by Brower, Dawn
Dani dropped her head into the palm of her hands and sighed. The bigger question was, what the hell was wrong with her? Why did she have to overthink every little detail in her life? For once, why couldn’t she take a chance and see how something went. Because this was one of the biggest decisions she’d ever have to make in her life. Allowing herself to openly love Ren and accept she could be happy with him…that was daunting. If they failed, it would break her, but if they didn’t—pure bliss would be the beginning of something more wonderful than she could ever imagine.
She took a deep breath and pushed her worries out of her mind. A decision didn’t need to be made yet. Ren told her to keep an open mind. He wanted to get to know her all over again. Maybe she could do that and see where it led them. She did want to know him again and discover how he might have changed over the years. He was far from the boy she remembered. Still handsome, only he had the ability to turn her insides to mush.
“Ms. Brosen?”
Dani lifted her head from her hands and stared into Claire’s eyes. “Yes?”
“Sorry to interrupt you, but Mr. Nettles is on line one.”
Finally. The phone tag they’d been playing had become rather tedious. She had to put the man at ease. She had no idea why their permits were being blocked, but she intended to find out why. Mr. Nettles had some of the pertinent information she needed to figure everything out. She couldn’t proceed until they had a conversation.
She picked up the phone and clicked the button for line one. With the receiver nestled between her shoulder and ear she said, “This is Ms. Brosen.”
“It’s about damn time. What kind of shady business are you running over there? You should’ve gotten back to me days ago.”
Dani gritted her teeth. Mr. Nettles had always been an ass, but this was an all new level of assery, even for him. She silently reminded herself he was one of their most important clients. His business helped keep the firm afloat. She couldn’t afford to piss him off.
“I apologize for not handling your concerns sooner. It’s been crazy here for a few days. I’m not sure you’re aware that Mr. Price was in an accident and was hospitalized.” She didn’t think for one moment Mr. Nettles would care, but had to give him something. “I’m going to take over your case until he’s well enough to do so. Could you fill me in on what’s happening?” Matt usually handled Mr. Nettles. He was a misogynistic pig and didn’t think females had enough brains to take care of anything important.
“That’s unacceptable,” he shouted through the receiver. “When is he going to be out of the hospital? I don’t have time for you to mess up while he’s laid up.”
Someone needed to punch the man in the face. Why someone hadn’t already done so was a mystery to her. She took a deep breath and reminded herself they needed his business. Especially with Matt’s medical bills to consider—they’d never be able to afford them if they lost the Nettles account.
“Again, I’m sorry,” she said firmly. “Mr. Price will be unavailable for the unforeseeable future. I assure you I’m more than qualified to handle your account. So, please, tell me what the issue is exactly so I can begin working on it.”
She prayed he’d quit being difficult. His stubbornness might be his undoing. How Matt was able to deal with him on a regular basis, she didn’t know. She’d have to get him an extra big Christmas present for this alone.
“Hmmph.” A sound filled her ears. “We’ll see how much you think you can do. If you fail, I’m going to have to seek out another attorney.”
Thank heavens. He was going to see reason. “Thank you for the opportunity,” she said sweetly, swallowing back a gag. Prick. “Now, if you’ll explain what the issue is?”
“It’s that damn Sullivan Brady,” he cursed. “He can’t mind his own fucking business. The bastard has too much time on his hands if he can snoop into my life as much as he does. You have to put an injunction or something on him. He’s the one blocking my permits.”
Sullivan Brady? Who the hell was that? She’d never heard of him. “Why do you believe that?”
The more information she had, the more she’d have to work with. Since Mr. Nettles had no problems complaining about the man he believed responsible, she’d let him ramble on.
“He hates me. Always has. I don’t know why.”
She almost snorted. Did he not realize what a cantankerous dick he was? When she was bitchy, she was all too aware of it. The problem was she was unable to stop herself from spilling the poisonous babble from her mouth. Mr. Nettles must not be in tune with his own inner demons not to realize it. Dani was grateful she didn’t work under similar illusions. She had plenty of demons as it was.
“There must be something you can think of.” Did you offend him by opening your mouth and speaking? “How long have you known him?”
“None of that matters. Do what I asked and get him to stop blocking the damn permits. Do the job I hired you to do.”
Money. Need money, she reminded herself. She took a deep breath. “Without more information, I don’t have much to go on. I’ll do my best and handle it.”
She sure hoped she’d be able to do as she told him. They needed his account. How she was going to obtain the information needed she didn’t know, but she had faith she’d find a way. She always managed to. It was a matter of knowing the right people.
“You better. Don’t call me until you have good news.”
A dial tone filled her ear. She breathed a sigh of relief the call was over. If she’d stayed on the phone with him even a moment longer she may have said something she’d come to regret. Mr. Nettles was a jerk. Dani hated dealing with him.
She picked up the phone again and dialed Claire’s line.
“Yes, Ms. Brosen?” Claire’s voice filled her ears.
“Come to my office please. Bring the Nettles file.”
“Give me a moment and I’ll be right there.”
