“Yeah.”
I hung up the phone and forced the tears that stung my eyes to stay in place. I’d missed the chance to see her before they left because I’d been selfishly running from my problems again. She was the one who taught me not to be afraid of anything and to face things head-on. I’d forgotten that when it came to Easton and the consequences had spilled over into every area of my life.
If something happened to her, I’d never forgive myself.
* * *
Six hours later, I ran through the corridor of St. David’s Medical Center in Austin until I found Mitch in the waiting room.
“Where is she?” Frantic, I searched for a set of doors that would lead me to Ruby.
He caught me by the shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. I beat on his chest. I didn’t need his comfort right now. I needed to see my grandmama.
“Any news?” Stone asked when he caught up to me, Muriella tucked into his side. Daniel and Vivian were right behind them. When I told them the news, they’d generously offered their jet. I hadn’t thought twice when they’d boarded along with us. It didn’t take anybody who’d spent any time with Ruby, let alone Christmas, to grow to care for her.
“Not yet. She’s in ICU. We can’t go back there with her.”
The sight of Granddaddy slumped in a chair had what little was holding me together nearly falling apart. I wrestled out of Mitch’s hold and rushed to Granddaddy, who stood and folded me in his arms.
“She can’t leave me,” he whispered over and over.
This man was one of the toughest I’d ever known, but it was no secret Ruby was the glue that held us all together. I’d never seen him helpless, and it nearly tore me apart.
When he let me go, I went right through the set of doors near the nurses station in search of Ruby, ignoring anyone who told me I couldn’t be there.
I wasn’t prepared for what I found. She looked fragile for the first time in my life, her eyes closed, her skin almost gray. Her hand in mine was cold to the touch.
“Ruby, what are you doing, woman?” I choked out. “You better not be trying to check out of here, because I’m not letting you go.”
“Miss, you cannot be in here.” A ferocious-looking woman stood in the doorway, threatening me with an intimidating glare.
“She needs me,” I informed her, refusing to move.
The nurse kept her tough stance. “We need to monitor Mrs. Jacobs without visitors right now. It’s best for her recovery,” she said, trying a different approach.
“What would be best for her is if all of us were in here with her.”
“Miss—”
“I’m not leaving, even if you try to drag me out of here by my hair.”
In what seemed like seconds, Mama appeared. “Baby, if you don’t let her be, they’ll force you out of the hospital. Ruby would want you here, even if it’s not right beside her.”
“Mama, she shouldn’t be alone.”
“She’s not. She knows we’re just down the hall.”
I didn’t want to leave Ruby, not like this, but if I got kicked out of the hospital, that would be worse.
I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Grandmama.”
I trudged back to the waiting room, Mama’s arm hooked through mine. The entire Jacobs family was silent, lost in suffering. I sat next to Granddaddy and put my head on his shoulder. He gripped my hand, his head falling on top of mine.
The pain in my chest wouldn’t ease. Every time someone came along the corridor, I’d jerk upright, hoping for news. This went on for over an hour, but I couldn’t help myself; I was desperate to find out anything regarding her condition. This place smelled like Betadine and Febreze had mated, the result a nauseating combination that did nothing to ease my frazzled nerves.
Daniel was in the corner of the waiting room on his phone. Vivian curled around Muriella, who held Stone’s hand tightly in hers. Juliana and the girls hadn’t made it yet. She’d gone to get them from school, and they were making the drive. Mitch went from sitting to standing and back to sitting, constantly looking down the corridor for his wife and daughters.
Movement in the distance of the long, white hallway caught my eye. A man in a suit strode toward us with a duffel bag in his hand. I sat on the edge of my seat as soon as my brain registered who it was.
Easton.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Easton
My steps faltered the longer she sat in that chair. When Daniel had told me about Miss Ruby, I’d acted on pure instinct, packing a bag for her and scheduling a flight in record time. I didn’t regret coming, but I hadn’t considered Mulaney wouldn’t want me here. Too damn bad. She had me anyway.
She released her grandfather’s hand and sprinted toward me on thin heels. I dropped the bag and caught her in my arms, burying my face in her neck. She clung to me, silently shaking. I steered her into an offshoot of the corridor so her family didn’t see her lose it.
“I’m sorry, Heartbreaker,” I said into her hair.
Wetness soaked my shirt. I’d never seen her cry, and the fact she trusted me enough to do it in front of me had to mean something. A family restroom was right beside us. I guided us inside and locked the door.
As if sensing she was safe, her sniffles turned into full-blown sobs. I stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.
Mulaney tightened her arms around my waist. She banged her forehead against my chest a few times, uttering a string of curses before she deflated.
I held her until she was quiet. All my anger with her was temporarily forgotten. It didn’t matter she’d left me again. She needed me, and I’d do whatever was necessary to take this pain away.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“I know.” Miss Ruby was a one of a kind, but I couldn’t help thinking about the day I’d get the call my mother was in the hospital.
“What if I let her down?”
“She’s proud of you.”
