by Jenna Harte
Drake turned toward the sound of Lexie’s sigh. She’d turned over in the bed. The silhouette of her hourglass body made him yearn to make love to her yet again. It seemed impossible his libido could still rev up after the night they’d shared. They’d made love in the tub, on the bathroom vanity, and once more back in bed. He shook his head. It was a record for him. He’d never made love five times in a week, much less in one night. And here he was, still wanting, no, needing, to touch her, and be joined with her. But she needed rest.
He returned his gaze out the window, watching the eerie shadows cast through Central Park. He should leave. While it wasn’t right to leave without a good-bye, he knew she’d understand. Maybe she’d be relieved. Maybe she didn’t want to say good-bye any more than he did. But they had to. He had his business to take care of, and she had to care for Oliver and find her calling. Would she consider private nursing for other people? She’d done a tremendous job with Oliver, who’d almost grown a conscience. And Oliver clearly cared for Lexie, which was more than he’d been able to do for his family. But Lexie also allowed Oliver to live his last days with dignity. For a man like Oliver, that was worth way more than a trip to New York.
At the same time, Lexie was fond of Oliver. She’d go back to Charlotte Tavern not just because it was her job, but for a personal sense of duty and caring as well. That was why Drake didn’t ask her to stay, even though he wanted her there, especially after the presentation. As much as thoughts of her distracted him from his work, she also had a calming effect on him. She kept him grounded in what was important. If he asked, would she stay?
He shook his head. No. She needed to be with Oliver. But after that, when Oliver was gone, would she come to New York? There were many hospitals and probably more private nursing opportunities than in Charlotte Tavern. Or she could go to school. Whatever she wanted, he felt certain she could find in New York. He could put her in a nice apartment.
Drake laughed. No, she wouldn’t want to feel like she was a kept woman. So maybe she could find a live-in situation like she had now, only with more time off so she could spend it with him. Hell, maybe she could just live with him.
God, did I just think that? He turned to Lexie again, who’d rolled over again, allowing him to see her sweet face, relaxed and peaceful in sleep. She was so beautiful. How could such a tiny, spunky woman create such feelings of in him? He was in love. It had to be. If it wasn’t, it had to be close because he’d never experienced such awe and joy in being with anyone. Hell, he’d been nearly disappointed he hadn’t impregnated her. Forget the living together. I should marry her.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled, allowing the idea to sink in. No panic. No crazy need to bolt. He wanted to wake her to tell her he loved her and wanted to be with her always. But timing was likely as important in personal pursuits as in business. She needed to be with Oliver during his last days, and Drake wanted her with Oliver. But after the meeting, he’d fly back to Charlotte Tavern and propose to her. Maybe Oliver would be around for the wedding. For the first time Drake could ever remember, he was happy. He’d take control of the company and have Lexie, a feat Oliver didn’t think could be done.
He returned to bed and was pleased when Lexie nestled next to him, throwing one of her legs over his thigh and resting her hand over his heart. Yep. He closed his eyes. I’m about to have it all.
He wasn’t asleep long when Lexie reached over him. “Good God, woman, I’m not sure I can go another round,” he mumbled even as he slid a hand over her breast.
“No, the phone is ringing. Drake, stop.” She grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
Drake lay with his arm over his face as Lexie sprawled over his body, talking on the phone. The change in her voice as she spoke had him squinting through the darkness to see her face.
“What is it?” he asked as she hung up the phone.
“It’s Oliver. He’s back in the hospital.” Lexie leapt out of bed, found her suitcase, and started throwing her clothes in.
She turned to Drake. “Can we get a flight out tonight?”
“Yes, I’ll call the pilot to get the plane ready. Go take a shower. I’ll finish your packing.”
Drake made the call and finished putting her things in her bag, hoping she didn’t mind he didn’t know how to fold. He decided to forgo a shower, knowing Lexie would be eager to get to the airport. He dressed and called for a car.
Lexie came out of the bathroom, worry etched on her brow.
“It’ll be alright.” He didn’t know if it was true. “I’ll go with you to the airport. There’ll be a car waiting for you at Charlotte Tavern to take you to the hospital.”
Her big, green eyes shone with surprise. “You aren’t coming with me?”
“I have the meeting. I have to be there, Lexie.”
Disappointment crossed her face.
“The future of the company is at stake.”
“The company will be there Monday and Tuesday and the rest of week, Drake. Your grandfather may not.”
He ran a hand through his hair. How did he manage to disappoint everyone he ever allowed himself to care for? “I understand, but he’d want me to be here. He’d see it as letting him down if I let Derrick take over without a fight.”
“I can’t believe you just said that. Business is never more important than family.”
One of the things he’d loved about her was she accepted him for him, but now judgment shone in her green eyes.
“It is in the Carmichael family. If you haven’t seen that by now—”
“But it’s not you. You aren’t like them.”
“I am them.” What the hell had he been thinking that he could have a life that included love and business? “I was raised to fight for the business or for what I want, even if it’s against my brother. Even when a family member is ill. Nothing trumps business, Lexie. Nothing.” He remembered how life went on when his parents died. It was like they never existed.
