Rescued by the Billionaire (Billionaire Romance Novel) (10 page)

“Kelly, are you okay?”
 

“No,” she began sobbing again. “Brian’s trying to fire me. He doesn’t care if I have a sick little girl at home who needs me.” She buried her face in her hands. “There’s nothing else I can do.”
 

“It’ll get better. I’ll talk to him for you and maybe he’ll change his mind.” Kelly had no idea that Sarah and Brian had been sleeping together for months and she had some leverage on him.
 

Kelly shook her head no. “He’s never going to change his mind. He’s not sympathetic nor does he give a rat’s ass.”
 

“Listen, don’t worry about it. He won’t fire you; he’s just trying to get you to come in. You’re the best waitress we have.”
 

“That’s exactly what I told him.”
 

Kelly stayed home the rest of the week with Emma. It was difficult to see her daughter in so much agonizing pain. She wished that she could take it away from her and give it to herself. Dave called throughout the week to check on them; she sounded obviously depressed, which worried him.
 

“Do you mind if I come over tonight after Emma’s asleep?”
 

“Why after she’s asleep?”
 

“I just figured you needed some grown-up time and might want to vent.”
 

“Yeah, I guess. Will you be up that late? She hasn’t been going to bed until almost ten o’clock.”
 

“That’s fine. Just shoot me a message when she’s asleep and I’ll come over to hang out with you.”
 

When he arrived, he asked her what was wrong. She explained the situation with her job and told him what her boss said. To him, her boss’s behavior was inexcusable.
 

“I think you should just quit your job; let him be at a loss on your terms!”
 

“I can’t do that Dave. I need this job. It pays the bills and allows me to work the hours that I need to work.”
 

“Would you be able to find another job with similar hours?”
 

“No, it’s not that easy. A lot of places aren’t hiring right now. Plus, without knowing what’s wrong with Emma, I need the insurance and money to pay for her medical bills.”
 

“What if I paid for her medical expenses? Do you have enough money saved to pay your basic bills?”
 

“I can’t let you pay for that!”
 

“Why not? I have plenty of money; let me do this for you, for her. Please.”
 

“You haven’t told me much about your financial situation, but my best friend Dawn looked you up on the internet. She showed me that you’re a billionaire, but I never brought it up because I didn’t want you to think I was dating you for your money.”
 

“Exactly. Yes, I’m a billionaire and no, I don’t think you’re dating me for my money. Look at us, most of our dates have consisted of me coming over to spend time with you. I’ve known you weren’t in it for the money all along. Please, let me help you with this.”
 

“Dave, I can’t do that.”
 

Kelly was frustrated at the entire situation with work, Dave and not knowing Emma’s condition. She politely asked him to leave and give
her some time. As he left that night, he began to feel as though he’d made a mistake of offering to pay for things. He only wanted to help; he didn’t mean anything by it. I messed up, he thought, big time as he ran his hand through his hair.
 

By the end of the week, Kelly’s nerves were getting the best of her. She’d waited all week to find out the results of Emma’s blood work. Battling with her symptoms, very little sleep and a stack of piling bills, she was near the end of her rope. She anxiously waited by the phone all day Friday, hoping the doctor’s office would call.  
 

As she waited by the phone that afternoon, she thought about her and Dave’s relationship. Although they’d only went on one actual date and he’d hung out with them several times, she sensed a deep connection with him. She was able to be herself around him, despite the insane amount of
money he had, and she was completely comfortable with him. It was apparent that he obviously cared a great deal for Emma. Still she couldn’t get over the fact that he offered to pay for all of Emma’s medical needs—especially without even knowing what they actually were yet. That was the news she was still waiting for.
 

She must’ve checked on Emma a dozen times in the last few hours as she nervously waited for the phone to ring with some glimmer of hope that her daughter was going to be fine. As far as Kelly remembered, the only other time she’d been this anxious over Emma was when she was nearing her due date. She couldn’t wait to meet her baby girl, she’d already picked out her name: Emma Renee. Emma because she liked the name and Renee as a tribute to her mother. In some ways, Emma even reminded Kelly of her mom; she certainly had her mom’s sense of humor.
 

Just after two o’clock, Kelly’s phone rang; it was the doctor’s office. She took a deep breath as she answered the phone. Her heart raced as she responded to the phone and she could hear her pulse pounding in her ears.
 

“Hi, this is Wendy with Dr. Hinton’s office. May I speak to Kelly, please?”
 

“This is her.”
 

“Hi Kelly, Dr. Hinton wanted me to call you regarding Emma’s lab results that came in today.”
 

Kelly held her breath, “What did they say?”
 

“Dr. Hinton would like you to come in to discuss them. Can you make it in around 4:30 today?”
 

“Uh,” Kelly was caught off guard. This had to be bad if they wanted her to come in. “I guess so. I’ll have to call my friend to see if she can come sit with Emma, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
 

“Okay, great. We’ll see you then.”
 

“Wait, are they bad? Is that why I have to come in?”
 

“There were some things that appeared on her labs that he’d like to explain to you in person and answer any questions you may have.”
 

“But were they bad?”
 

Wendy wasn’t at liberty to say. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to come in and see the doctor.”
 

