by Jade Powers
Chapter 17
HANNAH SMELLED DRAKE’S cologne first. Her eyelids were so heavy that she couldn’t open them. Pain spread through her nerves like fire. Drake brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. She heard his husky whisper, “Don’t give up. We have a new treatment.”
Just that touch doused the fire of pain burning Hannah’s nerves, and she drifted off to sleep.
While she slept, Manny and Doctor Prudacheck consulted on the case. Manny flipped through Hannah’s charts, “Surely you didn’t expect to heal her as a witch doctor.”
Prudacheck’s eyes narrowed in anger, “She was thriving under your care. Of course I would follow the methods, however strange they might seem. The only thing I had was Hannah’s interpretation of the treatment.”
“You’re lucky to have me.” Manny’s eyes shifted to Drake when he spoke. He added, “I create super-blood. We will draw blood from Hannah, amp the autoimmunity in the blood so that she can fight the cancer, and return it to her body. We will start now.”
Hannah shifted slightly when the needle poked her skin. Slowly, Manny drew from her. He turned to Drake, “When she is better, I expect you to hold up your part of the bargain.”
“I will.”
Drake hadn’t reneged on an agreement yet, and he wasn’t about to start.
Manny used donor blood when Hannah was weak. Every day she gained strength. Color returned to her cheeks, and laughter to her lips. When Thanksgiving came, Hannah ate turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and a roll without pushing the fork aside once. An hour later, she polished off a large slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream piled three inches above the pie. Drake couldn’t stop smiling.
On the first Saturday in December with the final paperwork signed on the dissolution of his company, Drake buzzed through the room, anxious and driven, energetic and aching for something to do. When Dr. Prudacheck sent him away for a few hours as Hannah grew tired, Drake found himself wanting to create a welcome for Hannah.
It was almost Christmas. Why not? He bought a tree and tried to convince himself that one day he, Hannah, and Noel would venture out into winter snow to cut down a Christmas tree together. With Hannah’s improvement, it was a possibility. He remembered the moment several months back when she told Drake that she would raise Noel alone.
That wouldn’t do. He wanted Hannah forever. Her presence in his life had brought light and laughter, joy that Drake never thought possible. He stopped at the stores in town, finding ornaments and a few strings of lights. He would have to fly to Boise to finalize plans. It would be a shame when he sold his plane, but necessary to his long-term goals.
He returned late in the night, stopping in Hannah’s room. She was asleep. It was new, the depth of this love. He appreciated those moments, when the world was calm and he could just exist with his love for her.
The following day, Drake read to Hannah. After lunch when she was feeling strong enough to sit up, Drake set the book down. Hannah smiled at him, her belly round now that Noel was close to making an appearance. Drake took her fingers, gazed into her eyes.
“Hannah, I have something to talk to you about.”
After everything they’d been through, Hannah joked, “Sounds serious.”
Drake nodded, “I am signing the papers to complete the sale of the company. I could keep it and we’d be rich, but the business is brutal. I can handle it myself, but keeping the corporation would put Noel in danger and turn me into a distant father. I can’t promise you riches, but I can promise you love. We’ll have a comfortable life, if that is enough.”
“Drake, what are you saying?” Hannah had never seen the man talk around a subject before. She didn’t want to say yes to his proposal if it wasn’t really a proposal after all.
Finally Drake said the words, “Will you marry me?” He pulled a ring out of his pocket.
She squeezed his hand, “Yes! A thousand times yes!”
Hannah never expected that her unluckiest year would lead her straight into the arms of the love of her life. As hard and terrifying as some of the moments had been, Hannah wouldn’t trade that year for anything. It was at that moment when Noel decided to make her appearance. Hannah felt her first contraction. She said, “Noel is coming.”
Drake kissed her on the top of her head and said, “I’m here for you.”
Chapter 18
NOEL HOPE WARD ARRIVED early for the advent. Drake held her in his arms for the first time with the rigid stance of a soldier who’d just passed basic training.
At St. Luke’s hospital, a nurse watched this new daddy with gentle amusement. He certainly wasn’t the first new dad to see a teeny-tiny human being and feel utterly scared about the responsibility of carrying the wee one. She said, “You look uncomfortable. Come sit in the arm chair.”
The birthing center had family rooms with the mother and baby sharing a room. Drake settled into the arm chair with Noel while Hannah watched with pride. She said, “She’s perfect.”
“I know. She looks just like you,” Drake couldn’t stop smiling. Ever since baby Noel was placed in his care, he beamed with pride. This was the most important moment of his life. Drake knew now how empty those years with the company had been.
A few minutes later, Sven and Minka dropped by. Minka handed Hannah a gift bag, while Drake showed off his newest and best accomplishment. Sven held out his finger for Noel to grasp. In a hushed tone, he said, “I didn’t think they came so small.”
“They grow fast,” Minka settled onto the edge of the bed next to Hannah.
“I’m putting you on the spot here,” Drake said to his best friend, “but will you be my best man?”
“You crazy kids,” Sven said, “Of course.”
Hannah added, “And Minka, I would like you to be my maid of honor, if you’re willing.”
