For You I Will

by Hadley Raydeen

  She lifted herself from his chest and looked at him. “I mean, I know I have no problem calling you on your shit, Mr. Morrow.” He chuckled at her. She continued, “But, seriously, it looks like both of us have a lot to work on, but I know we can do it together.”

  He cupped her face in his hand and stared at her. “For you, I’m most definitely willing to try.”

  Chapter 15

  The next morning, when they woke, Daniel did not want to let her go. He also didn't want to push his luck with the whole taking control thing. But after she shared her personal life with him, he had a sense of protection now over her. He wanted to hold on tight and let her know he was there for her.

  There was plenty of time for that, but for now, he knew she had to get back home to shower and change so they could meet the event planner to go over the details for the board meeting the next day.

  In the doorway of his home, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed the top of her nose and then her lips causing her to giggle and blush. That had to be his new favorite sound; Callie sated and happy. He’d let her know just how much she did the same for him as many times as possible during the night. His appetite for her was insatiable. He’d need another taste as soon as possible.

  “Daniel, I have to go or we will be late to meet with Lana. We can pick this up later.” She tried pulling away from him.

  “You read my mind. We will definitely pick this up later. I’ll be thinking about it all day.” He let her go with reluctance.

  A few hours later, after several cups of coffee and a few delicious pastries, they had a plan in place for the board lunch the next day. They’d also locked in the events to present to the board and how they would move forward with Harmon and Associates.

  After they said goodbye to Lana Cooper, the event planner, they exited the coffee shop together. “Have you heard anything from Maggie about Paul's condition?” She turned and looked at him. He saw in her eyes the concern and he knew it mirrored in his.

  “I text her and asked if there was any update and told her what we were up to with the event planner this morning. I wanted her to share it with him. So, he knows we are taking care of things. She told me there’s no need to come down there, his condition is the same, but I feel like I need to check in.”

  Callie raised an eyebrow, but she nodded her understanding. “Have you heard from their sons at all? Did they make it in?”

  “Yes, they are here. One of them messaged me and said his father is not doing well. I just feel like we need to go, Callie.”

  “Absolutely, we should.” She looked up at him.

  “Are you sure? I don't want to—”

  She cut him off. “Of course I don’t want to go to the hospital. Who really does? But, I have to do this. I don't want to have another instance where I'm too late and don't get to say my goodbyes. If Paul is declining, and won’t be with us much longer, this is an opportunity for me to do that. I need to do this, Daniel, like it or not.”

  He nodded. “Then, yes, we should go. Will you follow me in your car?”

  “You know, if you don't mind, I can go with you. My car is in the lot, and the hospital is just around the corner. No sense in paying the parking fee twice. We can always come back for the car.”

  He couldn't help the grin from splitting his face. Whatever was happening between the two of them, he was getting through to Callie. She was opening up to him more every day. To think, just yesterday she wouldn’t get in the same vehicle with him. “Let's go then.” He rubbed his hand down the length of her back and guided her toward the lot where his vehicle was parked.

  They entered the busy hospital and sought out the information desk. According to Maggie’s text earlier, Paul had been moved to a private room during the night in another wing of the hospital. They would need to get his exact room number before they could go up to see him.

  As soon as Callie stepped through the doors, her body tensed. Daniel brought his hand to the small of her back, guiding and reassuring her he was there for her and it eased her tension.

  “It’s okay, kitten. I’m right here with you,” he whispered next to her ear.

  She shook her head. She was okay, for now. She took his hand. “I’m okay. Thank you. Do you know what room he is in now?”

  He looked down at their linked hands and then back in her big, brown eyes. “I text Ty, Paul’s oldest son, to let him know we were on our way. He’ll come down to meet us. Good thing since it seems no one is working today,” he said, looking at the empty information desk.

