He’d kept his mouth shut and what happened in Vegas had stayed there.
“Okay, let’s prepare a list of pros and cons for Declan Reed.” Andie took out a sheet of paper. “You go first.”
Mid-morning, she got an instant message from Sylvia that Mr. Silver wanted to see her.
“What now?” Andie looked up from the film clips of Declan she was studying. If she had to admit to herself, he’d really grown as an actor, and his compact, spritely build did fit the stereotype for the young David. Not too muscular but neither was he a reed, as his last name suggested.
She stopped by the ladies’ room and headed for Ronaldo’s office. Cade would be at practice, but he could have warmed up with his buddy beforehand. Had they exchanged words or blows over the kiss? What had Ronaldo said? What if he told Cade that Andie had come on to him first?
Sucking in a shaky breath, she knocked on his partially open door.
“Come in, and close the door behind you.” Ronaldo’s voice was flat and his gaze steely.
“Sure, thank you, sir.” Andie babbled as butterflies scrambled in her belly. What had she done now? It had to be about the kiss. Was it possible for a boss to accuse her of sexual harassment?
“Take a seat, and tell me what you have against Declan Reed.”
“What? Who told you? Leroy?”
Had Leroy gone behind her back? How could he do this when he’d told her their decision had to be agreeable?
Ronaldo waved his hand and snickered as Andie took the low leather chair in front of his massive desk. “Not Leroy. He has nothing but good things to say about you. Actually it’s Mr. Reed, your husband.”
“Ex-husband.”
Ronaldo arched an eyebrow. “That’s not what he says. Anyway, we had a very informative dinner last night. I think he’s perfect for the part.”
“Wait, but you told Leroy you wanted us to make our recommendations.”
Ronaldo drummed his fingers on his desk. “It was a test that you failed. You let your personal bias get in the way. Declan says you bragged to him about how you could get him blacklisted in all of Hollywood. Imagine that. You? A research assistant?”
“I didn’t say that.” Sweat broiled under Andie’s hairline. Of course, this was Hollywood. Everything anyone ever said could and would be taken out of context.
“Fine. You didn’t. Just like you didn’t come on to me when I graciously took you to dinner to welcome you to my company.”
“I didn’t.”
He leaned across the table. “I didn’t either, and Cade will believe me over you. We go back a long way, just saying.”
“I won’t come between you two, don’t worry.”
“Oh, I’m not worried. You better get your story straight with Declan. You see, I don’t like people who toy with my buddy. You hurt Cade. I’ll hurt you.”
Goodness gracious. She hadn’t been long at this job, and she was already in deep shit. She tugged at her collar and swallowed. “Am I? Am I still employed here?”
Ronaldo put his hands behind his head and kicked his feet onto the table. “Of course you are. You are after all, the world’s expert on the wives of King David and the mating habits of women in ancient Israel. You also have intimate knowledge of the lead actor I’m considering, and the scriptwriter enjoys working with you. Why would I cut off my nose to spite my face?”
“You wouldn’t. Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.” Her boss tilted his head toward the door in dismissal.
Andie stumbled out of his office and took deep breaths to collect herself. The good news was he hadn’t spoken to Cade about the kiss. The bad news was Declan spreading false rumors about her, claiming they were still married to get an ‘in’ with the role. She’d better come clean to Cade about her past. Not that it was much of anything.
Except she’d once thought she was in love with Declan, and it was going to take all the hate she could muster to keep herself from falling for his blarney-shit again.
You’ve got Cade. Cade’s way better. Cade. Cade. Cade.
“Andie?” Sylvia called as she walked by her desk. “You have an envelope. Looks like it got forwarded here from New York.”
“Oh, thanks. My mom mentioned something.” She took the large mailer from Sylvia, and her heart slammed to the floor.
No. No. It can’t be. A thousand times, no.
Everything swirled around her, the cubicle walls, the carpet, and the voices chattering above her, and then it was black and she wanted to die.
