The waiter came to clear away their dishes, and the three of them stood to leave. Jonas had decided it was past time to tell his grandmother the truth. Waiting like this was going to give him an ulcer. He couldn’t afford the stress and all the mistakes that came along with stress. Letting Rachel and his son leave, the biggest one yet.
Outside the restaurant, the three brothers paused. “I’m headed home,” Chase said. He lived in one of the properties near Jonas’s place with Tana and Lindsey. “I’ll see you guys.”
Jonas headed up in the private elevator and hesitated outside his grandmother’s door. Doubts reared up, larger than life. What he needed was a medical opinion. He went down the hall to a secluded alcove to make the call.
Their grandmother’s doctor was a man from town who had overseen her care for over fifty years. He was part of a team of specialists now, people coming together to help manage her cancer—and later, her pain.
Ten minutes later, Jonas was glad he called. The doctor’s confirmation it would be okay was the boost he needed to face his grandmother. He headed back down the hall, mentally preparing to face her.
His phone rang before he’d gotten halfway there, and he answered without looking at the screen. More than likely, the doctor with more to say. “Jonas Elkin.”
“Jonas, this is Mark Hollies, chief of police.”
He stopped short. A call from the chief of police was never good. “Mr. Hollies.” Jonas stepped back toward the alcove. “What can I do for you?” A thousand scenarios involving the resort flashed through his brain. Surely, nothing had happened while he was at dinner, or one of the hostesses would have come to get him.
“I’m calling in regard to an accident about thirty minutes ago.”
“An accident?” Adrenaline surged through his body, fear lodging in his throat, making it hard to ask questions. “A guest of the resort?” he asked, forcing the words out.
“A woman and a little boy.” Rachel and Scott. Blood rushed in his ears, a waterfall of life that meant nothing without them, and he struggled to hear what the sheriff was saying. “—paperwork from the resort in the car with them. She had your number on her phone, and we thought we’d start with you.”
“Are they all right?” he rasped. “Please. Tell me they’re all right.” He felt an old horror come to life—the horror of hearing the news that his parents were dead. Jonas hadn’t spent much time thinking about the world without his parents, the memories too painful. How much more so if he lost Rachel and Scott forever.
“Both of them are en route to the hospital now. They were in stable condition when we arrived on the scene, but I’m not sure how things have gone on the way in. I’m still waiting on updates,” Hollies said, his honest answer stabbing Jonas in the gut and twisting until his body screamed from the pressure. His eyes burned, and he blinked several times to clear them.
“It’s my friend and our son,” he announced without hesitation. “I’ll be at the hospital as soon as I can.”
Getting to the hospital was a process that Jonas had carried out many times, but this time, his brain couldn’t manage the overload of trying to decide what to bring. Or do. He went back to his office but couldn’t remember what he’d come there for. Halfway to the parking lot, he remembered—his coat. He’d need that at the hospital. They kept everything cold there, even in the winter. And then he had to go back for his keys.
By the time he settled himself behind the wheel, his teeth were chattering. More from shock than the cold. He needed to see them both. Needed it, like he needed air, water, and food.
The snow swirled in front of his windshield and made it difficult to see, slowing the drive to an excruciating crawl. The dancing shapes of what looked like deer on the sides of the highway forced him to tap his brakes several times. Jonas kept a firm grip on the wheel and tried not to do any heavy braking, prepared for any contingency that might arise.
An eternity later, or so it seemed, he parked by the emergency doors to the hospital and ran for the door. Inside, the woman at the desk told him where to find Scott and Rachel in the ER. A room down at the corner, with the curtains drawn over the big glass doors. He knocked and went in without waiting for an answer. There was only so much his heart could take.
Inside, Rachel sat on the hospital bed. Scott slept in a crib next to the bed. She appeared to be sleeping, but as he came to a stop—Rachel opened her eyes.
“Hi,” she said, a sheen of tears over her eyes. “I’m so glad you came for us.”