Dani set the phone down and waited for Claire to arrive. She had a special job for her assistant. Maybe even Amy could help with it. The best assistants knew their bosses’ schedules. She needed as much information she could get on both Mr. Nettles and this Sullivan Brady. He was an unknown element. Mr. Nettles, she at least had something to go on. Almost everyone knew how difficult he was.
“I have the file. What do you need me to do?” Claire asked as she bustled into the room.
“Have a seat. There are several things I need you to work on.”
Claire sat down. Dani filled her in on the details of her phone call with Mr. Nettles.
“Did you say Sullivan Brady?”
Dani frowned. “Yes, are you familiar with him?”
How could her assistant know who he was and she didn’t? What was she missing?
“The question is how could you not know who he is? He’s a billionaire, drop dead gorgeous, and his pretty face graces the society pages on a regular basis.”
Well, that explained it. She couldn’t be bothered with high society. They were all a bunch of hypocritical snobs in her opinion. There were more important things to do than show up to charity events and be seen by the world. That’s why most of them went. They only wanted to show their money off to the world. “Look at all these good deeds I’m participating in.”
“A billionaire you said. What does he do?” That was information she could use. “Is he a businessman of some sort?”
“His family is old money. They own Brady-Blue International.”
Dani had heard of that particular company. She’d hadn’t made the connection. Brady was a rather common name. How was she to know he was part of the famous family chock full of philanthropists and do-gooders?
“Hmm.” She glanced up at Claire. “How do you feel about digging up some details on Mr. Brady?”
Claire grinned. “Please tell me you want me to go out on a date with him.” She fanned herself. “That man has pure sin pouring off his face. I bet he’s amazing in bed.”
Dani’s mouth dropped open. “I thoug
ht you were in love with Matt!”
“Oh, I am, but Sullivan Brady’s so pretty. A girl can have a crush can’t she?” She sighed. “I wouldn’t mind having him for one night. You know, to remember when I’m old and gray.”
Dani shook her head and smiled. There was only one man she’d had such a crush on. She could relate on a small level. “I don’t know what he looks like, so I don’t know if I agree with your assessment.”
Claire studied Dani. She tilted her head and frowned. “Actually, you kind of look similar to him.” She held up a hand. “I’m not saying you look masculine. But you have similar coloring. His hair is almost the exact shade as yours, pitch black and slightly curly. It’s the eyes though that are the most comparable. I’ve never seen a shade of green so eerily alike. It’s too bad you’re not part of that family. They’re so rich they probably don’t know what to do with all that money.”
Dani frowned. Claire didn’t know she was an orphan. Well, she liked to think herself as one. She didn’t know who her biological parents were. She’d been dropped off at a church on the other side of the state. It was as far away from Envill as possible. It was a nice thought, but she wasn’t related to anyone in the Brady family. She didn’t belong anywhere. At first it had bothered her, but she’d grown used to it over the years. It’d made her strong and resilient. Dani was independent and glad for it. Yes, she had Matt if she needed someone, but it was nice to not have to rely on anyone if she didn’t have to.
She smiled. “Go get cozy with someone who’ll know Sullivan Brady’s social schedule. I’d like to arrange an informal meeting. Enlist Amy’s help if you need it. I want to know as much as possible before I act.”
“I’m on it. I’ll come by to fill you in after I gather the information. I can tell you one thing now though.”
Dani raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Claire reached under her files and pulled out a newspaper. She flipped through it until she found what she was looking for and handed her the society section of the Envill Post. “I was taking a break and looking at the paper before you called me to your office. I like to see what’s going on in our community.” A picture of one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen graced the top of the page. Her assistant had been right. Sullivan Brady was indeed beautiful. Underneath it was an article about a charity event his family was hosting. It was for the new pediatric wing of Envill East.
“You can find him here if you’re willing to go to one of those tedious fundraising events you hate so much.” Claire smiled. “You might even know a handsome doctor willing to take you.”
Damn it, Ren had mentioned a fundraiser. It had to be the same event. She would have to call him and agree to go. She sighed. He’d take it to mean more than she was willing to accede to. If she played it right, she might still be able to get him to go slow. Dani wasn’t ready to jump into anything yet.
“I’ll give Ren a call.” She frowned.
The more information she gathered, the more her anxiety level rose. It was proving to be colossal level chaos. In her gut, she knew it was all going to blow up in her face.
Chapter Eight
Dani put off calling Ren. She was being ridiculous and knew it. Why did she keep putting off the inevitable? Instead, she headed for the hospital to check on Matt. If she ran into Ren, she’d talk to him then. It gave her a reprieve of sorts. She had to talk to him at some point, but she wasn’t ready to. She’d never be at the rate she was going.
She strolled through the hallways of the hospital until she reached Matt’s room. She pushed the door open and breathed a sigh of relief. There wasn’t anyone else in the room. It would give her some time to visit with her friend and pull herself together. Ren hadn’t called her either, he’d said he would. Why did her insecurities have to rear their ugly head? For the most part she was a strong independent woman. She took the world by storm. When it came to Ren, she was the little girl whose parents abandoned her. Her self worth took a hit every time. She wasn’t good enough to keep, so why would anyone else want her. The yo-yo emotions had to stop. Avoiding Ren wasn’t the way to get anything done. She’d go see him after her visit with Matt. It was time to face her fears and set them aside. She was acting like a silly school girl and it was plain stupid.
