Boxed Set: Intercepted by Love (The Complete Collection): Books One - Book Six (33 page)

Andie’s mouth was dry. Always dry. She trudged through land barren and devoid of greenery. The ground under her sandals was cracked bone dry, and her eyes itched as if filled with sand.

She was in the company of travelers walking along a dusty dirt road. The men appeared to be warriors, wearing leather armor and carrying swords over their flowing robes. A large man with a dark brown beard had his hands tied together and was being led by a mule. Was he a prisoner?

If so, then what was she? And why was she on this dirt road following a group of actors who looked like they’d stepped out of a Bible movie?

“Can’t you walk any faster?” The guard in front of her growled.

“Are you speaking to me?” Andie narrowed her eyes. “Where are we going? And why are we walking?”

“I told you to put the daughter of Saul on the mule,” a second soldier said. “What will our boss say when we deliver her in this condition?”

“She can’t be trusted.” The first soldier jerked a thumb at the man following the mule. “She might try to free her husband and make a run for it.”

Oh, they were horrible actors, talking in front of her as if she didn’t understand. Andie slid her eyes to the side, trying to locate the cameras and the director.

Instead, all she saw for miles around was desert and mountains. No façade used for a movie set, no cameras, soundmen, and definitely no guy with a click board.

Okay, if she were in a movie, she’d know her lines, right? Since the camera was rolling, she had to play along. Obviously, she was playing the daughter of Saul, or Michal, David’s wife.

She lifted her chin and put on a snooty look. “How is it that King David’s wife has to walk? I demand you place me on a camel for the rest of the journey.”

“Sorry, but you’re not his wife until you return to Jerusalem,” the second soldier said. “You see that man tied to the mule? He’s your husband, Phalti.”

“Phaltiel,” the first soldier said. “He got a promotion for keeping David’s wife.”

“Promotion, my big toe,” the second soldier said. “I say he took some for himself. We ought to execute him now. Why are we taking him to Jerusalem?”

“Because the princess said so.” The first soldier slapped the second one. “Come on, we need to speed up. General Abner will have our heads if we don’t get this crew to Bahurim by sundown.”

“Wait, wait.” Andie crossed her arms. “If I’m the princess, then I’m giving the orders. I want to speak to that man you claim is my husband.”

The two dweebs stared at her, slack jawed. They glanced toward the mule who’d stopped at the side of the road to graze. The man tied to the mule slumped his head between his shoulders and rested by leaning against the mule’s flank.

“You were the one who wanted him to come along,” the first soldier said. “You said you two were inseparable.”

The second soldier drew his finger across his neck. “’Til death do you part. That’s what you said, and since King David wants you back, it isn’t you who’s dying.”

“You’re going to kill him? Because of me?” Andie’s heart clenched, and she marched toward the big man. Whoever he was, he didn’t deserve to die on her account. “I say you set him free right now. Far be it for me to have blood on my hands. Free him and let him leave.”

“As you command,” the first soldier said, looking at her as if she’d gone crazy.

They cut the large man’s hands loose from the mule and shoved him onto the road. “Lie here. If you value your life, don’t get up until you can’t see us anymore.”

The man they called Phalti slumped to the ground, his face down. “Please sirs. Let me travel with my wife. Let me see that she makes it to Jerusalem safely. Let me know in my heart that she will be loved and cared for. I care not for my life, because without her, I have no life.”

“Fool. Idiot.” The first soldier kicked the man’s head.

“We let you go and you refuse?” the second soldier jeered. “I say we kill him now.”

“No. Don’t kill him,” Andie said, stepping between them. She dropped to the ground and shielded the man with her body.

He lifted his head and stared at her. His face was sunburnt, and his lips were cracked and bleeding. His brown beard was flecked with twigs and dried blood, and he had a huge bruise on the side of his head.

“Who are you?” she whispered. “If you don’t leave, they will kill you.”

“Don’t you know me?” The man’s clear blue eyes filled with tears. “I’m the one who loves you. Don’t go back to him. Believe that we can be together and we will.”

Whoa, wait. This guy was going off script. If he was Phalti and she was Michal, and they were on the road to Bahurim, then she knew exactly what was going to happen.