She didn’t have to open the envelope to know its contents. She’d addressed it herself. From Antoinette Marie Wales to Declan Connor Reed. Inside were the divorce papers she’d signed two freaking years ago.
They had been returned to sender and were never filed.
[To be Continued]
Book Three
>>><<<
Awesome read. Still on the edge.
- Marie Smith
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Dedication
#37 Ronnie “Bull” Settles
Chapter 1
“How is it possible that both Roxanne and the baby are gone from the hospital?” Los Angeles Flash quarterback Cade Prescott shouted into the voice mail of his agent, Rob Cash. “I know you know where they are. Call me back.”
This was not good, not at all. A few days ago, the woman pregnant with his baby had gone to the hospital in premature labor. His baby was only thirty-two weeks along, too early. If the baby were born now, he could have serious complications.
Cade grabbed his gym bag and flexed his sore shoulder. Something was going very wrong, and they were keeping him in the dark.
He called Roxanne’s cell phone and got her voice mail. He tried not to think of the worst case scenario. If she was able to walk out of that hospital, things couldn’t be that bad, at least for her. But the baby? Had something happened that they didn’t want him to know about?
Cade called his mother back and asked her to wait for him at the hospital. He showered and changed into his street clothes. His shoulder was still sore from the late hit, nothing unusual for a quarterback who was the target for every defensive back to sack. He’d deal with team politics later.
Sure, he was cutting out on practice again and would be fined for leaving, but he had no choice. His baby could, at this very moment, have either been born or … he shook off the chill creeping up his spine. No sense going there.
Forty minutes later, he and his mother hurried into Roxanne’s doctor’s office. En route, Cade had called his lawyer to notify the doctor that, as the father of the baby, he had a right to be notified of the baby’s health.
“Cade Prescott? Dr. Benson will be with you shortly,” the receptionist said. She blinked at him in a star struck manner, then palmed her cell phone. “Is it okay if I get a picture with you?”
His public persona was to be gracious with fans, but he couldn’t afford to have his picture taken inside an obstetrician’s office. Besides, he was in no mood for fan appreciation.
“How about I autograph something for you?”
“I’d rather have a picture.” She handed her phone to his mother. “Can you take this for us?”
This was the part he hated about being a minor celebrity. He couldn’t imagine what movie stars had to go through. Didn’t people know to leave them alone and let them live their lives?
Fortunately, the doctor buzzed the receptionist and said, “Let Mr. Prescott in.”
Cade’s mother gave the woman’s cell phone back to her. “Isn’t there a rule about doctor-patient confidentiality?”
Cade didn’t wait to hear her response. Instead, he pushed through the doorway to the doctor’s office. His mother followed him in and stood at his side.
Dr. Benson greeted them, “Come in, come in. Sit, please. Water? Or a cup of coffee?”
Cade waved it aside. His pulse rate was already elevated from fighting the traffic and worrying about the baby.
“What can I do for you?” the d
octor said, as Cade and his mother sat.
“What’s going on with the baby? How’s his condition?”
“I got your message already and understand you’re worried. Frankly, I am too, but this can’t be helped.”
“Get to the point. Is my son okay?”
“Last I heard, the baby is fine. Still in utero and not under distress.” Dr. Benson tapped a few keys on his computer. “Ms. Cash left the hospital against medical advice and is no longer under my care.”
“What?” Cade slapped the top of the desk. “That means the baby’s in danger.”
How could the doctor sit there so calmly and act like he wasn’t concerned?
“In my professional opinion, birth is imminent, and I would have preferred he be born in the hospital. Yes.”
“This is unacceptable. Why didn’t you call me as soon as Roxanne checked out?”
“I’m sorry you’re not communicating with Ms. Cash, but it’s not my place to call you with an update.” The doctor blinked behind metal rimmed glasses. “In fact, I’m no longer her physician.”
“Then who is? I need to get in touch with him.” Cade’s stomach twisted in on itself. What game was Roxanne and Rob playing? Did they not care about the baby’s health? Or were they pissed at him for offering to have her stay at his house under a strict bed rest regime?