“I ran. I’m supposed to spit in the face of things I’m afraid of.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s Miss Ruby’s advice, isn’t it?”
A splotchy red, tear-stained face leveled me with a look. “Of course, it is.”
“From what I’ve seen, you do,” I said, turning serious.
“How can you say that? Especially after the last seven months.” She pushed at my chest and a flash of red silk caught my eye.
I took her hand in mine. “What’s this?” I already knew. The ribbon was too big around her ring finger, yet my wedding band belonged there.
She pulled, and when I didn’t release her immediately, she stilled. And then she turned her head away and made a spitting noise. When she met my eyes, the defiance I loved so much stared up at me.
“I opened your Christmas present.”
“I see that, but it doesn’t explain why you’re wearing my wedding band.”
That chin lifted a little higher. “To see if it felt the same as mine did.”
“And?” Months of annulment papers and avoidance hung in the balance.
“It’s as powerful as ever.”
I pulled her to me. “Why do you keep fighting this?”
“No one will ever control me.”
“Is that what you think I want? A marriage isn’t about that.” I searched her face. I’d respected her desire for others to see she’d earned her place in our industry, and I’d given her space to get used to the idea of the partnership the two of us had sealed. Control? “Heartbreaker, nobody could ever tame you, and if they tried, I’d stop them.”
She stared at me a moment. “Why do you call me that?”
I brushed my thumb across her cheek. “When I was seven years old, Little Miss demanded to play football with boys twice her size. You knocked me on my ass, and I haven’t recovered since.”
“Hush your mouth.” She shoved at me, but I didn’t budge.
“It’s true. You stood up to me. You cussed. And you told me you could do any
thing you wanted to. How the hell was I not going to fall in love?” She’d been an untouchable force from the minute we met. Working so closely with her had been an honor, but taking our relationship beyond that had been out of the question. Then my mother had gotten sick, and I realized time was too precious not to go after what I wanted. What I’d always wanted. Mulaney.
“You didn’t start calling me that at seven,” she pointed out.
“We were fourteen,” I said. Lines creased her forehead as she appeared to dig deep in her memories. “Took me that long to ask you to come to one of my baseball games. I was playing summer league in Burdett. You flat out said no, didn’t even hesitate. It broke my heart, but didn’t derail my crush. You’ve been breaking it ever since.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I had to help Granddaddy fix a tractor,” she finally said.
“So you remember?”
“Yeah. Stone and Mitch were playing too. I wanted to go, but I got in trouble for something I can’t even remember now. I wasn’t shooting you down. Hell, I had no idea you asked me because you liked me.”
I touched her face. “I more than liked you.”
“You said you loved me.” She fisted the lapel of my jacket. “On our wedding night. You thought I was asleep.”
“No, I didn’t. I knew you were awake.” I’d wanted her to hear me. Our path to the point of love had been a long one, but we were on it, and I wouldn’t shy away from my feelings.
“But you still think I stole from Carter Energy.”
“That couldn’t stop me from loving you.”
“I’ve been trying to dissolve our marriage since we said our vows,” she argued. “And you said you’d sign the papers if I gave you my eggs.”
“I only want you, but a man can only take so much.” I splayed my hand across her back. Deep down, all I’d wanted was to push her so she’d realize she loved me too. “Is that what you want? For me to sign them?”
Her grasp on my jacket nearly ripped the fabric as her chest rose and fell in a pronounced rhythm.
“Don’t you dare.”
She rolled up on her toes and smashed her lips to mine. My back hit the wall when she pushed. Her kiss stunned me, but not near as much as her words.
She wanted to be my wife.
I cradled her head as her lips trailed up my jaw.
I can do anything I set my mind to. Don’t you forget it.
There was no chance I’d ever forget that fact about Mulaney Jacobs. Because she did . . . anything she set her mind to, she did. And it was one of the reasons I loved her so darn much. And always will.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Mulaney
“Mr. Jacobs?”
A man in a white lab coat and dark slacks approached, and my father and grandfather both got to their feet.
“What’s the verdict, Doc?” Granddaddy asked after he shook the younger man’s hand. No nonsense. Straight to business.
“Cerebral thrombosis.” Granddaddy looked at him expectantly, silently asking him to speak in terms we could understand. The doctor cleared his throat. “Your wife has a blood clot in her brain, sir.”
I gasped, and Granddaddy paled. I was instantly by his side, clutching his arm.
“What’s the prognosis? How serious is this?” My voice shook, and I was grateful when I felt two warm bodies at my back as my brothers closed in on us.
“It’s moderate. The good news is that Mrs. Jacobs received medical attention rather promptly. We’ve done a brain scan, located the clot, and administered medication to break it up. At this point, it’s not severe enough to require surgery.”
Thank God.
“Can we see her?” I asked, and a big pair of hands clamped down on my shoulders to steady me when I swayed.
“That’s not possible for at least the next twenty-four hours. She needs as little stimuli as we can provide so as not to agitate her. I will allow Mr. Jacobs a few minutes with her, to reassure her and keep her calm.”