“We can’t be together, Phalti. The king has ordered me back to his palace. He needs me, the daughter of Saul, to consolidate his power. His general, Abner, will meet us at Bahurim and send you back.”

“Yes, and I will cry a trail of tears unless you change the script and fly away with me. Do it now. Click your heels three times and say to yourself, ‘There’s no love like Cade. There’s no love like Cade. There’s no love like Cade.’”

Cade? There was no person in the Bible by that name. Maybe he meant Caleb. But Caleb was Joshua’s friend, one of the twelve spies sent by Moses, many centuries ago.

“Have you forgotten your lines?” she whispered to the big man. Despite his scruffy appearance, his bloodshot eyes, and the sweat mingled with dirt on his face, he was one hunk of a man—probably chosen for his heartthrob appearance rather than his acting ability. “You’re supposed to be Phalti, son of Laish.”

“No, I’m your husband.” The man grabbed ahold of Andie’s hands and drew her close to him. Strangely enough, the guards had disappeared. So had the mule.

The man transformed from ancient garb to wearing jeans and a football jersey. He was clean shaven with short brown hair, and his eyes were the most beautiful blue—as turquoise as the calm sea.

“I should know you,” Andie exclaimed, her heart filling with warmth. “You seem familiar.”

“I am, love.” He kissed both of her hands over her knuckles. “I will always follow you, no matter where you go. I will cry a river of tears for you, only, don’t go back to Jerusalem. Don’t go back to David. You won’t be happy there.”

“I’ve read
Michal’s Window
. I already know. He’ll imprison me in his tower. He’ll punish me and isolate me. I will have no children to call my own, but I’ll still love him. I’ll always love him because the Bible tells me so. The Bible says Michal loved David.”

The man leaned forward until his forehead rested on hers. “The Bible tells but doesn’t show. Read behind the lines, Andie. Your father taught you well. It’s not what was said, but what was done. The man who walked at your side weeping is your husband. David never measured up to him. Deep in your heart, you know it’s true.”

“Who are you?” Andie reached for him, fighting to keep the sand from slipping through her fingers, as the man’s body disintegrated.

Soon, he was gone, and she was surrounded by dunes of fine, powdery sand. Alone. Lost in a vast wilderness. A sense of loss and dread invaded her veins. He was important. Could he be someone she loved?

Her heart pounded as thick blood pushed through her temples.
There’s no love like Cade. There’s no love like Cade. There’s no love like Cade.

Several days later.

Cade held the door for Andie’s mother, Pam, as they stepped into the plush lobby of Celebrity Highland Hospital. Despite Declan insisting he was Andie’s husband and the hospital following his wishes on her treatment plan, he’d allowed Cade to pay for moving Andie to the private hospital—in exchange for not pressing charges against Cade for assault. Seriously, all he’d done was pull Declan’s jacket whereas Declan had him stun-gunned not once, but twice by the two security goons.

None of that mattered when Andie was still in a medically induced coma to reduce trauma to her brain after emergency surgery. Now that he was escorting Pam, he would get a chance to see her for himself.

“I’m so scared to see her,” Pam said. “Thank you for bringing me. Is it really true she’s married to that wanker, Declan Reed?”

“Apparently. They eloped two years ago, and the divorce she thought she’d signed never got filed.” Cade hated the lump in his throat at the thought of his Andie not only still married to said wanker, but acting on screen with him, too.

“I can’t believe it. Andie’s never hidden things from me. I thought we were close.” Pam wrung her hands, transferring her purse from one arm to the other. “Have you been in to see her?”

“Not yet. Declan won’t allow me in. I’m hoping you’ll grant me permission to go in with you.”

Andie’s mom cleared her throat and blinked, looking like she’d swallowed a spider. “I’m not happy with some of her choices, but you seem to care about her. Right now, I could use having a friend who cares about her, but I’m torn. Very, very torn. You must understand how hard it is for me to meet you at the airport, knowing how you’ve led my daughter astray.”

Cade lowered his eyes and stared at his feet. “I take full responsibility for the accident and everything that happened beforehand. I do want you to know that I love Andie and would never do anything to hurt her.”

