She looked out over the snow at the busying slopes as she stirred the contents of her mug. ‘I’m just saying that I’m not the one who got caught on a rooftop in New York, in the middle of a snowstorm, naked.’
He went to interrupt but she lifted her hand. ‘And I’m not the one who decided the best way to pick a new car was to buy one in every colour.’
He sat back. ‘Oh, yeah, that.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘The first one...I’m not admitting to. The second? Well, maybe...but not every colour. I definitely didn’t get the yellow.’
‘The yellow? Why not? I would have thought that matched your sunny personality?’
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Oh, snarky Samantha. I like it. Can I see more, please?’
She stood up. ‘There’s lot’s more where that comes from. Now, come on. I take it you want to ski down? I can catch the cable car back down and meet you there. I can do this all day.’
He shook his head. ‘Actually, I planned on finishing after my third run. I come early so I can ski before the slopes get busy. I have other things to do.’
‘Like what?’ She was feeling hopeful. Maybe they would go into Innsbruck and see a little of the city.
Something flickered across his eyes. It looked like he was about to say something then the shutters slammed down and he stood up.
‘Look, Sam, I’ve done what you asked. I’ll finish my ski run and meet you once more at the bottom of the mountain. After that—that’s it. I don’t need to tell you every minute of my day. You work for me, remember?’
He picked up his hat and gloves and stalked away, leaving Sam stunned.
What on earth had just happened there?
CHAPTER FOUR
FOR THE FOURTH day in a row, Mitchell failed to meet her when he should have.
She was ready to erupt. It was like dealing with a child, not an adult, and she was getting sick to death of it.
She’d never met a rock star before, but she’d worked with enough kids to understand when someone wasn’t taking things seriously. When someone was running scared.
She stepped out of the cable car. It was five o’clock in the evening. For the fourth day in a row, Mitch had skied the slopes in the morning and disappeared without a backward glance in the afternoon. It was driving her crazy.
Had he really no respect for her and the job she was doing?
She wandered around the Seegrube station, trying to spot his red jacket. She’d almost given up hope when she heard his laugh. His deep, hearty laugh.
She rounded the corner to the terrace. She really hadn’t expected to find him here, but as time had marched on she hadn’t really known where else to look.
And there he was. Not a blooming care in the world. Laughing and drinking with a group of guys she’d never seen before.
She blinked. Drinking. Drinking beer.
The red mist started to descend around her. She’d reached her limit with this guy.
She walked straight through the middle of the drinking buddies. ‘Mitch?’
A silence fell over the group, quickly followed by a snigger then a low whistle.
Samantha ignored them all. ‘You were supposed to meet me back at the house at four.’
Four days in a row. Four days in a row she’d sat and stared at four walls in his luxury chalet while he’d been who-knew-where. It made her mad. It made her seethe.
She might have agreed to work over Christmas but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss her family—didn’t miss her mum. At least for the last two years she’d always felt useful. She’d been kept busy with Daniel and his family and that had stopped her missing her mum too much. But this? This wasn’t working for her at all. Her patience had finally run out. It didn’t matter how much she needed the money right now, being treated like crap and having her professional advice ignored was the last straw.
He looked more than a little stunned. Embarrassed by her. ‘Give it a rest, Samantha,’ he murmured, trying to appear casual.
‘Snarky girlfriend,’ came the murmur behind her.
She tilted her chin. ‘No, Mitchell. I won’t give it a rest. We had a meeting. That’s the fourth day in a row you’ve blown me off. It’s about time you started to take this seriously.’ She pointed at the bottle in his hand. ‘Beer, Mitchell? Really?’ She paused, conscious of the audience around them. She glared at him. ‘You and I need to talk. Now.’
Mitch felt the blood rush into his cheeks. He wasn’t embarrassed—well, yes, actually, he was. But the rush of blood was due to the fury building in his chest.
He stood up and grabbed hold of Samantha’s wrist and pulled her behind him. He could hear the yelps and cat calls from the snowboarding guys. The shouts of ‘Being whipped’ and ‘Under the thumb’.
He walked quickly, rounding the corner away from the crowds, away from the bustle of people exiting the cable cars, and pulled her up next to him.
‘Don’t you ever do that to me again!’
She didn’t even flinch. ‘Likewise.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ All he wanted was a bit of peace. A bit of privacy. These few weeks were supposed to be his holiday. His chance to kick back and relax before the tour. If he wanted to have a beer with a few friends, then that’s exactly what he would do. And he certainly didn’t need Samantha Lewis’s permission for that.
‘I’m sick of this. It’s about time you started to take this seriously. I can’t help you get your diabetes under control if you don’t follow my instructions. These first few weeks are vital. This is the time we need to iron out any problems.’
She was serious. Her pretty face was marred by a frown. And she had a weary look in her eyes. But he was too angry to care.
‘Right now my only problem is you.’
‘Then I’ll say it again. Likewise. This isn’t working for me, Mitch. I’m ready to pack up and go home and spend Christmas with my mum. Why waste my time here? Why waste my time on you? You don’t deserve it. You don’t care. So why should I?’ She looked him up and down. ‘I’m not here because I like you, Mitch. I’m not here because I’m a fan. I’m here because I’m paid to be.’
