The Jilted Billionaire Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  Finley looked shocked. “Why would you think such a thing?”

  Sunny went colder than a corpse. Then her tongue started moving at warp speed as she tried to defend herself. “I heard Ian’s cry. Rushed in. The doctor was standing over him with a pillow. I just assumed …” Her voice dribbled to silence. She felt like a complete idiot.

  Finley walked over and handed the glass to Dr. Clock who reached for a couple of small blue pills on a nearby tray. “These will help calm Ian,” he explained, giving Sunny a frigid look.

  She could only shake her head. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. She felt small and idiotic.

  Dr. Clock touched Ian’s arm, causing Ian to jump. “Ian, wake up,” he said in a controlled, professional tone, devoid of emotion. “You’re having a nightmare.”

  Ian thrashed, shaking his head.

  After a few more attempts by the doctor, Ian opened his eyes. His dazed look suggested that he had no idea what was happening. He looked at the faces surrounding him in confusion, his gaze stopping on Sunny.

  She forced a smile, going to his side. For a split second, the image from her nightmare flashed through her mind—Ian hiding under the table, the naked fear in his eyes. She glanced down and realized her hands were shaking. “Hey, big guy. You were having a nightmare.” She had to hold it together. She bit down on her lower lip, pushing back the emotion.

  Ian winced, touching his injured arm, which was in a sling. “It hurts.”

  “I’ll give him something for pain,” Dr. Clock said tersely, reaching for another pill. He held out the glass in one hand, the pills in the other. “Drink this.”

  “I can’t swallow those,” Ian gulped, going bug-eyed.

  “You can do it,” Sunny encouraged. Her nerves were frazzled, stupid tears pressing against her eyes. Stop being a ninny! she commanded herself. No way would she break down and let the wretched doctor see her cry. She was just so overwhelmed and exhausted. If only she could get a few hours of sleep, things would look better.

  Ian’s face crumpled as he shrank back into the pillow. “I can’t.”

  Sunny glanced at Doctor Clock who looked like he was on his last ounce of patience. He placed the glass on the tray with a loud plunk and dropped the pills. “It’s obvious that I’m not the right fit for the situation,” he clipped. “Maybe you should find another doctor.”

  Panic rose in Sunny’s breast, followed by a blinding anger. This time, she couldn’t stop tears from misting her eyes. This was her fault. She’d ticked the doctor off, and now he was going to leave them in the lurch.

  A furrow appeared between Finley’s brow. For a split second, Sunny thought he was going to chew the doctor out, but then he seemed to get control of his emotions. He held up a hand, a friendly smile touching his lips. “Let’s not be hasty, Clint. Sunny meant no harm. She’s just paranoid.”

  Sunny stiffened, not believing what she’d just heard. Paranoid? Seriously? She shot Finley a questioning look. He’d better have a good explanation for calling her that!

  A silent exchange passed between them. Bear with me, his expression seemed to be saying. “This is all just a big misunderstanding,” Finley continued in a smooth tone. “It’s understandable that Sunny would be hyper vigilant about Ian’s safety … considering the situation. Think about it, Sunny woke up in the middle of the night to Ian’s cry. She had no way of knowing that I’d gotten up earlier and realized Ian was having a nightmare.” His eyes met hers, and she was struck by the tenderness of his expression. “You were so exhausted that I hated to wake you up. I got Clint instead and asked him if he could give Ian something to help him calm down.” He turned to the doctor. “I’m sure Sunny realizes she owes you an apology.”

  Sunny looked at Dr. Clock. His smug expression sent even more irritation stabbing through her. What she really wanted to do was tell the jerk to jump off a cliff, but Ian needed his help. It would be excruciating to have to start over with another doctor, especially after Finley had gone to the trouble of flying Dr. Clock in. She sighed, forcing a smile. “Finley’s right. I’m sorry, I overreacted. I had no right to accuse you of trying to hurt Ian.” Her tone rang false in her own ears.

  “We’re so grateful that you’re here,” Finley continued.

  Ian tugged at Sunny’s hand, fear coating his voice. “Why would the doctor hurt me?” he squeaked.