“I believe you, but from where I’m standing, it doesn’t look good. You have a newborn baby with another woman, and you’re a celebrity. My daughter’s not used to bright lights and big cities. She’s a naïve girl who has her nose in history books. The kind of attention you get as a celebrity, especially in Hollywood, would eat her alive. You know what I’m referring to.”

“Yes, ma’am, I do, and I’m deeply sorry.” Cade pressed the elevator button. How could it be that his first meeting with Andie’s mother be under these conditions? He was already fighting an uphill battle. What happens if she wakes up and her mother convinces her he wasn’t good enough for her? His chest tightened and he held the ache inside.

“Which may all be moot if she doesn’t ever wake up.” Her mother’s voice was choked. “What if we’ve lost her?”

He couldn’t fathom it. It would crush him, but he had to be strong for Andie’s mother. Here she was, all alone, with her husband an invalid, facing the worst fear that a mother could face.

Cade put his hand over her shoulder and guided her into the open elevator. “We can’t think that. Right now, nothing’s certain. We have to keep praying.”

“I
am
praying, but I’m afraid.” Pam trembled. “The Lord doesn’t always grant what we desire. His Will may not be obvious to us. Andie was living in sin right before the accident. What if He’s punishing her?”

“Then he’s unfair,” Cade all but growled. “I should be the one taken. Not Andie.”

“Oh, but you are not a believer, are you? The Lord chastens His own children for their own good.” Andie’s mother dabbed at her eyes. “She was always so good, at least on the surface. How could she have kept her marriage from us?”

“She thought she had a divorce.” The words tasted like bitter coffee grounds under Cade’s tongue. Of course, it didn’t make it any easier for him either, but then, he had no claim on Andie, especially not before he’d even met her.

“Makes me wonder what else I don’t know.” Andie’s mother sighed as they stepped off the elevator and headed for the Intensive Care Unit.

Cade’s heartbeat sped up as the nurse led them to Andie’s room. This would be the first time he’d see her in over a week. His precious Andie. What would she look like, and how could he stand seeing her devoid of that spark of life—lying so still in a bed?

“You two came at at good time,” the nurse said as she opened the door. “Her husband can answer any questions. He’s in there with her right now.”

Every hair on Cade’s body bristled hearing Declan referred to as Andie’s husband. That guy didn’t deserve the title or position. What had she ever seen in him?

This time, he wasn’t going to let Declan throw him out or threaten him with a restraining order. He was the one who’d called Andie’s mom, not Declan, who, as far as he could tell, was playing husband to Andie for publicity’s sake—garnering sympathy that his costar and wife was in a coma.

Declan looked up from Andie’s bedside, a fake smile painted on his face. “Mrs. Wales, it’s been a long time. Hope Mr. Wales is doing okay.”

“He is, thank you. He had a stroke.”

“Yes, I know. Andie told me.” Declan came toward Mrs. Wales, completely ignoring Cade, which was good, since he wasn’t throwing him out either. Declan continued his smooth undertaker persona, taking Andie’s mother by the hand. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions. I’m so sorry.”

Cade approached Andie’s bedside. She was so pale and subdued. A breathing tube was shoved into her mouth, tape ran across her face, and tubes were threaded into her veins.

Since Declan was in polite mode, no doubt because of Mrs. Wales, Cade took advantage to sit in the chair next to Andie. Tears welled in his eyes as he propped his head, elbows on his knees and stared at the woman he loved. She seemed so fragile, so distant, almost as if her body were a shell and she was somewhere else.

“Andie, I’m here. Cade. The man who loves you. I would have come sooner, but I’m here now. Your mother’s here too.”

Declan’s hand clamped on his shoulder. “Would you mind letting Mrs. Wales sit with her daughter? Give them some privacy?”

Oh, he was smooth all right. His face was devoid of emotion, but his hand was firm on Cade, and he flashed that fake smile again.

What could Cade do? Of course, he had to cede the seat to Andie’s mother. He grasped Andie’s clammy hand and gave it a caress. “I’ll be back, my love. I promise you. I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.”

“That’s enough,” Declan growled close to his ear. “I’m her husband. Have some respect for Andie and her family.”

Not wanting to start a fight, especially with Andie’s mother hovering, Cade let go of Andie’s hand and stood aside.

Pam immediately took the chair and leaned over Andie, sweeping her long, red hair over the pillow. She rested her head close to her daughter and sobbed.