He got it that she was mad. He just didn’t expect her to slam dunk him like that. Nothing like getting to the point.
‘Who are you to tell me I don’t care? Of course I care. I care about my tour. I need to be well to go on tour. That’s why you’re here, Sam. To make sure I’m fit enough to do the tour. But I don’t need to report in to you every second of the day. I’m entitled to a private life of my own. And I certainly don’t need you to babysit me.’
She sighed and shook her head. ‘Actually, you do. That’s exactly what I’m being paid for right now.’ She folded her arms and stared off into the distance. ‘That’s it, Mitch. I can’t say you’re fit for your tour. I don’t think you’re taking this seriously at all. It would compromise my professional competency if I said you were fit when you clearly aren’t.’
She looked him squarely in the eye. ‘I won’t do it. You might want to put your health at risk, but the nurse in me won’t allow that to happen. You won’t tell me where you’re going or what you’re doing. I can’t help you monitor your levels or plan your meals or insulin doses. I’m not prepared to keep banging my head against a brick wall.’ She lifted her hands. ‘You just don’t get it. I don’t actually care what you’re doing or who you’re doing it with. I just need to know. I need you to work with me. I need you to care.’
The penny dropped like a hammer to the head. She thought he was sneaking away every afternoon for some secret rendezvous with a lady. He tried not to smile as he imagined how she thought he was expending his energy.
And as much as he hated to admit it, she had him. He needed her. He needed her to sign him off as fit for this tour.
He let out a
sigh of exasperation. He hated everything about this. He had never explained himself to anyone. Starting now, at this stage in his life, was unthinkable.
‘I’m done, Brody. Book me on the next flight home.’ Her voice was subdued, almost whispered. She was staring out over the landscape with those killer blue eyes and a resigned look on her face. He’d pushed her too far.
Samantha wasn’t like every other employee. He couldn’t push her around like he had others.
Something inside him cracked.
If she told the insurers he wasn’t adhering to his treatment plan, his whole tour would go up in smoke. A wave of panic started to wash over him. He hadn’t really believed it was a possibility. For some strange reason, he’d just assumed she wouldn’t do that.
Obviously not. It was a harsh reality check.
It was time to try and salvage what he could—to stop her leaving on the next available plane.
He took a deep breath. ‘Sam, I’m going to tell you something that hardly anyone on this planet knows.’
Her brow furrowed. She recognised the sincerity in his voice, and since it was something she hadn’t heard much, she obviously took it seriously. ‘Okay,’ she said slowly.
He put his hands on her shoulders and spun her round to look out over the view below. ‘See that building with the green roof, off to the left?’
She squinted as the sun was in her eyes. ‘Yeah, I think so. The one that sits by itself? What is that?’
‘It’s the children’s hospital. That’s where I spend most of my afternoons.’
He heard her sharp intake of breath. She spun back round, concern written all over her face. ‘What haven’t you been telling me? You have a sick kid? A relative?’ Her voice trembled as she spoke. ‘Why do you spend so much time at the children’s hospital, Mitch?’
It was time to put everything out there. He had to stop her leaving. ‘Because that’s where I spent most of my childhood.’
CHAPTER FIVE
IT WAS LIKE being home. This was one of the few places on the planet that Mitchell Brody felt entirely relaxed, entirely himself.
As soon as they crossed the threshold of the children’s hospital it was like being in another world. The temperature was different, the mood was different—even the lighting was different. Lots of these kids were pale to the point of almost being blue and the warm-coloured lighting seemed to lessen the severity of their appearance. Making them look not quite so unwell.
More importantly, around Christmastime the staff always bent over backwards to make the whole place something special. There was a huge Christmas tree at the entrance, another at the end of the corridor, and another in the kids’ playroom, each decorated in a different colour. A whole variety of kids’ paintings showing Santa and reindeers and multicoloured presents decorated the walls. Even the kids who were in isolation—at risk of any kind of infection—had fibreoptic trees outside their windows, so the changing lights would be reflected back inside their rooms.
He gave a quick hug to the nurse in charge. ‘Lisa, this is my friend Samantha Lewis. She’s here to visit with me today.’
Lisa’s smile reached from one ear to the other. She was always glad to see him. There were never any airs or graces here. The truth was if he tried to order someone around here he’d get a swift kick to the butt. And he liked it. It was exactly how it should be.
Lisa gave Samantha an interested nod. He’d never brought anyone with him before, apart from Dave, of course. But he was careful not to introduce Samantha as a nurse. He didn’t want to give anything away. He particularly didn’t want to alert any of the staff at the children’s hospital to his health issues. No way. He didn’t want them to think that anything would get in the way of him funding the new build.
Lisa checked some notes. ‘Okay, Rooms 4 and 5 are out of bounds.’ It was the quickest glance that spoke volumes. The children in those rooms must be at the end of their lives. The muscles in his chest tightened. He’d been there. There had been a few times that they’d thought his brother might not make it. But they’d all been lucky. He was still here.
