“Lie? About what?” Her voice shook.
“Is there another man in your life? Are you still in love with your ex-husband?”
She almost laughed in relief. Another man. Oh yeah, she had another man and he was waiting for her at home…with his babysitter.
Her guilty conscience demanded to be spilled. Her gut roiled in remorse. The day might come when she explained her actions, however, that day was not tonight.
“No, I didn’t lie. I’m not seeing anyone. And I told you the truth about Drake. I love him like a friend, but that’s all.”
“So stay.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Last night was—”
“Was what? Incredible? Hell, yeah.” She lowered her voice to avoid attracting attention of the other guests. “You want to know you’ll always be the best lover I’ll ever know? You are. There’ll never be another one like you in my life. But I can’t stay.”
She spun away from him.
Tomorrow he’d be gone.
I can’t watch you leave again.
She’d thought—hoped—if she gave herself last night, the memories would be enough to sustain her. Instead, she wanted more, even though she knew how it would end.
A tight band around her chest made each breath a struggle. Unwanted tears burned the back of her eyes. Her throat throbbed with heartache.
“When do you fly home?”
When he stepped up behind her the heat radiating from him blanketed her. She fought the urge to step back closer to him. He didn’t even have to touch her to ignite the smoldering embers inside.
His large hand manacled her wrist, his fingers tightening, preventing her from walking away.
“Soon,” he said in answer to her question about his leaving. He turned her to face him. “I can’t stay. I wish I could stay longer but I have to get back.”
She gave a hollow laugh in a vain attempt to cover her resentment at being left again. “Of course you do. Your family needs you. Your cows need you.”
The tears that’d been burning at the back of her eyes began to collect in the corners. Opening her eyes wide, she tried to stop the waterworks before they got out of control. “I’m sorry. I’m being rude.” She forced a chuckle. “My mother would be appalled.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat and forced the tears in her eyes to dry. Turning to face the only man she’d ever loved, she held out her hand, praying he’d make this easy. “Goodbye, Mitch Landry. It was great seeing you again. Have a nice life.”
Of course the concepts of easy and Mitch Landry hadn’t ever gone together. He stared at her hand as though she’d offered him a dead cat. “So now we exchange handshakes? After last night, you offer me your hand?” He sneered. “I don’t think so.” Grabbing her extended hand, he jerked her against him. “You know you’d rather have a kiss than a handshake.”
The touch of his lips to her mouth ignited internal fireworks. She grasped his shoulders for balance and held on. In answer to the stroke of his tongue along the seam of her lips, she opened her mouth, welcomed him inside. Their tongues met, wrapped around each other. Both tongues twisted and moved, struggling to taste as much as possible.
The kiss was deep and wet and oh-my-God sensual. He pulled her flush against him, growing long and hard against her abdomen. She felt herself growing soft and damp for him, dying to press harder against his arousal. She wanted this…Mitch and her…together…making love.
Stop it.
She had to walk away. If she didn’t—and right now—she was afraid she’d beg him to stay. Knowing she had to be convincing, had to make him believe she was done with him, she shoved him away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a deliberate insult. “I offered my hand, not my mouth.”
A cocky, self-assured look flashed across his face. “You didn’t mean it. You wanted me last night. You wanted me during our dance. You want me now.”
She ground her teeth in frustration. He was right, but that still didn’t erase her irritation at his arrogance. “Believe what you want. You always do. Go home. Let me get back to my life. I’ve finally gotten it where I want it.” She forced her feet into motion and made two steps before he grabbed her arm. She jerked to a stop.
“Liar,” Mitch growled. “Your life can’t be complete. You know we belong together. Didn’t last night teach you anything? I was wrong six years ago. I’ve made mistakes. I know that. But can’t you forgive me? Give us another shot? I…I still care about you.”
Desperation held her body rigid, while inside her heart broke. Years of tears and regret filled her. She yanked her arm free from his rough hand. “We can’t go back, Mitch. Too much time has passed. There are things I’ve done, things you’d never understand. You’d never forgive me. It’s too late.”