He let out a strangled laugh, then came to sit beside her. “How are you? What happened? Are you going to be all right?”
The details of the accident, he knew, didn’t really matter very much. What mattered the most was that Rachel and Scott were both all right. But Jonas needed to hear her say it.
She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “I came to an intersection.” Her brow furrowed as if she couldn’t quite remember. “It was too icy to stop, but the light turned red, and another car was there—”
“Yes.” He rubbed a thumb across the back of her hand. “I know that intersection.”
“I swerved to miss the other car and hit a lamppost,” Rachel finished. “Scott’s fine. The doctors have thoroughly checked him over. They say his car seat protected him. I’ve got—”
The doctor bustled into the room, clipboard in hand. “Ms. Alexander?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Rachel said, still holding on to his hand.
“I have the results of your X-ray, if you’d like me to go over them with you and your husband.”
Husband. Jonas realized the word had a nice ring to it. He waited for Rachel to correct the doctor. His heart flew like a bird.
“Go ahead,” she said softly.
“Your shoulder’s been badly wrenched, but there’s no fracture. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of whiplash yet, but it’ll be important for both of you to keep on the lookout for signs of damage to the spine. If your neck starts to hurt more, then call me.” He rattled off more instructions, such as how she shouldn’t be left alone in case of a concussion, but Jonas could only focus on the warmth of her hand in his. “We should be able to get you discharged in the next couple of hours,” the doctor said, explaining everything. “Any questions?”
“No.” Rachel smiled. “Thank you all for taking care of me and my son.”
The doctor flashed her a smile. “No problem. Glad it all worked out well.” Then he was gone, leaving the three of them in the room together.
Jonas looked into Rachel’s eyes. Oh, they were beautiful, the blue so sky-like and ocean deep at the same time. He needed to correct the biggest mistake of his life. “Come stay with me,” he said, keeping his voice low. Scott stirred in the crib.
“I don’t know.” Rachel frowned. “I should get back—”
“Let me take care of you and Scott. You shouldn’t be alone with your injuries. Doctor’s orders,” he pointed out. “Please, Rachel. I want you to get well. If you want to leave when you feel better, you can. It’s only for as long as you want to stay.” Although forever was okay in his book.
“In your cabin or the lodge?” She hadn’t nixed the idea entirely, which was a good sign. So was the fact she still hadn’t let go of his hand.
“Which would you prefer? I can take the suite next to yours, or you can stay at my house. It’s up to you. Wherever you would feel more comfortable.” Anything she wanted was hers for the asking.
Jonas would feel more comfortable when she was sleeping safely in one of his properties. It didn’t matter which one. He’d come to her. He would never let her slip away again. This time had almost ended in disaster, and he couldn’t fathom it. Or rather—he could fathom it, and it made him more resolved than ever to keep her safe.
To keep them all safe.
Scott woke up in the crib, reaching for the side and pulling himself up, a cry on his lips. “Mama,” he said. “Mama, Mama.”
Rachel tried to sit up in the bed and failed. Sh
e grimaced, trying to put weight on her arm. “I just need a minute—”
Jonas went to the crib and picked Scott up, holding him tight. His son pressed his face against his shoulder and settled against Jonas, his face hot through the fabric of the shirt. He turned back to Rachel. “Come home with me,” he offered again, and Rachel lay back against the pillows, a certain relief in her face.
“Okay,” she said. “I think that’s for the best.”
16
Rachel’s shoulder hurt worse than she’d expected it to. It was a wrenching, bruising pain, and every time she moved, she was reminded of how reckless she’d been, driving away in a snowstorm like that. It didn’t matter if the accident was the other guy’s fault when he lost control of his vehicle because of the icy roads. If she’d been in the right frame of mind, she wouldn’t have been out on the roads. Period.
It felt equally as reckless to stay in Jonas’s house. But the lodge suite was too close to the rest of his family, and they needed peace—all three of them.
When they got back to Jonas’s house from the hospital, Scott clung to him, frantic, until Jonas finally took him upstairs to change for bed.
