Second Chance: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 2)

by Nicole Taylor

  She scowled at him.

  “You know, if that love scene is no good and people go around saying we have zero chemistry, it will be your fault.”

  He’d had enough.

  “Like a two-minute love scene gone wrong is going to tank my career. If it’s as bad as all that, it can go on the cutting room floor. In fact, I’ve just decided that’s where it will end up so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

  “You’ve decided?” she sputtered.

  “Uh-huh. I’m the movie star. Why do you think Emilio told you to come to me? It’s my name that’s going to sell this movie, not yours, so what I say goes.”

  He flashed his famous smile and then dismissed her by turning his back and returning to his phone.

  He heard her give a “huff” and felt more than saw her retreat. He chuckled inside. It was always the same thing. When it wasn’t her it was some other woman shamelessly throwing herself at him. It was as though they didn’t believe that he was married for real. Or maybe they thought he had an open marriage like so many of his industry colleagues did. Sorry, ladies. No I don’t

  His father had warned him years ago that being a famous actor gave rise to many temptations of the flesh but he’d said, “Son, let that ring you wear be a constant reminder to you that it can all be taken away in an instant from one moment of weakness. Always keep your head on. Don’t allow your mind to stray where it shouldn’t because adultery begins in the mind.

  His father had quoted him one of his favorite Scripture verses. It was from Proverbs 5. It had gone, “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.”

  He was restrained by those words.

  Besides, truth be told, he had no reason to stray. Despite her occasional shrewish ways, Dana Dickson was an amazing woman. Looks aside, she was a wonderful mother, and a caring, intelligent woman. He loved her and respected her too much to give into any fleeting physical attraction to another woman.

  Robert was just about to pocket his phone when it gave a message alert. It was from an unknown number and there was a photo attached. He hesitated for a second then curiosity got the better of him. It took several seconds for the photo to download. He glanced at his watch. The next scene was scheduled to be shot in about half an hour.

  Robert glanced back at the phone.

  All the breath was instantly sucked from his lungs.

  No…it couldn’t be! It couldn’t possibly be.

  But it was.

  There was no mistaking who the woman was and no mistaking what she was doing. It was Dana and she was in a lip-locking embrace with another man. The man was partially obscured but there was something familiar about him…those broad shoulders…that blond hair. Robert’s heart was thudding so hard in his chest he couldn’t think straight. He continued to peer at the man as bile clawed its way up his throat.

  Then, instant recognition.

  Corey.

  His best friend, Corey Elsom.

  “Mr. Cortelli, we’ll be shooting the next scene in about twenty-five minutes. You need to get to wardrobe,” the 2nd assistant director said.

  Robert instinctively jerked the phone to his chest to hide the image. He gave the man a blank stare.

  “Mr. Cortelli, are you all right?”

  Robert cleared his throat a few times.

  “Fine…um...fine. Be right there.”

  He closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness rolled over him. He wanted to look at the photo again but willed himself not to. He pocketed his phone and slowly stood. It just didn’t make sense. Dana and Corey? His wife and his best friend? This wasn’t some Mexican soap opera. This was his life. If she and Corey were having an affair why would she always be on him about not spending enough time with her? Or maybe that was why she was having an affair because he hadn’t been spending enough time with her.

  He’d never felt threatened by Corey’s time with his family. He had trusted him. They were as close as brothers after all. Besides, Corey was married for all the years he and Dana had been married. The thing was, that was no longer the case. Corey had been divorced for almost six months now. Was it possible that during that time he and Dana had gotten close?

  Robert’s thoughts raced as he plodded to the dressing room on rubber legs. Did Corey’s estrangement from his wife coincide with when Dana had started to pull away from him physically?

  No! He braced himself against the dressing room door and swallowed hard as he fought back feelings of nausea. His trembling fingers closed around the crucifix dangling from his neck. This couldn’t be happening. It was surreal. He couldn’t lose his wife. And to his best friend! No. Such betrayal would be impossible to take.

  As Robert got dressed for the scene, he told himself to keep calm. Focus. He couldn’t deal with that photo now. He had to prepare himself mentally for his next scene.

  “Lord, let this be some kind of mistake please. Please!” he cried out to God just before he headed out to shoot the action scene.

  ~*~*~*~

  Robert was being chased. To escape, he had to jump from a castle wall and land in a nearby tree. During the camera rehearsal, Robert bent his legs, made the leap, landed in the tree and climbed to the top. Perfect.

  Emilio yelled, “Cut!”

  The crane brought Robert down. He went to wardrobe and allowed them to touch up his makeup and get him ready for the scene. He had to do the stunt again. It was time for the real deal.

  The cameras were trained on him. Emilio gave the call. “Action!”

  Robert climbed onto the castle wall. The photo of Dana and Corey flashed before him. He closed his eyes briefly. Now was not the time!

  “Cut! What’s going on Robert?” Emilio called out.

  He glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”

  “That expression just now was all wrong. You look tense. Is everything okay?”

  “I’m fine, Emilio.”

  “Robert, if you’re not comfortable with the stunt let Duran do it. He’s in costume. He’s ready to double for you.”

