“You certainly have a firm grasp on what everyone was going to need up here. You arranged flights and hotels and gave us clear information on the weather so we’d know how to pack. I just figured you must have had prior experience with the region.”
Gabriella leaned back in her seat and tilted her head toward William. “Actually, I did the research for Zach. He knew he wanted to climb, and so he did all the research on things he would need for that, but he never bothered to think about what he would need prior to and after the climb.” She chuckled. “I did a lot of online shopping for him.”
“I’m sure he knew you’d be very efficient in getting it done for him.”
“Oh, he didn’t ask me to do it. I overheard him and Ethan talking about the things they were going to pack and realized they weren’t going to be prepared. I made sure I didn’t make it sound like I was eavesdropping; I mentioned I’d help him organize his packing list. Then I threw in my suggestions and let him think it was his idea to purchase the extra items.”
William laughed. “That was very clever of you. It seems like you know exactly how to handle my nephew.”
“I’ve worked for him for a long time,” Gabriella said and realized it was true. There were times when she couldn’t even remember what her life was like before coming to work with Zach Montgomery. He was like a force of nature who challenged her like none of her other bosses ever had. He was as much of a workaholic as she was, and they made an excellent team.
“You certainly have,” William agreed. “How has it been with Summer around? How did Zach feel about her coming to work with him?”
Gabriella snorted out a laugh and then quickly placed a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. “Sorry,” she said as she composed herself. “He was furious. When Robert called and told Zach what was going to happen, he was fit to be tied.”
“Why? She’s his sister, for crying out loud! Why would he be upset?” William already knew the answer, but he was interested in Gabriella’s take on the whole thing.
“Zach has mastered the fine art of running the Portland office. Everything runs like clockwork—according to Zach’s clock, that is. He felt Summer’s arrival was going to cause chaos and throw his carefully crafted world out of whack.” She smiled. “And it kind of did.”
“How so? I’ve heard nothing but good things from the people I’ve spoken to in the office,” he asked conversationally. He was really enjoying himself.
Gabriella talked about Summer going from department to department and really getting involved in everyone’s lives—in a good way. “Basically, everyone loves her.”
“But…” William prompted.
“But…now she knows more about our employees than Zach does. It’s amazing; she takes a personal interest in everyone and she has a knack for remembering things. I’ve been with the company for years, and I didn’t know half the things Summer’s learned about the people I work with. It’s a gift.”
William nodded. “It certainly is. So how did that throw things out of sync for Zach? It seems to me the things Summer was doing could only boost company morale.”
“Yes, it did, but it also served to show what kind of tyrant Zach had turned into over the years. More than one person made a comment about how Summer must have gotten the personality gene or the heart of the family. Zach overheard some of it and it really ticked him off.”
“Those people are being paid to work,” Robert interrupted. “Summer needs to remember Montgomerys is a place of business, not a playground.”
Gabriella frowned. “She knows it’s a place of business, sir,” she said a little coolly. “She simply has a knack for working with people and encouraging them in a way that makes them want to work harder and do more with a better attitude. If you ask me, that is what you need to make a successful company. If all of your employees came to work happy, they’d be more productive.”
Robert was going to say more, but Gabriella’s words stopped him.
“So why do you think Zach isn’t more like that? Or can’t be more like that?” William asked.
She sighed. “I don’t know,” she said wearily. “He didn’t used to be like this. There was a time when he was much more relaxed and in touch with everyone. I don’t know what caused the change; it happened about two years ago, I’d have to say. I can’t think of anything particular that would have caused such a dramatic change in him, but it was almost as if someone had flipped a switch in him and the easygoing man disappeared and in his place was this…taskmaster.” She made a face at the thought.
“And you’re not happy with the change?”
“No. There are days I want to throw something heavy at him just to snap him out of it.” She realized her words and immediately scrambled to take them back. “What I mean is…um…I just get frustrated and…”
William took her hand. “Shh…it’s all right. I know exactly what you mean. You don’t have to apologize for being honest. It’s one of the things I admire most about you.”
“You do?” Surprise laced her words.
He nodded. “You are quite an asset to the company, Gabriella. Your coworkers admire you and just watching the way you’ve handled yourself in this crisis, well…needless to say, I am beyond impressed.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“So it gets me wondering…you seem to be, shall we say, overqualified for your position with Zach.”
Her brows arched at his statement. “Excuse me?”
“It’s true. I look at you and I see executive material, not executive assistant material—not that there’s anything wrong with that—but I think you are capable of much more. We have more than enough offices for you to choose from and a number of open positions I think you’d be more than qualified for. I think you’ve done all you can do with Zach. And it sounds to me like you might be ready for a change.”
“I never said—”
“Nonsense,” William interrupted. “You deserve to be doing more than personal shopping for your boss. He’s taking advantage of you and holding you back. We’ll find him another assistant and let him worry about it. We’ll wait until he’s back at work, of course, but we can start planning your transition now.”
