by Celya Bowers
“In a safe place. With Cole.”
Kendall knew the men had formed a bond over the last few months. She hadn’t realized it was so strong that Max would trust Cole on that level. Max didn’t trust easily. She knew Max needed a man to confide in, most likely due to some male code of bonding. But still, Kendall and Max had been friends for over six years. He could have given the pictures to her for safekeeping, but she also knew why he didn’t ask her. “That was very smart, Max.”
Max must have been reading her mind. “You know I couldn’t leave them with you. I needed someone no one would think would have the pictures. I just know Harry is going to hire someone to steal them.”
“You’re right. Caitlin knows you house-sit for me on occasion, so I’m sure a visit from an unannounced repairman is coming.”
Max nodded. “I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already. You know Harry isn’t going to let grass grow under his Italian loafers until he has me begging for mercy and taking whatever amount of money he throws at me to disappear.”
Kendall knew the next few months were going to be tough for everyone involved. “What about Carson? Are you going to fight for custody?”
Max looked at her with big blue eyes. “I want to, but I don’t want to subject him to more hurt. I probably should call Charles today and see what kind of chance I have at sole custody. Carson is Harry’s only grandson and sole heir to the Campbell fortune, so you can imagine what I’m up against.”
Kendall knew exactly what he was up against: a very rich and powerful mountain. Max was going to need a miracle.
* * *
Cole woke to a ringing phone. He didn’t want to get up. He wanted to sleep as late as possible, but the phone wasn’t going to let him. Reluctantly, he reached for it and pulled it to his ear. “What?”
He heard Charles chuckle. “And here I was thinking you were already up. My sweet, innocent baby sister isn’t there, is she?”
Cole sat up, laughing with his friend. “You know I wouldn’t tell you if she was. I’m not quite ready to die yet. What’s going on?”
“I heard about the baseball game. I can’t believe you didn’t invite me. I’m hurt,” he said. “I’m only your best friend, and you’re sleeping with my sister, but you forgot about me. And I’m also your lawyer. Man, I feel an increase in fees coming on.”
He knew Charles was only half kidding. No matter how good-natured Charles was, Cole knew he was deadly serious about Kendall. “All right, put away your violin. I plan on taking everyone to another game right after Kendall and I finish the last PSA.”
“Yeah, Mom mentioned the interview coming up. I’m glad Kendall’s going to realize her dream of InfaCare getting a cancer wing. I still can’t believe you donated a million dollars. Was that just so Kendall would have to go out with you?”
Cole weighed his options. Charlie was in his lawyer mode and no doubt had good reason to continue his line of questioning. “Yes, it was. You know Holly, who’s doing the interview, and I used to date.”
“Who could forget! It took you almost two years to recover from what she did to you. She almost ruined your career. And now she has the nerve to want to interview you. Is she why Kendall didn’t want to have anything to do with you?”
“Come on, Charlie. When I first ran into Kendall a few months ago, she treated me pretty bad in the beginning. She didn’t want to have anything to do with me because I’m a writer.”
“That wasn’t the reason.” Her brother didn’t elaborate. “So you hit her below the belt and did the Godfather thing of an offer she couldn’t refuse. I’m going to have to call the players’ club and nominate you for player of the year,” Charlie joked. “That’s a rather expensive date.”
“I did what I had to do,” Cole said. “Besides, it’s a tax write-off for me, and I needed some good press. It was kind of two for the price of one million,” Cole said. “So did you get the restraining order done?”
“Yes, I did. I had it delivered to her yesterday. But when has a little thing like a court order stopped Holly Banton? I don’t understand why you’re going to all this trouble. Why not just refuse to do the interview?”
Cole sighed. So much was riding on the success of the PSA and interview for Kendall, he couldn’t let her down. No matter how much he hadn’t wanted to do it, he had to suck it up. “Because it’s important to Kendall, so that makes it important to me.”
“So Mom is right. You’ve fallen hard, my friend, and for my baby sister, no less.”
