Seven Books for Seven Lovers

by Molly Harper, Stephanie Haefner, Liora Blake, Gabra Zackman, Andrea Laurence, Colette Auclair

  “He was supposed to be retired by now. We had so many plans.” She rubbed Mia’s back even though Mia was supposed to be the one doing the consoling. “We were going to buy a giant RV and drive all around the country, just the two of us.”

  “You can still do that.”

  She pulled away and wiped her eyes with a napkin. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Mia left the house, wanting to believe what her mother had said. Could it be true? Had she been wrong about who was behind the scandal?

  She didn’t know what to believe and wished there was some magic wand she could wave and make everything better. Make her dad be the guy she remembered, the guy she needed. A father who supported his kids no matter what. Not one who created elaborate schemes to take them down.

  If that’s even what he did. She was so confused.

  With the car windows open, the wind blew through her hair and lifted her mood somewhat. She needed to put the morning behind her and move on.

  Her cell phone rang as she drove. She wanted to ignore it and just keep driving, but it was the shop.

  “Hey,” Bryn said, her tone not exactly as chipper as usual.

  “What’s wrong? More complaints at the store?”

  “Oh, no. Everything is fine here. Great actually. Steady flow this morning.”

  “Still all men?”

  “Mostly. But that’s not what I called for. I just talked to Oliver. He can’t come in today. His mom is in the hospital. He says it’s not good.”

  OLIVER SAT in the waiting room and sipped his cold hospital coffee. When he’d gotten it, it had been so hot he couldn’t drink it. So he’d lifted the lid and set it down, vowing to rest his eyes only a few minutes. But forty-five minutes passed before he’d opened them again. He’d been there since three in the morning, when his father had called.

  He could probably go back into his mother’s room now. The nurse had kicked him out almost an hour before for tests and such. He didn’t want her worrying that he had left.

  Standing and stretching, Oliver tossed his coffee cup and walked toward room 1120. The door opened just as he reached it.

  “Dr. Campbell. How is she?”

  “Resting comfortably.”

  He nodded. “How long until we can take her home?”

  The doctor paused before answering. Not good. “Her heart just isn’t responding to the medications any longer.”

  Oliver knew this day would come, but it didn’t make it even remotely easier. “So what do we do now?”

  “There isn’t much. All we can do is make her comfortable.”

  Ginny hated hospitals. She’d been in and out of them the last fifteen years of her life. Oliver couldn’t let her die in one. “Can we do that at home?”

  “I’m not sure. She needs constant care and monitoring.”

  “You know money is no object. Can we make it happen?”

  “There’s equipment and furniture you’ll need. But I’ll look into it.”

  “Thank you.”

  Oliver watched Dr. Campbell walk away, then breathed deep before entering his mother’s room. She lay there, asleep, in her favorite nightgown. Her hair was brushed and flowed around her head. He’d rarely seen her like that. Normally it was pinned back in a twist sort of thing. He liked her like this. Angelic.

  Oliver sat in a chair near the bed and tried to get comfortable. Maybe he’d let himself doze off again.

  “Oh, it’s you.” Her voice was soft, weak, as she breathed deeply from the tubes stretched across her cheeks. “I didn’t want to deal with any more doctors or nurses so I pretended I was asleep.”

  He leaned forward and took her hand, kissing it, and smiled. “Don’t waste your voice on me.”

  “You’re worth it. How are things with Mia?”

  “Let’s not talk about that.”

  “Please. I’ve been thinking about you two constantly.”

  How could he deny her anything right then? “Well, I’m not really sure where I stand with her. So much has happened the last few days. Her business was doing well, and then everything fell apart. We tried to find a solution, together. I thought she was starting to trust me again, but I was wrong.”

  “Then you must try harder.”

  He shook his head. “Let’s not talk about this. I don’t want you to worry.”

  “I’ll worry no matter what. I can’t leave until I know you’ll be taken care of.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Oliver blinked back his tears and forced his lips into a smile. “I’ll be just fine.”

