Second Chance: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 2)

by Nicole Taylor

  “We put out a statement already.”

  “Yeah, weeks ago when he first got hurt. I remember. But you know he hasn’t spoken himself. People want to see for themselves that he’s better.”

  “Not everybody’s well meaning, Joseph. You know that, right?”

  He dipped his head.

  “Yeah. I know, Ms. Dickson. I’m just sharing comments I’ve been hearing. Of course, I never say anything. The contract I signed aside, I value my clients’ privacy.”

  After she had seen Joseph out, Dana took up the phone again and punched in some numbers.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Anna.”

  “Dana, darling. How are you?” said Anna Terranova.

  “Pretty good.”

  “And Robert?”

  “He’s doing a lot better since we last spoke.”

  “I didn’t want to intrude. I hope you didn’t take that as disinterest. I just figured that when you guys needed me, you would call. Of course, you got my fruit basket and flowers.”

  “Yes, Anna. Thank you. No, I didn’t think you were disinterested, just sensitive to our family’s situation. I appreciate the space. As you would imagine, we’re now trying to cope with the changes as well. Our first priority is Robert’s health. There’s some stuff I need to discuss with you. I’d like to meet this week if possible. We’re traveling next week.”

  “Sure. What day are you looking at?”

  Dana reached for her tablet and scrolled through her appointments for that week. I’m free on Wednesday and Thursday anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.”

  “Okay, Wednesday’s fine with me. You choose the time. I’m fairly wide open on that day.”

  “How ‘bout we meet at Cecconi’s for lunch at noon.”

  “Done. See you there.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Robert pulled the newspaper closer to him and read slowly. It had become easier to read over the last week, just as it had become easier to watch television. He could watch for longer periods now. That felt like he was really making progress. The memories, though, remained hazy, and that was the part that bothered him the most.

  The neurosurgeon had suggested it could take months or even years to regain some of his memories, though probably not all. He preferred to think that the former timeframe would apply. He wasn’t sure his marriage could survive years although he was hopeful that the new memories he and Dana were making would see them through.

  A photo caught his eye. It was his friend Brian Brooks donating sports equipment to the Changing Lives Community Centre in South Central, Los Angeles.

  Robert read the article. It said that the football star had topped the list of the world’s most charitable sports stars, having donated millions of dollars of his fortune to worthwhile causes.

  The quote said, “My father always taught me that when you give, God will reward you, and I have found that to be true. The more I give, the more I’m blessed.”

  It was no secret that Brian’s family were devout Catholics, but growing up he hadn’t been overly religious. In fact, Robert’s last memory had him as a bit of a womanizer. He was surprised that his friend was living out his faith in such a tangible way. It seemed as though somewhere along the line Brian had taken more seriously the faith that they had been taught.

  Which was more than he, Robert, had done. What exactly had he accomplished over the last decade to help other people? Yes, he gave away money. Based on what Dana had recently told him they donated to the Changing Lives Foundation every month. But he felt that he should have done more, like give of his time. There had been a point when he enjoyed giving back. He had acknowledged that he was blessed to be born into a close-knit family with substantial means while others had very little. He had happily spent time coaching and helping the boys at the St. Paul’s Orphanage. How rewarding that had been. But after he started chasing his career, it just hadn’t fit into his schedule anymore. Just like God hadn’t.

  Robert shook his head now. What a life he had led. If you looked in the dictionary under the word ‘self-centered’, you would probably see his image plastered there.

  This set him to thinking. He turned his thoughts over in his head for a while. He prayed about it, and then he picked up his new cell phone. His previous one had been lost and hadn’t been recovered after the accident. Dana had asked his personal assistant to populate this one with the numbers of his friends. As he thumbed through the contact list and selected Brian’s name, Robert thought how caring she was. It was hard to imagine that he’d taken her for granted for so long.

  “Hello.”

  “Brian, hi. It’s Bobby.”

  “Bobby! How are you, man?”