“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know, Charlie. As much as I don’t want to see Holly, I have to endure it for Kendall. Holly called me after she saw me and Kendall kissing on TV. She still has my New York cell phone number and I haven’t changed the number to a Texas one yet,” Cole explained. “I couldn’t believe that aired all over the country. My agent even called me and congratulated me.” Cole chuckled, remembering the calls he’d received the morning after.
“You know Mom has marked you and is planning the wedding already? She was looking at a bridal magazine the last time I was over there.”
Cole knew that too. “Yeah, your mom and my mom put me and Kendall on notice. Kendall was a little upset about it. I thought it was funny. You know what our moms are like. The more you tell them no, the more they want it. I figure humor them for a little while and then they’ll move onto something else.”
“When my mom puts you on her agenda, you’re as good as gone,” Charlie said. “Hey, look at me. She did me the same way, over twenty years ago.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Cole knew his single days were over the first time he laid eyes on Kendall. He just needed to convince Kendall of that fact. “There’s a lot we have to work through first.”
“Namely, one Holly Banton.”
“And James Matthews,” Cole added. “He’s been all but stalking Kendall since he got back.”
“That scumbag is back in town?” Charlie yelled into the phone. “I thought he was still in Washington.”
“Charlie, calm down. Max told me he’s been hanging out at the hospital the last few days. He was supposed to have lunch with her a few days ago, but Kendall had some kind of emergency and had to cancel.”
“Good,” Charlie said in his protective brother voice. “I don’t want him anywhere near her.”
“You’re too late for that.”
“What?”
“He snuck into the subdivision a few weeks ago, but I took care of him.” Cole didn’t dare mention Kendall hurt her leg in the process, or Charlie would probably be gunning for James.
“Good. Thanks, man, I owe you one,” Charlie said quietly. “I’ll be your best man when you marry my sister.”
Cole laughed. “You know that’s so not funny, but you’ve got a deal.” He heard a beep on his phone. “Hey, gotta go, another call is coming through. Later.” He engaged the second call. “Hey, Max.”
“No time for chitchat. Get down to the hospital as quick as you can.”
Cole glanced at the bedside clock. It was barely nine in the morning. “Max, you’re not making sense. Why am I coming to the hospital? Is Kendall all right?”
“She won’t be if that no-account ex-husband of hers has his way. He just called and made arrangements for lunch.”
“What?”
“I’m telling you to get down to the hospital as quick as you can. James is taking her out for lunch, so you’d better have some kind of master plan by the time you get here.” He ended the call.
Cole threw the phone on the bed and headed for the shower. Hopefully the hot water would wake up his brain and he would come up with a plan that would get rid of James Matthews forever.
CHAPTER 26
Kendall was just finishing up a consultation with a new patient and her husband. As a rule, in just a few minutes of questions, Kendall could determine what direction to take. Russell Cagner was the newly elected mayor of Arlington. Both he and his wife, Melissa, were in their mid-forties. The Cagners had been trying to
conceive for years. Now, at the age of forty-four, Kendall was Melissa’s last hope.
After Melissa took a battery of tests, Kendall suggested a follow-up in a week to discuss their options and dismissed the couple.
Once she was in her office alone, she could actually close her eyes and relax. The room had started to spin counterclockwise again. It was probably just the stress of the interview, Cole, Max, Jami, and just about anything else she could think of going on in her life. How did her calm, collected, and very predictable life get like this?
All she wanted to do was curl up on the couch and take a quick nap, but knew that was impossible. Too many things required her attention. Her phone rang, interrupting her quiet time. “Yes, Jami?”
“James is here saying something about a lunch date,” Jami said cautiously.
Kendall sighed. She’d forgotten about the arrangements she’d made with James, but that was before the Cagners. She didn’t have the strength to deal with James and his game. “Tell him something has come up and I’ll need an hour.” Maybe a quick nap would regenerate her.
“Yes, Dr. Matthews,” Jami said and ended the call.
