by Dee J. Adams
The sun glared down on her and sweat prickled her back…probably because she was a hypocrite.
Maybe it was wrong to ask for help now, to pray for a miracle when she’d quit praying after her parents’ accident, but she had nothing to lose. “Please…please,” she murmured, “if you’re up there, don’t hold anything against Leo because of me. Help him through this. Get him through this. Not for me, but for him, for his child. Please.”
Looking deathly pale, Leo had never seemed so vulnerable and Kim vowed to see him through whatever the future had to bring. He was stubborn and proud and he wouldn’t want help because he didn’t want people to see him weak or at his worst. She knew that much about him. She just needed him to survive.
Kyle and a couple of other crewmembers ventured closer, offering silent support. She knew they’d do anything she asked of them. She just didn’t know what to ask.
She eased some hair out of another cut on Leo’s forehead. His skin was hot and clammy. She glanced over her shoulder, looking for the medic. “Leo, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. Just hang on, dammit.” Fresh tears nearly blinded her. “You, jackass,” she whispered. “I told you not to do the stupid stunt.”
The EMT returned, skidding to a stop and kneeling next to Leo. A few minutes after he’d readied an IV, the whap, whap, whap of a helicopter sounded in the distance. Kim didn’t ask if she could go, she just jumped on board after they’d loaded Leo on a gurney.
Yanic yelled something to her, but the sound of the rotors drowned out everything, including the loud beat of her heart. She didn’t hear anything anyone said, she only watched Leo, waited for him to open his eyes. To smile at her the way he did when he teased her. To wink with that cocky attitude that reeked of playboy. Kim held his bloodied hand in hers, praying the whole ride. The weight of the disaster turned her stomach in knots and the flight made her lightheaded.
The helicopter landed on a grassy area right outside a Las Vegas hospital emergency room and several personnel wearing scrubs ran out to meet them. They rolled Leo into the building at a run with Kim dashing behind.
Once inside, they whisked Leo into a treatment room and left her in the dust. Dazed, Kim looked around. She’d made it past the initial waiting area, but now stood out in the treatment room hallway. Doctors and nurses bustled by, not taking any notice of her or the blood staining her clothes. The white walls and white tile seemed to close in on her and Kim shut her eyes. A replay of Smokey going ballistic rolled in her head…the way Leo had fought to hold on and struggled to keep his seat. She’d never forget the excruciating seconds of watching him fly through the air before he hit the dirt and Smokey dragged him God only knew how many feet. Kim blinked her eyes open banishing the gruesome pictures.
The EMTs who’d flown on the chopper emerged from the room, wheeling their gurney and equipment between them. The taller one with sandy hair gave her a sympathetic smile. “He’s in good hands. Someone should be out soon and give you an update.”
“Yeah,” his partner said. His red hair glistened in the bright lighting. “This place is top notch and we made good time.”
Kim thanked them and they moved to the nurses station and took care of whatever paperwork they had to deal with. She’d never been very good at waiting, so she paced. When she caught her reflection in the treatment room window, she realized the scary picture she made. It wouldn’t do any good to be a mess when she finally got to see Leo, so she found the ladies room.
A look in the bathroom mirror told her more than she wanted to know. Blood streaked her cheek and forehead where she must have pulled hair out of her face and left a trail. Red smears and spots covered her clothes as well. Her eyes looked wide and wigged out, her skin pale. But it was the absolute fear of losing Leo that really scared her. The man had snuck under her skin without her even realizing it.
Yes, she’d been ready to walk out of his life, to raise their baby on her own, but she never imagined not having him alive.
Kim washed her hands and cleaned up as best she could, then went back to the treatment room hallway. A lone chair sat outside the next room so she scooted it over and sat outside his door. Something crinkled in her back pocket.
Leo’s note.
What could it be? He’d said it wasn’t about him. Was it about the baby? Her?
With shaking hands, Kim unfolded the piece of paper. Leo’s messy scrawl filled the space.
Kim,
If you’re reading this, then something happened to me. I have a trust set up, but with everything that’s happened in the last couple of months, I need your help. I know the money is scarce, but along with taking care of our baby, I need you to make sure my estate takes care of my little sister.
Little sister?
I told you The Marion was an estate of mine on the East Coast. It’s not. It’s an institution that specializes in special needs patients, and my sister has lived there for the past fifteen years. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I had my reasons. The important thing is to keep her where she is for her health and anonymity. I have a sizable life insurance policy that will ensure her care, along with the residuals my estate should get over the years to come. Please make sure the money is used for Megan’s care. She’s alone in the world now.
Thanks,
Leo.
Kim re-read the note three times. Her palms moistened the page the longer she held it in her hands. Her heart sunk to her stomach and that lightheaded feeling returned.
Leo had a sister. Not only that, but he wanted Kim to oversee her care. Sure they got along and she’d helped him a lot the last couple of months. Yes, they’d had some amazing sex and they laughed a lot and got along…but this? Was he serious?