  Callie turned in the direction of the elevators, wondering if she would recognize ‘Ty’ or any of the Harmon brothers. She had never met any of Paul’s sons. But she’d seen the pictures he’d shown her and he talked about his boys all the time with so much pride. Those conversations would include Daniel. He talked about him too as if he were his own son. She looked back at the man by her side. It made her a bit envious he was so close to Paul’s family. She wished she had taken the time to get to know Maggie and the sons, too. They seemed like they would be a great addition as the family she didn't have as a young adult. The problem with that were the walls she’d built. But, maybe it was time to let that all go and let more people in.

  A man approached them; tall, dark and devastatingly handsome. He looked just like the younger version of his father. His chestnut colored skin was flawless behind the five o’clock shadow he sported along his hard set jaw. He stood over Daniel even though he was a good 6’2”. This guy had him by a good two- three inches. A smile of pearly whites broke out across his face as he approached them. He and Daniel bear hugged right in the hospital lobby. The man thumped Daniel on the back a few times before stepping back to give him a once over. “Man, I haven't seen you in God-knows-how-long. How you been?” Callie detected a bit of a drawl in his tone. Something you pick up at times when you are in the south for a long period of time, regardless if you’d been raised in the northeast. She recalled Paul said all his sons had moved out of state for college, but she wasn’t exactly sure this particular Harmon brother had gone.

  “Doing well, brother. Good to see you, too. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances,” Daniel said, his smile faltering.

  “Yeah, I know. Pops is not doing well. It’s worse than any of us knew; anything Mom and Dad told us, or we would have been back here, Dan. You know that.” Daniel shook his head in understanding and Ty continued, “I'm glad you decided to come through tonight. Mom's exhausted and Dad could use some visitors, some people he knows and loves other than all of us hovering left and right.” He offered a smile as he turned and looked at Callie. “I'm sorry. Tyonn Harmon. I'm the oldest of their three sons. Well, except for this guy, I’m the middle son since he has me by a few years,” he joked, punching Daniel lightly in the arm.

  “I’m not that much older. Watch it, buddy.” Daniel warded off Ty’s punches.

  He turned back to Callie. “I'm assuming you’re Callie? Pops talked about you a lot. You were his right hand person in the law firm.”

  “Yes, Callie Johnson, pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry we haven't met before now.”

  “Right. I feel bad I haven't come home more often. Do you work with Jayla Williams?” he asked.

  Callie sliced a glance at Daniel. Jayla was the Sr. Legal Assistant that had a problem with Daniel the other week. “Yes, actually Jayla reports to me. Really nice woman.”

  Ty looked thoughtful for a minute before he changed the subject. “Hmm, yea. Well, I wish we would have known about this sooner. You know how he is. So stubborn. Not wanting any of us to worry. Thanks for calling me, bro. I know you caught hell for it from Mom and Pops but we needed to know. Something we should have known. Now we're on borrowed time.”

  Callie watched the man speak knowing he was holding back tears, not wanting to get emotional in the middle of the hospital lobby. She knew the feeling. It was devastating knowing your parents were lost to you. Even more so watching it happen and
not able to do a damn thing about it. She had been mad at him before, but Daniel was right for telling them they needed to know. They needed to be here to say their goodbyes to their father. The men must have shared more words when she was deep in thought.

  Tyonn clapping Daniel on the back shook her from her self-reflecting. “Come on, bro. I'll show you where they moved him. He was awake when I came down here. They finally got him to eat a little something. He’s been sipping on broth to keep up what strength he can.” They walked out of the lobby following the man to the elevators. “Zay…” He turned to Callie to fill her in on the new name. “That’s one of my brothers, Izayah. He took Mom to go get some food. She's been posted up by Dad’s bedside for the last twenty four hours. I don't even know if she's gotten any sleep.”

  “I tried to tell her she needs to take care of herself, but…” Daniel shook his head.

  “But she's just as stubborn as Pops.” Ty finished the thought. “No wonder they've been going strong damn near forty years. I really don’t know how she’s going to be once he's gone. He’s always been her rock.”