Kendall walked to her couch with a tired smile on her face and took a well-deserved nap.
* * *
James didn’t believe her one second. “She said what?” He knew Jami and Kendall had formed a bond, according to his hospital spies, but no way in hell did he have to believe anything that came out of the those full, pouty lips.
Jami replaced the phone in its cradle and smiled up at him. “She said something came up and she’s going to need an hour.”
James wondered if Coltrane Highpoint had anything to do with it. He had to talk to her, or his butt would definitely be in a major sling with his bosses. He probably shouldn’t have promised he could get Briarwood and InfaCare’s business, but he’d thought Kendall would be a piece of cake. That was before he knew about Coltrane Highpoint and the new Kendall Matthews. Now his task wasn’t as easy as he once thought it might be.
“So what’s it going to be, James?” Jami taunted him. “Shall I put you down for one o’clock?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back.” James stomped down the hall to do a little brainstorming.
He found a quiet corner and sat down. His mother was right; being good-looking was a curse. He’d always fallen back on his looks when nothing else worked. When he was married to Kendall, he took her for granted, had affairs right under her nose, and had paid the price.
There was a time Kendall would have dropped everything to do whatever he asked. What did Coltrane have that he didn’t? He noticed Max walking down the hall. Max was the advantage that Coltrane had.
His hospital spies had informed him of how tight Max and Coltrane had become in just a matter of months. Talk about having the inside track, James mused. Max was the direct link to Kendall, and Cole had it.
“James, what are you doing here?” Max asked, walking directly to him. “I thought you had a lunch date with Kendall,” he said, smiling.
“Yeah, me too. We had to push it back. Something came up.”
Max’s blue eyes expanded with shock. “What? An emergency and no one told me?” He whipped out his PDA and tapped on the screen. “That’s funny.” He turned off the handheld computer and shoved it in his pocket. “Nice to see you, James.” He took off for Kendall’s office.
James stared at Max’s back. Something was definitely not right. Maybe Kendall was putting him off, but being evasive wasn’t Kendall’s style. Or was that Kendall’s new attitude? Only one real way to find out. He took off for Kendall’s office.
* * *
Kendall was having a dream to end all dreams. She and Cole were somewhere tropical and it was just the two of them. No kids, no problems, just them. And they were doing something very wicked.
Cole was working his magic on her when Kendall heard a knock. She turned over, hoping to keep the dream, and feigned sleep. Then the knock became louder, demanding her attention.
“Kendall,” Max said, opening her door. He immediately turned on the lights. “What is with you lately? You’re always tired. Are you and Cole hittin’ it like that?”
She opened her eyes at her friend’s questions. Leave it to Max to ruin her dream. “I’m under a lot of pressure right now, Max. It’s just stress.” She yawned and sat up. “I needed a little nap to face James. I know he’s up to something, and he doesn’t know that I know.”
Max sat beside her. “And what could he want?”
“Briarwood and InfaCare.”
“Oh, he needs you to get the pharmacy thing going?”
“Pretty much. James doesn’t know, but I found out his true motive for moving back, and it has nothing do with the story he spun me. His mother isn’t sick. He didn’t get a promotion. In fact, he got a demotion. He didn’t ask for this territory. It was this or nothing.”
Max shook his head. “How did you find this out?”
“How else? His mother. I went to see Janet when he told me she had breast cancer. While I was there, she gave me the real story.”
“I can’t believe he did that,” Max said. “Check that, yes I can. Now what are you going to do?”
Kendall shrugged. “I’ll meet him for lunch.” Her eyes met Max’s scornful gaze. “Max, I was married to the man. I owe him lunch.”
“You don’t owe him squat,” Max said. “Don’t forget he knocked up a nurse, in your bed, I might add. So don’t try to go all melancholy on me.”
“Thanks for bringing me to my senses.” Kendall rose from the couch, straightened her dress and walked to her desk to retrieve her purse. “Now I’m ready to face the idiot.”
