More Than Words, Volume 7

by Carly Phillips

  Kyle had stopped having anything to do with his father when it became apparent the old man only cared about his son’s ability to buy him more booze. Enabling the old man was a distraction Kyle didn’t need in his regimented life and he’d been forced to set down a new rule between father and son: no rehab, no relationship. But unlike his family dysfunction, Julia had come from a stable home, at least until her sister’s illness struck, isolating her from her parents, who spent all their time at the hospital. It was during that time when they’d met and formed their strong bond.

  He could see now that he’d been young and stupid, assuming she’d give up her life for his. Selfish. He’d known what she’d been dealing with at home, yet he’d expected her to leave it all behind. And when she hadn’t, he’d gone off to follow his dreams, holding on to his anger as if he’d been the only one hurt.

  At the realization, he felt the weight of the responsibility he’d never accepted, and any lingering anger disappeared.

  This was Julia, his Julia.

  For him, the years had melted away. For her, the distance clearly remained. Her body language—her rigid shoulders and tight expression—told him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t expect any more of him now than she did then. She was here for the boy and hoped Kyle would give some of his precious time to the child she’d taken under her wing.

  He strode to her side, his hands curled into tight fists to keep from reaching for her, the urge to do so strong. “When can I meet Michael?” he asked, broaching the safest subject he could think of.

  Julia pivoted toward him. “As soon as possible!” Her eyes were alight with excitement and gratitude—the first sign of happiness he’d seen yet.

  “Tomorrow’s a day off. I can stop by the hospital later in the day.”

  “That’s perfect. Thank you! I wonder if I should tell him? Or let him be surprised?” She spoke more to herself than to Kyle as she picked up the purse she’d left on a chair, getting ready to leave.

  He wanted to catch up, to ask her to dinner, but he refrained. She was clearly uncomfortable around him and he wasn’t sure how to deal with his sudden one-eighty when it came to her. Besides, thanks to a boy named Michael Cortez, Kyle knew for sure he’d be seeing Julia tomorrow.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Knowing she would be seeing Kyle again tomorrow, Julia barely slept. She woke up cranky, exhausted, and though she hated to admit it, excited too. And not just because she couldn’t wait to see Michael’s reaction when he came face-to-face with his idol. Julia wanted to see Kyle.

  She was curious about the man he’d become, intrigued that his larger-than-life persona still held hints of the boy she’d once known.

  The morning hours dragged by and the afternoon ones seemed even longer. By her four-o’clock break, she headed for the cafeteria, taking her usual seat and nursing a cup of coffee because she didn’t need the caffeine to make her any more jumpy than she already was.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  She glanced into the handsome face of Dr. Richard Montoya. “Of course not.” She waved a hand toward the empty chair across from her.

  He sat down, somehow looking elegant in his scrubs from a surgery earlier that morning. “So the hospital grapevine is buzzing. Is it true you arranged for Kyle Hansen to come meet Michael Cortez?”

  She nodded. “It’s true.”

  “Then why don’t you sound more excited? You’re giving the best medicine to that boy.” Richard smiled, approval and admiration in his gaze.

  Because in fulfilling the young boy’s dream, Julia had also brought back a whole host of feelings she thought she’d put behind her forever. She didn’t know how to deal with them, but she wasn’t about to admit as much to Richard.

  “I’m just tired,” she said instead. “How are you?”

  “The same. Manny’s latest bloodwork wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. We may have to change protocols for his treatment.”

  Julia shook her head, not surprised that when she asked Richard about himself, the subject turned to his patients. It was just one of the reasons she’d consistently refused to go out with him. She’d been out with enough doctors and paramedics who had shared dinner and graphic stories of anonymous patients. She no longer dated men who didn’t know how to separate their personal and work lives. At work, she was surrounded by illness on a daily basis and she’d had plenty of it in her past. In the little free time she had in her personal life, she wanted fun, not sadness.