She thought he trusted her two months ago when she helped him with his books, but he’d given her a bold-faced lie about his monthly twenty-one-thousand-dollar expense. The pain in her chest could’ve been the invisible knife he’d sliced through her heart. She shouldn’t be feeling this betrayed, so why did she? What did it mean that he trusted her with this information now? Didn’t he have anyone else? Was he as alone in this world as she was?
A sister? How ill was she if she lived in a facility that cost so much money, and how could Kim possibly take care of her?
And what about her baby? How was she supposed to take care of his sister and a newborn?
Leo’s head felt like a bowling ball stuck in a soda bottle. He tried to pinpoint one part of his anatomy that felt normal and couldn’t come up with anything. He opened his eyes slowly as he registered the sound of a machine humming next to him and caught the strong sterile smell in the air. The white walls of a hospital room came into focus. He wasn’t prepared for the shot to his heart when he saw Kim sitting in the chair next to his bed. He vaguely remembered nurses waking him up during the night, and Kim had been there to make him comfortable before he’d slid back into oblivion. With her legs tucked up close to her chest, she rested her head in the corner of the recliner, her eyes closed. He spotted the yellow note he’d penned crumpled in her hand.
Hell.
Shifting into a new position pulled the IV in his hand and he glanced at the stand next to the bed, dripping fluid into the attached line. Were there pain meds in that concoction or was that pure saline? He didn’t hurt nearly enough for what he’d gone through and that floaty sensation had him blinking slowly. Oh, yeah. Definitely pain meds.
Though a serious headache made him feel as if someone had jackhammered his brain, Leo had enough sense to know that he’d screwed up with the note. But one look at all that blood in the desert and he’d been pretty sure his number was up. How many stories made the news about people who fell, bumped their heads and ended up dead hours later from bleeding in the brain? Maybe that’s why he didn’t die…because he bled all over the place like a stupid faucet.
Once again, Kim had stayed with him. She’d been there for his financial crash and now his physical crash. Nothing seemed to throw her off. She wore a pair of blu
e hospital scrubs and looked like his private nurse. He sure as hell couldn’t have gotten through the day without her. She’d put out all the small fires while he’d dealt with the big ones. Hell, without her help the past few days, this whole shoot might not have happened at all. Not that he’d finished it.
Shit. So much for saving his movie and his finances.
He stared at the damn yellow paper and would’ve shaken his head if didn’t hurt so badly. She knew his secret. Not that he expected her to run to the press, but oddly, the fact that someone else knew about Megan almost relieved him. Even the lawyer who’d drafted his trust had died, so though everything was spelled out in black and white, it was nice knowing he had someone he could count on to make sure Megan would be taken care of.
Her eyes fluttered open and when she saw him, she was wide-awake in half a second. She sat forward, the tilt of her lips an indication of her concern. “Hi,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. In her eyes, he saw a mountain of worry and a ton of questions. He searched for the anger that must have been lurking since he’d lied to her. A giant lie that was going to destroy any trust she might’ve given him since they met. She’d been working her hardest to save him and he’d blatantly lied about The Marion.
“Hey.” He had no clue what to say and he sure as hell didn’t want to feel guilty for protecting his sister, yet that was exactly the emotion shredding his intestines.
They watched each other in one of the most sobering minutes of their two months together. There was so much on the table between them. So many sorrys and thank yous with more to come. So much history in so little time. Leo had no clue where to start. “Did they get the shot?” Definitely a stupid question, but he needed something to break the tension.
She closed her eyes, then glanced up at the ceiling like she might be looking for heavenly intervention. Leveling him with wide eyes so beautiful, she said, “I have no idea and frankly I don’t give a shit. Rex was right. The stunt was too dangerous. You shouldn’t have done it.”
At least she was talking about the stunt and not Megan. He felt obligated to remind her. “First stunt went off without a hitch.”
“You got lucky.” She was never one to pull a punch.
“No. I just got unlucky the second time. I rode Smokey through the whole production before this and he was fine. Something was wrong.” He was biding time with the Smokey subject, but he’d take any reprieve he could get. “Did anyone figure out what had him so spooked?”
“I have no idea. I stuck to you, so I don’t know what happened to Smokey.”
A hint of anger laced her tone. Because he was asking about the horse, because she’d been worried about him or because he’d lied to her? Probably all of the above. A perfect storm to piss her off. Either way, he liked that she cared enough to be mad. He liked it a lot. “You never got your ride.”
She snorted and he loved her sarcastic smile. “Ha. Trust me—I won’t ever get on a horse again after watching what happened to you today.”
He flexed his good hand, hoping to get the circulation moving. “It was a fluke.”
“It still scared the living hell out of me. I don’t know how you stayed in the saddle as long as you did.”
He didn’t either.
Another silence settled between them and he waited for her to bring up the elephant in the room…that damn note.
Her anger and sarcasm seemed to fade as she watched him. “How’s your head feel?”
It didn’t take him long to come up with a good analogy. “Like someone blew up my brain to double the size, but didn’t bother making my head bigger. Quit stalling.” May as well get this over with.