He frowned. “It’s never too late. Come home with me. Give me a month or even two weeks to convince you to give us another try.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart. I’ll always love you, Mitch, but I just can’t.”
Olivia spun around and hurried through the lobby, racing to get to the safety of her car before everyone saw her meltdown. The foyer shimmered through her tear-filled eyes. She wasn’t going to make it to the privacy of her car before the waterworks started.
Sprinting across the lobby, her ankle went one way and the rest of her went the other. Through her eyes, everything seemed to all happen in slow motion. The world shifted sideways. She threw out her arms, scrambling to find something to grab, something to stop her fall, but there was nothing around her but air. She hit the hard tile floor with a thud.
The sound of stampeding cattle was a whisper compared to the pounding in Mitch’s head. What could Olivia have possibly done she believed was unforgivable? Nothing was unforgivable, except maybe cattle rustling. You don’t take what another man owns.
Damn women. All of them.
He watched Olivia’s delectable backside as she dashed from the reception, her pale blonde hair flying behind her, her tight dress hugging the luscious curves of her bottom.
Damn woman.
He started after her. All he needed was two weeks. She said she loved him. Surely she could give them two weeks to rediscover a life together.
He picked up his pace, his long stride quickly covering the distance between them. He planned to intercept her before she could get to her car and lock him out of her life. Six years ago, he’d let go too easily. This time he’d fight for what he wanted.
He made it to the lobby in time to see the heel of her shoe snap. Her ankle twisted in an awkward position. She threw her arms up in the air for balance but there was nothing to stop her fall. He was close enough to hear the thud of her head when it hit the hard marble.
His heart shuttered, skipped a beat, and charged into overdrive.
“Oh God,” he shouted. “Olivia.”
He joined others from the hotel as they gathered around her.
“Call an ambulance,” someone shouted.
“Is she alive?”
“Who is it?”
“Someone with the wedding party.”
Mitch ignored the questions, dropping to the floor beside Olivia. Her left ankle was turned in an unnatural angle. He wasn’t a doctor, but it looked broken to him. “Don’t touch her,” he yelled. He gently swept her hair from her face and leaned close. Her eyes were shut, but she was breathing.
“Olivia. Olivia, open your eyes,” he demanded.
She groaned and opened one eye. “Shit, that hurt.”
He watched the mother of the bride pushed her way through the crowd of milling onlookers. “Move. Move. I’m a doctor. Damn it. Move.” She shoved a bellman over. “Make sure an ambulance has been called.”
Dr. Miller squatted beside him. “What happened?”
“She’s alive,” he said. Relief coursed through his veins.
“That’s always good news,” Dr. Miller snapped. “What happened?”
Heat infused Mitch’s face
. He wasn’t responsible for this, so why did he feel so guilty?
“The heel of her shoe broke,” he said, gesturing with a nod toward a spiked heel. “Threw her off balance and she fell.” He shuddered. “I heard her head hit the floor.”
Olivia groaned again. “I can talk for myself.”
The sound of her voice—although weak—made him take a deep breath in relief that she was conscious and alert. But concern still gnawed at his gut. The position of her ankle and knee didn’t look normal.
Dr. Miller checked Olivia’s head while speaking to her. “Hey, Olivia. It’s Teresa Miller.”
“Hi, Dr. Miller.” Olivia gave a tortured laugh. “Damn high-heel shoes.”
Olivia lifted her head off the floor and began to sit up.
“Don’t move too much until I get a look at you.” Dr. Miller applied gentle pressure to Olivia’s shoulders to lower her back to the marble floor. “Good. Where do you hurt?”
“Head. Back. Ankle,” Olivia said, flinching with each word.
“Okay. Hold on. An ambulance should be here soon.”
“Adam,” she said through gritted teeth. “Have to call him.”
“I will, as soon as we know what’s going on with you.”
“Did I break it? My ankle, I mean.” Frowning, Olivia shut her eyes again.
