My Charming Billionaire (The Grimwood Legacy Series Book 2)

by Jackie Castle

  He must have been exhausted because he slept soundly all through the night and didn’t wake up until a strange sound drew him out of his slumber. For a moment, he wondered if he was still on the helicopter. That was the sound he heard. His eyes flew open as another sound broke the morning silence. Sirens.

  Jeremy bolted out of bed and rushed to the window. Please don’t be the lifts, he sent up a quick prayer. Melody had been so worried about something happening to the lifts and people getting hurt. Had her worries been justified? He shoved the curtain aside and peered out the foggy window.

  All he could see were people rushing around and lights flashing. Where had the helicopter gone? Was it care flight?

  He rushed around yanking on his snowsuit and boots. He had to dig to the bottom of his case for his warmest hat and gloves. Soon as he was dressed, he ran outside and down the slippery walkway toward the main lodge.

  He noticed Evelina and her crew were already up. They were staying in the hunting cabin not too far from his. He wasn’t sure why Evelina was staying in that cabin but was sure Melody had something to do with it.

  Evelina pushed at a man wearing a white snowsuit under a leather jacket as if urging him to hurry. She was wrapped in a blanket. Her gaze kept drifting toward the mountain. Jeremy spun in that direction and noticed the helicopter circling around one of the peaks. By the time he looked back at Evelina, she was running back inside and the SUV was pulling away and making its way toward the mountain road to town.

  Jeremy continued on toward the lodge, finding a large group standing outside, all of them watching the helicopter. Finally, he found Aunt Maddie and Harriet standing together. Doc was climbing onto the back of an ATV driven by George. The two of them zoomed off along the deer trail run.

  It was mainly used by beginners. Still, it was steep enough to pick up some good speed if one was so inclined. Who could have been injured on that run?

  “What happened?” Jeremy asked as he approached.

  Maddie wiping her scarf across her tear-filled eyes. She seemed too upset to speak.

  Harriet answered, “We don’t know. Zack called down telling us to get a care flight up there. Melly’s been hurt. She was knocked into…into…” Harriet’s bottom lip started trembling as her face pinched in her effort to hold back her emotions. “We think she hit a tree. He said she’s not responding.” The tears came to Harriet’s eyes and she ducked her head, covering her face with her mittens.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jeremy and Aunt Maddie followed the ambulance down the mountain to Timberview Memorial. Only Maddie was allowed to follow her niece through the double-doors, but she soon returned, head hanging as she wept.

  He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and fearing the worst. Had Mel not made it? There was talk of a head injury. Her face, from the one brief glimpse he’d gotten, was covered in blood. They’d wrapped her head in a bandage and had a brace on her leg and arm.

  “What happened?” He managed to choke out. A heavy weight descended on him until he found it hard to breathe. She couldn’t die!

  Maddie sniffed and dabbed a napkin at her face. “They asked me to wait out here. The doctor sent her straight down to get an MRI. He said they’d prepare for surgery.” Her arms went around his waist as she started weeping again. “My poor baby girl. How could this have happened?”

  “Good question. Has anyone talked to Zack yet?” Jeremy led her toward the nearest chair in the waiting room and made her sit.

  Maddie said she didn’t know, that the last she saw of the young man, he was speaking to the police. The others stayed at the lodge to try and get everything back under control. The deer run would be shut down for the day, but the others would continue on as usual.

  Melody knew those slopes like the back of her hand. And he’d seen her avoid accidents several times while they’d gone out in the early morning together. She knew how to take a fall and she knew how to avoid obstacles. Yes, she was a bit of a daredevil, but a cautious one.

  “Well,” Maddie declared, pulling out her phone. “I’m not just going to sit here bawling like a baby Huey. I’m going to get some prayer warriors to start pounding on Heaven’s doors for our girl.” With a resolute nod, her chubby thumbs began pecking out a text to send to her friends.