The doctor rose from his desk. “You can ask my receptionist if the new physician requested a transfer of records. As it is, I’ve a busy day with patients. I’m sorry I can’t shed any more light on this situation.”
Cade and his mother had no choice but to retreat from the doctor’s office. Prick. He’d come highly recommended by the guys on the team and was supposedly an old friend of Dick Davis, the owner of the LA Flash football team. Why was the doctor stonewalling Cade when he was the one who paid the bills?
“Hey, it’s not the doctor’s fault,” Cade’s mother said, laying a hand on his shoulder when they were back in front of the receptionist’s counter. “Patients run away from hospitals all the time. I mean, when I was in rehab, we had a—”
“Not now.” Cade caught the receptionist’s eye. “I need to know who Roxanne Cash’s new doctor is. Could you give me his name and phone number?”
“What was it you wanted?” The receptionist chewed on a pencil. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you. Patient confidentiality and that sort of thing.”
She leveled an eye roll at Cade’s mother.
Cade leaned across the counter into her face. “I’m the father of the baby. I have a right to know whose care my baby is under.”
The receptionist wagged her eyes from side to side. “Depends on if you’re really the father.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cade glared at the receptionist. “We had the prenatal blood draw done right here in this office, and the test came back positive for me being the father.”
“Yeah, you know how those prenatal tests are. Stuff could have gotten mixed up. Plus you weren’t the only guy we ran the tests against.”
“She’s playing with you,” Cade’s mother cut in before he could question her further. “She doesn’t know anything.”
“Oh yeah?” The idiotic woman took the bait. “You’ll be surprised how many famous people come through these doors.”
“Too bad you can’t say anything. Patient confidentiality.” Cade’s mother smacked her gum and glanced around the wood paneled waiting room where the other patients hid behind raised magazines and dark glasses. “I bet that other doctor’s receptionist gets all the scoop. It’s boring here.”
“Let’s not waste any more time,” Cade said, tapping his mother’s arm. He had to get back to training camp before the coaches noticed he’d taken off.
They headed toward the door and exited.
A few seconds later, the door swooshed open behind them and the receptionist called out, “Wait. If you take a picture with me, I’ll show you the picture of the guy who came by before you.”
Cade’s mother rolled her eyes. “Like we care so much. Who was it, Brad Pitt?”
“No, serious. He was also asking about your girlfriend and whether the baby’s been delivered.”
“Like we believe anything you say, right Cade?” his mother drawled and yawned.
“Seriously, here, look.” The receptionist scrolled through her phone and flashed a photo in front of Cade.
Cade’s jaw plunged to the floor. Todd Irvin? The pretty boy quarterback who happened to be married was cheesing with the receptionist. The background looked suspiciously like the office he’d just left.
“Wait.” Cade’s mother grabbed the phone. “Irvin’s black. If he’s the father of the baby, it’ll be obvious.”
“Not saying if he is or not,” the receptionist said. “Just that you owe me a pic.”
“So you can show it to the next chump?” Cade flung his arm from her grasp. “Sorry, babe. One word to your boss that you’ve been peddling information—”
He made a cut mark across his throat. He wasn’t in the mood to be charitable, and this woman had crossed the line with her rudeness.
As he walked away, the flash from her phone camera bounced from his ass. That was all she’d get, a departing butt shot.
“What now?” his mother asked when they exited the building.
“Find out why Todd Irvin was visiting Roxanne’s doctor.”
# # #
Arms and hands lifted research assistant Andie Wales off the carpet at her workplace. Another hand held a cup of water. She was vaguely aware that she had just come out of her boss’s office when she’d suddenly gotten dizzy.
A large manila envelope lay on the floor next to her. It had been returned to sender. Of all things, it contained her divorce papers—her unfiled divorce papers. After two years lost in the postal system, it showed up right when she’d finally found a new boyfriend, Cade.