“That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? It’s about not letting Derrick beat you. This is about how he took Sharon. This is your payback.”
“He didn’t take Sharon from me.”
Lexie’s gaze pierced his. “But the result is he’s raising Tad, a child that could be your son. He took that from you.”
She could have stabbed him straight through the heart and not hurt him more. “I can’t believe you said that.”
The guilt on her face told him she couldn’t believe she’d said it either. But it didn’t remove the hurt she’d driven in him.
“Drake, I’m sor—”
A knock at the door interrupted her. Drake strode by her to get it.
“Your car is ready, Mr. Carmichael. Can I take your bags?”
“You can take Ms. McKenna’s bag. Please escort her to the car. I won’t be going.”
“Yes, sir.” The young man picked up Lexie’s bag. “Miss?”
“I’ll be right there.” She turned to Drake, while the bellman went to get the elevator. “Drake, I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did. Go, Lexie. Go to Oliver. Comfort him in his last days and think about why you’re the only one, after a lifetime, that is with him.”
“I know he’s—”
“I said go!”
Lexie jumped at the vehemence of his voice. “Drake?”
He seized her arm, yanking her to the door. “Go!” He pushed her out and shut it in her face.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lexie arrived at the hospital just as dawn broke, only to discover Oliver was back home. The nurse on duty at the hospital gave Lexie a brief overview of his condition. He wasn’t going to die today, but it wouldn’t be long. The nurse allowed Lexie to use the phone to call a taxi.
During the ride to Oliver’s, Lexie scanned the scenery of Charlotte Tavern, convincing herself it was better to be home. Claire had been right; she shouldn’t have entertained ideas of her and Drake and a future. What an idiot.
She was home now, doing what was best. A
nd she was good at it. Look how far Oliver had come. He’d been a grumpy old man when she first met him in the hospital. Now he was charming, entertaining her with wonderful stories of his childhood adventures and mishaps. He was dying, but he was spending his last days content and happy, exactly the way he wanted it to be, and Lexie had helped with that. She treated his ailment but never lost sight that he was still alive. So many people got lost in the grief of dying or were surrounded by people who couldn’t handle the diagnosis so they couldn’t really live. It was like they died the day they got the diagnosis. If New York taught her one thing, a lot of living could happen in a single day, so everyone should make the most of each one.
She had to find the perfect job when her work with Oliver was done. She remembered Drake’s offer and was flooded with guilt. She’d hurt him. She’d let her frustration get the best of her and used his anguish over Tad against him. She couldn’t believe she could be so mean. He didn’t give her a chance to take it back. Her last view of him was one filled with hurt and anger. Whatever they might have been able to build was now gone. She’d killed it with one careless remark.
So her future was up to her to make. With Bobby Lee’s money to pay off much of her debt from their wedding along with her pay from Oliver, she could hold out for something that had meaning, something that made her feel she was helping and contributing to the well-being of others. Just like she’d done with Oliver. She smacked herself in the head as the answer manifested. Hospice. The cab driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“It’s okay. I just realized the answer to my problem has been in front of me for over six weeks.”
He nodded but clearly wasn’t interested.
Having a sense of her future didn’t fix the broken pieces of her heart, but at least she had something else to think about.
Drake gave up trying to sleep. Her scent lingered on him, driving him mad. Even the shower he’d taken hadn’t been able to wash away her essence. He understood now how a broken heart could lead to drinking. How else could you numb the pain? He rubbed his chest. Could heartbreak be physical as well as emotional?
But there was nothing he could do about it. For all intents and purposes, he’d spent his whole life preparing for Monday’s meeting. Oliver had raised him and Derrick in a Darwinian world where only one of them would survive and take over the business. He’d competed against Derrick in everything from sports to schoolwork, hoping to get Oliver’s praise. Even in their private lives, they’d competed. Who’d had the most girlfriends? Who’d lost their virginity first? Derrick won that one, but it was a shallow victory when he ended up with crabs. But then he took Sharon. Well, not really. Although Drake hadn’t yet broken things off with Sharon, their relationship was over long before Derrick stepped into the picture.
When she’d told him she was pregnant, Drake was filled with dread. He didn’t have anything against kids, but he knew he wouldn’t be any good at being a father. How could he be? He didn’t know what love was. His parents had died when he was young. There was no love in the Carmichael household after that. He didn’t want to subject a child to that. But how could he change it?
He didn’t love Sharon, so marrying her wouldn’t have fixed it. It had been a relief when he learned Derrick had been sleeping with her. That was, until it became clear they wouldn’t know the paternity of the baby. Was Derrick raising his son? He didn’t think so, since he and Sharon hadn’t had much sex at the time. Then again, maybe it was just wishful thinking so he didn’t have to agonize over whether or not his brother had stolen his son. Had Lexie been right? Was his relentless pursuit of taking power of Carmichael Corporation all about getting back at his brother because of Tad?