  Jeremy stood and started pacing while he sent up silent prayers. Finally, figuring it wouldn’t hurt, he shot a text to Duncan, then added Suzette and Colt’s names, too. They were the only ones in his life that he thought might understand.

  “Some life, if that’s all the prayer support I have.” He turned to find Maddie talking on her phone, asking that word get passed around. Soon as she ended one call, she made another, then a few more after that.

  Jeremy had never felt so alone in all his life.

  He moved toward the large window that gave a perfect view of the mountain. How spectacular it looked with the sun shining down on its snowy caps. As he stared at the beautiful sight, a passage that he’d heard during one of the church services popped into his head.

  I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

  where does my help come from?

  It comes from the Lord,

  the Maker of Heaven and Earth

  Jeremy’s breath caught. Peace filled his heart and the tenseness in his shoulders relaxed. He closed his eyes and whispered, “Lord, I’m asking for help, then. Help Melody pull through this with no lasting injuries. Help me know how to help her. You’ve blessed me and my family. Immensely. How easy to forget where our real source comes from. All our money and it’ll do nothing to spare Mel’s life. That’s in your hands.”

  His fist clenched at his sides and he finally began to understand Duncan so much more. “I want to give them good stories to spread around,” he’d said not too long ago. “I want to leave behind more than just a pile of coins that we can easily lose in a heartbeat.”

  “Yes,” Jeremy whispered. “I want more, too. I want…” Truly, he didn’t even know what he really wanted. Except, he did want his life to go in a different direction. “Lead me, Lord. Show me what You’d like for me to do with this…life. With what you’ve blessed me with.”

  Getting his full inheritance would be nice. He wasn’t even sure how to live without unlimited opportunities and funds. But he’d not allow himself to worry about it one moment longer. Nor would he let the threat of losing everything dictate how he’d live his life, how he’d treat his dearest friends.

  “If…no, when, Mel pulls through, I’m going to tell her that I love her, Lord. I hope You’ll give me that chance. And I’m going to fight for her. No more lurking and hoping. She’s worth fighting for.” He gave a nod and turned to find Auntie Mad standing behind him with a smile on her face.

  “You missed the nurse that just came out. They won’t need to do surgery. Not at this point. She is starting to wake up but is very confused. They wanted me to go back there and see if I can help keep her calm.” Maddie reached for his hand. “You can come, too. I think she’ll like having both of us there with her when she fully wakes.”

  Had she heard him? Just how much had she heard?

  Maddie gave his arm a tug as she returned to gather her belongings and then pulled him along behind her through the double-doors.

  * * * *

  Melody’s head felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. Her hand reached up and felt the bandage. Her first thought was fearing they’d cut her hair! But her fingers brushed over her blond curls around her ears. She breathed out a sigh of relief, then pried her eyes open.

  Bright lights forced them closed again as she let out a groan. Man, that hurt!

  “Turn down the lights.” Was that Jeremy’s voice?

  A hand grasped hers, the fingers smooth, yet firm. “Mel? Open your eyes, hon. It’s safe now. You’re safe.” Lips brushed against her brow.

  She blinked and soon the room came into focus. Yep, there he was with those startling blue eyes and handsome face. His hair was a mess of tangled spik
es.

  “There you are. Welcome back.”

  Melody looked around, slightly lifting her head until pain shot through her temples. But she spotted Aunt Maddie standing on the other side of the bed, her hand resting on the large bandage that ran up Melody’s arm. She tried to move her legs and found something constricting her right one. That had been the side that ran into the brush.

  Suddenly, images began speeding through her mind. Racing Zack down the slopes when something ran out right in front of her. She’d had to leap out of the way and the momentum had taken her into the trees before everything went black. Had it been a deer?

  She’d never seen a deer on skis. She was sure whatever had cut her off had been wearing skis or a snowboard. They flew past her too fast.

  An older man dressed in a doctor’s coat came to her bedside and began flashing a little light in her aching eyes and asking her questions. She tried to follow, but there was too much going on. The way Jeremy was rubbing his thumb in the palm of her hand was enough to send her mind reeling on its own, not to mention all the other sensory overload she was experiencing.