  “He’s been that for all of us, man,” Daniel said, laying a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

  When the elevator arrived, they all stepped in the car and Ty hit the button for what Callie could see was the fifth floor marked ‘oncology’. She tensed as the elevator doors shut, but Daniel was right next to her and took her hand again almost immediately. Ty let out a low whistle noticing the gesture between the two of them. “So is there something I should know?” he teased, trying to clear the air of tension.

  “Shut up, man,” Daniel chuckled, looking down at Callie. She saw the mischief swirling around in his deep blue eyes.

  Ty continued as the elevator made its slow accent. “Well, I'm just asking. You two walked in here kind of close. Now you're holding hands... From what I heard, you two didn't get along very well before. Did something change?”

  Callie could feel her cheeks burn and just knew her face glowed a nice shade of red at the friendly ribbing.

  “Let’s just say we came to a bit of an understanding, but we’re all good now,” came Daniel’s vague response as he squeezed Callie’s hand in reassurance. She was glad he didn’t spill their business. What was going on with them was between them. She was glad the usual vocal Daniel understood that.

  Tyonn nodded his head. “I hear that. I'm not mad at it. If anything, it would make more sense to work together and not apart or else the whole thing would go up in flames. From what Mom told me, the board of Dad's firm is a stickler for law and order, T’s and I’s done up with crosses and dots and shit.” Tyonn laughed.

  “To say the least.” Callie found her voice.

  “Yea?” Tyonn eyed her for a second. “Well, it seems everything is working out just right. But, you two are going to have a hell of a time working on that.”

  “Man, you're not kidding,” Daniel said as the elevator came to a stop at the fifth floor and the door slid open.

  “I know you have it, bro. Dad knows she does too, or else he wouldn't leave you in charge. He trusts you, Daniel. Now it's time you trust yourself. And this lovely lady, here...” Tyonn said sliding a glance at Callie.

  “Hey, now. Watch yourself, man. This is my woman…”

  Callie felt her insides flip when he said, ‘my woman’. She didn’t hear much else he had to say after that. They hadn't talked about being exclusive, but the way things were going the last couple of days, she found herself hoping it was headed in that direction. Especially since she'd woken in his arms the last few mornings and she hoped to fall asleep in the same spot tonight. He had mentioned those were his intentions this morning before he let her leave. She liked that they were in the same head space when it came to where things were going. But, right now the focus was Paul and the outcome of the firm. They could talk about everything else later.

  “Yea yea, man, ain't nobody trying to take your lady. I respect what you have. And, I respect anyone that can get that Oscar the Grouch look off his damn face,” he said to Callie. He offered her a grin, and she came back to the conversation and smiled back at him. “Come on. Dad's room is just down here. Follow me.”

  Tyonn took the lead, and they followed behind him, but not before Callie caught Daniel looking at her. She looked up at him, and he winked at her, squeezing her hand. Her cheeks flushed again. The way he looked at her, knowing the way they had been with each other the last few days, was all new to her. She wasn’t used to letting go like this and letting someone in. She definitely didn’t think it would be easy. But, Daniel made it that way.

  By the time they reached Paul’s room, she realized she hadn't thought about being in the hospital for more than a minute. She felt at ease by his side even though the circumstances surrounding their visit weren’t ideal. Daniel’s presence helped ease her anxieties. She thought about Paul’s words. ‘You’ll need each other. Be there for him, he’ll be there for you.’ He’d been right. But now that they were at Paul's room, dread set back in. She would have to see the man she loved like a father on what could, and mostly likely would, be his deathbed. She entered the dimly lit room. Monitors beeped. Fluid dripped through IVs. All while Daniel still held her hand.

  Another man, that looked quite like Maggie, sat at the foot of the bed talking quietly to the older man lying in front of him.