  They chatted briefly about Robert’s health then Robert said, “So I saw you in the paper donating stuff to Changing Lives. I also heard you’ve been giving away millions to other causes. Ever thought of doing more?”

  “More? Like what?”

  “Giving of your time.”

  “As in?”

  “You’re a star quarterback. Maybe you can coach some of these kids. I can help.”

  “You? But weren’t you just in an accident and even had brain surgery? Do you think that’s wise?”

  “I don’t mean right now. That’s medium to long term. I was thinking more of visiting the Changing Lives Community Center and having pep talks with the young guys. Stuff like that. You’re a sports star. They look up to you. I’ve actually been thinking of visiting this boy who’s recovering from a shoot-out. His aunt told me he’s into football, so I’m sure he’d be honored to meet you. He’s home now, which makes it easier. Let’s go see him.”

  ~*~*~*~

  At twelve o’clock on the dot, Dana arrived at Cecconi’s. As soon as she walked in the door, she easily spotted Anna Terranova sitting at a table by herself swiping and tapping her phone.

  Greetings were tossed to Dana as she made her way to Anna’s table. She acknowledged them with a wave or smile but didn’t stop at the tables. She knew that most of those people just wanted tidbits of information on Robert’s condition.

  Anna rose to greet her when she reached the table. She was a willowy woman with thick, black hair and sharp, inquisitive, brown eyes. As Dana hugged her, she recalled how those eyes had seemed to search her soul when they had first met. She had resented the scrutinizing look back then, but over time, she had come to trust the woman. She recognized that she often had Robert’s best interest at heart and had even encouraged him to take a break on one or two occasions, advice he had ignored.

  Sometime later, Dana launched into the reason for the meeting.

  “Anna, I need your advice. I’m trying to weigh what’s best for Robert’s health and wellness against what’s best for his career. There have been suggestions that he should speak to the press.”

  Anna was thoughtful for a moment as she sipped her drink and looked off into the distance. She brought her eyes back to Dana’s.

  “Is he ready for that?”

  “Two weeks ago I would have said no. But more and more he is like his old self. He’s sharp, he’s articulate, and he’s alert. My only concern…” She lowered her voice here. “….is that his memory is not what it was. Anna, he has amnesia.”

  Anna nodded. “I’ve heard rumors. How bad is it?”

  Dana sighed. “He doesn’t remember the kids or me.”

  Anna’s mouth dropped open. She seemed to barely stop herself from blurting out her shock. “Dana, honey. How are you coping?”

  “Still grappling with it. There is hope, though. A few nights ago he remembered something. I firmly believe it will improve. At what rate I don’t know.”

  “What does that mean for your family, your marriage?”

  Dana didn’t hesitate. “I love my husband, and I’m in this for the long haul. In sickness and in health, right? We’ll get through this with God’s help. But back to my question, the press?”

  “Right. Well, Dana, it’s out there. People know he had some memory l
oss. The longer you guys try to keep it under wraps the more outrageous the stories will become.”

  Dana gave a short, incredulous laugh. “More outrageous than he’s forgotten the last eleven years of his life?”

  “You never know in this town. Anyhow, you don’t have to reveal everything. Your publicist can coach him thoroughly on how to answer the press. The second thing is I would suggest an exclusive interview. They tend to work better than press conferences. They’re less hostile and volatile. More controlled.”

  The conversation paused briefly as the waitress appeared at their table to take their orders.

  “With whom?” Dana resumed when they were alone again.

  “I’ll think about it a bit. I’m thinking Katie Couric or Oprah Winfrey. A woman may be more sympathetic than a man.”

  “Alright. The other thing is Sandy wants to meet with him. He’s advised me that there are obligations to fulfill.”

  “Yeah, there are. But people have been understanding. There’s no great pressure at the moment. There is a movie coming up in a few months, but they can delay it a bit. It’s not like they had begun filming when he got in the accident.”

