ESCAPE INTO ROMANCE- 4 Book Bundle

by Patrice Wilton

  Jenna couldn’t tell if Rob was listening or not, but she continued with the story. “Eventually Cindy got tired of having to deal with them, and before I could stop her, she picked up a stick and hit the hive. Well, that was it! She’d pissed them off good, and now the bees swarmed out and attacked.”

  “What happened?” Rob asked.

  “Cindy dropped to the ground, rolling around and screaming. The damned bees were all over her. I jumped in, and then Mom came running. She fought the bees off with a kitchen towel, grabbed us both and got us inside.”

  “I can’t believe she never mentioned it.”

  “Maybe she forgot about it, but I never did.” She drew in a shaky breath and continued, “We were both hospitalized, but Cindy had so many stings, the doctors thought she might die. I got blamed for allowing her to get too close to the hive.”

  “That was hardly fair.”

  “I didn’t care.” Jenna shrugged. “I just wanted her well.”

  When Cindy was lying in that hospital bed, her face swollen so bad that she couldn’t open her eyes, Jenna had prayed to God, promising if He spared Cindy’s life, she’d take better care of her.

  She’d had lots of opportunities to make good on that promise when Cindy was in her teens. Jenna hadn’t regretted a single one of them. Hell, if I live to be a hundred, taking care of my sister will always be a priority.

  And more than anything, she wanted to be in the room with her right now, holding her hand and whispering encouragement in her ear—to let Cindy know that she was not alone and never would be.

  Time passed slowly. After an hour, Rob gave voice to his fears.

  “If she has a head injury, it could take months for her to get better—could be as long as a year. I had a chef once whose wife had a brain injury after she drove into a pole. She was hospitalized for almost a year. Then she had to go through months of rehab.”

  He dropped his head in his hands and drew in a shaky breath. “I don’t care how long it takes,” he said, his voice rough with unshed tears. “I just want her back.”

  Jenna touched his arm. “Rob, we don’t know anything yet. As far as we know, she might already be awake and talking.”

  He lifted his head to glare at her. “They would have shared the good news, don’t you think?” His tone was bitter, but she didn’t take offense. They were both worried sick.

  Eventually a tall, dark-skinned man in a white lab coat walked toward them. “Are you Cindy Madison’s next of kin?”

  Rob stood up. “I’m her husband, and this is her sister. How is she?”

  The doctor looked at them both. Jenna noticed his dark eyes were warm and steady. She relaxed a little.

  “She’s stabilized,” he said in a deep baritone. “We had to insert a cerebral shunt to reduce the swelling. All we can do now is watch and wait.”

  “Is she awake?” Rob asked.

  “No. I’m sorry,” the doctor replied. “She’s in a coma.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Rob looked sucker-punched. His face lost most of its color, and his shoulders sagged. “Why didn’t you tell us that first?” His voice shook with fury or fear, or both. “Why did you give us false hope?”

  The doctor didn’t take umbrage. He said evenly, “Why don’t you both come into my office and I’ll answer any questions you have.”

  Dr. Kennedy introduced himself and answered their questions as completely as he could once inside his office. “Statistics tell us that most patients recover from brain injuries within the first six months to a year after trauma. Most coma patients wake up within the first two weeks.”

  The doctor gave them a few minutes to digest all of the information, then said he’d take them to Cindy.

  Jenna had prepared herself, but still felt queasy and faint at the sight of her sister hooked up to the machinery with tubes running everywhere. She willed herself to be strong for Rob’s sake and for Cindy, too.

  Rob wrapped his fingers around Cindy’s, whispering words of encouragement and love to her. When Jenna’s aching heart couldn’t take anymore, she told Rob she’d go see Amy.

  “Fine. Kiss her for me, and tell her I love her.”

  Jenna ran a finger down her sister’s bandaged cheek. “I love you, Cindy. Sleep well, and I’ll be back later.”

  She strode out of the room, now wanting to get to her niece as fast as her feet would take her. Amy might be awake and frightened. Would she be scared if she didn’t recognize anyone’s faces? Certainly she would know her mother was not among them.