Rachel felt glued to the couch, her entire body made heavy by the painkillers they’d given her at the hospital. At the time, she’d thought they were too strong, but now she was glad she’d taken them. It was a deep pain that gave no quarter.
And to think she’d considered pressing on to get to Denver. In her totaled car, with an injured arm. She let her head rest on the back of the couch. It was like a miracle when Jonas had walked through the door of her hospital room.
“Hey,” Jonas said, his voice bringing her back to the present, his hand on her knee. He crouched in front of her, eyes on hers. The depth of care and concern in his gaze scared her. “You don’t need to sleep down here.”
“I wasn’t going to.” Her mouth felt slightly numb, her tongue thick. “Jonas?”
“Yeah?”
“I might need help up off the couch.” It was such a novelty, having an adult there who would put his arm around her back and lift her gently from her seat. A scary, thrilling novelty. Was this what it was like to rely on another person? Jonas guided her up the stairs, and led her to the bed, handing her one of his t-shirts before gently helping her change out of her clothes.
“It’s only my shoulder that hurts,” she protested, but she couldn’t really stop him. Not that she wanted to.
After handing her a cup and a toothbrush, he helped her to the bathroom. By the time she was finished, the night had pressed heavily on her eyelids. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For taking us in.”
A stroke down the side of her face seemed to coax her to the pillow. “You’re welcome,” Jonas said. “It’s my honor. Now go to sleep.” He kissed her forehead.
“I’m not tired,” she said, and then she was out, floating in comforting darkness.
* * *
Rachel tried to turn over, her shoulder a rude reminder of last night’s accident. She scrunched her eyes shut and pulled the blanket over her head to block out the light, unwilling to face the day just yet, sinking back into sleep.
A loud pounding on the front door downstairs woke her. She shuddered away from the sound and groaned. The other side of the bed tipped down, then up—Jonas, getting out of the bed.
“Don’t worry,” he told her. “I’ll get it.”
Rachel listened as his footsteps receded down the stairs, stopping at the front door.
“Where’s my daughter?” Her mother’s voice echoed through the entire house, and Rachel instinctively scrambled upright. No—her mother couldn’t be here. This was the last thing she needed.
Rachel’s shoulder disagreed with the new plan as she awkwardly pulled a sweatshirt over her head and a pair of Jonas’s sweatpants on. Her hands fumbled on the drawstring. In the end, she abandoned the effort, going down the stairs as quickly as she could, the raised voices unsettling.
Jonas faced off with her mother in the foyer, the door shut behind them.
“Mom,” Rachel said, feeling like a teenager who’d been caught after curfew. “What are you doing here?”
“I took a chopper to the resort as soon as I figured out where you disappeared to. You were on the news, Rachel. A car accident? Did you even think of your son?”
“My son? You can’t possibly—”
“Who would drive at such a dangerous time with Scott in the car?” Her mom’s face had gone pale, with high pink spots on her cheeks, and her blue eyes—exactly like Rachel’s—had narrowed, piercing her with a combination of anger and disappointment. “I had to use my connections to find out where you went after you were released since you didn’t think to let me in on things.”
A thousand arguments sprang to mind, all of them scrambled by the closeness of the foyer and the outsized presence of her mother. How did she always manage to take up so much space?
“Mrs. Alexander—” Jonas interjected on her behalf, trying to take control.
“Lincoln, as in remarried,” her mother snapped, not even bothering to look in Jonas’s direction.
“Mrs. Lincoln, my name is Jonas Elkin. Your daughter has been safe with me since Christmas.” Jonas angled his body between the two women and stuck out his hand.
Angry as she was, self-righteous as she was, Susan Lincoln was still a politician. She took Jonas in, no doubt calculating the value of his last name along with the surroundings. She must have determined that he was a possible donor because her back straightened and a photo-ready smile graced her face. Even in her winter coat, Rachel’s mother looked ready to step off Air Force One and greet the press.