  “Which brings me to another question. What’s happening with The List? You know Bobby hasn’t even asked about that.”

  Anna took a sip of her drink and nodded.

  “They’re editing the movie now. They said they had enough footage to finalize it. Emilio Testino told me that they were just reshooting a few scenes to make them perfect anyway. They will work around that. The movie should be ready to premiere in a few months.”

  Dana sighed in relief. “I was wondering about that and hoping they weren’t waiting on Robert to reshoot any final scenes.”

  There was silence between them for a few minutes as Dana took a few sips of her juice.

  “There’s something else.”

  “What?’

  “I’m a little concerned. Robert isn’t really himself.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He just doesn’t seem to have that interest in his career that he had before.”

  Anna shook her head.

  “Hard to believe. You know the only time I’ve seen him less than relentless was when he was dating you. He didn’t seem quite as focused. You say he doesn’t remember you. So it’s like you’re meeting for the first time. Maybe he’s falling in love with you all over again. When you guys were dating, he was consumed with wanting to see you, wanting to be with you. Maybe that’s what’s happening again.”

  “Are you suggesting that when he’s more comfortable with me, it will get old?”

  “As a married woman for twenty years, I can tell you that love ebbs, and it flows, honey. You guys may have been ebbing for the last few years. Perhaps this is a second chance for you. A chance to flow again. It is up to you, Dana, to ensure that you do more flowing than ebbing.”

  Dana sighed. “Up to me? When he gets back into his career, it will be like I don’t exist.”

  “I don’t think that’s fair.”

  Dana’s eyebrow lifted. “Oh?”

  “He has always wanted your marriage. You don’t know the way he gushes about you and is so proud of his family. You are his anchor. He’s a workaholic, but I’ve always felt that maybe you took it too personally.”

  Dana sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. She leveled her gaze at Anna. “How so?”

  “That was Robert’s demon to fight, not yours. You seemed to take it as a personal affront to you. Perhaps you should have been more supportive.”

  “So, it’s my fault he didn’t stay home.”

  “Listen, don’t get defensive, please. Maybe I’ve said too much, but I’ve always wanted to speak to you frankly about this. I know all about your life. I live it.”

  “You?”

  “My husband, Giancarlo, is a workaholic as well. When we were first married, there was a point there when I was going to file for a divorce. Then God spoke to my heart. He asked, ‘Why are you making him everything to you?’ I argued with God that I didn’t get married to have a husband who spent more hours in the office than at home and God said to me, ‘He wasn’t meant to replace me in your life. Love him, warts and all, and over time he will learn to love and trust me too. And that trust will bring him home.’”

  “Excuse me.” The waitress stood at their table holding out their starters. “The marinated olives for you madam,” she said placing Dana’s meal before her. She turned to Anna. “…and the roasted chorizo.”

  After the waitress had left, Dana allowed Anna to take a forkful of her sausage before she asked, “What happened then?”

  “I listened. Spent more time chasing God and it worked. Eventually, Gi came to realize that he had a problem and needed to change. Occasionally, he still pulls his all-nighters, but he’s better now. He’s controlling his problem, and I learned to find life outside my husband. Instead of sitting around waiting for him to come home, I prayed for him, left him to God and allowed God to fill me with contentment.”

  Dana sighed. “So is that what I’ve been doing wrong all this time?”

  “I’m not saying Robert’s right. I’m just saying that you don’t fight sin with sin. You fight it with prayers and faithfulness and obedience to God. You be the best wife you can be and leave the rest to God.”

  Dana nodded.

  “Thanks for coming to me,” Anna said. “I’m going to make some calls and get back to you regarding the interview.”

  “Thank you for your advice,” Dana said as she thoughtfully chewed an olive.

  “Let Sandy see him.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s his agent. Let Robert decide what to do with the information. Trust him. Don’t treat him like a child.”

  As they were finishing up their meal half an hour later, Dana looked up and saw Liselle Adams approaching them. She was momentarily caught off guard. Of all the women in the world, Liselle Adams was not the one she wanted to see right then.