  Jenna reached the children’s ward, but she couldn’t remember Amy’s room number. The nurse’s station was empty. She turned around, desperate to find someone, and saw Dr. Marshall down the hall.

  “Dr. Marshall. I’m looking for Amy.” She practically ran to catch up to him, afraid he might disappear like everyone else on the ward. “No one’s at the nurse’s station, and I forgot the number of her room.”

  “Hello, Ms. Cassali.” He gave her a brief smile. “How’s Amy’s mother?”

  Jenna stiffened, her eyes filled, and her mouth trembled.

  “I’m sorry.” He made a move to touch her shoulder, but she flinched and he let his hand drop. “I’m deeply sorry.”

  “She’s not dead,” Jenna said quickly. “She’s in a coma.”

  “That’s good then. Most coma patients recover.”

  Jenna looked at him, allowing herself to hope. “You think her chances are good?”

  “I’m not her doctor and I haven’t seen her. But yes, most coma patients wake up in less than two weeks.”

  She sighed with relief, feeling as though a huge weight had just slid off her shoulders. Odd how Dr. Kennedy had told her and Rob the same thing, and yet hearing it from Dr. Marshall seemed more reassuring.

  “Come on,” he said. “I’ll take you to Amy. She’s been awake, and you don’t need to worry about her. She’ll be fine. That I can say for sure.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. I’ll take one miracle at a time.”

  Jenna stopped at the foot of the crib and looked at her baby niece. “She looks so peaceful. It’s hard to imagine she’d been in the back of that car.” Jenna’s hands shook. “They plowed right into a truck.”

  “Then they are both lucky to be alive.” He reached out and touched Amy’s cheek. “I gave her a CAT scan while you were gone, and everything looked good.”

  “Thank God. I couldn’t take any more bad news.” Jenna held Amy’s hand and stroked it. “She’s so tiny and precious. How could she survive without a scratch?”

  “She was strapped in, and in the backseat. The jolt of the impact was sufficient to jar her brain, which caused her unconsciousness. Do you know how long she was out?”

  “No, I didn’t even know she was. She was awake when they rescued her.”

  “My estimation is that it was only a few minutes.” He took Amy’s other hand and waved it in the air. “We don’t want her sleeping too long tonight.”

  “Isn’t it better for her to sleep? After that much trauma to the brain, I would think she’d need to rest.”

  “No. After a concussion we don’t want a patient to fall into too deep of a sleep. That’s why we keep them under observation.”

  He leaned over and squeezed Amy’s toes.

  “Wake up, Amy. It’s time for you to open your eyes.” He smiled fondly at the sleeping baby. “Hello, little Princess. Was that a smile?” He looked at Jenna.

  Jenna didn’t answer. She hadn’t seen Amy smile, because she’d been staring at the doctor. She was profoundly touched at how genuinely warm and natural he was with the baby. He obviously loved children.

  “Do you have kids?” she asked, and felt her cheeks grow warm. “I’m sorry. That was a personal question and I shouldn’t have asked.”

  His honey-colored eyes darkened, snuffing out the light and joy. “No, I’m not that lucky.”

  “Me neither. I chose a career over being a wife and mother.”

  He glanced at her, then
at the baby. “If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn Amy was yours. She has your coloring and eyes. The shape of her mouth is almost identical to yours.”

  “Really?” Jenna looked at her niece carefully. “All I see is her tiny upturned nose.”

  “Like yours.”

  “Okay. I have to agree. She looks more like me than she does her own mother. But we’ll never tell Cindy that—”

  She stopped and put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, God, what if she doesn’t wake up?” Jenna closed her eyes to fight the images. “She needs to see her kids grow up.”

  “She knows that.” His voice was gentle. “I’m sure she’s fighting as hard as she can to come back to her family.” He moved around the crib and stood close to Jenna.

  “Yes.” She clenched and unclenched her hands. “But she might be brain damaged or paralyzed. Right?” Her voice shook. “Amy might never know how wonderful her mother is.”