But lots of other families didn’t get the miracle that they had. Even though cancer was better diagnosed and treatments were better targeted some kids were just too sick to get better. And this children’s hospital didn’t just look after children with cancer. It looked after children with a whole range of conditions that could be terminal. No child and their family would ever be turned away from St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
‘No problem. Is there anywhere you want me to spend time?’
She smiled and gave him a nod. ‘You know there is. Luke Reynolds in Room 3 would love a visit. Brian Flannigan, the teenager in Room 14 would love to play guitar with you, and Lindsay Davenport, the twelve-year-old in Room 17, wants some Hollywood gossip.’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘She particularly wants to know if Reid Kerr from your band is secretly dating a supermodel.’
‘Aha.’ He couldn’t help but smile. The kids here were great. Most of them were constantly surrounded by friends and family, but sometimes it helped to have another face in the mix.
Lisa turned to Samantha. ‘How are you with babies?’
Her eyes widened and she looked a little shocked. To be honest, he was breathing a huge sigh of relief that she’d actually agreed to stay at all. He should have warned her that it was all hands on deck in here. But she was a nurse, he was sure she could cope.
‘I deal mostly with teenagers...’ she nodded her head slowly ‘...but I’m sure I can help out with a baby. What can I do for you?’ She was already unzipping her jacket, ready to get to work.
‘We’ve got a young mum whose four-year-old has leukaemia. She’s got a new baby too, who has a real dose of colic.’ She smiled sympathetically. ‘It might be a bit sore on your ears, but would you mind giving mum some respite so she can spend time with her son?’
Samantha nodded her head and pushed up her sleeves. ‘No problem. I can pace the floors with a colicky baby. Which room?’
Lisa pointed down the corridor. ‘Room 8. Mum will know I’ve sent you. There’s a quiet room at the bottom of the corridor that no one else is using. It’s got some music and nice lighting, and some rocking chairs. You could try in there if you like.’
Sam put her arm on Mitch’s arm. ‘Okay, I’ll see you in a little while. Come and find me if you need me.’
She was being serious. She’d obviously picked up on the fact he hadn’t mentioned who she was but was still trying to make sure he understood why she was doing this. He was still a little worried she hadn’t made up her mind about staying yet.
She walked down the corridor and he couldn’t help but admire her curves in her figure-hugging jeans. Lisa followed his gaze and folded her arms across her chest. ‘Well, Mitchell, who is that?’
There was amusement in her voice and a gleam in her eyes. He met her grin head on. ‘I have no idea what you mean.’
Lisa had worked here for three years. She was fantastic with the kids, mainly because she was good at reading people. And she was using all her professional skills on him right now. ‘I like her,’ she said approvingly. ‘She didn’t hesitate to help. I’m just surprised to finally meet one of your friends.’ She gave him a knowing nod and emphasised the final word.
‘It’s not like that,’ he said quickly. Too quickly. Because it just made her grin even wider.
She copied Sam’s movements and tapped his arm as she walked past. ‘Not yet it’s not. But give it time...’
She grabbed an apron, gloves and mask and walked off to one of the other rooms. Darn it. She could read him too well. It was almost as if she could see all the pictures that were being conjured up in his mind. And one thing was for sure—they definitely couldn’t be shared.
He pushed all thoughts from his mind. He loved this place but, for t
he first time, being here made him feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe it was the unspoken looks in all the staff’s eyes. The expectation that he was about to make things so much better for them.
And he would. No matter how sick he was, or what else was going on in his life. He couldn’t let anything get in the way of this tour and the money he would earn for the children’s hospital. Never mind what Samantha Lewis’s cute behind looked like in those jeans. She was only interested in his blood-sugar levels. Not his hormone levels.
He checked the board again and made his way towards Luke Reynolds’s room. The little guy had an insatiable urge to play board games. He was only six but Risk was his favourite and he was ruthless. A few weeks ago he’d been in isolation because his blood count had been so low. It was good that he was finally picking up a little.
Spending some time with Luke was a sure-fire guarantee that he could put everything else out of his mind. His tour. His disease. His nurse.
* * *
Samantha’s ears were ringing. Ninety minutes. That’s how long little Rose had screamed for, drawing her legs up in pain from the colic. It was no wonder her mum needed a break to spend time with her already exhausted four-year-old.
Sam had done everything she could think of—rocking, massaging, walking. But colic was hit or miss. Sometimes you just had to hold the little one and offer some comfort.
Finally Rose was exhausted and snuggled against Sam’s pink woolly jumper. Was that a snore? She was in the rocking chair now; soothing music was playing in the background and there were interchanging coloured lights in the corners of the room. Any more of this and she would fall asleep herself.
She checked her watch. It really was time to find Mitchell and ask him to check his blood-glucose level again. It should be fine. They’d had lunch together before they’d got here and he’d eaten sensibly. She was just worried that his exercise from earlier could cause his glucose levels to dip a little later in the day.
Christmas with the Maverick Millionaire Page 7