  She gave the year and the serving president, and what town she was in.

  “Can you tell us what happened, Miss Carson?” the doctor asked. The portion of his badge not hidden in the folds of his jacket read Reed.

  “I’m not completely sure. Something…ran out in front of me.” She explained how she’d avoided hitting the…whatever it was. “It was the size of a bear, but it couldn’t have been one of them. Even if one woke from hibernating and was wandering around, it moved too fast. That’s all I can remember, everything else is a blank.”

  Dr. Reed made a note on his clipboard. “Were there any other skiers out there with you beside the young man who called for help?”

  She started to shake her head but stopped when the movement hurt. Zack had been way behind her. She’d actually gotten a head start when he had to stop to adjust his ski boot.

  “I don’t think so. We usually go up before the lifts are open so we can check the main runs.”

  “Very well, Miss Carson, I’ll let the police know what you said. They may ask to come in and speak to you, but I’m going to hold them off for a while longer. You need to rest for today. Stay in bed and no getting up unless you call a nurse to help you, understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” She scowled, hating to be bedridden. She’d had the flu a couple of years back and had been driven nearly out of her mind from being cooped up in her cabin for days on end.

  When the doctor left, Maddie said she was going out into the hall to make a few calls. She knew the staff would want an update.

  Jeremy remained standing beside her bed, his intense expression making her nervous. And a little unsettled. He’d had that same look the day they’d nearly kissed. “I bet you have a ton of stuff you need to be doing, I’m going—”

  “I’m not leaving.” He stated as his thumb continued to massage her hand. “You have a fractured arm and a possible broken leg. They said your whole right side will probably look like one big bruise. I guess it’s from the way you landed. Thank God you didn’t hit a tree.”

  Melody forced a smile. Broken arm and leg? That’s great. How long would all that keep her down? There was so much to do. She bet Evelina was throwing a party about now if she knew what had happened. Did she?

  Before she could ask, Jeremy blurted, “I’m not returning to New York. I’ll stay here until you are back on your feet. Maybe longer, if you’ll have me.”

  “What about your…wait, what do you mean, if I’ll have you?”

  He quickly looked away, then as if steadying himself, he turned his gaze back on her. “I’m resigning and selling my portion of the bank to Uncle Thomas. I don’t want to be there anymore.”

  “Why?”

  Jeremy drew in a slow breath, then carefully sat on the edge of her bed, keeping her hand in his. “I don’t…agree with how Uncle Thomas handles the business, but I have no say in the matter.”

  “But you would, eventually. Right?” She asked. “Can you lift my head a little? Do it slowly.”

  He nodded and hit the button until she indicated that was enough. At least now she could look at him more eye-to-eye.

  “Maybe, but I’d have to clear out everyone working there. They all hold the same philosophy as my uncle. Weed out the weak and make room for the strong. I want to find ways to help those struggling. And don’t worry, Mel, I’ll not lose my inheritance. I’ve already worked all that out.”

  She gave a snort, it wasn’t any of her business. “Doesn’t matter to me, I just want to make sure you don’t get the raw end of the deal because you’re trying to help me. I know the pressure my aunt has put on you and your firm. I don’t want to put you into a place where you have to make a hard choice. I—”

  “I love you,” he blurted. His breath caught for a long moment as he stared at her like a frightened deer. Slowly he breathed out, his expression growing sterner. “I mean it. I love you. There’s not a choice of either or. I’m putting my future in God’s hands. I know what I need to do, but nothing is ever guaranteed, right? Accidents happen. You never know.”

  “True.” Melody’s throat went dry. Jeremy Grimwood had just told her that he loved her. Was it a friend love or…something more?

  “I’m determined to not worry about tomorrow. Not with my business. And not with…us. I hope that maybe, eventually, there might be an us. But no pressure. I made myself a promise that if you pulled through, I was going to tell you the truth.”