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said primly, a tendril of warmth coming into her voice. “But I’d rather have gotten holiday plans directly from my daughter.”
“Oh, stop,” Rachel said, drawing their attention back to her. “You knew we weren’t going to spend the holidays together. Don’t put on a show.”
“I’m not putting on a show.” Susan lifted her chin. “I came here because it’s clear you’re in over your head, Rachel. You need someone to care for you. It’s time for you to come home to Montana, where I can look after you and my grandson.”
Rachel’s shoulder ached, and the rest of her body felt oddly tired. It would be much nicer to go back up the stairs and crawl into bed. She could lie on her good shoulder and sleep a while longer. Instead, she was trapped in a nightmare in which her mother was demanding to take her home. I’m thirty. This shouldn’t be happening.
She opened her mouth to say so, but Jonas cut in. “That won’t be necessary. Rachel will be staying here with me. When we met up recently during a photography job I contracted her for, it didn’t take long for me to realize Scott is my son.”
Susan’s eyes went wide.
“And, as his father, I have rights,” Jonas said lightly but with a hint of unabashed determination. This was how he was when dealing with difficult guests, Rachel realized. “I want her here with me. We’re going to be getting married. If not now, then soon.”
Married. Where did that come from? He’d never even mentioned anything of the sort to Rachel. There had been no proposal. They weren’t there yet. Waves of shock pushed themselves through the haze of the situation.
“I don’t know that it’s entirely up to you,” Susan countered. “I know my daughter. I know this behavior is a sign she’s in need of guidance. A steady home. People who know her.”
“I know her.” Jonas crossed his arms over his chest. “I know her quite well. And she’ll be perfectly cared for here at my home. They both will be. We have all the staff we need to attend us if she’s in need of anything.”
It took everything for Rachel to stay on her feet. This was her childhood all over again. People talking about her instead of to her. People using her as a pawn. Even Jonas’s confession about wanting to marry her struck her as false. Did he only want to marry her because her mother was here or out of some false sense of obligation?
There’d been no mention of love.
This was all wrong.
As they bickered on, the cold truth set in. Everyone’s need for control would spill over until it engulfed Rachel, and she suffocated. Scott would suffer for it, too. She couldn’t save him from that if she stayed here. The truth was staring her in the face as she listened to the conversation going on about her. Her stomach twisted.
“Enough,” Rachel snapped. “Mother, if you don’t back off right now—and I mean right now—I’ll block your phone number, and you’ll never see your grandson again.”
Her mother’s eyebrows shot up; her mouth parted in shock.
A shiver of power went down Rachel’s spine. She’d expected it to feel better, being powerful—but it didn’t. It felt like the world was crashing in on her, aching shoulder and all. “And Jonas—you’ll always have the chance to see your son but having a relationship with him doesn’t guarantee you a wife. I make my own decisions.” Rachel’s throat tightened, sore with the pent-up emotion. “I’m tired of being pressured and bullied and controlled at every turn.”
Now it was Jonas’s turn to look shocked. Hurt. Crestfallen. “That’s not what I was trying to do. I want to be with you.”
“Then prove it. Let me go home. To my home.”
Up on the second floor, Scott made a noise in his crib. “Mama. Mama. Mama.” The familiar rattle of his hands against the sidebars drew her out of this impossible conversation and up the stairs.
Rachel went to him at once, using the opportunity to leave. It hurt, picking him up in her arms, but it was a balm, too. Scott popped his head down onto her shoulder, and she breathed in the still-baby scent of him. Rachel knew it wouldn’t be long before he’d be a full-blown preschooler, and then a kindergartener, and her son would spend the rest of his life slowly moving away from her. But in this moment, they were close.
Her mother’s voice came up the stairs, distorted by the distance enough for Rachel to ignore the words. The pain in her shoulder spiked up another notch. “I’m going to take something for the pain, which means we’re going to need a ride out of this place,” she said, not caring that her son wouldn’t understand.
The Billionaire’s Christmas Son: Elkin Brothers Christmas Book Three Page 10