  But that didn’t make her unsympathetic. Especially for this patient. “I’m so sorry,” she said to Richard. “I know how much you were hoping this protocol for Manny would do the trick.”

  He reached out, covering her hand with his. “That’s what I appreciate most about you, Julia. Your compassion and understanding. That and your beauty.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  She appreciated the compliment, but she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about them. Of course she’d been tempted to go out with him. What woman wouldn’t be? Richard was a handsome man, his olive skin made darker by the Florida sun, and her mother would be thrilled because he was a doctor. A doctor who was looking for the right woman to be his wife.

  Even if he wasn’t obsessive about his work, Julia had no intention of getting involved with any man who wanted something serious. She was the first to admit she had issues with the opposite sex. Both her father, the first man in her life she’d ever loved, and Kyle, the one she thought she’d given her heart to forever, had abandoned her in different ways. She wouldn’t trust another man that intimately ever again.

  Richard thought she was playing hard to get and the man was persistent, hoping to wear her down, joining her for lunches and breaks.

  She treated him to a smile. She was about to respond to his remark when the normal cafeteria chatter suddenly stopped and all eyes turned toward the entrance.

  Without looking, Julia knew what caused the awed silence and her stomach jumped in anticipation. Before she could fully prepare, Kyle joined them, his powerful presence sucking up the oxygen in the room.

  “The nurse on the pediatrics floor told me I could find you here,” Kyle said by way of greeting.

  Richard’s hand remained on hers, a fact Kyle didn’t miss, if his narrowed gaze was any indication.

  “You’re early.”

  “I didn’t think you’d mind since we still have a lot of catching up to do.” His silky voice rippled over her with all the warmth of a long kiss.

  Richard rose to his feet. “Kyle Hansen? I’m a huge fan.”

  Julia gathered her wits and stood up to introduce them. “Kyle, this is Dr. Richard Montoya. Richard is the head of pediatric oncology here at Caridad del Cobre.” She turned toward Richard. “Obviously Kyle needs no introduction,” she said.

  The two men stared at each other long after the greeting had ended. Julia had the distinct impression they were sizing each other up. Male posturing at its finest.

  She rolled her shoulders in a futile attempt to relax. Not happening, she thought, her stomach still churning.

  “I didn’t realize you knew the Miami Suns’ star pitcher personally,” Richard said, treating her to the perceptive stare she’d seen him use on residents and nurses alike. The look that had them shaking in their Crocs and admitting to all sorts of errors and mistaken judgment calls.

  “Kyle and I go way back,” she said, deliberately vague.

  “High school sweethearts,” Kyle supplied ever so helpfully.

  She shot him an annoyed glance. If she’d wanted Richard to know their personal business, she’d have told him herself.

  “Well.” Disappointment etched the doctor’s features. His brow furrowed, and his lips formed a definite frown. “Now I understand why I never stood a chance.” The normally confident Richard was beating a retreat.

  “I never said you didn’t stand a chance! And he’s not the reason I wouldn’t date you.” She jerked a thumb toward Kyle, hating the way she was screwing thin
gs up even more. “What I mean is…I don’t know what I mean,” she said, resigned to leaving things a mess between them.

  And furious at Kyle Hansen for getting in the middle of her life again.

  Ignoring her, Richard turned to Kyle. “I think it’s a great thing you’re doing for Michael Cortez. He needs special treatment right now.”

  “Thanks. I intend to see that he gets it,” Kyle assured the other man.

  “And I need to return to my patients.” For a brief moment, Richard’s gaze settled on Julia. “I’ll leave you two alone to…reminisce.”

  Regret filled her. Even if his assumptions were wrong, she’d obviously hurt him. “Richard…” Her voice trailed off.

  He’d already walked away.

  “Well, that was unnecessary,” she said to Kyle.

  The corners of his mouth tilted in a sexy grin. “What? Telling him the truth?”