  “He wouldn’t,” Sunny said quickly. She saw the dark look on Dr. Clock’s face. “It was a misunderstanding.”

  Dr. Clock’s features relaxed as he nodded curtly.

  Ian’s lower lip quivered. “My arm hurts.”

  “The pills will make it feel better,” Sunny said.

  “No!” Ian protested, shaking his head vigorously from side to side.

  Sunny gritted her teeth. She felt empty and tired. “Ian, you need to take them.” She hated the battle-of-wills aspect of parenting.

  Dr. Clock rubbed his forehead and chuckled scornfully under his breath.

  The hair on Sunny’s neck rose. She had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something to the pompous doctor that she’d regret.

  “I beg your pardon.” Finley’s head shot up as he glared at the doctor.

  Red seeped into Dr. Clock’s face as he cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you to it. Goodnight,” he said briskly as he strode out of the room.

  “Jerk!” Sunny muttered.

  Finley nodded, his jaw hardening. “If we didn’t need his help so desperately, I’d send him packing.”

  She sighed. “Unfortunately, we do need his help.” She went to the tray and picked up the glass and pills, turning her attention back to Ian. It took effort to put a lilt in her voice. “You need to swallow these. It’s easy. Put them on your tongue and drink a big drink of water. They’ll go right down without you even realizing it.” She smiled, hoping it would help put Ian at ease.

  No dice. Ian grimaced, averting his face.

  “Ian!” she exclaimed in exasperation. “Enough of this!”

  She jumped slightly when Finley touched her shoulder. “Let me help.” Finley held out his hands for her to give him the glass and pills.

  “Sure. Why not?” She handed the items to him, then backed away, letting Finley take her place at Ian’s bedside.

  “Hey,” Finley began conversationally. He motioned with his head. “Your arm’s hurting, huh?”

  Ian nodded, looking suspicious. “I’m not taking no pills,” he muttered, his brows darting together.

  “You’re being ridiculous,” Sunny snapped. “The pills will help you get better.” She was bone tired and sick of going rounds with Ian. The kid was exasperating!

  Finley glanced back at her over his shoulder. “I’ve got this,” he said quietly.

  Her eyebrow arched. We’ll see, she said mentally, folding her arms over her chest.

  “When I was your age, I didn’t like taking pills either,” Finley said.

  “Really?” Ian asked dubiously.

  “Really.” Finley laughed under his breath. “My mom would get so frustrated because I wouldn’t take them. She’d fuss and threaten to tan my hide.”

  “Like Sunny?” Ian asked sheepishly, glancing around Finley to her.

  Finley laughed. “Yes, exactly like Sunny.”

  “I didn’t say anything about tanning your hide,” Sunny grunted. “But I should have.”

  Ian’s eyes rounded, worry etching his features. A second later, his face caved, tears pooling in his eyes. “My arm hurts so bad,” he whined.

  This whole thing was so dang frustrating! Sunny would take the pain on herself if she could. If Dr. Clock hadn’t been such a newbie, he would’ve realized that most ten-year-old kids had a difficult time swallowing pills. Why couldn’t he have gotten liquids? If Finley couldn’t persuade Ian to take the pills, Sunny planned to grind them up and stir them in pudding. The hotel kitchen was closed for the night, but surely, they’d have some sort of pudding on hand. Otherwise, she’d have to find a grocery store open 24 hours. The me
re thought of going out tonight caused her body to ache from exhaustion. She offered up a silent prayer. Please let Ian be able to swallow the pills.

  “My dad had a different approach,” Finley continued. “He’d find out something that I wanted and would give it to me if I swallowed the pills.”

  Interest lit Ian’s eyes, crowding out the pain for a second. “What sort of thing?”

  Under normal circumstances, Sunny would’ve balked at bribery, not wanting Finley to start Ian down that slippery path. But seeing how it was 1:30 in the morning, she was willing to try almost anything.

  Finley pursed his lips together, looking thoughtful. “Well, that depends. What do you want?”

  “A new skateboard.”

