Read Destiny Online

Authors: Carly Phillips

Destiny (6 page)

BOOK: Destiny
6.17Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Then Annie had called, catching him halfway to Ethan’s house. In a shaky, breathless voice, she’d told him about Richard and asked him to come see her father before his surgery.

His palms immediately grew damp and he’d broken into a sweat, a familiar gnawing fear overtaking him. Since his own parents’ sudden deaths, emergency calls panicked him, taking him back in time. Once he reached that place, everything in the present disappeared.

Annie stopped them outside Richard’s room. “Wait here. I want to make sure he’s decent before I let you in.”

He and Kelly nodded.

Annie knocked, waited for an okay, then pushed open the door and walked inside.

Nash knew he had limited time so he turned to Kelly. “Talk to me. You’re angry. What you saw with Annie—”

“Is none of my business. But Tess is and you stood her up. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the emergency. But you should have called her.”

He ducked his head. Of course he should have called. He’d just been so thrown by the news about Richard and then his past had crashed in on him. He’d forgotten, plain and simple. The reasons didn’t matter or excuse his behavior.

Still, Nash noticed she hadn’t mentioned being stood up too. She was making this all about Tess, distancing herself and her feelings. That he’d deal with later.

“You’re right. You and Tess deserved better and I’m sorry.”

“I wasn’t upset for me, I was upset for Tess.”

“Maybe you should have been upset for yourself. Or at least admit that it bothered
you
too.” He braced one hand on the wall behind her and leaned in close. He inhaled her now-familiar, intoxicating scent and wanted her to let him in.

A pink flush stained her cheeks and she straightened her spine. “Now isn’t the time for this.”

“I agree. But the subject’s not closed,” he warned her.

“You know Tess isn’t going to make it easy for you to apologize,” Kelly shot, changing the subject.

He nodded. “I already have my work cut out for me with Tess.” Apparently with Kelly as well. “What’s one more roadblock?” he asked only half sarcastically.

“You can come in,” Annie called out.

At the same time a nurse walked out the door and paused. “Be quick and don’t agitate him. He needs to stay calm until his surgery.”

At the mention of surgery and the thought of entering the hospital room, Nash’s fear and anxiety immediately returned. His feelings for Richard were complex, his emotions invested much more than if he were just an ex-in-law. Nash respected his legal abilities, loved Richard like a father, and most important, owed him for stepping up and handling Barron family matters when Nash had been a teenager, unable to control either his destiny or his brother Dare’s.

Richard had done the best he could, and some debts could never be repaid. Still, Nash would sure as hell like many more years with the man in order to give it a try.

Kelly walked into the room, and her gaze settled on
Richard. He lay in the hospital bed, his salt-and-pepper hair messed, his face pale. Used to seeing the older man in a suit and tie, she was upset at the sight of him in a hospital gown awaiting surgery. Though she’d only worked for him for a few weeks, she’d grown to like him enormously in a short time. And he’d been good to her in the past, which had bonded her to him in some small way.

“What’s the matter? You weren’t getting enough attention at home?” Nash stepped closer, a forced smile on his face adding to his fake, light tone of voice.

Taking her cue from him, Kelly moved forward, pausing at the foot of the bed.

Richard frowned. “You just wait until you’re older. You won’t be making jokes when age catches up with you,” the man grumbled.

“Dad, behave,” Annie’s said lightly, but her voice trembled. She was obviously more nervous than she wanted to let on in front of her father. She fidgeted with the water cup on the table, then turned her attention to the covers and smoothed them over and over again.

“You’re going to be fine,” Nash said with steel in his voice, as if willing it so.

“That’s what my wife tells me.” Richard’s voice spoke of a love that had lasted for years, and Kelly couldn’t help but envy them both the emotions they shared along with the longevity.

“Well, Mom’s the boss, so that’s that,” Annie agreed.

“Amen,” Richard added.

“Where is Mary?” Nash asked.

“I sent her to get coffee so I could conduct business.” The older man waved toward the door with one hand.

Now that sounded like the Richard that Kelly knew.

“Dad, you are not conducting business. You have five minutes to tell them what you need to. No stress, remember?” Annie placed her hand on her father’s shoulder and squeezed.