  The man had a point, much as she hated to admit it. But Richard had read more into said truth—and that bothered her. Unfortunately she couldn’t say as much to Kyle, who looked pleased with himself for having driven the other man off.

  Julia glanced at the clock on the wall. Instead of giving him the satisfaction of catching up, she decided to get directly to business. “Do you want to meet Michael? He should be here by now.”

  Kyle didn’t miss a beat and extended his hand to let her go first. “Lead the way.”

  She headed out of the cafeteria and followed the familiar route back to the children’s wing.

  Kyle slipped a hand against the small of her back. An intimate gesture and one so very adult, it took her off guard. For the first time, she responded as a woman and not the young teenager head over heels with the idea of first love.

  Kyle’s presence had knocked her routine existence right out of the ballpark. Or in her case, the hospital. And she wasn’t the only one affected by the man. Every person they passed, male and female alike, turned to stare at the superstar. Nurses, patients, family members and doctors nudged each other, pointed and whispered. A bold few stopped him for an autograph.

  Kyle smiled, made small talk, signed one person’s magazine, another one’s arm, and never lost patience. He drew a crowd and ultimately Julia got nudged out of the way.

  She leaned against a far wall and waited for him to finish, giving herself far too much time to think. This was a major part of the reason she’d never have agreed to go with him to Seattle. He’d had a big future ahead of him and she hadn’t wanted to live hers in his shadow. That, and she’d held on to the futile hope that her sister would recover and she’d get her family back the way it used to be.

  The one thing she’d never counted on was her sister dying and her parents falling apart. While Julia had been left to grieve alone, missing her sister and her parents, they’d coped by withdrawing even more. They didn’t need her. Even after Meggie died, they hadn’t turned to Julia. They’d barely turned to each other. Then Julia had gone to college and they’d sold the house—too many memories, they’d said—and moved to Georgia. After college graduation, Julia had opted to return to the familiar in Florida, not the distant parents she barely knew in a state that didn’t feel like home to her.

  So as she waited for Kyle to part from his fans, she was grateful for the reminder that their differences had grown exponentially in the intervening years.

  “Sorry about that.” Kyle came up beside her, bursting into her thoughts.

  She forced a smile. “Comes with the territory, huh?”

  He nodded. “The fans fill the stands and that pays my salary.” He shrugged. “You get used to it.”

  She didn’t see how she ever would. “Do you enjoy it?” she asked, curious how he really felt about the attention.

  “I used to.” He met her gaze with an unexpectedly serious one of his own. “Now it’s a necessary evil.”

  The admission surprised her. It eased the anxiety that had been building inside her since she’d been pushed aside. Which was ridiculous, since how he felt about his fame had nothing to do with her.

  “Shall we?” She tilted her head in the direction of the lounge where Michael waited.

  He nodded and they strode back down the hall.

  Smack. Smack. Smack.

  She heard Michael before she saw him and paused outside the entrance to the visitors’ lounge, the rhythmic sound never stopping.

  “Baseball gives Michael comfort,” she explained.

  “Something he can count on in a world where nothing else is certain,” Kyle said, his voice suddenly thick. “I remember.”

  Julia’s own throat had filled. “I’m sure you do.” He’d never had anyone he could count on.

  They’d had that in common. She’d gone from having parents who’d attended every art show she’d been in, every game when she was a cheerleader…to parents who’d had no energy or emotional support left to give.

  But Kyle, he’d never had anyone. And suddenly she wondered how he’d managed all these years. Whether he’d kept in touch with his father, an alcoholic who’d never cared about his son, only his next drink. Unlike Kyle, who’d been the man of the house before he even knew what that meant. He’d had a protective instinct that she’d always admired, even for the parent who’d abandoned him in every way except for being physically present.

  She could wonder, but she wouldn’t find out. She might have told Kyle she wouldn’t go with him, but he’d walked away and never looked back. The only reason he was here now was for Michael. He’d come for the teen. Not for her.

  They were finished almost a decade ago.