Minka clapped her hands, “Oh, this is fantastic. Do you need help planning?”
“I’m sure I will. We’re only in the beginning stages right now, and with a new baby and getting well and the move, we’ll have our hands full.”
Drake and Hannah had talked extensively while she was going through treatment. When she was proclaimed cured, they would set up residence in a ranch house in Montana on ten acres. Drake was slowly selling off his assets. His apartment in New York was already turned over to a property management company, and the first renters moved in at the first of December. The Miami house was sold. He was saving the plane. The damn thing was expensive to upkeep what with the hanger fees, and yearly inspections, not to mention fuel, but he liked the freedom of it. The plane would be the last to go, when he and Hannah were safely snuggled into their new home.
“I have two questions. Are you having the wedding here or in Montana, and are you ever going to let us hold your new daughter?” Minka teased.
A wide smile spread across Drake’s face as he said, “I’m not quite ready to let go of her yet. Give me a few more minutes.”
He gazed at Hannah, grateful to have the time.
This was only the beginning. Hannah would go on to make a full recovery, and she and Drake would live in Montana, their marriage a testament to the truth that love can last forever.
Author’s Note
THE CANCER TREATMENT in this book is based on research I either read online or watched in a documentary. The idea that a doctor could build a person’s immune cells out of their own blood and re-run it through their body to fight cancer was intriguing and provided a great foundation for Hannah’s story. It may be more a dream at this point than a reality. I’m sorry that as of this writing, an easy cure for pancreatic cancer is fiction. If it exists, the majority of us don’t have access to it. Someday, we will.
As of this writing, the militarization of corporations is a complete fiction. I’ve never really lived at the top of the food chain myself so I have no idea what really goes on in the world. I’ve left it up to wild imagination to fill in the blanks. I’m also fairly certain that selling a company probably takes more than a co
uple of months and a few signatures, but for the sake of a good story, I left out the piles of legalese that would accompany such a sale and went with what would get the perfect ending to the story.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Authors depend on reviews for some advertisers who require a certain number of reviews to use their services.
Read on for an excerpt from In My Life.
Excerpt from In My Life
Chapter 1
~~MIAMI, AUG 1998~~
LAUREN WAS A KNOCKOUT in a business dress. She wore it like armor. The black mini-skirt cut just above her knees and showed off calves that were shapely and fit. The red tank top was plain but elegant, and the ruby necklace a perfect accent to the outfit. She wore a touch of mascara and neutral eye shadow. Her lipstick was glossy and shimmered in the light.
If her suit was armor, her resume was a sharp sword, cutting opponents to pieces. If she could stomach working for the enemy, Lauren was assured that she would have this job.
“Lauren Nuong?” Mr. Kendall, the Vice President of SpaceTech, called Lauren into the conference room for her final interview. She’d already blasted through the first two. It was hardly a challenge after working for one of the top experts in neuro-technology on a project with the kind of complexities that invited frustration, but also a level of reward that only problem solvers and puzzle seekers could understand.
The pronunciation was off. Lauren swallowed her nerves and followed Mr. Kendall into the conference room.
“You worked for Drake Ward?” Kendall asked, his eyebrow lifted just slightly over quizzical eyes that said he knew the man personally. That did not bode well for Lauren as her professional relationship with Drake had been hampered and eventually torpedoed by a turbulent personal relationship.
“Yes. For five years,” Lauren said.
“You worked for the Spokane branch. What really happened during the shooting?” Mr. Kendall watched Lauren like the judge in an Olympic ice skating competition, ready to critique a performance that had to be perfect.
The question was intensely personal and more to the point, distasteful. Lauren suspected a rival company of setting up the attack. SpaceTech could have been just such a company. Worse still, she lost a close friend in one of the security guards. They were a small branch and she’d been there for years.
Standing, Lauren said, “What happened in my former jobs is confidential. I’m sorry. I don’t think this opportunity is for me.”
Lauren walked out the door without looking back. She was angry. The whole interview now felt like a set up to get information. Striding past the receptionist and out the door, Lauren missed the conference door opening and Mr. Kendall watching.
When the door closed behind the candidate, Vice President Kendall said, “Barb, please call the hotel where Ms. Nuong is staying. Leave the message that I would like to speak with her.”
Barb picked up the phone to do his bidding.
Pausing he said, “And Barb? Offer Lauren the job and tell her I can help her get revenge for her friends. She’ll know what I mean.”
Barb had been in the military before working for SpaceTech. She knew how to keep her mouth shut and her ears open. She nodded, “Of course.”
Lauren slammed her hand down on the wheel of her rental car. Damn. The one nibble she’d gotten in weeks. She knew Drake wouldn’t black ball her. She knew it. Word got around in a small industry, and Drake shutting doors after his competition mysteriously lost all of their research in a fire didn’t sit well with any of them. If Lauren was going to work, she’d probably have to do it as a professor in some community college in the middle of nowhere.
This was all Drake’s fault. Gritting her teeth, Lauren pulled into the hotel parking lot. She’d paid for the hotel on her own dime. That and the airfare. So much for the job. Lauren planned to force herself to enjoy a vacation. Maybe she’d start with a trip to the beach. Her bikini was practically new.