“I don’t know. Your foot is at an odd angle. It’s already starting to swell and turn purple. Maybe, if you’re lucky, it’s just a bad sprain.”
Mitch’s lips tightened. Adam again. Olivia was involved with someone…this Adam person. So that’s the unforgivable thing she was talking about. She’d lied to him about being involved with someone. Well, that and the fact she’d lied when she said she still loved him.
Women did that…lied about being in love. Women used the phrase “I love you” to justify having sex with a guy. He wondered if that’s what Olivia had done…last night and tonight. The thought stabbed like an arrow in his gut.
Mitch stood, looked down at Olivia’s ashen face twisted in pain. He couldn’t leave her until he knew she’d be okay. Adam or no Adam, he cared for this woman. Whether she still cared about him or not didn’t matter. He wouldn’t leave her alone when she needed him.
“Okay, Olivia. I’ll go with you to the hospital. Without tests, I can’t be sure what you’ve done to your ankle. Okay?” Dr. Miller patted her shoulder.
“Okay.”
Mitch nodded. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”
The shrill scream of a siren interrupted whatever else Dr. Miller was going to say. An ambulance wheeled into the drive, stopping directly in front of the door. Two paramedics jumped out, snatching lockboxes of drugs and supplies from the van.
After stabilizing her neck in case of an injury, an inflatable cast was place on the ankle to stabilize it for transport. They started an IV and attached a bag of fluid. Finally, Olivia was loaded into the ambulance.
Mitch grabbed the doctor’s arm as she climbed in the ambulance with Olivia. “Which hospital?” He held Olivia’s small black clutch in his hand.
“Baylor Medical Center.” She reached for Olivia’s purse. “There’s nothing you can do. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
He gave a terse nod before the ambulance door slammed in his face.
Oh God, she hurt…everywhere. She opened her eyes then slammed them shut again when one look into the ceiling lights above her drove sharp daggers of pain into her head. Her body rocked as the gurney swayed with the ambulance’s movements. Voices carried on conversations around her. A male voice she recognized as one of the EMT’s. Then Teresa Miller’s voice.
Olivia opened her eyes and groaned. “You think this ambulance is really necessary?”
Teresa smoothed a hand across Olivia’s brow. “Yes, I do. Besides,” she leaned closer, “isn’t it exciting with the siren going?”
Both women chuckled, followed by a moan from Olivia. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts my head.”
“Mitch said he saw you hit your head.”
“Mitch?” Her heart raced at the mention of his name. “Is he here?” She frowned and even that small action hurt. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“No, Mitch isn’t here in the ambulance. We’re headed to Baylor to get you checked out. Mitch said you hit your head pretty hard. Can you see my finger?”
Olivia concentrated on Teresa’s finger—no, her two fingers held in a V. “I see a V for victory.”
Teresa smiled. “Good. I don’t think you’ve done any permanent damage, but we won’t know for sure until I get some tests.”
“I need to call my son’s babysitter. She’s expecting me home.”
“As soon as we get to the hospital and get you settled, I’ll have someone call her. Okay?”
“Okay.” Olivia shut her eyes. The movement of the ambulance was making her nauseous.
All movement came to a sudden stop. If only the rolling nausea would have also.
The rear ambulance doors flew open.
Lord, don’t let my ankle be broken.
And please, Lord. Don’t let Mitch show up at the hospital.
Chapter Five
“Can’t you drive faster?” Mitch snapped. He met the limo driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror and saw the man flinch.
“I’ll try, sir.” The limo whipped around two cars and sped past a third.
“Better,” Mitch growled. He looked at his watch. Damn. Olivia’s ambulance had pulled out from Grayson Mansion over thirty minutes ago. He leaned forward. “How much further?”
“About five minutes, barring any other delays.”
He settled against the seatback and forced himself to relax. Since Dr. Miller went with her, at least Olivia wasn’t alone.