“How’s my favorite person in the world doing today?” she asked as she entered the room.
“I’ve had better days,” he replied. “Where have you been hiding yourself?”
The sight of him laying damn near helpless in the bed was hard to see. She’d never get used to it. He was usually so strong and steady. A rock when she was on the verge of falling apart. Now she had to be the glue to hold it all together. For Matt, she’d try. She owed him that much.
“Someone has to keep the office running.” She sat in a chair by his bed. “If you hadn’t decided to take this impromptu vacation I’d have more time to dote on you.”
She was attempting to keep things as light and carefree as possible. He didn’t need to know they were on the verge of losing one of the firm’s important clients. He had more important things to worry about. Matt’s convalesce was essential to the healing process. If he had a chance of getting better, he had to take the time to recover properly.
“Hardee har har,” he said. “Best vacation ever. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” She patted his hand. “Now, seriously, tell me how you’re doing.”
He was quiet for a moment. Was something wrong? They hadn’t removed the bandages around his eyes yet. They were going to do it the day before he was scheduled to be released. Dani wasn’t sure when exactly that was. She’d have to ask the nurse before she left. There were arrangements that needed to be made before Matt could go back to his house and live.
“I did get some good news today,” he said quietly. “I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
That didn’t sound good at all. What could have him so down? She didn’t like the path they were headed down. Matt was falling head first down depression lane.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you and let me decide if it’s as good as you believe it is.”
“They’re taking the bandages off today.” He frowned. “I’m glad you’re here. Can you stick around until they’re off? I’m afraid…”
Matt scared? No. He was more fearless than anyone she knew. Of course she’d stay by his side. “I’m here for you. Always.”
“I’m not invincible.” He clenched his fists. “I lived each day as if I was. Take a look at me now. I’m laid up and possibly blind for the rest of my life.”
This was a side of Matt she’d never seen before. She wasn’t sure if she liked it. He sounded so—defeated. “Don’t borrow trouble. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
“Claire came to see me yesterday.”
He didn’t elaborate. Had their assistant opened up to him? She’d said she wanted to tell him how she felt. Did that have something to do with Matt’s attitude? Was he questioning every choice he’d ever made? Dani could relate to that. She was doing something similar. After Ren kissed her, she’d had to reevaluate every life choice she’d made. The mistakes she’d made in the past decade were coming back to haunt her. She’d run away instead of staying and fighting for what she wanted. Now she was on the verge of repeating those mistakes. Ren was hers for the taking. She just had to reach out and take what he offered. If only she was brave enough to do it.
“That was nice of her. Did she stay long?”
She wouldn’t come out and ask what she wanted to know. Claire may not have said anything, and it wasn’t her place to tell Matt the other woman was in love with him. If she hadn’t told him, she had her reasons. When the time was right they’d share their feelings.
“I was a bit of an ass.”
“You?” She mocked, holding her hand to her chest. He’d laugh if he could see her. “Never. You’re the epitome of all that’s fabulous in this world. Why ever would you be a je
rk?”
“No,” he said solemnly. “I’m a dick, plain and simple. I can’t seem to stop myself from spouting pure venom. The things I said to her…” He rubbed his free hand over his chest. “I don’t know how she’ll ever forgive me.”
Dani didn’t doubt Claire would forgive him anything. That was what you did for those you cared about. Otherwise, Ren would have run screaming at the sight of her. She didn’t doubt she hurt him deeply when she’d run away from him years ago. Now he was holding his arms out to her and asking for more than she’d thought possible. Ren was willing to forgive her without knowing all the details. She’d explain it all to him once she fully understood what had happened. She thought she’d had it all figured out. Now she questioned everything. She may have sacrificed their friendship for no reason.
“I suspect Claire’ll go easy on you. She realizes you’re going through quite a lot right now.” She chuckled. “I’m sure there’s no real damage done. You’re human, and what we know of you, you’re not a monster.”
He snorted. “Debatable. But I’m not up to it now. The doctor should be by soon to see how much of a monster I am.”
Matt was in a mood, and not a good one. Dani didn’t have a clue how to snap him out of it. Maybe a better person would be capable of it. She’d never claimed to be one. She sighed. “I think you’re being a tad overdramatic now. You’re acting as if the doctor is about to unwrap your bandages and reveal Frankenstein’s monster.”
He chuckled. “Close enough.”
“He’s…He’s…alive,” she said dramatically. “Relax, and you’re worrying yourself into a tizzy.”
Matt sighed. “It’s hard. Lying here all day with my thoughts to keep me company. It’s enough to drive a person crazy.”
Dani understood that better than most. She didn’t have to be idle for her demons to stomp through her thoughts. All she had to do was breathe, and poof, there they were, ready to impart their evil wisdom on her unsuspecting brain.