“Come on, let’s go.” Declan grabbed Cade by the elbow.

He flung off the actor’s hands. “Pam, I’ll be outside to take you to the hotel when you’re done.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Declan said. “Mrs. Wales, you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you need to. Since I’m your son-in-law, I think you should stay with family, especially at a time like this.”

“How’s her condition?” Andie’s mother asked, ignoring the testosterone match between Cade and Declan. “What does the doctor say?”

“She’s had a brain injury,” Declan said. “The car she was driving flipped over several times and she hit her head after the airbags deflated. Somehow she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, or she’d loosened it to pick up her phone from her purse. That’s what the police think happened.” He glared at Cade. “This man was texting her. He caused the accident.”

Cade shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to hold back the tears. Of course, it had been his fault. He already hated himself for asking her to accompany him to pick up Roxanne and the baby. Maybe all this had been too much for Andie. After all, she was a small town girl, a librarian living with her mother and father, before he swooped in and made her into media sensation—and not of the good kind.

“Sure, I’ll leave.” Cade backed away from Declan and edged toward the door. “Mrs. Wales, let me know if you need anything.”

Andie’s mother didn’t answer. She was kneeling by her daughter’s bedside praying.

Cade crushed his fingers inside his fist and stumbled from the hospital room. The only thing he could do now was pray. That and he was going to fix the rest of his life. First stop. Ronaldo.

# # #

“What can I do for you?” Ronaldo ushered Cade into his office. “Why aren’t you at practice? You know they’re fining you by the day. They’ll probably start Todd as soon as his knee’s stable.”

Cade shut the door and glared at his friend, his hands on his hips. “I want Andie off the show. What’s this crap I hear about her being a concubine?”

“Whoa, there.” Ronaldo held up his hand. “Take a seat.”

Cade strode around Ronaldo’s desk until he was up against him, forcing the smaller man to tilt his head up. “I want Andie off the show. No concubine. No working with the scriptwriter. Nothing. She’s coming home with me when she gets out of the hospital.”

“Isn’t that her decision?” Ronaldo gritted his teeth, snarling like the Chihuahua he resembled. “Look, you might be my buddy, but you need to stay out of my business.”

“That shit stopped when you fucked with my life.”

“Fucked with
your
life? You were the asshole who asked me to hire Andie in the first place.”

“Except this entire show was part of a grand plan, wasn’t it?” Cade was in his friend’s face by now, trying to smoke him out to see if he was also in cahoots with Dick.

Ronaldo straightened his lapels and jutted his chin. “All I’ve ever done was help you. Set up this thing with Andie and tested her to see if she’s good enough for you. This is the thanks I get?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Cade’s muscles bulged, and it was all he could do to control himself and not slam the twerp against the window. “Roxanne’s baby’s not mine.”

He watched the expressions flitter over his friend’s face, trying on emotions to determine the one best suited to placate him. Surprise was not in the palette. Ronaldo settled on sympathetic and concerned.

He placed a hand on Cade’s bicep, and Cade flung him aside. “Fuck off. I get it, now. I’ve always been a project to you.”

“Look, you got yourself in hot water when you tossed that interception in the Super Bowl.”

“So, you and Dick come up with a plan to blackmail me? Is that it? Blackmail me into taking some other man’s baby?”

“I had nothing to do with it. They came to me. Roxanne returned from Itasca and said you were in love with Andie. All I did was help you get the girl you wanted.”

Cade slapped his own head to keep from punching Ronaldo. “No. All you did was give them more rope to hang me.”

“So, claim the baby. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that baby’s coming between me and Andie. I can’t live a lie.”

Ronaldo’s eyes narrowed and he swallowed hard. “Maybe your whole life is already a lie.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cade gripped Ronaldo’s shirt. “Tell me.”

“I’m not the only one who knew about this.” He pried Cade’s fingers one by one. “My advice? Keep your head down if you don’t want to get hurt.”

“You’re not telling me what you know?”

“This is much bigger than you, and it could get dangerous, real fast. It’s best you didn’t know. Sorry.”

“You asshole.” Cade made a fist, shook it, and crunched it into his own thigh, then turned and barreled out of the office.