  The door opened and Oliver’s father walked in. He looked to him briefly, then took a seat on the other side of Ginny. “You can go now.”

  “I’m not leaving.” Oliver squeezed his mother’s hand again.

  “I only called you because your mother refused to cooperate unless I did. But we no longer need you.”

  “As I already said, I’m not leaving.”

  “The last thing she needs is you and your embarrassing scandal right now.”

  “Please stop,” Ginny said, her chest heaving from using a louder voice.

  Oliver glared at his father for having made her do that. “Can we talk in the hall?”

  He didn’t answer, just stood and left the room.

  Making sure the door was securely closed before speaking, Oliver turned to his father. “I’m a grown man and you will not tell me I can’t see my mother.”

  “So cocky, you are. Do you have any idea what you’ve done to her? The humiliation you’ve caused? Recalling all those wedding invitations. I can’t even go to the country club without someone making a joke about you in your underwear.”

  Oliver’s hand curled into a fist and he fought to keep it at his side. “I don’t give a shit about you. I care about her.”

  “Really? You don’t think this debacle has put stress on her heart?”

  Oliver’s confidence waned. He knew his father had him there. “Yes. I know it has. But I talked to her and explained. She understands.”

  “Yes, but now all I hear is how worried she is for you. Wondering if you’ll be happy. Bullshit she shouldn’t be worrying about on her deathbed. All you’re doing is burdening her with your problems right now.”

  Was he burdening her? He just wanted to help her die in peace without wondering if he’d be all right once she was gone. He never would be, but she didn’t need to know that.

  “You need to leave . . . now,” his father insisted.

  Oliver stepped toward the door. “Let me say good-bye.”

  “No.” His father grabbed his arm. “Just go.”

  Oliver shook free from the old man’s grasp. He could have forced his way into his mother’s room, but the last thing she needed was to see more animosity between the two men in her life. “Fine.”

  He glanced over his father’s shoulder, a brunette standing but a few feet away with a small vase of flowers. It took only a nanosecond to realize who it was, the sight of her like a warm summer breeze, calming him.

  Mr. Christiansen turned to see what was so intriguing behind him. “Well, if it isn’t the porn peddler herself.”

  He walked away before Oliver could say anything, heading toward the nurse’s station. Oliver felt bad for the hospital staff, but at least there was someone else for his father to aggravate for the moment.

  Suppressing his anger, he focused on Mia and smiled. “Hi.”

  “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

  “No. You didn’t hear any of that, did you?”

  “A little. Felt familiar. Kinda like my dad.”

  “How’d that go today?”

  “As expected. He denied it.”

  “You believe him?”

  “Oh, no. I just need to find someone else to prove he was behind it.”

  “Yeah. We should try and track down that Chris guy. How many can there be at the only gay club in town?”

  Mia smiled at him. “You’re not tracking anybody down. You have more important things to take care
of right now.” She glanced at the closed door. “How is she?”

  “All we can do now is make her comfortable, but she’s in good spirits. Still worrying about me, though.”

  “That’s what moms are for.”

  “I know.” Oliver blinked away tears. What was he going to do once his was gone? “Wanna meet her?”

  “I’d be honored.”

  MIA FOLLOWED Oliver into the hospital room, and when he reached for her hand, she hadn’t the heart to deny him the comfort he so obviously needed. His mother lay in the bed, propped on pillows, looking exactly how Mia had expected. Beautiful and elegant, even in a floral nightgown.

  “Mom,” he said and she turned to them. “This is Mia.”

  Mrs. Christensen met Mia’s eyes, her gaze traveling to their entwined fingers, then back again, the biggest smile bowing her thin lips. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  Mia matched her smile. “Nice to meet you, too. I brought these to brighten your room. I hope you like tulips and hydrangeas.”