“Are you okay?” Her coworkers bent around her with concern etched on their faces. “What happened?”
“I’m okay. I’m fine.” She swiped her hair from her face. “Didn’t eat breakfast. Low blood sugar.”
“Maybe you should go to the doctor,” Sylvia, her boss’s admin, said. “I have a friend who has a heart condition, and she faints all the time for no reason whatsoever.”
Andie definitely had a reason to faint. Finding out she was still married to Declan Connor Reed, her playboy ex, was up there with nuclear catastrophe and a mass outbreak of ebola.
Her boss, Ronaldo Silver, stood behind Sylvia with a scowl on his face. “Sylvia, take her to the cafeteria and get her something to eat. We need Andie on the set today to go over historical apparel and the placement of furniture.”
Geez, that man really had it in for her. Andie gritted her teeth and nodded. “I’m fine. Really. I’m looking forward to going over the details of the set.”
“Good.” Ronaldo grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Remember what we talked about. Declan’s going to be there getting acculturated to ancient Israel. You better figure out where you two stand.”
“I’ll be professional about it. Please don’t worry.” Pinpricks of sweat dampened Andie’s armpits, but she had to hold it together. She should be glad to have a few moments alone with Declan. If he signed the divorce paperwork, she could file it and not have to tell Cade anything.
He had enough to worry about with the baby and bed rest Roxanne needed, as well as competition for the starting quarterback position on the team.
As for Ronaldo, he’d told her to fix it, and she couldn’t imagine him gossiping with Cade like old hens pecking at the grapevine.
Declan was simply a bump in the road in her past. Not a big deal.
Chapter 2
“Where’ve you been?” Coach Settles lowered his brows and glared at Cade when he returned to the training facility. “I told you to get your shoulder looked at, not to take time off.”
“I had a family emergency,” Cade said. He wasn’t going to admit to anything else, and if they fi
ned him, so be it. Playing football was like being back in high school—every hour was regimented and scheduled from game day to game day.
“You should have checked with me ahead of time. First, Irvin goes missing this morning and now you. What’s the matter with you two? Starting quarterback not worth competing for?”
“It is, Coach. I’m on it.” He trotted out onto the field, as Todd ambled off, removing his mouth guard and spitting.
He gave Cade a pat on the shoulder just hard enough to cause him to wince, then said, “Watch your back, man.”
“Sure, later.” Cade grunted. As if he cared. For all Cade knew, Todd had encouraged his buddy, Sanderson, to hit him hard the other day.
But then again, the defensive backs were full of adrenaline and known for hard hits. Their motto was to go right through a man, not just to stop him. The Flash defense was infamous for double teaming a quarterback and hitting him high and low at the same time.
He hadn’t figured they’d go so rough during training camp and risk injuring their own teammates. Unless …
Cade shook off the dark thoughts, or at least tabled them. Mind games were a big part of the competition. Todd must have been significantly worried about Cade getting the starting nod, enough so that he was snooping around Roxanne’s doctor’s office. Probably trying to dig up dirt to discredit him with the owner and coaches. It was doubtful Todd had fathered Roxanne’s baby, especially in these days of accurate paternity tests, unless … What if the entire baby situation were made up to fuck with him? Make him lose concentration while competing for the starting job.
Cade huddled with the guys, called the play, and got behind the center for the snap. The only thing that mattered now was the next play. Nothing else.
The offensive line held while he dropped back into the pocket looking for an open receiver. No such luck. Not even the tight end was free from his defender. Cade could do the chicken shit thing and throw the ball into the sidelines for an incomplete, but that wasn’t how he played.
Tucking the ball under his arm, he rushed forward behind the blocking of the fullback, Polu Rivera, half-Samoan, half-Puerto Rican powerhouse. Cade wasn’t like those wimpy quarterbacks who held the ball in throwing position once the running game started. Nope, he wasn’t afraid of the line of tacklers.
Boxed Set: Intercepted by Love (The Complete Collection): Books One - Book Six Page 21