She didn’t pretend to play dumb, which only made Leo like her that much more and that was dangerous territory. She smoothed the paper out on her thigh and glanced over it before meeting his gaze. “How old is your sister?” she asked quietly.
“Nineteen,” he said, surprised at her calm. He’d expected more anger. Especially since his lie was out in the open. The Marion was obviously not a vacation spot nor had he unloaded the monthly cost. It was the only thing he hadn’t been honest about.
Kim nodded. Since she was a numbers girl, it would only take her a second to figure out that Megan was four when she went into The Institute. “Do you mind if I ask why she’s there?”
He didn’t have a right to withhold the information, especially after what he’d asked of her earlier. “She was born with Down Syndrome.”
She nodded again, but Leo saw the tightening of her jaw and guessed her thoughts. Who institutionalized a little girl with Down Syndrome?
“Megan is one of a small percentage who experience the worst side effects of the syndrome. She suffers from epileptic seizures, sleep apnea and thyroid disease. Those are just the top three. She has trouble communicating because she was also born with a cleft palate, totally unrelated to the Downs. Her IQ is probably twenty-five at best. My mother needed help taking care of her and when she died, I found The Institute. There was no way I could take care of her without the media finding out and I didn’t think Megan deserved that. She deserves her privacy. I can see a rag magazine plastering her on the cover and making me out to be some kind of monster for hiding her away, but…” Leo shook his head and wished he hadn’t when a sharp pain zipped behind his left eye. “I think she deserves the best I have to give, and that’s professionals who know how to help her. I sure as hell don’t know how.”
Leo chanced a look into her eyes. The silent reprimand was gone and in its place was compassion.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I couldn’t imagine having to worry about something like that.”
It was a bitch. How many times had he second-guessed himself early on? Especially in the very beginning before he’d found The Marion. Megan had been in two different facilities before Leo found the one that took care of her the best. He shrugged. “I’ve been doing it a long time.”
“Do you ever visit?”
“Yeah, just not as often as I should.” He’d tried to keep Megan on the West Coast, but hadn’t been satisfied with her care. The Marion had been head and shoulders above the rest and ultimately the place where Megan thrived. “I’d hate to see what happens if the media found out.”
“No reason they should. You know I’m not going to say anything.”
Leo swallowed the knot of emotion in his throat. It wasn’t that he needed to hear Kim say it because he knew she’d keep his secret. It was the knowledge that he could trust her so implicitly that touched him. Two months ago, he hadn’t considered telling her all his secrets, but now it seemed like the right thing to do. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“I wish there was something I could do,” she said, leaning over and taking his scratched up hand in hers. “You know, besides beating the hell out of you when you get out of here.” Her words lacked the heat to back them up, but verified Leo’s assumption. “I kind of get why you didn’t tell me, but I’m still pissed. Makes me wonder if you’ve got any other skeletons in the closet.” She lifted one eyebrow.
“No. That’s it.” Leo gave her hand a tight squeeze. He would’ve tugged her next to him if he’d had any strength. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’ve just been programmed to hide it. It wasn’t something malicious.”
She canted her head. “I know. That’s the only thing that’s saving you right now.” Her smile stretched wide and the playfulness in her eyes lifted his spirits like a double dose of the pain meds in his IV. She was grinning, holding his hand and not screaming at him. He couldn’t ask for much more than that. Unless he asked her never to leave him. Yeah, right. He blamed the drugs.
And there they were, back to that silence where they just watched each other and Leo caught himself falling hard.
“There’s one thing you do need to know and I didn’t want to tell you now, but your agent is a real bulldog. I guess he heard what happened and called immediately. He said the Jess Bryant role went to Channing Tatum.”
“
No fucking way.” He couldn’t catch a break. Except he wouldn’t trade anything for the way Kim looked at him now, with as much frustration as he had boiling in his gut. He had to finish this movie. It was his only hope.
When Kim leaned in and touched her lips to his, Leo figured maybe he had died and gone to heaven. Her smooth lips whispered over his in a feather-light stroke, barely a touch, but it had him wanting more, wanting all of her, mind, body and soul.
Chapter Thirteen
Hours later, Kim got off Leo’s phone and began clearing away the trash from his hospital dinner. As word of Leo’s presence zipped through the hospital, more and more people passed slowly by the door, all hoping to get a sneak peek at the action star.
Kim pulled the curtain closed. She’d never put herself in his shoes before. Never considered how the constant lack of privacy or anonymity could eat away at your life. In fact, the more time she had to watch the circus unfold, the more she realized why he’d hidden his little sister from public scrutiny. It was one thing to handle all of it when it centered on you, but it was something else altogether when the frenzy involved someone you loved. Someone defenseless and unable to speak for herself.
The whole idea was still hard to comprehend. This gorgeous, larger-than-life personality had a secret and he’d been dealing with it for more than a decade all by himself.
If she had to be honest, her first response had been anger. He hid his sister because she had Down Syndrome? What kind of person did that? But once he explained her condition, she understood. It took a team of professionals to care for someone with such major challenges. It was only lucky that he had a job and career that could afford the care Megan needed.