  “I think we can arrange that,” Finley mused.

  “And an Xbox,” Ian added.

  “Don’t get greedy,” Sunny warned.

  “Fine,” Ian huffed with a heavy sigh. “Just a skateboard.”

  “Just a skateboard?” Sunny’s eyebrow shot up. “You’re lucky you’re getting anything.”

  Finley grinned. “How about this? After we get your arm x-rayed in the morning and put in a cast, we’ll go shopping for a skateboard.”

  Ian nodded. His face was pale and pinched like he was in pain. Even as frustrated as Sunny was at Ian, she loved him fiercely. The poor kid had been through the wringer.

  “All right. It’s a deal.” Finley patted his knee. “As long as you realize that you’ll have to wait until your arm heals before you can get back on a skateboard.”

  “Well, then what’s the use of getting one then?” Ian pouted.

  Finley shrugged. “You can always get the Xbox tomorrow and a skateboard later, after your arm heals.”

  “All right.” Ian managed a faint smile.

  “Deal,” Finley said heartily. He held out the pills. “Place these on your tongue.”

  Sunny held her breath, praying Ian would take them. Ever so slowly, Ian reached for them and placed them in his mouth. Finley put the glass to his lips. “Now take a big gulp and swallow.” Ian hesitated, then noisily slurped the water. He swallowed then coughed. He reached for the glass and downed a few more swigs.

  “See, you did it,” Finley said loudly. He took the glass from Ian and set it on the nightstand.

  Ian smiled. “Now I get the Xbox?”

  “Yep. Tomorrow, after your cast is set.” Finley pulled up the covers and tucked them around Ian. It warmed Sunny’s heart to watch his interaction with Ian. Finley leaned over and ruffled Ian’s hair. “Goodnight, champ.”

  “My arm still hurts,” Ian complained.

  “It’ll take a while for the pain medicine to work,” Sunny assured him, stepping up and kissing his forehead. “Try and get some rest.”

  After she and Finley left the bedroom and went into the main sitting area, Sunny turned to Finley. “Thanks so much.”

  He slid his arms around her and pulled her close. “You’re welcome.”

  She snuggled against the comfort of his chest. “I’m sorry about the doctor,” she moaned. “The last thing we needed was to make an enemy out of him.”

  He rubbed her back. “It’s okay. I know you’re stressed.” He motioned to the couch. “Let’s sit down for a few minutes.”

  “Thanks, but I’m so tired.” She suppressed a yawn. “I’d better get some rest.”

  “You’ll be able to hear Ian if he needs you,” he added. “We can watch a little TV until you fall asleep.”

  The prospects of falling asleep in Finley’s arms was enticing. “All right.”

  “I’ll get us a blanket.”

  She sat down. He returned a minute later. They snuggled up together and he flipped on the TV and ran through the channels until he found a movie. “How about this?”

  “Sounds good to me.” She leaned into the curve of his shoulder and closed her eyes, a contented haze coming over her.

  “What made you think the doctor was going to hurt Ian?”

  Her eyes popped back open, heat climbing up her neck. She could only imagine how extreme her reaction to the doctor seemed to Finley. “I had a nightmare about Nolan and my sister.” She shuddered. “Then I heard Ian scream. I ran into the room. Dr. Clock was standing over Ian, holding the pillow.” Recollections of the event came rushing back as she shivered. “The simplest answer is … I panicked.”

  Finley linked his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

  Fresh tears wet her eyes. “Thank you,” she breathed. A tear escaped and dribbled down her check. She was too tired to even wipe it away. She sighed, letting the tension flow out of her as she turned her attention to the TV. A few minutes later, she felt herself drift off to sleep.

  Chapter 10

  “I understand,” Finley said, gripping the phone tighter. “I’ll be there by the end of the day.” A feeling of gloom settled over him as he ended the call. He glanced over at the sofa where Sunny was peacefully sleeping. Last night, she’d been pale and drawn, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion. After a good night’s sleep, the color had returned to her cheeks. She was so incredibly beautiful with her dark hair spilling over the pillow. He drank in her delicate features, her long lashes resting against her cheeks. They’d slept side-by-side on the sofa all night long. Finley loved the feel of her in his arms.