  He meant it! She’d hoped, though she wouldn’t allow herself to entertain that hope. It always stood at the back door, peering in, but she’d not let it enter, fearing that her heart would get crushed if she did.

  Melody opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him, too, but the curtain surrounding her bed was yanked aside.

  “I told you,” Maddie tried blocking Evelina’s entrance. “She needs to rest. Doctor’s orders. I don’t even know how you got back here.”

  Aunt Evelina stepped around the furious, red-faced Maddie with a scornful scowl. “I’m just as much family as you, Meddlesome. I have a right to check on my niece. Look, they are letting outsiders in.” Her hand went to her hip. “Hello, Mr. Grimwood. Interesting finding you here. After I check on my niece, I’d like to have a word with you.” She glared down at Maddie. “Outside where busybodies can’t interfere with personal business that doesn’t concern them.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jeremy glared across the bed at the imposing woman. Her silvery, white hair stuck up in spikes today. Her ruby red lips and glittering eye shadow truly gave a reason for the name The Ice Queen, that everyone called her. She wore a bright red jogging suit that matched her lips.

  Her mouth turned down into a sympathetic frown as she came to Melody’s bedside and simpered, “Oh, poor dear. I came soon as I heard. Do you know what happened? Did you trip on your skis again?”

  Melody scowled. “I’ve not tripped over my skis since I was a child, Aunt Eveline. Something, or someone, cut me off and I ended up running off the path.”

  Mel’s cheeks were a delightful shade of dark pink. Jeremy wasn’t sure if it was from his confession or Evelina’s intrusion. She’d been about to say something to him. His heart raced as he wondered if she was about to return his sentiment, or send him from her room. Except, she was still hanging tight to his hand. Very tightly.

  Evelina patted Melody’s shoulder. “Oh, poor baby girl. You were probably startled by an animal. Let’s be thankful you didn’t run into a tree. You might have been killed.” Her hand went to her chest as if this would be the most terrible thing.

  Jeremy wasn’t buying it. Deceit oozed off the woman like snow off a warming car.

  “Now what will you do?” Evelina asked. “That place will collapse without you. Why you’re the backbone of the resort, and everyone knows it.”

  “I’m here,” Aunt Maddie stated, standing at the foot of the bed, her round face t
he color of a ripe cherry and her arms folded over her chest. “I’ll help manage things until she’s back on her feet. Don’t you worry yourself Evilina. We’ll be fine.”

  Evelina narrowed her eyes at the mispronunciation of her name.

  Jeremy was sure Maddie made no mistake, none at all. He bit his bottom lip to keep the laugh in.

  Once again, the curtain was pulled aside as a nurse entered with one of those vitals’ machines. She looked around at the tense group with brows furrowed. “There is only supposed to be two at a time back here.” The nurse pushed the machine closer to the bedside, waving Evelina aside. “Miss Carson, there’s an officer outside who wants to speak to you. Do you feel up to giving him a report?”

  Melody actually looked to him with a question in her eyes. Jeremy squeezed her hand. “Up to you, hon. If you don’t feel like speaking to them yet, then they can come back later.”

  She glanced around the room while the nurse put the blood pressure cuff on her arm. “Well, since he’s here. Wouldn’t hurt, I suppose.”

  The nurse gave a nod. “Then I’ll have to ask the rest of you to leave. Only one can stay. We already have too many people here as it is.”

  “Jeremy,” Evelina stated. “You and I will leave so our girl can speak to the policeman. I wish to talk to you, anyway. Come, let’s go.” With a wave of her hand, she beckoned Jeremy to follow her.

  He glanced down at Melody with a wary smile. “I’ll be back later. Don’t stress yourself trying to talk to him. He can always come back later when you’ve gained a bit more strength.” He moved to leave, but she was still grasping his hand. She stared hard at him for a long moment before she whispered, “Just promise you’ll be back soon. Don’t leave me. Promise?”

  The intenseness of her expression sent his heart up into his throat. “I’m not going anywhere, hon. Promise.”