  Robert shook his head. “No. I’m ready. I was just distracted for a moment but I’m fine now. Let’s do it again.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure. Action!”

  Robert climbed the castle wall. He launched himself at the tree. But something had gone tragically wrong. The tree had moved. But that was impossible. No, he had missed his target.

  Robert frantically clutched at thin air. He knew he was about to meet his maker as he plummeted thirty feet to the ground.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Just lean a little more to the right. Yes, that’s it,” the photographer said as he took shot after shot.

  Hot studio lights beat down on Dana’s skin, tempered somewhat by the giant fan that blew back her hair. She struck another pose to strategically showcase the gold, diamond-studded Chopard watch at her wrist.

  Over the years, as Dana had become increasingly disenchanted with the modeling world, she had distanced herself from many of the brands she had promoted in the past. She rarely modeled clothes, except for charity, these days and had only retained a few lucrative contracts with high-end companies in the couture, jewelry and cosmetic industry.

  She felt that God wanted her to make more of a statement about the vices of the modeling industry, but she kept putting it off, promising to do it someday soon. She made excuses to God that she was too busy, what with her budding acting career and raising three kids, practically by herself these days. She reasoned that she had on a recent occasion addressed a graduating class of an all-girl high school about the dangers of trying to be a perfect ten. She’d revealed to them that she too got occasional acne breakouts, had bad hair days, and that her photos were airbrushed so that the slightest blemish didn’t show.

  Her words had been met with ridicule by a few members of the press, who claimed to be unconvinced that she
knew anything about the experiences of real women who had to live up to the impossible standards that women like her perpetuated. There had been others, though, who had applauded her honesty and thanked her for attempting to make a difference in the lives of young girls.

  So, she was getting there. She was beginning to set a positive example and undo some of the damage she had done in the past.

  ‘What a hypocrite,’ a voice in Dana’s head jeered, slicing through her thoughts, and instantly replacing them with unwelcomed memories of the previous night. A night she’d rather forget.

  Dana took in a deep breath and swallowed hard as the photographer gently chided, “Only happy looks, please, Dana darling!’

  Ten minutes later, she absentmindedly listened to the makeup artist rattle on as she touched up her makeup. When her cell phone rang, she decided to ignore it until Juliet was done. She knew how much the other woman hated it when anyone interrupted her makeup artistry to talk on their phone. The caller was persistent, though, and a second later the phone began to ring again.

  “Sorry, Jules. Let me see who it is,” Dana said apologetically as she reached for her bag. She located the phone and answered without glancing at the screen.

  “Hello.”

  “Dana, this is Emilio Testino.”

  The urgency in his voice immediately raised her antennae.

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t know how to tell you this…”

  “Tell me what?”

  “It’s Robert, Dana. Dana, I’m so sorry. He had an accident…”

  Dana’s whole body went cold.

  “Accident? Is he hurt?!”

  “He fell…he fell from really high. He…the paramedics are with him now…they say he’s breathing but…he fell from so high. Oh my gosh! I don’t know what happened…”

  Dana stumbled out of her chair, gripping the cell phone in a death hold. Her personal assistant, Cherisse, rushed over to her.

  “Dana, what’s wrong? You’ve gone so pale! What is it? Is it the kids?”

  “It’s…it’s…Bobby. Oh, Lord Jesus, it’s Bobby,” she choked out.

  Then she almost passed out. Someone caught her, held her up, and helped her to a chair. People began to gather around to find out what had happened. Cherisse took the phone and spoke to Emilio. He said that they were flying Robert to a hospital in Zurich. Cherisse called Dana’s in-laws. The kids would stay with them. She made arrangements for Dana to board a flight to Zurich within the hour.

  ~*~*~*~

  Dana had taken an emergency call just before she boarded. The doctors had diagnosed that the fall had fractured Robert’s skull and punctured his brain. He had to undergo emergency brain surgery and as she was his next of kin the hospital needed her permission to operate.

  Dana was sure that she would die on the twelve-hour flight. She had never in her life seen time tick by so slowly.

  From the moment they arrived at the hospital, it was clear the international press had gotten news of the accident. They pressed in on the limo as soon as it was spotted. When Dana emerged, security officers appeared and did a great job of keeping the news hounds at bay as they cleared a path for her and Cherisse.

  Dana kept her head down and ignored their microphones and questions and tried to keep her anger under control. Did these people have no decency? She was in a mess over the fate of her husband and they were looking for a story. Sick, sick, sick, that’s what they were.

  Then, just as they reached the hospital entrance, one woman breached the security circle and stuck a mic in Dana’s face. “How badly is Robert hurt? Is he going to live?” she asked.

  Dana lost it.

  “Get that out of my face!” she screamed.

  She was about to shove the woman when a security officer blocked her path and steered her through the hospital doors. Security then formed a barrier to prevent the press from proceeding any further.

  Dana spotted her sister, Barbara, as soon as she and Cherisse entered the Emergency Room. She was sitting on a row of chairs and immediately rose when she saw them.

  “Barbie,” Dana sighed as her sister enveloped her in her arms. “When did you arrive?”

  “I got here three hours ago.”