  “Michael’s a great kid, but he’s got attitude,” she warned him.

  Kyle laughed. “He’s a teenager. I get it. I can handle him.” He met her gaze and brushed a strong knuckle over her cheek.

  She trembled at the unexpected touch, feeling his warmth from the tips of her toes to the pit of her stomach. She knew Kyle could handle the teen.

  What she didn’t know was whether she could handle Kyle.

  “Do you want to prepare him?” Kyle asked. “Let him know you’re the one who made it happen?”

  She shook her head. “This isn’t about me. It’s about him.”

  As if by unspoken agreement, she and Kyle silently peered into the visitors’ room.

  Michael sat on the couch, knees bent, tossing the ball into his mitt, over and over. His dark hair fell over his face. He wore his number 22 jersey, his expression sullen.

  She wondered, as she often did, what he was thinking as he smacked that ball into the glove. Did he have an imaginary target in that mitt? Or had he just numbed out, trying to remain oblivious to disappointment and pain? She remembered doing both, expressing her emotions in her drawings and venting them in her diary, while maintaining a stoic mask.

  She eased back out of sight.

  Unnerved by the reminders of her childhood, she cleared her throat before speaking. “I think the element of surprise would be fantastic.”

  He grinned. “You’re the boss.”

  Julia stepped back so Kyle could work his magic.

  He knocked once on the door frame and strode inside. “I heard there’s someone in here who loves baseball as much as I do?”

  Michael didn’t look up. He didn’t break the monotony of pounding the ball into the glove.

  Undeterred, Kyle continued into the room, stopping short of the couch where the young boy sat. “I also heard you’re a pitcher.”

  Michael merely grunted.

  Julia leaned against the wall and gripped the door frame hard in her hand. Michael was a tougher nut than she’d thought. Kyle’s words hadn’t even piqued his interest.

  Kyle must have sensed her distress. He glanced back at her and winked.

  With that one simple gesture, he guaranteed her that he’d have Michael in the palm of his hand. Heaven knew he had her right there already.

  “Maybe I could give you some pointers?” Kyle offered the boy.

  “What makes you think you can
?” Michael asked, all attitude and arrogance. He never once glanced up.

  “One Cy Young and a ninety-five-mile-an-hour fastball, that’s what.”

  The commanding voice, the confident tone and the words themselves caught Michael’s interest. His dark head snapped to attention, his gaze settling on Kyle’s broad chest and familiar face.

  “Kyle Hansen! Cool!” He jumped up from the couch, his precious ball hitting the floor with a thud.

  Michael’s initial curiosity changed to shock, awe and finally total admiration. Julia’s heart completely melted at the sight. Her instinct to bring Kyle here had been on target. But in the end, it was Kyle’s willingness to meet the boy that made all the difference. And it was Kyle’s help that might change the course of Michael’s life.

  Julia eased out of the room and left the two alone to get better acquainted.

  Her job here was done.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Julia headed to her office where she buried herself in paperwork. Not a difficult thing to do when there were piles everywhere she looked. Working for the hospital brought her joy, sadness and plenty of administrative duties. But today, not even the stacks of work could hold her attention for long. Her focus was on the two people in the other room—the teenager who silently cried out for attention and the big bad baseball player who still held a part of her heart.

  Yeah, that hurt to admit. She’d spent years convincing herself she was over him, only to discover it wasn’t that simple.

  “Knock knock. Mind if we come in?”

  The sound of Kyle’s voice startled her and Julia jumped in her seat. “I guess I got lost in my work after all,” she said to herself. “Come on in.”

  Michael stepped in first, followed by Kyle. His massive presence took up her entire office, which wasn’t all that large anyway.

  He stood with his back to a Georgia O’Keeffe print, and though his masculinity should have overpowered the more feminine flower, Julia realized that the oversize floral was like Kyle himself, big, imposing and extremely compelling.

  “What can I do for you two?” she asked, aware that Michael’s eyes had a light and life she’d never seen before.