“Now just a minute,” Gabriella snapped, and everyone turned to look at her. “I cannot believe you are sitting here—as we drive to the hospital no less—offering me a job and telling me to leave Zach! That is…it’s…horrible!” Her anger was palpable and she wanted to wipe the smile right off William Montgomery’s face. “How could you even think this was an appropriate time for this conversation? We have no idea what kind of condition Zach is in! I’ve been with him for years, and if you think I’m just going to up and leave him, then you’re crazy.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “He’s going to need me now more than ever, and I think it was in very poor taste for you even to suggest that I leave him.”
The car came to a halt in front of the hospital. Robert climbed out of the car and held out a hand to help Gabriella. She stormed up to the entrance and Robert stood where he was until his brother and son came to stand beside him. When the automatic doors to the hospital closed behind Gabriella, Robert turned to William. “What the hell was that all about? We never discussed promoting her! Why would you do such a thing?”
William took the door out of Robert’s hand and closed it. A mischievous grin crossed his face. “It was an experiment.”
“Oh no…” Ryder groaned before rolling his eyes and making his way to the hospital doors.
“What?” Robert asked, confused. “Why did Ryder just say ‘Oh no’?”
William chuckled and put an arm around his brother’s shoulder and led him up the walkway to the doors. “Don’t give it another thought. We’ve got to go inside and find the right person to talk to. We need updates and answers here.”
Robert knew he was right, but he was also curious as hell abo
ut what he had witnessed in the car. “First tell me why you told Gabriella we’d make her an executive.”
Stopping in his tracks, William sighed with irritation. “Your son quite possibly has some recovery time coming to him. You and I both know he’s not going to like it. Zach has never liked to be held back and told he can’t do something. I wanted to make sure the person who works closest with him is there for the long haul.” He looked toward the hospital entrance and then back to his brother. “If she thought he was difficult before, he’s going to be out-and-out impossible now.”
“And are you satisfied with the results of your little exchange?”
William’s grin broadened. “More than you know.”
* * *
Unfortunately, no one on the hospital staff was familiar with—or impressed by—the Montgomery name. No matter how loud Robert yelled or how hard William tried to charm the nurses, no one was in any rush to speak to them.
An hour after their arrival, the group of them sat and listened to what the pair of doctors had to say. “What we’re looking at right now,” Dr. Eric Morgan said, “is a torn rotator cuff, four broken ribs, his leg was broken in four places along with his hip, and there was trauma to his spinal cord, causing swelling. And this is just a preliminary overview. We’ve done scans and X-rays, but that’s not to say that we’re not going to find more injuries.”
“Basically,” Dr. Richard Peters began, “we have a lot of work ahead of us, and I need you to understand we won’t be able to update you every five minutes.” His voice was firm. Dr. Peters looked to be in his late fifties, and it would appear he had dealt with more than his fair share of anxious families. They had been assured he was the top trauma specialist in the region. “We still have multiple tests to run to fully understand the extent of Zach’s injuries.”
“Can we at least see him?” Ryder asked.
Dr. Peters shook his head. “Right now, we need to tend to Zach. We have to set the bones and put pins in place, so we can see more clearly what we’re dealing with. Then we can give you a more specific prognosis.” When Robert made to speak, the doctor held up a hand to stop him. “Your son has already lost a lot of time trapped up on the mountain; the more time I spend in here with you means more waiting for him.”
“Is he awake? Is he in pain?” Robert asked as the doctor made his way across the room.
“From what the medics conveyed to us, he’s been in and out of consciousness since the fall. He was unconscious when I got to him, and they’re prepping him for surgery now, so he’ll be asleep for some time. Depending on the extent of the swelling on his spine, we may have to keep him in a medically induced coma for his own comfort.” Dr. Peters looked around the room. “I’m sorry. I do wish I had more to tell you, but until I get back upstairs and look at the results of what we’ve done so far, there isn’t much more I can say. I’ll send a nurse out to update you when I can.”
And with that, he was gone.
It seemed like everyone was afraid to move, afraid to speak. Ryder got up and went to look out a window briefly before taking out his cell phone and leaving the room. James excused himself to call and check on Selena. Robert agreed it was a good idea to call his wife, and William soon followed suit. When it was down to only Summer, Ethan, and Gabriella, Summer let out a breath. These were the people she preferred to be with right now—the people who had comforted her the best since this entire ordeal had begun.
Gabriella sat in a corner, lost in her own reflections. Ethan moved to sit next to Summer and touched her cheek. “I know I keep asking you the same thing, but I want to make sure you’re doing all right.”
“None of what Dr. Peters said sounds good,” she sighed. “All this time, I knew that there was a good possibility of Zach being injured, but I didn’t want to believe it was going to be this bad.”
Wrapping her in his embrace, Ethan pulled her close and did his best to calm her. “None of us did, Summer,” he said softly. “But your brother is strong, he’s a fighter, and we have some of the best doctors here. If there are issues, I’m sure your father will move heaven and earth to get better ones. Zach is going to get the best care possible. You can count on it.”