Max nodded, walking toward her. “That’s my girl.” He hugged her and left the office.
Kendall was about to leave her office when another knock came. “Come in,” she called.
James walked inside and closed the door. “I was just wondering if you were going to be a no-show or what. Are you ready?”
She didn’t want to trade barbs with James, but she wanted this lunch date over as quickly as possible. “Yes, I just need to check in with Jami and we can be on our way.”
He smiled. “Good.” He reached for her hand. “Shall we?”
Kendall moved past his outstretched hand. “Yes.” She opened the door and walked down the hall, leaving James to close it.
He caught up with her by the time she reached Jami’s desk. “I’ll be out about an hour,” Kendall told Jami unnecessarily. They’d already discussed her lunch appointment the minute James made it. “Any emergencies, please page me.”
“Yes, Dr. Matthews.” Jami handed her a message. “Phillip wanted to know about the shooting schedule for the PSA tomorrow.”
Kendall looked at the small piece of paper with her most professional doctor look, hoping to fool James. The note said nothing about a PSA. Jami had scribbled a wager that James would probably want her to drive. Kendall smiled. “I’ll call him when I get back.” Kendall turned to James. “Where did you park?”
He cleared his throat. “I was hoping you’d drive.”
Kendall heard Jami’s soft chuckle. Same old James. “You invited me, remember? So I don’t have to tell you what that means, right?”
James’ sure, confident shoulders sagged in defeat. “Yes, I know. My car’s out front.”
Kendall wondered what she’d ever seen in James Matthews. Clearly she had been blinded by those classic good looks and slippery words. “Lead the way.”
* * *
Cole was halfway out the front door when his good sense surfaced. If he got to the hospital, what was he going to do? How was he going to explain his presence to Kendall? If the shoe was on the other foot, how would he take this little maneuver if it had been Kendall spying on him?
He’d be livid, for sure. Pissed? Naturally. Kendall was a practical woman and knew what an ass James Matthews was. She just needed closure. With those thoughts, Cole relaxed and decided not to go to the hospital. He had to l
et Kendall handle James on her own terms.
* * *
An hour later, Cole was seated in his home office reading over his notes for his book. If he could knock out a chapter today and one over the weekend, he might just make his deadline with time to spare. The phone rang just as he was getting started. Since Taylor wasn’t home, Cole took it for granted it was either Taylor or Kendall.
He was wrong on both counts. “Cole, it’s nice to actually talk to you,” Holly said softly.
“I talked to you the other day.”
“I don’t think ‘leave me alone’ and hanging up in my face constitutes a conversation.”
Cole sighed. As if today didn’t have enough problems with Kendall having lunch with her ex-husband and Max having a crisis, now this happened. “It does in my book. Is there a reason for this call?”
“I need to talk to you. Alone. Without the spectacular Dr. Kendall Matthews at your side.”
“No. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of her. We have no secrets.”
“Does she know everything about you? I mean those years you abused me and made me have an abortion?”
In the four years he was with Holly, Cole had never raised a hand to her. When she ruined his life he’d felt like it, but his mother would have killed him. She was trying to bait him, draw him into a battle. He was ahead of the game for once, and it wasn’t going to happen. “I never hit you and you never had an abortion.”
“Yes, I did. I just never told you.”
“What?” Cole slumped down into the nearest chair. That was the last thing he’d expected to come out of Holly’s mouth.
She sighed. “Oh, don’t be such a drama queen, Cole. It was years ago, back when we actually had sex. I knew you’d want to do something silly like get married, and I was the anchor at CNT. I wasn’t about to go out on a maternity leave and possibly lose my job simply because I’d been stupid enough to get pregnant.”
Cole thought his brain was going to explode. Why was he just now realizing Holly was no better than his ex-wife? Their careers came above anything else, especially family. At least Gabriella hadn’t had an abortion. How could Holly be so cold and uncaring? “You killed my baby and didn’t bother to tell me?”