Would Olivia have called this Adam person? Would he finally get to meet Adam and see for himself how serious this relationship was? And if she was serious about this guy, why hadn’t Adam been with her all weekend? Why had she been with Mitch Friday night? Was Adam the reason she rushed away on Friday? Could it be that Adam was just out of town and not available to be Olivia’s date for the wedding?
But he knew Olivia too well to believe she could be with him on Friday night, and at the same time be in a serious relationship with another man. She was not the kind of woman to lead a man on or be dishonest. Whoever Adam was, there was no way Olivia was serious about him other than as a friend.
The limo stopped and the driver stepped out. Not waiting for the driver to come around the car, Mitch flung open the rear door, leapt from the car, tossed what was probably excessive money at the driver, and sprinted into the emergency department.
“Wait for me,” he yelled over his shoulder, taking for granted the driver would do as told.
“I’m trying to find Olivia Montgomery Gentry,” he said to the clerk at the admissions desk. His gut roiled when he said Gentry. Her marriage—although over—still pissed him off.
“Are you family?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why? Does that matter?” Assuming it was, he added, “Yes, I’m her fiancé.”
The clerk gave a disinterested nod. “Have a seat,” she said, pointing to a group of plastic chairs. “I’ll find someone to talk to you.”
The muscles in his cheeks flexed in agitation. He didn’t like not being directed promptly to Olivia.
Instead, he paced like a wild stallion in a corral. He knew arguing with a low-level clerk would do no good. He glanced at the wall clock and marked the time. He didn’t wait long before deciding that if someone hadn’t come out in five minutes, he was going looking for Olivia himself.
Four minutes later, Dr. Miller walked into the waiting area, a smile on her face. “They’re doing X-rays right now, but I don’t think she’s got a concussion. She’ll have a nasty bump on her head, but she’ll be fine.”
“Can I see her?” Mitch asked.
“As soon as the tech gets done taking pictures, I’ll come get you. Sit down, for heaven sakes. You’re making the clerk nervous.”
Mitch tapped his foot and huffed. “T’ain’t likely,” he growled, but did as he was told.
Time moved slower than molasses in December. Mitch paced, sat, watched a cattle report on CNBC, paced a couple of more miles around the waiting room, read a six-month-old Ladies Home Journal before—finally—Dr. Miller came to escort him to Olivia. He checked his watch. He’d been waiting for twenty minutes…the longest twenty minutes of his life.
Olivia was lying in a bed, a white wrinkled hospital sheet covering the lower half of her body. Her face was pale, but seeing her calmed his churning stomach. For the first time in the last hour, his chest eased enough to allow a deep breath. When she’d been on that floor, not speaking, her eyes closed, he’d known beyond a shadow of a doubt the feelings he’d had for her were still there…as strong as ever. He loved her, now and always. Whatever it took, he would win her back. He could fix whatever had to be fixed.
She opened her eyes. “Mitch. What are you doing here?” Her voice was weak, almost a whisper.
His long stride carried him to her bedside in two steps. “I wanted to make sure you’d be okay.”
He reached for her hand but she jerked it out of his reach.
The curtain opened and a tall man dressed in hospital scrubs walked in and smiled at Olivia. “Hello. I’m Dr. Gowen, the orthopedist on call this evening. I have good news and bad news. The good news is your ankle isn’t broken. The bad news is your ankle has a pretty bad sprain. Plus the MRI shows a small tear in the meniscus of the knee.”
“I tore the cartilage in my knee? Isn’t that serious? Do I need surgery?” After years of owning a gym and working with athletes, she knew what a torn cartilage was.
Mitch squeezed her shoulder. She suspected he meant the squeeze to be supportive, but instead she found herself growing irritated…with his uninvited presence and unwanted touch.
She needed to get home and get back to her life…her normal life. A life where it was just Adam and her. Her safe, uncomplicated life.
Dr. Gowen pointed to an anatomical picture on the wall, drawing her attention away from Mitch’s presence. “See this area where the round part of your knee meets the indented areas of the shin bone?”
Texas Two Step: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1 Page 7
