As Alexa walked to the front of the room, she noticed the mother and little girl Casey had rescued sitting near the podium. Ignoring the press for a few moments, Alexa walked over to them. She’d discovered it had been the mother who had called Sydney.
“Thank you for calling my office and sending my family to me. I wasn’t thinking clearly that day,” Alexa said, reaching out a hand to stroke the child’s hair, shocked when the child reached out her arms to her.
Alexa took the child and held her live, warm body to her chest, keeping her back to the press while the cameras flashed.
“Is he—is Mr. Carter going to be okay?” the mother asked, her voice breaking. “Alicia got away. She’s—she’s so active—I . . .”
Alexa watched the woman’s lips tremble and felt her own throat tighten with emotion. She looked at Jenna, who walked to the mother and put an arm around her.
“Mama knows all about the challenges of raising a lively child with a mind of her own,” Jenna said with an easy laugh, making the woman laugh.
“Mr. Carter—Casey’s going to be fine,” Alexa said with confidence. “And he’s going to be very happy to know Alicia is fine, too.”
Alexa kissed the top of Alicia’s head before handing the child back to her mother. “I guess it’s show time,” Alexa said, raising her chin.
She shook hands with the hospital staff who had arranged the press conference, and then she stepped to the podium while the cameras clicked and flashed without stopping.
Alexa looked at Jenna, who handed her mother a pair of reading glasses she’d been holding and some note cards that had been stashed in her pocket.
Alexa put on a pair of very attractive readers and peered at the note cards. “I thought I would just tell the story, and then afterward answer any questions you have. First, let me thank the hospital and staff for the wonderful care they have shown us.”
An hour and a half later, the press were escorted out of the hospital by security guards.
Alexa and Jenna walked back to the ICU. Sitting just outside the door in the hallway was Allen Stedman, dressed all in black with arms crossed. A pair of dark sunglasses was clipped to the front collar of a tee shirt stretched almost beyond endurance across Allen’s massive chest.
“Ms. Ranger,” Allen said, smiling into his boss’s face, working hard to keep his eyes from straying to her incredible legs. He had never seen her dressed up before. More than simply gorgeous, Alexa Ranger wore her sexuality like other women wore jewelry.
“Allen? Are you guarding—” Alexa began, then stopped as she realized what he’d called her. “For heaven’s sakes, will you please call me Alexa? I’m not your mother.”
“No, ma’am,” Allen said respectfully. “You are definitely not my mother. I would appreciate it though if you would not tell Gunny Carter I admitted that.”
Alexa couldn’t stifle the laugh.
“Well, she’s my mother, so stop hitting on her,” Jenna told him resentfully, hands going naturally to her hips as she had to admit once again her mother had completely charmed the hottest man around.
“Jenna, you are insulting the man. Allen is teasing. He works for me,” Alexa said to her daughter.
“Allen, this is my daughter, Jenna Ranger. Jenna, this is Allen Stedman—Sydney’s potential replacement. You need to apologize.”
Alexa watched Jenna, relieved to see the frown lines start to disappear but almost laughed again to see disappointment lines take their place. She’d have fun later telling Jenna that Allen was extremely straight, as well as hot.
“Oh,” said Jenna, deflated that the man was gay. She sighed heavily. It was a shame she thought, eyeing Allen’s muscles with regret. Jenna also wondered why she’d missed the signs. Her radar was usually flawless and it seemed to her the man reeked heterosexual.
Then there was the way he’d teased her mother, she thought, getting angry again at the man’s comments.
Allen smiled at Jenna’s study, easily reading her wrong assumptions about his sexual preference, but not minding one bit. If Jenna Ranger hadn’t been Alexa’s daughter, it would have been a hell of a lot of fun to show her differently. She looked just like her mother, only—well, repressed—Allen thought sadly. It was practically a crime to waste such fine womanhood on a bad attitude.
Allen smiled at Jenna. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jenna Ranger,” Allen said, liking the blush that stole up the girl’s face when he said her full name.
“Rough day. Sorry for my rudeness,” Jenna said to him, “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Allen.”