  Of course. She lived in London which was a whole lot closer to Switzerland than Los Angeles was.

  Dana surveyed the waiting room with urgency, ignoring the stares of the other inhabitants. A quick glance at the wall clock revealed that it was 1:00 a.m. “Have you heard anything?”

  “No. All they would tell me was that he’s still in surgery.”

  Dana shook her head as her gut somersaulted.

  “It’s been twelve hours. I was sure it would be over by now. What’s taking them so long?”

  “They won’t tell me anything else. They say I’m not close family. Maybe now you’re here they’ll say more.”

  Dana approached the nurse at the front desk.

  “I’m Robert Cortelli’s wife. I need news on his condition.”

  The nurse nodded.

  “Oui, oui Madame. I will get the doctor on duty, but first I will need some information from you on your husband. We know very little about him. Will you complete this form?” She held out a clipboard.

  Dana’s jaw tightened. She ignored the clipboard and stepped closer to the counter and leaned as close to the nurse as the barrier would allow.

  “Listen to me, sweetheart,” she bit out, “I need news on my husband’s condition right now! If you can’t provide it get me someone who can. I’m not answering any questions until then. Got that?”

  The woman swallowed, withdrew the clipboard in haste, left the station and hurried down the hall.

  Dana took a seat beside Barbara and Cherisse.

  “Who hired the security personnel? Thank God for them they just saved me from scratching a reporter’s eyes out.”

  “Oh, that nurse was only your second victim?”

  Dana cast her sister an irritated sidelong glance.

  “William.”

  “Huh?”

  “William arranged for security personnel. There’s actually a cancer wing in this hospital named after him because of the money he’s donated to fund it. He started putting certain arrangements in place the moment he heard Robert was being flown here.”

  She nodded. It certainly came in handy having one of the world’s wealthiest men as a brother-in-law.

  “Where is he?”

  It was inconceivable that William would have let Barbara travel alone. Ever since their marriage William and Barbara had become inseparable. You didn’t see one without seeing the other. Even more so now that Barbara was pregnant with their first child. Now William seemed reluctant to even let her out of his sight.

  “He went to get some coffee.”

  Dana looked pointedly at her sister’s baby bump.

  “Not for you?”

  “It’s decaf, okay?”

  As if on cue, William Lamport appeared holding a cup of hot liquid. Dana glanced up at him and mustered a smile for the tall, handsome blond man with the intense blue eyes, radiating class and cool confidence in a white turtleneck sweater, brown corduroy jeans, and a brown suede jacket. He handed his wife the cup and then leaned down and wrapped his arms around Dana.

  “We’re all praying for Robert, Dana. We’ve got people back home from our church praying for him. God is going to take care of him.”

  Dana couldn’t speak. She could only nod as her eyes threatened to fill with tears.

  She composed herself and quickly introduced William and Cherisse.

  “May I get either of you a beverage?” William asked, his gaze shifting from Dana to Cherisse.

  Dana nodded absently as she looked anxiously in the direction the nurse had gone.

  “Coffee will be fine.”

  “Nothing for me but you should get her something to eat too,” Cherisse suggested. “She didn’t eat on the flight.”

  William looked back at Dana questioningly.

 
She shook her head. She hadn’t eaten since she had received the news over fourteen hours ago. Yet, she wasn’t hungry. The very thought of eating made her nauseated.

  “I’m not hungry. What I really want is information on what’s happening with Robert. It’s been more than five minutes since the nurse left. I assumed she went to get the doctor on duty but I’m not sure.”

  “Okay, I’ll sort it,” William said and left them.

  Dana turned to Cherisse with a small, grateful smile.

  “You look exhausted. You should go to the hotel and get some sleep. We’ll talk later.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure.” They shared a hug. “Thanks for all your help.”

  “Call me as soon as you get any news. I’ll keep my phone beside me.”

  Dana nodded.

  As Cherisse departed, Dana leaned her head against the wall and gazed up at the white ceiling.

  Barbara scooted closer.

  “Both Mom and Ronnie called. They asked you to call them.”

  Sighing Dana said, “I’ll call after I get some news about Bobby. That’s the first thing they will want to know.”

  “Yeah.”

  Just then, William returned with her coffee. He also had another man in tow. Dana took the coffee and looked anxiously at the other man.

  “Mrs. Cortelli?” he greeted her.

  He was a stout, pale man with a large, round head.

  When Dana stood, she towered over him in her high-heeled boots. She shook his hand.

  “I’m the chief of staff, Dr. Ingram.” He sounded German.

  “What’s the news?”

  “No news yet, I’m afraid. Switzerland’s top neurosurgeon, Dr. Marc Dubel, and his team are operating on your husband right now.”

  Dana rubbed her brow.

  “Please tell me exactly what happened.”

  “From what the director, Emilio Testino, told us, your husband was jumping from a wall to a tree. He missed the tree and fell thirty feet to the ground. Fortunately, he hit a few branches on his way down. They may have broken his fall and prevented instant death.”

  Dana squeezed her eyes closed for a minute as she struggled to process the information. She was fixated on the words ‘fell thirty feet’ and ‘instant death’.