He patted the top of her hand indulgently. “I could say the same for you. Now quit your worrying and go check on your mom. I’ll see you before surgery. I promise.”

Annie didn’t leave immediately, unable to stop staring at her father. The bond between the two was obviously strong, and Kelly couldn’t imagine the fear Annie felt at the thought of losing her father.

Kelly swallowed hard, the pain of not having what Annie did washing over her. She couldn’t remember her own father all that well and she recalled enough of her mother to miss the parent she’d once been until Kelly had turned sixteen and life had changed forever. Just like Nash’s life had been permanently altered by the accident that killed his parents.

He couldn’t be having an easy time with Richard’s condition, either, since the man wasn’t just his employer or friend—he’d also once been family.

Kelly glanced over and the tense set to his jaw proved her right. With everything in her she wanted to reach out and stroke his cheek, ease his pain. His ex-father-in-law in the hospital bed prevented her from acting on impulse.

“I love you, Dad,” Annie said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” With a lingering glance, Annie walked out of the room.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice,” Richard said when his daughter was gone.

“Of course!” Kelly said.

“What can we do for you?” Nash asked.

Richard cleared his throat and pushed himself higher up in the bed. “This isn’t something I’d admit in front of Annie or Mary, but today’s operation is serious. Four bypasses isn’t something to sneeze at, even though they tell me they perform this kind of surgery every day.”

Kelly clenched her fists at her sides.

“You’ll be fine,” Nash said again.

Kelly nodded in agreement.

“Maybe. But if I’m not—”

“No talking like that,” Nash said.

Richard frowned. “Come on now. You’re as pragmatic as I am. I need to plan… just in case. So if something happens, I need to know you’ll step in and take over my practice,” he said, meeting Nash’s gaze. “You’re the only lawyer I know and trust. Actually, despite the divorce, you’re like the son I never had, and I still wish you’d have gone into practice with me after you graduated.”

All of this was interesting news to Kelly. She already knew Richard had stepped in when Nash was a kid and helped him out after his parents died. Now she saw firsthand just how close their relationship really was. Could that be another reason he didn’t want to end his connection to Annie? No matter, it only complicated his ties to the woman and her family.

Nash smiled indulgently at his ex-father-in-law. They’d had this conversation many times over the years. “I wanted to make it on my own,” Nash said, feeling the need to explain his reasons again.

Richard inclined his head. “That independent streak of yours is another reason I respect you so much. And you certainly accomplished your goal. So you’ll take over if you have to?”

Nash immediately nodded. “Of course. You’re like a father to me too,” he said gruffly.

“Good. Now to the more palatable alternative. I’m going to be in this place for the next week and out of commission for four to six.”

Torture for an active man who liked to be in the middle of things, Nash thought.

“I can do the basics while you’re out of the office,” Kelly assured Richard.

She’d been quiet for most of the visit, but she was obviously visibly shaken by seeing her boss laid up and talking death. Nash didn’t know much about her legal skills, but he had no doubt she could hold down the fort while Richard was gone.

“She can refer any new cases to me,” Nash offered. “I’m happy to step in while you’re out of commission and hand things back over to you when you’re ready to return.”

Nash had been considering making Bill Manfredi, an associate who worked in Nash’s office, a junior partner. The influx of work would just speed up the process, something Nash was comfortable doing.

Richard visibly relaxed against the bed. “I knew I could count on you two.”

“Anything to put you at ease and speed up your recovery,” Kelly told him.

“One more thing. Just because I won’t be coming to the office doesn’t mean I want to be out of the loop,” Richard said in a firm tone.

“I never assumed any such thing,” Kelly said with a light laugh.

Like Nash, she obviously held a great deal of fondness as well as respect for the older man. Not that Nash was surprised. Everyone liked Richard. In turn, if Richard sensed a need in someone, he tried to step in and assume a father-figure role. But he had to focus solely on himself and his recuperation for the next couple of months.

“I think Mary will have a thing or two to say about you trying to do too much too soon,” Nash warned him, knowing his former mother-in-law and deflecting his own concern.

“I most certainly will,” the woman under discussion said, walking into the room, followed by Annie.

Nash stepped over and said hello to Mary, kissing her on the cheek. “Call me if you need anything,” he said to her.