  He turned when they entered the room and jumped up from where he sat. “Dan the man. Hey, bro,” he said coming over to Daniel as they shook hands and then did the one-handed hug men often did in greeting. “It’s good to see you, man. Looking good, sharp as always, old man,” the younger guy said, playfully punching Daniel in the shoulder.

  Daniel laughed. “The kid still has jokes,” he said looking at Tyonn before looking back at the younger man. “Would still have no problem schooling you on the basketball court, X.”

  “Now who has the jokes?” X laughed. “And, my my… Who is this?” The younger man asked stepping up to Callie, taking her hand. “How are you? I’m Xavier Harmon, the youngest, and most handsome of all these men. A pleasure—”

  Paul spoke up from the bed. His raspy voice cut his youngest son off mid-brag. “Xavier, that is Callie Johnson. She is like my daughter; therefore, your sister. She is also clearly with Daniel, which is a surprise to us all.” Paul spied their linked hands and chuckled through his coughs. Callie attempted to drop Daniel’s hand, but he held on tight. She looked up at him and he gave her a look like he refused to let her go, despite the friendly family ribbing. She relaxed her hand and let him keep hold of it.

  “Oh, so this is Callie? I was just joking, sis. I’ve heard so many good things about you. My dad thinks very highly of you. And, watch out for this knucklehead.” He thumbed in the direction of Daniel. “He needs a good kick in the ass every once and again,” Xavier said, winking at her. She laughed. “Trust me, I’m well aware.”

  “Tyonn and Xavier, could you give us a minute, please?” Paul cut in again. Though his voice was filled with amusement over his birth children and his adoptive kids’ joking, Callie could tell he had something he wanted to say. “I need to speak to Callie and Daniel.”

  “Ha ha! Getting scolded just like the old days.” Daniel clasped hands in a firm shake with the two men that were like his brothers as the men left the room. Though a different skin color, and from different families, they were still like blood to him.

  Callie could see it as well as the strain in each of their eyes. Though they were trying to be strong and make jokes, which she assumed were their normal personalities, they were laughing to keep from thinking about why they were all gathered here.

  She wished she would have taken the invitations to dinner and holiday events when invited. She would have been able to know these guys like brothers like Daniel did. Maybe she would have met him sooner and their working relationship wouldn’t have been so rocky. Maybe they would have found something together sooner. But who knew? Life was filled with ‘maybes’ and ‘what-ifs’
and she didn’t want to fall into that now. Who knows where either of them would be if they would have met sooner. Every path was different. She was glad they met when they did. Everything was turning out well enough. Well, except...

  They waited until Paul’s sons cleared the room and shut the door behind them before Daniel took Callie’s hand again and led her to Paul’s bedside. The gesture was not lost on the old man as he raised a brow and smiled in their direction. “So, I guess when I saw you in the office the other night, it wasn't just a fling? This is something that's lasting?” Paul voice was weak, but his tone as a father figure came across clearly. Daniel looked at Callie and her face warmed. She looked down at Paul and removing her hand from Daniel’s, she took Paul’s hand.

  Daniel remained quiet, and she guessed he would let her field this question, as he had always been the one to jump in with an answer. But he’d made his intentions clear when they were talking to Tyonn. He called her his woman. He was obviously remaining quiet because he wanted to know the answer to that question as much as Paul did.

  Daniel could see a light shining in Callie's eyes as he waited patiently for her to define what they were. He’d already told her what he was feeling and alluded to it in the hallway when they were talking to Tyonn. He didn’t want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. But, he wanted her to be his.

  She teared up a bit as she looked up at him. He squeezed her hand, and she smiled. She looked at Daniel while answering Paul’s question, “Yeah, Paul. I think it might be something… At least I hope it is.” Daniel nodded at her and she turned to look at Paul. “We're working on it, as well as trying to work on what to do with the firm and how to keep things moving for you. We have a meeting with the board tomorrow. I’m sure Maggie already told you.”

  Paul coughed a bit before he responded, “I heard from Lauren Tillerson herself. She stopped by this morning.”