by Trisha Grace
“Careful.” Leanne adjusted the bed so Hayley could sit upright. “Our cell group dropped by earlier, but you were still out of it.”
Hayley groaned as the bed shifted, and Leanne released the button.
“Are you okay? Should I call the doctor?”
“I feel like I was run over by a truck.” Was she having a hangover? Had she gotten drunk?
Not possible. She didn’t drink. She hadn’t taken a single sip of the wine handed to her at the party.
“Close.”
Hayley turned to her friend, and the room spun as she did.
“You really don’t remember?” Leanne’s concerned gaze roamed over her face when Hayley groaned. “You were in a car accident. A truck rammed into your car while you were on your way home with Julian.”
At that, the memories poured back. “Oh, God.” She dropped her head into her hands.
She hadn’t been able to see much except for the headlights, but she could make out that whatever was heading their way was large and only a piece of metal was blocking it from Julian. “Julian? How’s he?”
“He’s still in surgery.”
Hayley rubbed her fingers across her forehead, trying to push the strange sensations away. She needed to get her act together. “How bad is it?”
“I’m not sure. The doctor isn’t willing to talk to me, and his family hasn’t showed up.”
Hayley pushed the blanket off herself.
“Where are you going? You’re pumped full of morphine.”
Was that why she was feeling so weird? She felt as if she was partially floating, as if she couldn’t fully control her body. “I need to go see him.”
“He’s still in surgery, Hayley.” Leanne gently nudged her back onto the bed. “You shouldn’t be moving around. The doctor said you’re lucky that both of you weren’t crushed, but you’ve got several fractured ribs. Not to mention cuts and bruises all over.”
Hayley sighed. “His family won’t be coming. Like mine won’t be coming.”
“Yours were here. They were the ones who chased everyone out because they didn’t want everyone crowding you. And I’m still here.”
Hayley cracked a smile. “You know what I mean.”
“You’re all Julian has.”
“Officially, anyway.”
Leanne sighed. “Fine. If you promise you’ll stay here and rest, I’ll go wait outside the operating room and get the doctor here once he’s out.”
“Thank you.”
Leanne pressed a button that was connected to a bag hung next to Hayley’s bed.
“What’s that?”
“Morphine. Sleep. I’ll wake you when the doctor is here.”
Hayley closed her eyes and let darkness wash over her.
She was groggy when she opened her eyes again, and it took her a moment to realize someone was shaking her.
“Hayley, the doctor is here.”
She pressed a hand to her face. Doctor?
“You’re in the hospital,” Leanne said, seemingly grasping that Hayley didn’t remember what was going on. “Truck rammed into you. I got the doctor here after Julian’s operation.”
She was in the hospital. Right, her car accident. Julian. “How is he?”
Her heart sank at the doctor’s grim expression. She’d made the decision to annul the marriage, but she didn’t want anything bad to happen to Julian. He might not be the man she’d imagined him to be, but that wasn’t his fault. It was her naivety that led her to where she was.
“He’s alive,” the doctor said as if he’d sensed her fear. “And stable.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“His spine was injured. We tried to repair as much of the damage as we could, but … Mr. Nicholson will probably never walk again.”
Hayley gasped. “No. He’s really outdoorsy. He loves hiking, rock-climbing …” One magazine feature had talked about the adventures he’d been on.
“Things will be tough, but people will adjust. They always do.”
She closed her eyes and sobbed for Julian.
Leanne put her arms around Hayley and said, “No disrespect to you, doc, but we reject that.” She gave Hayley’s shoulder a squeeze. “God has the ultimate say in all things, and I declare that Julian will walk again. The Bible says you have not because you ask not.”
Hayley sniffed and wiped her tears. “You’re right. Julian will walk again.”
The doctor’s brows puckered. “Mrs. Nicholson …”
“We understand what you said,” Leanne said. “Hayley needs her rest now.”
“Mrs. Nicholson, I know—”
“I get what you’re saying. You can’t do anything for him.” Hayley squared her shoulders. “But God can. Is he awake?”
“He won’t be for another few hours.”
Hayley nodded.
The doctor hesitated another moment before leaving.
“Okay,” Leanne said. “This is what we’ll do.” Leanne pulled out her phone and set the timer for five minutes. “You have five minutes to cry and breakdown, then we’ll talk about what to do next after this.”
Hayley brushed the back of her hand against her face. “No.” She switched off the timer. “I don’t need five minutes. We need a plan now. Once Julian’s father hears about this, they’ll kick him out of the company. I can’t let that happen, not right when he has to deal with the news about his legs.”
She’d seen how hard Julian worked. She couldn’t allow either of their parents to take that away from him.
It didn’t matter what was going on between Julian and her. For now, she would be his friend and support him.
“How do I look?” Hayley asked her chauffeur, Desmond, when he opened the car door.
“Um … You look very pretty, Miss Hayley.”
“I meant, can you see any visible bruises or cuts on me?” She swung one leg out of the car, then grabbed Desmond’s hand to get to her feet. She must have needed more help than she thought because for the first time in the fifteen years her chauffeur had worked for her, his arm went around her waist to support her. “Are you okay, Miss Hayley?”