No one was more surprised than Lauren when she retrieved her messages. A job offer and revenge for her friends. So Space Tech wasn’t the company behind the shootings. Lauren called Space Tech from her room.
“Ms. Nuong, I had hoped to hear from you. I’d like to offer you the job,” He rattled off a few numbers that Lauren countered. Soon enough, they came to an agreement. VP Kendall said, “I am emailing an offer. You mentioned that you could start in a week?”
“Yes,” Lauren lowered herself to the bed. She smoothed the edge of her skirt. Her fingernails were a vivid red, elegant against the black.
“Is there anything you would like to ask me?” VP Kendall asked. His voice held a hint of anticipation, eagerness.
Lauren clicked her nails against her skirt, once, twice. No, this was not the time to blindly trust, but neither could she ask questions that would cost her the job. She said, “I will accept your offer. I believe I’ve asked all of the pertinent questions.”
V.P. Kendall paused. The silence on the phone lengthened and still Lauren waited. Finally he said, “Did you receive my full message?”
“What do you mean?” Lauren’s heart beat faster. He was going to bring up the shooting again. He was going to ask her if she wanted revenge. Hell, yes. She wanted revenge. The only question was where Kendall really stood in the deadly game.
“Revenge, Ms. Nuong. There are only a handful of us in the industry. I know who is behind the kidnappings and attempts to undermine Drake. If you want more than a job, I’d like to have you at my side.”
“You don’t know me. I’ve met you once. Why would you make such a strong claim on me?” Lauren wished she was on a wireless phone. The cord on the hotel phone didn’t let her pace and right now her adrenaline was racing.
“This is what I know about you. You held firm against threats to your family rather than divulge secrets that didn’t belong to you. In a tight industry and with little chance at another job in research, you were willing to walk away rather than share confidential information, even before you knew how much I might ask you to divulge. I will hire you either way, but when you come on your first day of work, if you want to do more for me, drop into my office at ten o-clock.”
Lauren remembered the phone taps in Spokane. What Mr. Kendall left out was as important as what he said. She would just have to find out more on her starting day. She said, “That sounds good. I will be by your office to talk further, but please don’t take that as an agreement yet.”
Overall it was a much better result than Lauren had expected. Pleased, Lauren gathered her beach gear, including a long towel and sunscreen. Slipping out of her business suit and into her indigo bikini, she put on a pair of shorts and a wrap. She wished her sister could have come with her. It was lonely going to the beach without anyone else.
Sun lovers marked their place on the beach with towels, umbrellas, plastic toys for sand-castles, folding chairs, and flip-flops. Lauren’s towel was a huge pink monstrosity that her sister had gotten for her on a trip to California. It was a bit of a joke, but Lauren truly loved the towel. It was darker and brighter than the Pepto-Bismol pink of a flamingo statue. Besides, it’s not like anyone she knew would see her.
The sun was bright, the rolling sound of the ocean soothing. Lauren took off shorts and t-shirt and relaxed back on the towel in her bikini, letting the sun warm her body.
A shadow fell across her face.
Lauren opened her eyes.
Standing between Lauren and the sun was the hottest guy she had ever seen. Not wanting to pant all over him, Lauren lifted an eyebrow and said, “You’re standing in my sunlight.”
“May I join you?” His smile was only outclassed by his lovely tanned skin. That skin rose and fell in the most sculpted way. Not quite body-builder, but he definitely worked out. His hair was white-blonde, and thick.
“I don’t talk to strangers,” Lauren grinned when she said it. As serious as she was in her mind, it was hard to be grumpy with that thousand watt smile and magnificent body standing in front
of her. Not that she was looking.
“Lucas Roth. Now that we’re introduced, may I join you?”
“It’s a public beach. I can’t tell you where to put your towel. Doesn’t mean I’ll talk to you. Name’s Lauren, by the way.” Lauren leaned back and closed her eyes. The intelligent part of her wished Lucas would go away. The lonely woman part wanted to laugh and joke and have Lucas ask her out on a date. To which she would probably say no.
She heard him whip out his towel. From the sound, he was positioning himself about three feet away. That was a good reasonable distance.
“I have a confession.” Lucas hadn’t quite settled. Even with her eyes closed, Lauren could tell he was restless, not sure where to place himself.
“I’m not a priest,” Lauren said, before he could continue.
Lucas laughed, a low rumble that made Lauren’s insides feel jelly. He said, “And I’m not a random stranger.”
That freaked Lauren. Having worked in top secret companies, a non-chance encounter with a stranger was not appealing, no matter how cute he was. She opened her eyes and sat up, “What are you talking about? Who are you?”
Fishing out his wallet with a sigh, Lucas handed it over, “Really. I’m Lucas Roth. I work for General McFarland. He found out Drake had cut you loose and wanted to snap you up before anyone else could. Apparently, you’re hard to reach.”
Emotions flitted through Lauren, anger, embarrassment, fear, more anger. When everything settled, Lauren decided anger would win. “You followed me to Miami? What right do you have? McFarland did reach out to me. I told him I wasn’t interested.”
“He thought maybe you didn’t understand.”