  “She will. Keep believing. It’s half the battle, and you have a long one ahead.”

  Jenna took a deep breath and told herself to buck up. “You’re right.” She stepped away from the crib, away from the doctor. “I want to go check on Cindy. Will you be here to look after Amy?”

  “My shift is over. I actually was on my way out when I ran into you.” He gave her a brief smile. “I’ll be here tomorrow, though. Will you be looking after Amy for a while?” He paused. “Come by and see me. You can ask me anything you want about her care.”

  She glanced up sharply. “I live in New York, but yes. I won’t be going anywhere until the family’s back together again.”

  Until the words were spoken, Jenna hadn’t thought about the impact this would have on her own life. Even if Cindy woke up in a day or two, she wouldn’t be getting out anytime soon. Until she did, Jenna would stay to take care of the children.

  She’d been highly successful running a corporate division, but how would she cope with running a household? It was something Jenna had never wanted to do again. Being forced into the mothering role during her teens had soured her for good. But she couldn’t leave Cindy, or the kids—not as long as they needed her.

  “Good afternoon, Dr. Marshall.” She smiled weakly. “I better go wake Cindy up. The last thing I want to do is housework and to baby-sit three kids.”

  A dimple flashed in his cheek. “There are worse jobs in the world. And I have a hunch that once you start, you might like it.”

  “Wrong. I’m not the domestic type.” She turned and walked away.

  * * *

  Grant watched Jenna Cassali walk down the hall. Her auburn hair bounced on her shoulders, her whole body exuded confidence.

  When she rounded a corner and was out of sight, he turned to her niece. “Your aunt might be in for a few surprises. My bet is that she won’t be able to resist you after a day or two. That smile of yours will have her wrapped around your finger in no time.”

  He smiled fondly at the baby. “I would like to see that. I really would.”

  He checked on another patient before leaving the ward and heading to his car. His shift had started early that morning, and he’d planned on leaving two hours ago. But he had nothing to go home to, and most days he spent more time than needed at his clinic or the hospital.

  Sounded pretty pathetic, he had to admit. He hoped everyone wasn’t on to him. He wanted his colleagues to think it was dedication to his work that kept him there at all hours, not because his life was missing anything.

  He was never lonely. He made damn sure of that. He was often called upon to escort a lady to a charitable function, or a ballet, or the opera. He could go out every night if he wanted. But it was too much work. He forced himself to accept a couple invitations a week, but on the other nights, he preferred to hang around the children at the hospital.

  He liked the buzz and the noise. That was the one thing he didn’t like about living alone. It was too darned quiet.

  He couldn’t imagine a woman like Jenna Cassali ever being quiet. She was like a bundle of energy that couldn’t contain itself. Her hands and her feet were constantly moving, and he was pretty sure that her tongue and brain weren’t far behind.

  Her face intrigued him—oval-shaped with deep hazel eyes, an upturned nose that looked very kissable, as did her full lush mouth. And she had a body to match. He could tell she was smart, sophisticated, and neither too young, or too old.

  She was not as damned anorexic-looking as many of the society women he knew. She had a full-bodied, glorious womanly shape—the kind of woman who was made for loving. And he had a distinct feeling she’d argue that statement to death.

  Grant drove to his four-bedroom Palm Beach residence and pulled into the three-car garage. He didn’t know why he kept this big house, but after his wife died, he’d just stayed. Seemed easier than getting rid of everything. And he had no place else to go.

  He’d been married for eighteen years, and everything in the house was familiar to him. It was odd enough not to have someone to come home to, but if he had to walk into a strange condo with all new furnishings, he’d never want to come home.

  Kathleen had taken her own life in the upstairs bath. His friends thought he stayed in the house because he didn’t want to leave her, but it wasn’t that. He and his wife hadn’t been close in years. His fault, of course. He’d made so many mistakes, it was no wonder she’d stopped loving him.

  He hadn’t blamed her for shutting him out of her life, but he hadn’t expected her death. One night he’d come home from work—late as usual—and found her in the tub. Wrists slit, a wineglass and an empty bottle of her anti-depressants were next to her.

