***
Baron exited LAX executive terminal to find Lex waiting for him at the curb. They clasped right hands and hugged.
“Thanks, man.” He ran around the hood and slid into the passenger seat. “How’s Sandra doing?” he asked after Lex eased off the curb.
“She slipped into a coma this morning but the doctors said her vitals are good.”
“Damn.”
“Don’t worry. She’s healthy and will pull through this.”
Baron swept a hand across his face and glared into space. Internal injuries were unpredictable. Their father never regained consciousness after his car got hit by a tanker.
“Does anyone know how the accident happened?” he asked.
Lex frowned. “Stu was driving too fast and the car rolled.”
How could someone be so careless with a kid in the car? “You moved her into a private room?”
Lex nodded. “She has the best doctors at her disposal. They both have.”
Both? “Ah, Valerie. How’s she?”
A cynical smiled touched Lex’s lips. “Valerie is doing just great. The information about the accident came from her, and I had to get her permission to talk to their doctors and move them. I called the hospital before I left and was told she’s holding a press conference.”
“A press…why?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea.”
Silence fell in the car as Lex narrowed the distance between them and Cedars-Sinai. Baron leaned back and rotated his shoulders, trying to remove tension kinks. What was Valerie up to? Had she learned that he’d talked to Sandra’s doctor about performing a paternity test?
He had planned to have the test done as soon as he arrived at the hospital, but it would be callous of him to try and do it now while Sandra was in a coma. There was no telling what Valerie would do if she found out, especially if Sandra turned out to be his.
Baron glanced at his older brother. “Did you see her? Sandra?”
“Yes. I was there when they transferred her to a private room. She’s a beautiful child. She reminded me of Jade,” Lex added with a chuckle.
Baron grinned, but the mirth disappeared the closer they got to the hospital. “Thanks, Lex.” He patted his brother’s shoulder. “I couldn’t have pulled this off without you.”
“Family comes first,” Lex repeated their family motto then threw Baron an uneasy glance. “However, you have to be prepared to deal with this.”
Baron squinted at his older brother, not liking the way he’d spoken. Lex tended to speak slowly when troubled. “I am.”
“There’s a lot more going on than what is in the papers.”
“What do you mean?”
“For starters, the accident happened a few blocks from home. Valerie’s personal things and Sandra’s were in the car but not Stu’s.” He paused as though to let his words sink in. “Add the pictures of you and Valerie in the tabloid and… you know what that means.”
Baron cursed. “Stu was taking her to the mansion.”
“The paparazzi reached the same conclusion. When I left home, they were camped outside the gate. Oh, and Valerie’s sister arrived this morning.”
“Sister? Valerie’s an only child. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother drifted from…” Baron sighed. Valerie was a liar. She probably fabricated everything she ever told him. “Okay. Tell me.”
Lex hesitated. “Listen. I’m sorry to throw all this info at you all at once, but with Valerie’s impromptu press conference and the paparazzi at the mansion, chances that some are waiting outside the hospital are high. Better to be prepared than sorry.”
“Got it,” Baron responded, but his insides were encased with ice. If only Kara were with him. He could use some of her warmth right about now.
***
Only work could keep Baron off her mind, so Kara immersed herself in it, or tried to. By the time Mrs. Frisk arrived in the afternoon, Kara had accomplished very little and her eyes hurt from scrutinizing the artwork and staring too hard at the laptop’s silver screen. No matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept drifting to Baron, Sandra, and Valerie. Even thinking about the three of them at the same time bothered her.
“What would you like for dinner, Ms. Michaels?” Mrs. Frisk asked, placing grocery paper bags on the counter.
Kara smiled. “Anything, I’m not picky.”
“Just no uncooked vegetables and salads or beef.”
“I hope it’s not a problem.”
The stocky woman chuckled and dismissed Kara’s comment with a brief wave. “It’s no trouble at all. Mr. Fitzgerald reminded me last night about your preferences. He said you’d be leaving on Sunday.”
Thank goodness Baron had spoken to the housekeeper. Kara hadn’t been sure of whether or not to explain his absence.
“Yes. My flight is at eight. I’ll need to return the SUV but I’m not sure where he rented it.”
“Don’t worry about that. My nephew will take care of it. He’ll be here first thing in the morning on Sunday to drive you to the airport too.” The woman picked up the envelope Baron had left by the phone and without opening it, slipped it into her sweater pocket. When she looked up and caught Kara’s eyes on her, Mrs. Frisk smiled. “Now you go on with your work, my dear, while I start dinner.”
Was there anything Baron hadn’t thought about? He was so meticulous and dependable he’d make a wonderful father and husband. Kara pulled out her cell phone and checked to make sure it was on. He still hadn’t called. She hoped everything was all right.
Kara stood, intending to relax before dinner. She couldn’t bring herself to sleep on the hammock or go out to the lake. They reminded her too much of Baron. She picked a movie from the den and disappeared in the bedroom.
