is upset her.”

“That’s not true.” His grip on the phone tightened. “You know you could make this easier for her by not yelling at me in front of her.”

Elaina sighed. “When you show up without invitation, what do you expect? And I’m only doing what’s best for my daughter—”

“Our daughter. And if I waited for an invitation, I’d be an old man. Don’t you think her knowing her father is important?”

“No. Don’t keep pushing this. Carrie is happy without you.”

A loud click resonated through the phone. His teeth ground together at the nerve of his ex-wife hanging up the phone while he was trying to reason with her.

The kitchen chair scraped over the smooth black-and-white tiles as Lucas swore under his breath and jumped to his feet. He paced the length of the kitchen. The sad thing was Elaina meant her threat. She would make his life hell if he didn’t play by her rules. She’d done it once by skipping town with their daughter and leaving no forwarding address. This time he didn’t even want to think of the lies she’d tell Carrie about him.

This was the reason he’d decided to let his daughter live in peace without the constant shuffle between two warring parents. He wanted a better childhood for Carrie than he’d had.

His thoughts drifted back to his childhood. He’d hated being a pawn between his parents and being forced to play the part of an unwilling spy. Those two were so wrapped up in knowing each other’s business and with outdoing the other that, in some twisted way, he figured they never really got over each other.

But if that was love, then he wanted no part of it. That’s why he’d decided to marry Elaina. They had a relationship based on friendship and mutual goals, not love. A nice, simple relationship. Boy, had he made a huge miscalculation. Even without love things got complicated quickly. Now he couldn’t let his daughter pay the price for his poor decisions.

Lucas stopped next to the table and stared down at the unfinished email. The cursor blinked, prompting him for the next words, but he couldn’t even recall what he’d written.

Nothing was going right at the moment. First, his ex-wife declared war if he pursued his right to spend time with his little girl. Then there was the San Francisco expansion, which was hemorrhaging money. His only hope was the launch of his newest line: Fiery Hearts—brilliant rubies set in the most stunning handcrafted settings.

The launch of this line had to be bigger and better than any other he’d done. Fiery Hearts had to start a buzz that would send women flocking to Carrington’s, infusing it with income to offset the cost of getting the West Coast showroom up and running. He raked his fingers through his hair, struggling for some innovative, headline-making launch for the line. But he drew a blank.

He closed the laptop and strode over to the counter. He went to refill his coffee cup only to find the pot empty. The thought of brewing more crossed his mind, but he had a better idea—getting away from the house by going to a coffee shop. Between the hum of conversation and his laptop, it’d keep him occupied. And if Kate needed her suitcase, she had his number.

Satisfied with his plan of action, he grabbed his keys and wallet when his cell phone buzzed. A quick glance at the illuminated screen revealed it was his aunt.

“Aunt Connie, I’ve been trying since last night to get you. Are you okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m not used to you being out so late and not taking my calls.”

“Sorry. I was at the hospital, sitting with a woman whose husband underwent emergency surgery.”

“Did everything go well?” he asked, already having a pretty good guess at the answer. His aunt was too upbeat for things to have gone poorly.

“Yes, the man has a good prognosis. So, dear, how are things going in San Francisco?”

This was his opening to find out what exactly was going on here. “I got back late last night.”

There was a quick intake of breath followed by silence. He wasn’t going to help his aunt out of this mess. She owed him an explanation of why a stranger was living here in his home without his permission. He might love his aunt dearly, but this time she’d overstepped.

“Oh, dear. Umm...I meant to call you—”

“So you’re admitting you invited Kate to stay here without consulting me?”

“Well, yes. But I knew you’d understand.” Uncertainty threaded through her voice.

If Connie were an employee, he’d let her have an earful and then some. But this was his aunt, the only family member who’d ever worried more about his happiness than the company’s bottom line...or having the Carrington name appear on the society page with some splashy headline. He couldn’t stay angry with her, even if he tried.

“It might be best if you ask in the future, instead of assuming.” He made sure to use his I’m-not-messing-around voice.

“I’m sorry. She doesn’t have any family for support or anywhere to go. And I would have sent her to my place, but you know after the last person I took in, my roommate insisted I never bring home anyone else. How was I to know that woman liked to borrow things?”

“Without permission and without any intention of returning them.”

He was so grateful that his aunt had Pauline to look after her. If it weren’t for Pauline, he’d never feel comfortable enough to leave town on business. His aunt was too nice, too unassuming. As a result, people tried repeatedly to take advantage of her to get to the Carrington fortune.

“Kate isn’t like the others,” Connie insisted. “She has a good heart.”

“Still, you shouldn’t have sent her here. This house...it’s off-limits.”

“I thought after all of this time you’d have let go of the past.”

He’d never let go. How could he? It’d mean letting go of his little girl. A spot inside his chest ached like an open, festering wound every time he thought of how much he missed seeing Carrie’s sweet smile or hearing her contagious laughter. But he didn’t want to discuss Carrie with his aunt...with anyone.

Hoping to redirect the conversation, he asked, “What do you know about Kate?”

“Didn’t she tell you?”

A knock at the back door caught him off guard. He wasn’t expecting anyone as he never had visitors. And if it was some sort of salesperson, they’d go to the front door.

“I’ve got to go. Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you back later.”

“Lucas, be nice to Kate. She has more than enough on her plate. She can use all of the friends she can get.”

And with that the line went dead. What in the world had that cryptic message meant? He didn’t have time to contemplate it as the knock sounded again.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he set his phone on the center island. So much for getting any answers about Kate. Now all he had were more questions.

The knocking became one long string of beats.

“Okay! I’m coming.”

Lucas strode over and yanked open the door. A cold breeze rushed past him. His mouth moved, but words failed him.

There standing in the rain, completely soaked, was Kate. Her teeth chattered and her eyes were red and puffy. This certainly wasn’t the same determined woman he’d dropped off at the hospital. Where her hair had once been styled, the wet strands clung to her face. What in the world was going on?

Without thinking he reached out, grabbed her arms and pulled her inside. His mind continued to flood with questions, so many that he didn’t know where to start. But finally he drew his thoughts into some semblance of order and decided to start at the beginning.