Allen reached out a hand to Jenna to shake, pleased when she flushed even more as she shook it. Yep, sure was a shame she was Alexa’s daughter. It might have been a lot of fun loosening her up.
“Did Sydney send you?” Alexa asked, trying not to smile at her daughter’s obvious interest in her new office assistant.
“Something like that,” Allen said easily, not willing to admit yet he’d volunteered to guard the Gunny, as had several of Allen’s military friends. Though the original notification of the situation had technically come through Sydney, so he wasn’t exactly lying.
Gunny Carter was the reason Allen had looked up some old friends and talked to them about a side business of guarding people. When Gunny was ready to open his security business, Allen planned to have a staff of guard dogs waiting for orders.
“There’s a lot of press wanting to get an exclusive story,” Alexa told him. “They can be pretty clever.”
“Can’t be any more clever than Gunny Carter,” Allen said to her.
Alexa laughed. “Good point,” she said, sighing.
Allen grinned as the Ranger women moved passed him into the ICU area. He couldn’t stop himself from admiring the enticing view from the back as both walked away from him.
One was as exciting as the other, Allen thought, not the least bit shocked to find himself admiring both mother and daughter. He’d just have to remember never to look too long at Alexa when Gunny Carter was around, he thought with a laugh, turning his attention back to the numerous smiling nurses who spoke to him as they walked by.
Seth lowered his phone in shock when Alexa walked into Casey’s room.
“Well, I’ll be damned, Casey,” he said quietly, unashamedly looking Alexa over from head to toe as understanding came at last. This is what Jenna looked like in the blue dress, but what Alexa looked like whenever she wanted. “Full model mode—I get it now.”
Of course, he’d need to tell Casey again when he was actually awake and could hear him.
“Has he woken up again?” Alexa asked, coming over to lightly kiss Seth’s cheek in hello. Seth got a whiff of perfume and sighed. Yeah, he got it all right. And learning it made him wonder just how dumb he had been about a lot of things.
“No,” Seth said, “but he has been trying to move more. I think he’s coming out of it and feeling restricted. He’ll probably wake up mad as hell about the leg. Casey’s not a good patient.”
Seth stood and let Alexa take the chair. He smiled when she reached over and linked her hand with Casey’s.
“He’s going to hate that he missed seeing you dressed up,” Seth told Alexa, his eyes twinkling. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” Alexa said, a tear seeping out of one eye despite her best efforts. “I hope there will be plenty of other times for him to see me.”
Seth put a hand on her shoulder and reached down to kiss her cheek. “There will be,” he said firmly, believing it beyond doubt. “Is Jenna still in the waiting area?”
Alexa nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“I think we’ll grab some lunch and bring you something back,” he told her.
She nodded again, touched by Seth’s continued thoughtfulness.
*** *** ***
In the waiting area, Jenna watched Seth emerge from the ICU and walk straight toward her. Her heartbeat picked up pace, and she almost rose to go to him. He walked to her like he didn’t even see the othe
r ten people sitting there as well.
Jenna looked away, but it didn’t stop her from liking how right it felt.
“Hey,” Seth said, stopping in front of Jenna. “Let’s get something to eat. I told your mother we’d bring her back food. I don’t think she’s eaten much since yesterday.”
Jenna nodded, relieved Seth seemed oblivious to her reaction.
Seth reached out and took her hand, holding it despite the little tug of resistance he felt from Jenna. His phone buzzed in his pocket as they walked. Seth ignored it, which had Jenna lifting an eyebrow.
“Too much interference in the hospital,” Seth said to explain. That wasn’t the whole reason, but it was the one he knew Jenna would most easily accept.
“Cafeteria?” Jenna asked.
“Sure,” Seth said easily.
When they walked by Allen’s chair, Allen smiled and Jenna smiled back.
“Hey, Allen,” Jenna said, dropping Seth’s hand.
“Hey, Jenna,” Allen said in return, grinning at both Jenna and Gunny Carter’s kid, or whatever he was. Allen hadn’t got the story quite straight, but it didn’t take much to interpret the look in the man’s eyes about Jenna. He looked a lot like Gunny, Allen thought.