When Kelly hung up with the doctor’s office, her gut dropped and she felt like she was going to vomit. After she had checked on Emma, she headed to the kitchen call Dawn. As she dialed the number, she began coming unglued.
 

“Hello?”
 

“Dawn, the doctor’s office called today,” she stopped. A lump began to form in her throat as her words escaped her.
 

“What’d they say?”
 

“They said that I have to come in.”
 

“Why? Is everything alright?”
 

“I don’t know. They wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone.”
 

“Do you need me to come sit with Emma for you while you go or does she need to go to the appointment with you?”
 

“No, she doesn’t need to go. Would you come over?”
 

“Sure, I’ll come right now.” She could hear Kelly beginning to break down on the other end of the phone. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here for you guys. I’m on my way.”
 

“T-thank you,” Kelly finally mustered. “I’ll see you when you get here.”
 

Within 20 minutes, she was pulling into the driveway. Kelly was waiting for her on the front porch. The fresh air seemed to do her some good and calm her down.
 

“Are you okay?” she asked, hugging her.
 

“No. I’m scared, Dawn.”
 

“Let’s go inside. Where’s Emma?”
 

“She was sleeping earlier. She might be awake by now.”
 

They went inside and checked on Emma, but she was still asleep.
 

“Let’s go in the living room,” she whispered.
 

Sitting on the couch, Dawn tried to lighten Kelly’s mood and shift her thoughts.
 

“So how have things been going with you and Dave? I remember you said he’d came over a couple of times.”
 

“Actually, they’re going pretty good. Emma adores him and I think she’s beginning to wrap him around her little finger. He thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. The way he looks at her… it’s like he cares for her so much. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
 

“And what about you two? Have you been hitting it off?”
 

“Oh my God! Do you know what he said to me? I can’t believe I forgot to tell you about this!”
 

Dawn raised her eyebrows in anticipation to what Kelly was going to say. She was definitely interested.
 

“I told him about Brian and how big of a jerk he was being about me taking off work for Emma, and he said that I should quit my job. Leave the place on my own terms, and then he offered to pay for all of Emma’s medical bills! Can you believe him? We haven’t even known each other that long.”
 

“Wow. That’s… crazy. What did you tell him?”
 

“I told him that I can’t accept his money. I’ve worked for everything I have in my life. I’m no charity case—you know that. I mean, it was flattering and all, but I couldn’t believe he’d suggested all that.”
 

“It was a beautiful gesture.”
 

“I’ve got a confession to make. I think I’m falling for him.”
 

“Oh yeah?”
 

Kelly nodded her head. “But you hardly know him.”
 

“That’s the whole messed up part about it. There’s just this… chemistry between us. It’s no secret that he’s absolutely gorgeous, but when I’m around him, I feel so safe, secure and… loved. He puts off these vibes that just sink right into my heart.”
 

“Uh-huh,” Dawn said. “Have you two slept together?”
 

“What?! No! We haven’t slept together. Why would you ask that?”
 

“Because usually when you sleep with a guy, you’re magically in love with him.” Dawn chuckled.
 

“No, we haven’t slept together. In fact, Emma’s been sleeping in my bed with me every night. I want her to be close to me in case she wakes up and needs something. The poor thing. She’s been so stiff and in so much pain with her back that it’s hard for her to walk. I’ve been carrying her all over the house.”
 

“What time do you need to go to the doctor’s office?” Dawn asked as she looked at her watch.
 

“They said to come in around 4:30.”
 

“Well, you better get a move on. It’s a quarter till four now.”
 

Kelly jumped off the couch, grabbed her purse off the coat rack and headed out the door. “Will you check on her in a bit and see if she wants to eat?”
 

Dawn nodded her head and bid her goodbye. After Kelly’s car was out of sight, Dawn headed into the bedroom to check on Emma.
 

Chapter Seven
 

Kelly anxiously sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. She found herself twirling a loose string at the bottom of her shirt. Are they ever, she thought, going to call me back there? While she waited, she thought of all the possible outcomes and how they might affect her and Emma.
 

Dawn and Derek, she thought, were great friends. They both loved Emma as if she was their own and would help with anything they might need. Oh, why did this happen to my baby? What did she—or I—ever do to deserve something like this. It’s never good when the doctor calls you to come in for lab results—is it? Indeed, if it were something minor, they would’ve just said so over the phone. Her stomach began churning as she played out different scenarios in her head.
 

The doctor’s office appeared busy. There was no telling how long she would sit and wait. She glanced down at her watch; it was 10 minutes past her appointment time.
 

“Ms. Hall?” a voice called her.
 

“Yes,” she stood up and followed the woman into a tiny room.
 

“You can take a seat in here and Dr. Hinton will be with you shortly. He’s finishing up with a patient right now and then he’ll grab Emma’s chart to discuss her testing with you.”
 

She looked around the brightly decorated room and noticed how incredibly yellow the walls were. White and orange ducks painted a scene on the banana yellow color. Baby ducklings were following their mother duckling as they walked
along a trail. She pictured Emma as one of the baby ducks following the mom. She cracked a half-hearted smile as she thought about how much her baby girl looked up to her.