Her chauffeur’s wide eyes studied her face, and she nodded.
Hayley quickly straightened herself before any of the servants in the house saw her. “Thanks.”
“You shouldn’t have left the hospital.”
She didn’t have a choice—not if she wanted to protect Julian. “I’m fine.” She took a step back. “So, any bruises?”
She’d gotten her makeup artiste, Lila, to meet her back home to conceal all the cuts and bruises her three-quarter sleeved dark blue dress couldn’t cover. Hayley had always gotten a makeup artiste to do her makeup whenever she had any important event, since she didn’t even own any eyeshadow of her own. She’d attended makeup classes, but she’d forgotten almost everything she’d learned.
Still, Lila was surprised to get a call that early in the morning, and she had her work cut out for her when Hayley’s request was to cover up her injuries. Lila had slapped on layer after layer of stuff, but the final result looked perfect. It was too much makeup for a Saturday breakfast with the in-laws, but nothing that wasn’t acceptable for a night out.
Besides, the Nicholsons didn’t know Hayley well. For all they knew, she might wear this much makeup every day.
Desmond shook his head. “I don’t understand why you have to show up here, pretending to be fine when you were just in a car accident.” The line between his brows deepened with concern. Her chauffeur was twelve years older than she was, and he’d behaved like an older brother whenever she needed him to.
Another blessing from God. The people who worked closely with her had always been protective of her.
“I’m sorry. I overstepped,” Desmond said when she didn’t reply.
“It’s all right. You’re just worried.” She brushed her dress down and checked to make sure her makeup hadn’t smudged onto the dress.
“Why didn’t you just wear a sweater with jean
s? That would cover up all your injuries.”
She couldn’t possibly show up at the Nicholsons’ place in jeans and a sweater. Even if she could, the ensemble wasn’t right for the image she was trying to project. Hayley would have gone out and bought a business suit, but she wanted to get here before her father-in-law could do anything to damage Julian’s position in the office.
Besides, putting on this dress, that fitted snugly around her waist, was already a difficult task even with Leanne’s help. Getting into a tailored suit would have been a nightmare.
“Wait here,” she said to her chauffeur. “I’ll be out soon.” She strode into the mansion and nodded at the maid who opened the door for her.
“Hayley,” Mrs. Nicholson greeted her and gave her an air kiss on each side of her cheek. Unlike the bear hugs that Frank and Paula always gave her, Julian’s stepmother barely touched her—which Hayley was grateful for. She wasn’t interested in enduring a wave of additional pain for Mrs. Nicholson.
Hayley’s body was already aching with each movement. It hurt to sit and stand. It hurt to smile. It hurt even to breathe, and it hurt so much to walk in heels. Doreen had tried to talk her out of wearing them, but Hayley needed to put on a show.
“Hi, Mrs. Nicholson.” Hayley stepped back and subtly checked to make sure she hadn’t left any makeup on her mother-in-law’s sleeveless moss-green dress.
“How are you feeling?” Mrs. Nicholson brushed her wavy blond hair back over her shoulder. “I heard you and Julian were involved in a car accident. We were just going to visit the two of you in the hospital.”
Yeah, right. She smiled politely. “I need to talk to Mr. Nicholson.”
“Oh, darling. He’s busy right now.” Mrs. Nicholson’s gaze flickered toward the side, where the dining room was. “Why don’t you tell me what you need?”
“It’s all right.” She strode past Julian’s stepmother. Hayley’s one-month marriage had trained her to walk much faster than before. Since Julian was taller and his strides much longer than hers, she found herself having to lengthen her own strides and quicken her pace in order to keep up.
But still, her body was hurting and there was only so much she could push herself—especially since she was in heels.
“Darling.”
She ignored Julian’s stepmother and burst through the tall wooden doors. She smiled at Mr. Nicholson after swallowing a sigh, relieved she’d made it past the first obstacle.
She hadn’t spent much time with her in-laws. She’d only met and spoken with them briefly at her engagement party and wedding, but she’d heard her father complain about Mr. Nicholson’s endless antics to get more of his own men onto the board of directors. And she supposed even the blind would be able to see the tension between Mr. Nicholson and Julian.
Julian and Mr. Nicholson both had a charming smile. Her father-in-law was one of those who aged well. He still kept himself in shape, and his dyed hair covered all his gray. The clear genetic connection didn't bring the father and son closer.
“There he is.” Hayley glanced over at her mother-in-law with a sweet smile, ignoring the surprised expression of the other guest in the room.
Then she strode over and gave her father-in-law a hug, just as cold as the one Mrs. Nicholson had given her.
She thanked God that her father-in-law had risen from his chair, because she didn’t think she would be able to bend forward. “I’m sorry to burst in like this, but I’m sure you’re anxious to find out what happened to Julian.”
Mrs. Nicholson remained where she was, her eyes on Mr. Nicholson, seemingly waiting for instructions or permission to move.
“I’ll leave you, then,” Mrs. Nicholson said and sashayed out after her husband nodded at her.
“Colin has updated me,” her father-in-law said as he returned to his seat.