She’d expected him to leave New York. To simply throw away all his work. For an instant, he nearly had. For a moment, he’d allowed himself to believe maybe love was worth pursuing. Hadn’t Oliver told him that in Charlotte Tavern? Hadn’t he regretted not going back to Kitty? But why would he do that? Oliver never cared about anything except the business. “It’s the one constant in the world,” he’d drilled into his grandsons’ heads. All of Oliver’s rhetoric had been a test to see if Drake was committed. To make sure he couldn’t be distracted. Right?
It didn’t matter now. He’d kicked Lexie and any chance of love out of his life. They’d both be better off for it. She deserved a man who could focus his energy on her. He’d only disappoint her. Oliver had been right; the business was the only thing that mattered. It certainly didn’t break your heart.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lexie quietly sat next to Oliver’s bed. As she watched him sleep, feelings of pity tinged her heart. She and Claire would be the only ones at his bedside. He’d forsaken love and happiness to build wealth and prestige. He’d raised his grandsons to do the same. How sad that now, at the end of his life, he realized the love of a family was much more important than the legacy of a business.
He’d tried to impart that on Drake, but the stubborn mule ignored him. Would he also come to the end of his life only to realize too late what he’d given up? Lexie’s heart sank at the idea. He might not have his priorities straight, but he didn’t deserve a life void of love. She hoped he’d find someone who could bring him happiness and wept that she wouldn’t be the woman.
“Lexie?”
“Hey, old man.” She stood and fumbled to fix his sheet, hoping it would hide her crying.
Sleepiness hung in his voice. “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be with Drake.”
“He couldn’t come.” God, how she wished she could have made Drake come with her.
Oliver nodded. “Important day tomorrow. Why aren’t you with him?”
“Because I’m here with you.” She was going to say it was her job, except it was more than that. Oliver, despite his past problems, didn’t deserve to die with strangers.
“Well, I don’t want you here.” Vigor started to return to his voice.
“Oliver, I’m not—”
“If I wanted you here, I wouldn’t have sent you away.”
“What?” Lexie stopped tugging on the sheet to look at him.
“You heard me. I wanted you away, happy, and making Drake happy. You taking care of him.”
“There’s nothing I can offer Drake that he needs.”
“Oh, but there is. He has power and money, but he hasn’t had love. You can give him that.”
“He doesn’t love me.” The pain of that had her straightening Oliver’s sheet again.
“I think he does. Why do you think I sent you to New York? Don’t waste your time with a dying man. Live your life, Lexie. Teach my grandson to do the same.”
“It’d never work. Our worlds are too different.”
“Coward. You love him. He loves you, and that is saying a lot because I don’t think Drake has ever loved anyone, except his parents. He probably doesn’t even realize he loves you. That’s how foreign it is to him, so you need to give him time. But you know about love, Lexie.”
“Love isn’t enough. I don’t want that world, Oliver. And Drake doesn’t know anything but that world.” She stood at the end of his bed as if the distance would somehow lessen the pain Oliver’s words were inflicting.
“The world is what you make it. There are successful and happy people in the world. I’m sure of it. You make Drake happy and that can only make him more successful.”
“Or he could make me miserable.” Why couldn’t Oliver see that it was too late for Drake? That he’d taken Oliver’s lessons of life and honed them so well that he couldn’t choose love or happiness, assuming he even knew what they were? “Our priorities aren’t the same. I asked him to come back to be with you and he didn’t.”
Oliver’s face turned stern. “Did he ask you to stay?”
“No.”
“Because he knew it was important to you that you come back. He understood your priorities. He respected and supported them.”
Was Oliver right? She thought Drake’s not asking
her to stay showed his lack of attachment to her. Instead, could it be he cared enough to let her go? And what did she do? She told him he was petty and insensitive.
“Drake was always thinking about people when he should’ve been thinking about what’s best for the business. I was hard on him for that. So, he put it away to please an old man who’d never be pleased.”
“He made his choice, Oliver. It’s not me.”
Oliver scowled and wagged a boney finger at her. “You’re not so different. You chose your job over him as well.”
“What? You’re not my job—”
“Just because you care for me doesn’t make me any less your employer. You’re good at your job. But you’re the one who says work shouldn’t be everything. So why is Drake bad simply because he made the same choice you did?”
“He’s your grandson. He should be here with you.” She wouldn’t let Oliver turn her into the bad guy.
“And you love him. Yet, during the single most important event in his life, you abandoned him.”
Lexie rubbed her hands over her eyes. “You’re skewing everything.”
“No, I’m not. He didn’t choose you, and you didn’t choose him. I suspect you both are feeling pretty rotten about it.”
He had that right, but it didn’t change the fact Drake’s priorities were wrong. “He should be here. He can have that meeting next week or next month. You don’t have that long.”
“Drake is fighting to save hundreds of jobs, jobs people need to support their families. Jobs Derrick could end right now. He has what Derrick and I don’t have: honor and a sense of loyalty.”
He was making her out to be the bad guy again.
“I want him there,” Oliver continued. “It’s the least I can do for all the people who have worked hard for me. I don’t want him to sit here and watch me die, especially if he can do some good for others. And I’d prefer it if you were with him. He needs you more than I do.”