  “I do. Thank you. Oliver, be a dear and take those from her. I’d like them right here on the table next to me.”

  He did as he was asked and pulled another chair to the side of the bed.

  “So,” Ginny started, taking a deep breath before continuing. “Tell me all about yourself.”

  “Oh, no. We don’t need to talk about me.”

  “Please. I’d really love to get to know you a bit.”

  Mia didn’t know anything about Ginny’s medical situation, but from the look she’d seen in Oliver’s eyes before they entered the room, it couldn’t be good.

  “Well, I’m from Kenville. I went to business school and opened a store with my best friend.”

  “The lingerie store?” the frail woman asked.

  Mia felt her cheeks warm. Oliver’s mother had been there the day of the launch, when all hell had broken out. “Um, yes.”

  “No need to be embarrassed.” She released a small laugh, then coughed. “It’s very important to keep romance alive.”

  A knock came on the door and a doctor poked his head in. “Mr. Christensen, I have that information we talked about.”

  Oliver turned to his mother. “You okay if I leave for a minute?”

  “Of course. I’ll get some girl talk with Mia.”

  His eyes lit and he smiled. “Don’t tell her any embarrassing stories while I’m gone.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Oliver left the room and Mia turned back to Mrs. Christensen. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “Yes, actually.” She pushed herself up a little in her bed. “Forgive my son for lying to you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I know he’s told you how he feels about you. And I can tell you feel the same. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” She paused to catch her breath. “That fiancée of his was pure evil. She lied and told him she was pregnant, just to get him to propose. And then she faked a miscarriage, too.”

  “I know about that. And you and Oliver, of all people, must understand how damaging lies can be to a relationship. I just don’t know if I can trust him again.”

  “I do understand. She lied to get what she wanted, but he lied to make a sick woman happy. He did what he thought was best, for everyone except him. I bet he would have sold his soul to the devil to keep a smile on my face.” She coughed, then sipped from a cup nearby. “Actually, he did. Alexiana is most certainly the devil’s kin.”

  Wow. Was she really saying what Mia thought she was? A little hard to believe. Well, actually, no it wasn’t. Oliver was a decent and honorable man. She’d known that right after meeting him. He’d do anything to keep his mother happy, even something he didn’t want to do.

  “I hate myself for making him think he had to do all that.” Tears formed in her eyes. “I should have known he was unhappy. What kind of mother doesn’t know her child? It’s my fault he felt forced to stay with a woman he didn’t love. If I hadn’t done that, he would have been free to be with you.”

  “If he had come clean with me from the beginning, told me he was engaged, that he didn’t love her, that he was trying to get out of it, it might have been different.” Mia felt the moisture in her own eyes. “It’s very hard to trust someone after they’ve lied to you.”

  Mia had forgiven him the first time he’d lied—the mistaken identity. But the second time? Could she forgive and move on? With him? Now that she knew why he had lied to her, why he’d kept his life so secretive, things seemed different. But were they different enough for her to put her heart on the chopping block again?

  “Please try and trust him. He deserves a chance at true love, a chance I almost stole from him.” Ginny reached for Mia’s hand and squeezed. “And you deserve it, too.”

  She smiled at Mia, an infectious grin, and Mia couldn’t stop her lips from turning upward.

  Hearing footsteps behind her, Mia turned, and Oliver was there. Had he ever looked more handsome?

  He smiled at the women. “What did I miss?”

  CHAPTER Twenty-Nine

  Oliver couldn’t control the joy spreading across his face when he walked back into the hospital room and saw his mother, her slender hand in Mia’s, as they chatted. It was if they had known each other for years. God, how he wished he’d met her sooner.

  Mia squeezed Ginny’s hand and stood. “I need to get to the shop. If it’s anything like yesterday, they’ll need me.”

  “Thank you for the visit, and the talk,” Ginny said to her.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Please come see me soon.”

  “I will.” Mia turned and reached for her purse.