  There was no note, nothing to say why she’d done it. But hell, she didn’t have to tell him. He knew.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Jenna returned to the other side of the hospital. She got onto the elevator to take her to the second floor, and as the doors began to slide shut, a woman slid her hand in, stopping them. The two women stared at each other.

  “Mother?” Jenna said, as the hair on her arms prickled and rose. Ridiculous, but her mother could always make her hair stand on end. She hadn’t seen her in four or five years, and was surprised at how well she looked. Sharon was as tall and slender as ever, with short spiky blonde hair and a surprisingly unlined face. Surprising, due to the abuse she’d heaped on herself.

  “Jenna.” Her mother swiped at tears. “Rob called me. How is Cindy? How is my poor baby?”

  “I don’t know, Mom. I was just with Amy.” Seeing fear in her mother’s eyes, she added quickly, “Don’t worry. Amy’s fine.”

  “Thank God. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to that little angel. I’m already sick with worry over Cindy.”

  “I know. We all are.” When they reached the second floor, Jenna put her hand on her mother’s arm and guided her down the hall. “Let’s go find them. Maybe, with any luck, she’ll already be awake.”

  “Yes, yes. That would be so wonderful, wouldn’t it?”

  As they entered the room, Jenna saw her niece and nephew had arrived. Kelly, the fifteen-year-old was sitting in a chair by her mother’s bed, and her older brother Nick stood beside her. Kelly’s eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her young face was so scared. “Grandma…” Her voice broke. “Mom won’t wake up.”

  Sharon’s tears overflowed. “My poor baby. Come here.” She took Kelly into her arms, and reached out for Nick, pulling him into the embrace.

  They were all hugging and crying, as Rob patted his mother-in-law on the back. “She’s going to make it, Mother. We have to stay strong for her.”

  Jenna stood awkwardly near the door, wishing she’d taken the time to visit more often. She barely knew her sister’s children, and had only seen them briefly the day before. When the foursome finally broke apart, she walked over to the kids. “I’m so sorry about your mom,” she said, giving them both quick hugs.

  While they all gathered around the bed, talking quietly, Jenna stepped aside and moved to the wi
ndow. She was the outsider here. The four of them were family and she was the one looking from the outside in. Just as it had been when she was growing up.

  Cindy had always got along with their mother, perhaps because they were so much alike. Jenna remembered how Sharon and Cindy had been more like best friends than mother and daughter, and they’d make fun of her for being so serious. Sharon had to know all about Cindy’s boyfriends and the parties she’d go to, and argue with Jenna when she tried to make her sister stay home at nights. She’d wanted to protect her sister from boys and drugs and making foolish mistakes, and her mother had fought her every damn step of the way.

  Jenna took a deep breath and released it slowly. Her mother hadn’t had a drink in eleven years. She had cleaned up her act and straightened up the mess she’d made of her life. On her fiftieth birthday she checked herself into rehab for the last time and had stayed there two months.

  She also had a new husband now, her third. Jenna was happy that her mother had found someone to love. Maybe this time it would last and she’d find whatever she was searching for. Unlike her mother, Jenna had learned a long time ago that it was better to depend on no one but herself.

  Actually, it was the day she had gone to find her dad.

  She’d tracked him down when she was sixteen years old. She’d borrowed a friend’s car, driven to Orlando and knocked on his front door. He’d remarried and had two other children, and foolishly she’d asked if she could come live with him. He’d said no, his new wife wouldn’t like that very much, then offered her some money. She’d refused it of course, not wanting anything from him except the one thing he couldn’t give her—his love.

  She’d never told her mother about that visit. The checks were mailed each month from Orlando, so Sharon had to know where he lived, but she never mentioned him unless the check was late and she was out of gin.

  Jenna tried to squash the bitter memory. They were all grieving right now and needed to be there for each other. She joined the group at the bedside and placed a hand on her mother’s back. Even a dysfunctional family was better than none.