“Thank you.” Her smile was understandably strained.

“Now, everyone out.” Mary pointed toward the door. “Richard needs his rest.”

“Do you see what I have in store for me?” Richard grumbled. But nobody knew better than Nash how much the older man loved his wife.

He’d always envied them their relationship. Richard and Mary represented the marriage neither his parents nor he himself had accomplished. Even the Rossmans, though they tried, suffered from the strain of losing a child. They never seemed to share the elusive connection Richard and Mary did. He thought he and Annie had, but looking back Nash realized it was more of an intersection of lives. Richard and proximity had put them together. Teenage physical attraction had done the rest. Neither had been able to sustain the needed emotions for the long haul. The end of his marriage had seemed like the end of the world as he knew it, and he’d kept his liaisons casual ever since.

Even with Kelly, he wasn’t thinking about relationships in the long-term sense, or so he’d told both himself and Kelly.

How had he phrased it? They were adults who could act like it
before, during, and… after things ended
. The ending was an implied presumption.

But wouldn’t it be nice to look forward to something more?
he wondered for the first time.

“Nash. I asked if you’re ready to leave,” Kelly said.

He glanced up, shaken to suddenly find her by his side, hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, sure.” He’d spaced out, lost in his own thoughts.

He followed her out. As soon as they hit the hallway, Kelly turned toward the elevators, but Nash grabbed her hand. She surprised him by not pulling away. She let him lead her to a private corner of the hall without resisting.

“This is getting to be a habit,” she said once they were alone.

“Stop avoiding me and I wouldn’t have to push you into conversation. It’s not like you don’t
want
to talk to me.”

She let out an annoyed huff. “Talk about ego.”

“Are you going to argue the point?”

She bit her bottom lip and hesitated before answering. “Okay, no. But I haven’t changed my mind.”

He couldn’t stop the smile. “Then I intend to change it for you.”

“Nash—”

“Kelly—”

She ran what he realized were shaking fingers through her hair.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing—”

He pinned her with a warning glare. He wouldn’t let her deflect her emotions.

“Fine. I’m hungry, that’s what. I didn’t eat so I’m dizzy. So can I go now?”

He let out a groan. He was such an ass. Between his not showing up and then Annie’s call, she’d missed dinner. “Come on.”

“Where?”

“We’re going to eat. Give Tess a call on the way to the car and tell her we’ll pick her up on the way.”

“Tess already ate. Every last bite, so if you did show up, there’d be nothing left,” Kelly said, unable not to grin.

“Brat,” he muttered with a shake of his head.

“Her or me?” Kelly asked, and this time they both laughed, breaking the tension.

He used the opportunity shamelessly. “So we’ll go eat. It’s the least I can do.”

“Yeah it is,” she said at last.

“Good.” He tried not to let his surprise show. “Elevator?” he asked, knowing when to retreat.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Together they headed downstairs and out to the parking lot. When she started for her own car, he called her back.

“Kelly.”

She turned to him. “What?”

“You’re dizzy. I’m driving. You can pick your car up later.”

She perched her hands on her hips and he found the pose damned sexy.

“You know, I’m beginning to see what Annie means. You’re bossy and controlling,” she said.

“It’s not the same thing with you, and you know it.” And Nash didn’t like her bringing Annie’s unreasonable issues with him into their relationship.

And, he realized, they did have a relationship. What that said about his earlier thoughts, he hadn’t a clue.

“Now are you going to let me drive so you get there safely?” he asked, gentling his voice because he was determined to get his way.

Kelly met his gaze and held on until he wondered who was going to break first.

“Fine,” she said at last. “But only because I’m starving. Not because I think it’s necessary.”

“Understood.” He would not gloat, he told himself, despite the fact that he’d gotten his way twice in as many minutes. Still, he couldn’t help but grin as she ducked inside.

BOOK: Destiny
6.17Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Lullaby Town (1992) by Crais, Robert - Elvis Cole 03
The Wall by H. G. Adler
Googleplex by James Renner
Between by Tefft, Cyndi
Texas Drive by Bill Dugan
The Ranchers Son by RJ Scott
Frankenstein Theory by Jack Wallen