  “I’ll walk you out.” Oliver opened the door for her and followed her into the hallway. “I’m really glad you came. She seemed to enjoy your visit.”

  Mia nodded. “I did, too. And I meant what I said. I would like to visit again.”

  “She’ll be going home tomorrow.”

  “That’s great.”

  Oliver shook his head as his vision blurred with tears. “The doctors are letting me take her home so she can die there instead of in the hospital.”

  “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

  “No. The equipment will be set up in the morning, and hopefully by lunchtime she’ll be tucked into her bed. But definitely come by. Probably in the next few days . . . just in case she doesn’t—”

  “I’ll be there. I promise.”

  All he could do was nod. If he tried to speak, it would only come out in sobs.

  Mia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this.”

  He held her to him, trying not to break down or crush her rib cage as he hugged her back. He’d stand there forever holding her if he could. “You should probably go.”

  “I can stay, if you want me to.”

  She couldn’t even begin to imagine how badly he wanted her to. “No. You better go to work. Bryn needs you.”

  She pulled back and met his eyes. “Will you call me later?”

  He nodded and she stepped back, out of his embrace. His body shivered without her warmth. “Thank you again for coming.”

  Oliver watched Mia walk away, wishing he could run after her, scoop her up, and never let her go. His heart broke watching her leave, and broke even more for what he had to face in his mother’s hospital room. But when he walked in, her smile was the brightest he’d seen in a while.

  “That girl loves you. What are you doing here? Go.” She paused to catch her breath “You need to win her back.”

  “I’ll talk to Mia later. Right now, we need to talk.”

  She reached for his hand. “Time is so precious. Don’t waste it.”

  Time was precious, and as much as he’d love to run after Mia, he knew his moments with his mother were far more limited. “I’ll make you a deal. If you let me sit here with you for a while longer, I’ll go see Mia the second I leave.”

>   Her smile returned. “Deal.”

  “FINALLY!” PENNY screamed when Mia walked into the shop. She stood behind the counter, a line waiting to cash out. “Where the hell have you been?”

  “I’m so sorry. I had an errand to run, and that led to another. Then Bryn called about Oliver. I felt like I needed to go to the hospital.”

  “How is she?”

  “Not good. They think she won’t make it much longer.” Mia found it hard to say the last few words. How could she feel such sorrow for a woman she’d just met?

  “How’s Oliver?”

  “He’s devastated.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “Because I need to be. And besides, he’s just a friend.”

  Penny stopped what she was doing and turned to Mia with a you’re-not-fooling-anybody stare.

  “Are you talking about this Oliver?” a male customer in line asked. “’Cause, honey, with a body like that, you’re either a lesbian or a big fat liar.”

  Penny turned back. “Oh, she’s a huge liar.”

  “Am not.” Was she back in junior high now? “There are good reasons why we’re not together.”

  But if Mia was being completely honest with herself, all the reasons she’d had were eradicated after one short conversation with Mrs. Christensen. She’d finally understood why Oliver had done what he had. But she was still terrified. How could she know for sure things would be different?

  Or what if he annoyed her down the road? What if she annoyed him? What if they tried the happily-ever-after thing and had kids and things changed? They’d be stuck with people they couldn’t stand. If Bryn were there and could hear her inner thoughts, she’d probably smack her on the back of the head and say, “Stop being stupid.”

  But what if they did find that marital bliss like Bryn and Johnny had? And what if it was stolen away? Mia was not as strong as Bryn. She’d never be able to overcome a loss like that. It seemed better to stay far away from love.

  The customer’s sassy statement pulled her out of her thoughts. “Nothing would keep me away from that luscious man.”

  It was fear, plain and simple, that kept her away from Oliver.

  Penny went back to cashing out customers and Mia got to work on the shop floor. The clientele seemed much more mixed today. Mia was back to doing bra fittings and rehanging several dozen bras. And more than once she was asked where the men’s section was. Her answer: “Coming soon.”