Hayley finally directed her gaze to the guest seated next to her father-in-law.
Colin Wells. Julian’s best man at their wedding.
Blond hair. Blue eyes. Colin was the typical American boy next door.
Was Colin already swooping in to replace Julian? “Oh?” She arched a brow at Colin. “And what exactly did Colin say?” She had told her makeup artiste to work faster, but there were so many bruises to cover.
“Julian’s hurt quite badly.” Colin drummed his fingers against the dining table. “But as I told Mr. Nicholson, the doctor is positive that Julian will be up on his feet in no time.”
Perhaps Colin isn’t here for himself after all. Hayley broke into a wide smile. “That was what the doctor told me.” She pulled out a heavy wooden chair next to Mr. Nicholson.
Had the chair always been so heavy?
It took all of her strength to keep a straight face. “And I was sure you wanted to know.”
“In the meantime,” her father-in-law turned to Colin, “maybe we should consider getting someone else to take over.”
Hayley sat as quickly as she could while her father-in-law’s attention was on Colin because she wasn’t sure if she could keep herself from wincing.
She couldn’t.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Colin replied with a glance toward her.
Hayley wasn’t sure if Colin had caught her without her mask of nonchalance. But from Colin’s reply, she figured he could be trusted. “I’m sure Julian has put the right people in place.” Her words turned her father-in-law’s attention back to her.
“You don’t understand the business world, Hayley,” Mr. Nicholson said. He was already turning away, ready to dismiss her from the conversation.
But she hadn’t thrown a tantrum to get out of the hospital and gotten all made up to be ignored. “I don’t run the company, but it’s obvious how well it’s been doing under Julian. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, but—”
“I’m sure the company can do without Julian for a while.”
Colin nodded. “I agree. I don’t think there’s any need to find a replacement.”
Having an ally on Julian’s and her side would make everything so much easier, provided Colin could be trusted. He might be helping Julian and her now, but things could change in an instant—just as things had changed between the Nicholsons and the Espels.
“A company like ours—”
“Has been thriving under Julian’s management. Are you sure it’s a good idea to rock the boat now? I’m sure my father won’t like the idea of anyone taking my husband’s position in the company either.”
She was bluffing. Her parents only cared about making sure the Espels remained the major shareholders.
“It could take him months to recover.”
“If you’re so worried, I can take over.” She almost laughed at her father-in-law’s surprise. Even Colin’s head snapped toward her. “I’m sure my father would support that.”
“You have no experience.”
“I can ask Julian. He’ll be home. I can consult with him, and there’s always you and my dad. It’s a win-win situation.”
Her father-in-law’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth, seemingly struggling to find an excuse to shoot her down. “I don’t want you to worry about the company,” he eventually said.
“Then I think it’s best if we leave things as they are. Don’t you think so, Mr. Wells? Julian and I got married so we could keep the company between our families. If you think Julian has to be replaced, then there’s no better candidate than me.”
“I’m sure Julian can handle work and recovery at the same time,” Colin said.
“I think so too, but my father-in-law seems worried.”
“No, I think Colin is right.” Her father-in-law crossed his arms.
Hayley knew she was pushing her father-in-law into a corner. He wouldn’t be happy about it, and it was only a matter of time before he retaliated. But Hayley would take what she could now.
“Very well, then.” She pushed herself up from her seat, leaning heavily on the dining table. She swallowed a groan and said, “Since all is wel
l with the company, I shall go back and rest.”
Hayley wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the situation was, at how she had to protect Julian’s position from his very own father. “I’ll drop by with Julian when we can.”
Colin got up from the chair. “I’ll walk her out.”
They left the dining room and headed out the front door in silence. Hayley only turned to Colin when they got to her car. “Are you here for yourself or for Julian?”
“Julian’s my best friend.”
She nodded slowly. “Do you know what the doctor said?”
“He may never walk again.”
“He will.” Hayley would do everything she could to help him. She cracked a smile. “I doubt he’ll let anyone decide what he can or cannot do.”
Colin’s lips curled. “That’s right. Julian’s one stubborn mule.” He glanced back toward the house. “Mr. Nicholson won't stick his neck out for Julian. If he gets wind of the fact that Julian may never stand again, if he thinks his position in the company is threatened, he will find ways to replace Julian with his own puppet.”
“I’m the single largest shareholder. If he wants to pull anything, he’ll need to go through me. Between the shares Julian and I have, he won't be able to do much.”
“You’re serious about vying for the position?”
“I’m sure my father-in-law would rather die than have me take Julian’s place. If I take over, that means the Espels are a step closer to snatching the company from the Nicholsons.”
“So he would rather not risk that.”
“Until he can get enough support to boot both Julian and me.”
“Which might not be long. He’s right. You don’t have any experience. The board probably won’t take the chance of putting you up as the replacement CEO.”
“We’ll worry about that another day.” Right now, she just wanted to get back to the hospital and maybe get another shot of morphine.
“Julian’s really lucky to have you.” Colin reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
The touch was so unexpected that she hadn’t braced herself for the pain. She winced and a groan escaped.