I leaned against my brother. “Is she awake yet?”
“Not yet. The minor swelling in her brain has diminished, so that’s a positive sign. We’ll keep her on an IV and monitor her condition closely for any other clots that may form.”
“There could be more than one?” I asked warily.
“It is possible, though I’d say it’s not likely, given her symptoms seem to be improving. Because of her age, we’d like to keep her here a few extra days once she wakes and stabilizes.” The doctor remained calm under the pressure of my inquisition. “Here’s my card. If you have any further questions, you can phone me at any time.” He handed Granddaddy the business card.
“I’d like to see her now,” Granddaddy said hoarsely.
“Of course. Come with me, sir.” The doctor started to leave, but turned with an afterthought. “I’d suggest all of you get some rest. Mrs. Jacobs is in excellent hands, and we’ll let you know if there are any changes.”
“The hell I’m leaving here,” I grumbled to his back. When Ruby woke up, I’d be damned if I was anywhere else but here.
Stone grasped my shoulders. “It’s not bad advice. He just doesn’t know how this family is.”
We resumed our positions in the uncomfortable chairs that had a cotton ball for padding. I slid down until my head hit the back of the chair.
“Um, Mr. Jacobs?” A nurse approached my brother hesitantly, her eyes darting around at the rest of us. So help me God, if she asked for an autograph while Ruby was in this shape, I’d cause a fuss the likes of which this hospital had never seen.
Stone kept a pleasant expression on his face, though he tensed. “Howdy.”
“There’s a private waiting room just down the hall.” She motioned in that direction jerkily. “It’s more comfortable and I, uh, I cleared it for you.” Her voice shook as she spoke.
“That was mighty kind of you.”
“Well, I love your movies, and . . .” She trailed off, star-struck getting the best of her.
“I appreciate that. You wanna lead the way to these more comfortable chairs?” He stood, offering Muriella a hand up and didn’t let go when she stood.
The nurse frowned at that, but quickly recovered. Guess she hadn’t heard he was married. “Follow me.”
“How’d you know what happened?” I asked my husband—my husband?—once we were settled in the private waiting room. These chairs were much cushier.
Easton stretched his legs out. “I was with Daniel when Stone told him.” My brows lifted in expectation for him to explain. “He found all my offshore accounts, so I thought he could help gain access to them.”
“You don’t need him for that.”
“When I tried, I couldn’t get in.”
I sat up straight. “But they’re in your name. How could that even be possible?”
“The ones I set up for myself were no problem, but the others? No dice.”
“There’s nothing in the accounts.”
We both started when Daniel spoke.
“Then why are they there?” I moved in my seat so I was angled toward Easton and Daniel.
“I’m working to find out if there ever was a reason, which will take some time. Only seven of the accounts have funds in them, which I believe you set up.” He canted his head toward Easton, who didn’t appear thrilled to have had someone snooping into his personal finances.
“Any word on who set up the others?” he asked, skipping over the observation.
“Not yet.”
“Do whatever you have to do to find out,” Easton said, his grip on the armrest white knuckled. “About all these offshore accounts, including Dad’s.”
“I intend to.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Easton
“You didn’t come back again last night, so I was worried.”
I leaned against the outside wall of the hospital, phone pressed to my ear, Drew’s not-so-concerned voice on the other end of the line.
“I’m in Austin.”
�
��Austin?”
“Miss Ruby’s in the hospital.” I ducked behind a column to block the wind.
“Damn.” He was quiet for a second, his mind probably going exactly where mine had yesterday. To our mother. Every time it did, there was always this silence between us, reserved only for her. Drew cleared his throat. “You get checked out while you’re there?”
I squeezed the stress ball in my pocket to keep from hitting the brick. “Watch yourself. She’s my wife.”
“Well, your wife has a penchant for male escorts. That Rodrigo dude isn’t the only one in her little black book.”
My entire body seized. I hadn’t forgotten about Drew’s nugget of bad news he’d dropped on me, but so far his hit ratio was zero. Not one part of me believed the shit he was spewing.
“You were wrong about Mulaney and Dad, and you’re wrong about this.” I shoved a hand in my pocket and squeezed the life out of my stress ball.
“‘Rose-colored glasses’,” he sang, quoting the old John Conlee song. Hadn’t I told myself not that long ago I was wearing them when it came to Mulaney? It didn’t matter.
“Enough,” I yelled as I kicked at a nearby trash can.
“She’s got you so blinded—”
“You’re the one who’s blind. Don’t talk shit about my wife again.”
Drew was out of line and completely wrong. I’d reached my breaking point.
“Easton—” He sounded contrite, and I calmed a bit.
I leaned against the column, letting the wind cool me off.
“How’d Mama’s doctor appointment go?” If we were going to talk, it might as well be about something he actually knew about.
“I’m only looking out for you,” he said. “I don’t like telling you this stuff about your angel of a wife.”
“I asked you a question,” I said. If Drew were here right now, I’d sock him straight in the face. Why the hell is he pursuing this? He seems . . . giddy about it.
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