  Never, in a million years, would he have dreamt that when he came to Park City, he’d find the woman he’d been searching for his entire life. He grinned a little thinking of Emerson’s promise about how when he truly fell in love that he’d realize the difference between the infatuation he felt for her and the real thing. Yep, she was right on the money. The difference was startling. Maybe it was too soon to categorize what he felt for Sunny as love, but he knew beyond a doubt that he wanted to be with Sunny always.

  Everything would be turning out perfect were it not for the threat of Nolan Webb hanging over them. The episode with the doctor the night before was concerning—how quickly Sunny jumped to the conclusion that he was trying to hurt Ian. Then again, it was only natural that Sunny would be suspicious, considering all she’d been through.

  Finley wasn’t sure what to do about Nolan Webb. Maybe after he heard back from his detective, Percy, he’d have a clearer picture of what they were up against. He might even talk to his dad about it this evening when he returned to Dallas. He’d know how to best handle the situation. No, scratch that thought. Finley didn’t want to create a firestorm where Sunny was concerned. Better to deal with this himself.

  He let out a long breath. Sunny wasn’t going to be happy when she learned that Finley had to leave for Dallas this afternoon, but it would only be for one day. As soon as the meeting was over tomorrow morning, he’d come back. That had been his dad on the phone. One of their top clients was having major problems with the software implementation on his ranches. He was threatening to pull his business. No way could they let that happen. It would set a bad precedent for future business. Finley’s dad scheduled an emergency meeting tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. Dallas time with the client. He insisted that Finley be there to ease the man’s concerns.

  A part of Finley wondered if he should take Sunny and Ian with him. No, they’d be safer here. For all he knew, Nolan could have men combing the Dallas area in search of Sunny and Ian. Here, no one knew them. They could stay in the penthouse. Ian could recoup and Sunny could start on her renovation plans for the hotel.

  Finley heard movement. Sunny sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was so darn cute with her hair all over the place. “What time is it?” she yawned.

  “Five after nine.”

  Her eyes rounded as she jumped up. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean to sleep so long. Is Ian okay?” She looked like she was about to sprint out of the room and check on him.

  He stood and went to her side. “He’s fine.” He gathered her hands in his. “After the pills got in his system, he slept like a baby. In fact, he’s still asleep. I checked on him a few minutes ago.”

/>   “Good,” she sighed. “Thank you.” She bit her lower lip, her eyes going troubled. “I’m sure Drake’s wondering where I am—why I didn’t show up for work yesterday.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing. I told him what happened with Ian.”

  She nodded. He could tell her mind was going a mile a minute. “If I could have the rest of this week off, I could start back next week.”

  “What?” Finley laughed in surprise. “You don’t need to worry about cleaning anymore.”

  Sunny frowned. “Yes, I do. I have an obligation to fulfill, and Ian to take care of.”

  He looked into her eyes, marveling at how beautiful she was without any makeup. She looked younger, like a little girl. “I told you. You don’t need to worry about any of that.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Just because we’re together doesn’t mean that I expect you to support me and Ian.”

  Sunny’s spunk thrilled him … and frustrated him. “Of course I’m going to take care of you. Money is no object for me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know, but I need to be self-sufficient.”

  “All right. I can respect that. You will be. I’m hiring you to renovate the hotel. You can start as soon as you like.”

  She tilted her head, sizing him up. “No way you’d give me that job if we weren’t together.”

  He loved the sound of that—them being together. A smile tugged at his lips. “You’re a kick-butt designer and could renovate this hotel in your sleep.” He could tell from the look on her face that he was right on the mark. “If your life hadn’t been turned upside down you’d be designing right now.” He pinned her with a look. “Am I right?”

  “Yes,” she admitted, “but still …”

  He touched her lips as she’d done to him. “No argument. I need a designer and you fit the bill.”

  She broke into a smile. “You’re so dang stubborn.”

  “Uh, huh,” he murmured, “like someone else I know.” He slid his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her.