Seth frowned at Jenna as they continued down the corridor. “You know that guy?”
“Allen is taking Sydney’s place when he retires,” Jenna said with a shrug. “I just met him today when he was flirting with my mother.”
“He’s not interested in your mother,” Seth said bitterly, having caught the man’s assessment of Jenna’s rear.
“Yeah, I know. He’s a close friend of Sydney’s so I guess he’s probably gay,” Jenna said in a whisper.
“Yeah. Just keep thinking that,” Seth ordered, making Jenna laugh.
“You don’t think Allen’s gay?” Jenna asked, finding it funny that Seth would take an instant dislike to a man he didn’t know.
“Why would I care?” Seth asked in return, picking up Jenna’s hand again, only to be more annoyed when she pulled away.
“Right,” Jenna said, biting the inside of her lip. “I was just curious. He seems like a nice guy. I guess I’ll be seeing more of him if he replaces Sydney. Eventually, I’m sure I’ll find out.”
“No doubt,” Seth said, irritated with the thought of the muscle guy eyeing Jenna every time he saw her at the office. He looked at Jenna and wondered if she was really naïve enough to not know the man was interested in her.
“Why are you looking at me that way? You can’t honestly be jealous of a gay guy?” Jenna asked. “I thought we’d called a truce of sorts because of Casey.”
She did. Jenna honestly thought the muscle guy could be gay, Seth thought. He closed his eyes and willed the jealousy away.
“I’m not jealous,” Seth denied, lying outright. “I’m just stressed over Casey. Sorry if I’m coming across badly. If you want me to bring you back lunch, I will. You don’t have to go with me.”
The elevator arrived and they rode to the basement cafeteria as the only occupants.
“Don’t be silly,” Jenna said easily, leaning back against the elevator wall. “There’s no reason we can’t be friends.”
Seth sighed. He debated blasting Jenna with the hundred-reason argument running through his head, or plastering her against the elevator wall and kissing her until she admitted to wanting him.
“I appreciate your support,” Seth told her instead. “It helps me to have you here right now. I’m sure it helps your mother too.”
Seth let out a little sigh when Jenna picked up his hand and held it willingly. For now, he would take what she offered, he decided.
“That’s what friends are for,” Jenna said, squeezing Seth’s hand in friendly support.
It was all Seth could do to keep from punching a fist into the elevator wall.
Chapter 23
The first thing Casey saw when he woke was Seth sitting in a chair texting on his phone. He opened his mouth to speak to Seth, but what he said was “Alexa.”
“Jenna took her home to get some rest and a change of clothes. She’s been here the whole time,” Seth said, reaching to push the call button for the nurse.
“Where’s Susan?” Casey said, turning his head and seeing his leg in traction.
Seth froze. Was Casey reliving the past? Not good, he thought, reaching out to take Casey’s hand in his.
“How are you feeling?” Seth asked Casey softly.
“There was a bomb,” Casey said, gripping Seth’s hand.
“Not this time,” Seth said softly, putting his other hand on Casey’s arm. “You ran into the street to save a little girl. Do you remember doing that? A car hit you and you broke your hip again.”
Casey closed his eyes, trying to figure it out. “No.”
Then Casey groaned as the memories swirled, truth slicing through him. “Susan—Susan is gone?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Seth confirmed gently, watching the emotional pain race across Casey’s face as the past met the future. Seth hurt knowing that for Casey it was probably like losing Susan again.
“You’re in the hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, where you’ve been living with me,” Seth told him. “You’ve been—you’ve been unconscious for several days. They had to fix your hip again, and you’ve had a concussion.”
Casey closed his eyes. “Head hurts.”
“Yeah, I bet it does,” Seth said. “Let me call the nurse and we maybe can fix the headache.”
Seth pressed the alarm and called the nurse.
Casey suddenly gripped his arm tensely as pieces of the present started to return. “Alexa?”