Her hands were fisted in his shirt as she buried her face against the warmth of his chest. The feel of him, hearing his heartbeat, did wonders for soothing her, but her mind continued to race. “All that time lost,” she said. “All that time he was up there in the cold and wind. What if that time cost him?” she asked as she raised her head. “What if because of the delay, Zach doesn’t make a full recovery?”
Ethan cupped her face in his hands. “We can’t think like that,” he said fiercely. “Right now, we need to stay positive. When we’re finally allowed to see him, we need to show him we’re not terrified. Your face gives you away all the time. Zach will take one look at you and know you’re freaking out. You need to be strong, Summer. For Zach.”
Shaking her head, Summer tried to pull away but Ethan wouldn’t let her. “I don’t think I can, Ethan. I’m too worried. I’m scared it really is my fault that this happened.”
He released her and pulled back, staring at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What? Why are you still even thinking that? We’ve been over this already, sweetheart. You’re not to blame!”
“I distracted him. You said so yourself when you came to find me at the springs. I had been so intent on telling Zach about how I felt about the risk he was taking with this stupid trip, and even if you managed to convince him I was fine with it or whatever you said to him, I distracted him for all those weeks. If anything, I pushed him into going because I kept saying he couldn’t. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if he doesn’t recover. He’ll never be able to forgive me either.”
Ethan didn’t know what to say; he thought the topic was closed after she confronted her father. He hated that she still felt guilty about this. “Summer, once everyone is down from the mountain safely, we’ll find out what caused the accident. I think it’s pretty safe to say for something of this magnitude, Mother Nature is to blame. Not Zach and certainly not you. Your brother isn’t the type of guy who lets himself get distracted. Trust me; I’ve gone on more adventures and dangerous trips with him than I can count. Nothing gets in his head. Nothing and no one.”
“Tell me about it,” Gabriella mumbled in the corner. With a shake of her head, Gabriella stood. “Ethan is right, Summer. Your brother doesn’t let anyone affect him; it’s just not who he is. You could have talked until you were blue in the face, but once he started that climb, I can guarantee your concerns were all but forgotten.” At the stricken look on Summer’s face, she tried to make things sound a little less cold. “I don’t mean he forgot about you. You’re his sister and you know he loves you, but when Zach sets his mind to a task, he is extremely focused. You have to know this accident had nothing to do with you.”
“But we don’t know that,” Summer retorted. Why couldn’t everyone see? Why couldn’t they simply understand?
“Whatever you’re thinking,” Ethan said, “stop. We’re going to get up, go grab something to eat, and maybe play a game of cards…or chess. I’m sure the gift shop has some games we can buy to keep us busy. And there will be no more talk of you being to blame. Is that understood?” He stood and held out a hand to her.
She looked up at him warily. Now wasn’t the time to argue. She’d keep her thoughts and feelings to herself. After all, how could he possibly understand what she was going through? He barely knew her. Even after how intimate they had been, he really didn’t know who she was and what made her tick. Right now, she just needed a little time, a little space.
Ethan’s hand was still steady in front of her. Summer looked at it and then turned to look at Gabriella standing by the window. If she was going to focus on Zach, that meant she had to put her feelings for Ethan to the side. Ignoring his hand, Summer stood and walked over to Gabriella.
“C’mon, let’s go and grab a little fresh air before heading back to sit with everyone.”
Gabriella looked curiously between Summer and Ethan and saw Ethan’s jaw hanging open. Moving away from the window, Gabriella hooked her arm through Summer’s and together they headed toward the door. “We’ll meet you upstairs in a little while,” Gabriella said right before they walked out the door, Summer silently walking beside her.
* * *
With fresh cups of hot chocolate in their hands, Summer and Gabriella sat side by side on a bench outside the hospital entrance. It was cold enough to see their breath in front of their faces and the steam off their cups.
“Care to tell me what happened back there?” Gabriella finally asked.
“When?”
“When you pretty much blew Ethan off after he tried to cheer you up.” Gabriella took a sip of her drink and hummed with delight.
Summer shrugged. “I can’t keep leaning on him. It’s clear he’s not comfortable letting anyone know anything’s happened between us, and now that everyone’s here, I need there to be some distance between us.”
“I know it sucks and all, but has it occurred to you that maybe it’s not that he doesn’t want everyone to know but he’s trying not to add to everyone’s stress level?”
“What about my stress level, dammit? What about my feelings? Why is it so important not to upset James, Ryder, my uncle, or my father, but it’s okay to upset me? Huh? Tell me! Why?”
“Okay, okay… Clearly this is a sore subject and I completely understand what you’re feeling.”
“No, you don’t,” Summer snapped. “Unless you’ve had to deal with a houseful of overbearing men all your life, you don’t.” Then she stopped and realized she actually knew nothing about Gabriella’s life or her family. She turned to her with an apology on her lips. “Wait… do you have any siblings?”
“I do,” she replied quietly. “I have a sister.”
“Older or younger?”
Meant for You Page 16