Kara ate without actually tasting her food, then dragged herself to the bathroom and showered with the phone close by so she could hear it ring. Baron didn’t call until she was under the comforter, staring at the ceiling in the dark.
“Sorry for calling late,” Baron said in a strained voice.
“It’s okay. How’s Sandra doing?”
“She slipped into a coma this morning and hasn’t come out of it.” Pain was evident in his voice.
“She’ll pull through, baby, I know she will. Did they tell you what’s wrong?”
“She had some bruising and swelling in her brain. They tried to release the pressure surgically but it was too late. There was some tissue damage and…” His voice faded as though he was trying to calm himself. “They say her body shut down to give it time to heal.”
How she wished she were there with him. “Are you calling from home or the hospital?”
“Hospital. I’ll probably be here for a while.”
That meant he’d spend the night. If she were there, she’d keep vigil with him. Was Valerie with him right now? Resentment and envy toward the woman rose like bile inside Kara.
“How’s Valerie?” She forced herself to ask.
Baron took a while answering. “Complicated. She broke her leg and cracked a few ribs, but she’s okay. They’re discharging her tomorrow. Unfortunately, Stu’s family has locked her out of her home. Stu also cancelled all her credit cards before the accident and froze her accounts. She has nothing. It’s a big mess.”
A foreboding feeling hovered over Kara. Please don’t tell me she’s going to stay with you. Kara gripped the phone, bracing herself. “Where’s she going to stay?”
“I don’t know. Some hotel, I guess.”
With a broken leg and ribs? She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t let that happen. Taking care of Valerie while she convalesced was just the beginning.
“Is she…?” She shouldn’t ask. He had enough on his plate. Kara took a deep breath then another. Baron was her man and she had a right to know.
“You aren’t thinking of letting her stay with you, are you?” Kara asked.
Another long silence followed.
“The thought crossed my mind,” he res
ponded.
“And?” Her hand tightened around the phone as she waited.
“I don’t want to discuss this now, Kara.”
“I need to know, Baron.” Her voice rose. She forced herself to finish calmly. “Is she moving in with you?”
“It’s just for a few weeks. Until she’s back on her feet.”
Kara heart sunk. Broken leg and ribs could take weeks to heal. “Can you give me a timeline?”
“Christ, Kara, I don’t know. Four…six weeks.”
Kara closed her eyes. She wanted to shut up. “It’s a bad idea, Baron. She’ll mooch—”
“I can’t very well throw her on the street. She’s the mother of my child.”
And that was the crux of the matter. Kara couldn’t trump “mother of my child” card without coming across as a jealous bitch without a conscience. How can they have a relationship when Valerie was at his house? Baron was too emotionally involved to see this was a terrible idea. Maybe after a few days, he’d be more amenable to reason.
“Can we discuss this when I come home?” she asked.
“Sure. Listen, I’ve got to go. The doctor’s here.”
She wanted to tell him how much she missed him but instead said, “Goodnight.”
Kara put the phone aside and flopped on her back to harangue the ceiling. Maybe she was wrong to take a stand. Baron had seemed so distant, as though he knew things were over between them. No, I need to stop imagining the worst. Baron and I are great together. He wouldn’t throw that away.
Her assertion was tested the next day when Baron called, gave her a brief update on Sandra whose condition hadn’t changed, and said he had to go. Kara was left holding the phone, wondering where the man she’d spent the last few weeks with had disappeared to. He was quickly reverting to the curt and distant Baron she couldn’t stand, the man he became after Valerie left him, and Kara was helpless to stop him.
When he didn’t call her on Saturday, she knew something was wrong.
***
“We just landed,” Kara told Baron on her way home from LAX on Sunday. “I took a taxi and should be home soon. How is Sandra doing?”
“She’s the same.” His tone was cool.
“Do you want me to stop by afterwards?”
“No, coming here is not a good idea,” he said. “They’re only allowing family. This is not the right time or the place to talk about us or anything else.”
Did he really think she was that insensitive? “I don’t want to talk about us, Baron. I want to be there for you. I miss you.” There was silence and the “I miss you too” Kara expected to hear didn’t come. “Baron?”
“I want what’s best for Sandra, and I need a clear mind to make that happen, Kara.”
And she would cloud his mind how? Kara wanted to snap. She forced herself to speak calmly. “I too want what’s best for her, Baron.”
“Then you understand why I can’t do anything about us, until this situation is resolved.”
No, she didn’t. Baron wasn’t super glued to the chair by Sandra’s bed. It was obvious he didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. There was only one solution to their situation.
Kara took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Why don’t we just call it quits right now?”
“Kara—”
“You said it was up to me to decide when I wanted this relationship to end. The two weeks are up, Baron. I think it’s time.” Her voice broke at the end of the sentence.
“Don’t do this, sweetheart. I just need a little time.”
“It’s better this way. Cleaner. I’ll clear out my workroom next week. Goodbye, Baron.” Her eyes connected with those of the taxi driver through the rearview mirror. The man was shamelessly listening to her side of the conversation. She glared at him, turned off her cell phone, and fought tears.