“Thank god,” Seth said at last, letting out the breath he’d been holding. “Yes. Alexa is fine. She’ll be back in a little while. I’ll call her and tell her you’re awake.”
“No,” Casey said, closing his eyes. His vision of the beautiful woman was clear, but so was the one of his wife. It was making him ill. Had he cheated?
“No? What do you mean no?” Seth said, incredulous. “Alexa has been worried sick. I have to tell her you’re okay.”
“Stay away. Alexa, stay away,” Casey said insistently, gripping Seth’s arm.
“I can’t promise that,” Seth told him, “but I’ll tell her if you’re sure.”
“Please,” Casey said, drifting back off into the blackness again.
Seth looked at Casey with disbelief, wondering what was going through his cousin’s mind. How could Casey not want to see Alexa? He’d said nothing but her name for days, and now he didn’t want to see her. The situation was ludicrous to him.
“Fine,” Seth said, looking at Casey’s unconscious form again. “Make me the bad guy and pass out. Jenna probably will stop speaking to me when I break Alexa’s heart. I hope to hell you have a good reason for this.”
The nurse ran Seth out of the room just before the doctor came in to examine Casey. In the waiting area, Seth picked up the phone, looked up a number, and dialed.
“Yes. I need to speak with Dr. Logan urgently. Tell her this is Seth Carter and it’s an emergency.”
Seth left his number, and minutes later Regina called back. He explained what Casey had insisted he do, and Regina said she’d be there as quickly as she could.
“Shit,” Seth said aloud, after hanging up the phone. “I can’t believe I have to do this.”
*** *** ***
All things considered, Seth thought later, Alexa had taken the news as well as anyone could have. She’d simply sat down in a chair in the ICU waiting area and wept like her heart was broken while Seth watched, helpless to change the situation.
“If Casey wasn’t already hurt so badly, I’d kill him,” Seth said to Jenna, while Regina and Lauren hugged and soothed Alexa.
It barely registered to Seth that Jenna had put an arm around him in support.
“I’m sorry,” Seth said to Jenna, peering down into her earnest face. “I don’t understand what this is about. Casey has a strange way of loo
king at things sometimes.”
“There’s nothing else you could do but what Casey asked,” Jenna said reasonably, rubbing Seth’s back, “even if he is being a stupid man.”
“What does that make me then?” Seth asked sadly, not able to look directly at Jenna any longer.
“A caring person who is caught in the middle,” Jenna said sincerely.
Jenna gasped when Seth spun her into his arms so fast there was no time to second guess what he intended. His embrace was so tight, the press of his body to hers so warm and welcoming. Her arms wrapped around him before she remembered they weren’t supposed to want to hold him anymore.
“Thank you, Jenna,” Seth said, bending to kiss her mouth with both reverence and lust. “Take care of Alexa. I’ll see what I can do with my hard-headed cousin.”
Seth turned and walked away, determined to find out what was going on with Casey and fix it. Then he was damn well fixing his relationship with Jenna.
Jenna was glad Seth never looked back to see her standing there, hand to her still quivering lips. She understood now that Seth hadn’t accepted what she’d said about being just friends. Casey wasn’t the only hard-headed man in that family.
*** *** ***
Seth had to wait two days before Casey was alert and awake long enough to talk with him about Alexa. The nurse had barely closed the door to their new private room when Seth slid the phone closed and put it in his pocket.
“Okay. Enough is enough. What the hell is wrong with you?” Seth demanded.
“I’ve been told a car hit me,” Casey said shortly, looking away.
“Oh, hell no. That’s not it. I’ve seen you get blown up by a bomb, shot at, and several other kinds of hurt without feeling sorry for yourself. That pride of yours did not get dented by a damn car,” Seth said, crossing his arms.
Casey rotated his head slowly, doing the stretching exercises the doctor had recommended, stalling—but knew he was going to have to tell Seth the truth.
“I’m the bad guy who had to watch Alexa cry her eyes out over you. You owe me an explanation,” Seth demanded.
Casey thought he probably did, but it wasn’t flattering to him, Susan, or Alexa.
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