  “Dana. Hi,” said Liselle, flicking her long wavy, brown hair over one shoulder.

  “Hi, Liselle,” Dana’s voice was emotionless.

  “I’m so sorry about what happened to Bobby. How is he doing?”

  “He’s improving every day.”

  “I was thinking of paying him a visit. How ab…”

  “So sorry. Visitors are restricted to family and close friends. I will tell him you wish him well, though.”

  Liselle Adams was speechless for a few moments. Then she squared her shoulders, fixed her handbag in the crook of her arm and said tightly, “You do that.”

  As Liselle sashayed away from the table, Anna watched her leave before glancing at Dana and erupting in laughter.

  Chapter 19

  The Latino woman looked so much like Maria they could have been twins except this woman was slimmer and appeared to be younger, but they had the same wide-set brown eyes and thick black hair.

  Rosina Velasquez’ delight was evident on her face.

  “Oh, Mr. Cortelli, Mr. Brooks,” she gushed, as she wiped her hands nervously down the front of her floral dress. “Please come in and have a seat. Pedro will be out in a few minutes.”

  “He’s a lot better then?” Robert asked as he advanced further into the small house.

  “On crutches.” Following his quizzical look, she quickly clarified. “The bullet hit him in the leg. The doctor said had it been just a half inch lower he would have bled to death.”

  She kissed the rosary beads around her neck. “Thank God for his mercy.”

  Robert nodded. “Yeah, I know all about God’s mercy.”

  Rosina disappeared, and as he and Brian sat down in the snug two-seater, Robert looked around the tiny living room that could fit into his own about six times. It was sparsely furnished but tidy and pleasantly decorated with old, but well cared for, furnishings.

  Robert had driven over there with Brian. He had taken a drive with Dana the previous day, and she had felt confident of his dr
iving abilities. In light of this, he had decided to collect Brian from his home and make the trek to South Central himself instead of being chauffeur driven. He didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to the two of them. Of course, the sleek Audi with its heavily tinted glass hadn’t exactly rendered them obscure either. As they drove through the neighborhood, he could see the stares. Never in his life had he come to this part of town unless he was shooting a scene for a movie and then he was with crew members and bodyguards. This time, it was just him and Brian. He prayed to God that they were doing the right thing.

  Pedro appeared, hobbling on crutches. Clearly, he was still getting used to his handicap. He looked to Robert to be around sixteen or seventeen years old.

  Robert and Brian rose to meet him. The boy looked euphoric.

  “Wow! I can’t believe it, man! I told Mama there was no way you guys would come all the way down here to see me. But here you are in the flesh. Robert Cortelli and Brian Brooks in my own living room. Wait ‘til I tell my homies ‘bout this.”

  He gave out a loud whoop and threw a fist in the air, almost losing balance on the crutches.

  Robert and Brian both sprang to his side and steadied him.

  “Whoa there, buddy,” Robert said and helped Pedro to a chair. They sat opposite him on a nearby couch.

  “When I learned from your Aunt Maria that you were hurt in a shoot-out, I wanted to come visit you. How’s it been going?” Robert asked.

  They spoke about Pedro’s accident and how it had happened. He explained to Robert that he had been hanging with the wrong crowd.

  “I didn’t know what was going on. I was caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs.”

  “You’ve got to be careful who you choose as friends,” Robert said as he watched the boy intently.

  “I know. I realize that. I’m thankful to be alive.”

  Pedro’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he leaned forward.

  “So, can you tell me what happened to you on that movie set? I mean, when I heard about that accident it was like I knew in my heart you’d be fine. Like nothing can touch you, man. You’re like a superhero. I knew you’d pull through. I’ve seen you do as much in all those movies. Just when the bad guy thinks he has you beat you get up, guns blazing, and take him out. I love the action in your movies, man. And I hear you do all your stunts. You must be an awesome fighter.”