It was the right decision. The only decision. Baron had a daughter and an ex-fiancé to deal with while she had her business. Family came first. It was his family motto. Why then did it feel wrong? Why did it hurt so much? Because she had hoped he’d want her to be in his family. This was what she’d been scared of, the heartache, the pain of losing him. She’d deluded herself into thinking she had a shot with him, and brought this on herself. Baron didn’t ask her to fall in love with him.
“Are you okay, miss?”
Do I look like I’m okay? She glared at him through a sheen of tears, turned her head, and watched the passing scenery with unseeing eyes. Each breath she took hurt more than the last. Would she ever feel whole again? Tears threatened to fall, but she refused to cry.
***
Baron’s heart damn near jumped out of his chest when Kara walked through the gallery doors two days later. She didn’t look up or glance at the display the way she usually did, her gaze straight ahead as though she couldn’t wait to get to her workroom and leave. He knew she was here to collect her things. Gena had told him.
It hurt to see her, to know there was nothing he could offer her to make her stay. Not when Valerie was part of his life. Part of him wanted to run downstairs and beg Kara not to leave. He loved her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he couldn’t drag her into his mess. As soon as he finished sorting out things with Valerie, he would find Kara and explain.
It wasn’t long before she came out again, paused by Maya’s desk, and hugged the vivacious girl before starting for the door with Rick by her side, carrying a box with her things. Baron closed his eyes to block watching her walk out of the gallery, but it was too late. The image stayed embedded in his brain, taunting him.
His lungs constricted and his head hurt. All he’d done the last two days was strategize one course of action after another with no end in sight. It always ended with letting Kara go for now. His eyes snapped open and he strained to watch her get into her car.
“You’re an idiot,” Chase snapped from behind him.
Baron didn’t respond. Pain, his constant companion the last two days, crashed through him.
“That bitch nearly destroyed you five years ago and now you’re allowing her to keep you from the one thing in your life that’s true and pure. Go after Kara right now, Baron, or I swear—”
“I can’t,” Baron snarled and continued to stare at the spot Kara’s car had been a few seconds ago.
“Why not?” Chase snapped. “She doesn’t fit into your five year plan?”
“She doesn’t deserve to be part of this mess.” Baron turned and faced his twin.
Something on his expression caused Chase to step closer. “Shit! You love her.”
Baron nodded jerkily. “Letting Valerie into my life five years ago was my worst mistake. Now I must clean up my mess. Alone. When I go to Kara, I’ll go a free man, free from this ugliness, free to love her like she deserves to be loved.”
Chase stared. “Damn, that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.” He slapped Baron’s back and gave him a hug. “This calls for a celebration.”
“I feel like shit and you want to celebrate?” Baron growled.
“Damn straight. I plan to tell you in excruciating details how I plan to go after Kara if you screw this up.”
“Screw you.”
Chase chuckled and started for the door.
Baron grabbed his car keys and followed. His brother liked to make him sweat, but he’d be justified if Baron let Kara go. “You’re buying.”
***
Kara drove only a short distance before she pulled over. Driving with tears was an accident waiting to happen. Her phone went off. She ignored it. Just another caller wanting to know if she was okay.
In the last two days, all her phone conversations had started and ended the same way. Her parents, her sister, Renee, Chloe, Rick, and even Raul, it didn’t matter who.
“How are you holding up?” they’d ask.
“Good,” she’d answered and deliberately tried to sound preoccupied.
“Do you want us to come over?”
“No. I’m really busy
with the store right now. Maybe later.”
All she did was mope around the house, sniffle, and watch TV. On a normal day, she couldn’t stand soaps and talk shows. A call from the contractor renovating her store had yanked her to the present this morning, reminding her that life must continue. She made her choice and must learn to live with it. Baron had moved on too. The tabloids made sure she didn’t forget. Collecting her things from his gallery without him coming downstairs to talk to her had driven it home.
Calmer, Kara started her car and headed home. The presence of a rental car at her curb sent dread through her. Her parents.
The last person she wanted to deal with was her mother. How much had Briana spilled? It was one thing for her mother to suspect Kara was in love with Baron and quite another to know she’d been involved with him. Worse, her mother liked him. Would she blame Kara for the breakup?
Before Kara pulled up beside the rental, the driver door opened and a tall man with shaggy blond hair and a day-old shadow stepped out and waved. Jim.
Kara sighed with relief, but it was short-lived. “What are you doing here, Jim? Are Briana and the baby okay?”
“They’re fine.” He walked around the hood and opened the passenger door.
Briana, in a flowing, sleeveless summer dress and heeled sandals, floated to where Kara stood and wrapped her in a perfumed hug.
Kara’s breath caught in her throat.
Briana leaned back, studied Kara’s face, and swore, “I’m going to tear him a new one.”
Kara laughed, or at least she tried. “It’s not his fault. I chose to walk away.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” Briana retorted. “You are incapable of hurting anyone. I warned him, but he didn’t listen.”
Kiss Me Crazy Page 26
