A Royal Surprise: ( BWWM Romance )

by Tiana Cole

  “Change? I’m not sure what sort of change might interest you.”

  “About you, and your future.”

  “You mean with James? Yes, I’ll do that.”

  She handed the phone back to James, who was giving her a strange look, as if he’d just figured something out. He talked with Liang briefly then hung up.

  “He met with Mr. McCabe the other day.”

  Kieran leaned close. “Has he decided anything?”

  James shook his head. “Apparently he told Alan he isn’t in the running any longer, and he didn’t take it well.”

  Deja giggled. “Does that mean you get it?”

  Hearing that news, the hope had shot through him briefly. “Not necessarily. He says he’s still considering his options, looking at some puzzle pieces. But seeing that he told Alan he was out of the picture and hasn’t said that to me, I have to assume I’m still being considered. His main message was that he only really called to find out about how Barbara was doing.”

  Kieran scratched his head. “How did he find out about her?”

  “I told him. The last time we met, I explained everything.”

  “Was that wise?”

  “Damn if I know. It seemed right though, and I’m glad I did. It saves me worrying about what he might know or not know.”

  Kieran stood. “Well, there don’t seem to be any legal ramifications to any of that, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go to my room for a bit. I need to call my office and check up on a lot of boring things my interns and subordinates are supposed to be handling in my absence.”

  Deja pointed at her door. The door to the room she hadn’t even been in the last night. “You can use my room, if all you need it to avoid the distraction of us nattering on.”

  Kieran smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that very much.”

  “It’s a dreadful commute to his own room,” James said, faking sympathy.

  “It saves waiting for elevators going back and forth to my room.”

  “He hates elevators,” James said.

  “Hate is too strong a word. Let’s say that I prefer to avoid them.”

  “Because you hate them.”

  Kieran winked at Deja. “Your husband is a stubborn man.”

  “He tells me that’s one of his better qualities.”

  He grinned at James. “I’ll be in the lady’s bedroom making calls. Order another bottle of Irish. Yours is empty again.” He smiled. “In the lady’s bedroom…I like the sound of that.” Then he left.

  She could see the confusion James was feeling. She knew he had to wonder why Shen Liang wanted to talk to her directly. Obviously Liang hadn’t chosen to tell him about her visit. For the moment it was all right if that was their little secret, and it seemed that it had been productive, or at least not damaging. She didn’t want to give herself undue credit. All she’d done was try to atone for her ill-advised actions.

  It pleased her that Liang had sounded honestly delighted to hear Barbara was getting her treatment and poised to recover. She suspected it meant something to him in a way she didn’t understand—yet. And then, she let her thoughts about Barbara getting well again push any doubts about her own future out of her head. That would play out on its own.

  * * * *

  Deja watched James pace the room. Even in their short time together, she’d learned to expect that when he was struggling with his thoughts.

  “What’s eating at you?” she asked. “Can I help?”

  “Maybe you can. When I met Liang the last time I was aware that something was different in his attitude.”

  “Of what?”

  He sank back down in a chair. “I’m not sure, exactly, but regarding me, us. And certainly about Alan McCabe. And now, him calling and wanting to talk to you surprised me.”

  “He seemed interested in my opinion on how things were going, with Barbara, with us.”

  A knock on the door interrupted them, and Deja glanced at James. “I called down and asked them to send up a snack.”

  She nodded. “You relax. I’ll get it.” She went to the door, opening it wide, expecting the room service trolley. Instead, Alan barged into the room.

  “You fuckers,” he screamed. “You got to Liang somehow and poisoned him against me.”

  James jumped to his feet. “Alan, what the hell are you talking about? If Liang was angry with you, it isn’t because of anything I did.”

  “Not you, asshole.” He turned on Deja. “You did it, you bitch. You double crossed me. I warned you about that. I knew you were trouble. If I’d known you would go spill your guts out to that Chinese bugger…”

  “What?” James looked at Deja. “You talked to Shen Liang?”

  It was all coming out now. Why not finish it? “I did.”

  “When?”

  “After I confessed the truth to you, I went to see him. I told him everything. I had to. What I did affected him too—the things Alan got me to do. He deserved to know the truth. I didn’t know if it would make a difference or not—”

  “It made a difference, all right,” Alan roared. “You and your fucking truth screwed me over big time.”

  James stepped toward him. “I think you’d better leave now, Alan.”

  Alan reached in his pocket and pulled out a small automatic pistol, pointing it at James, squarely at his chest. He stopped in his tracks. “No way am I leaving until I’m ready to leave, and I won’t be ready for that until I see you suffer first.”

  Deja’s pulse pounded, roaring in her ears loudly enough to mute the sounds in the room. She could see James talking, speaking to Alan. Alan was shouting. And he waved his gun, that silvery automatic, gesturing with it. At James, at her.

  Alan moved into the center of the room, still shouting. Suddenly her hearing cleared. “I’m going to make you watch this bitch die slowly, and then I’ll kill you.”

  “It’s a business proposition, Alan,” James was saying, his voice steady, calming. “It isn’t worth killing someone for.”

  “You fucking coward,” he roared. “No guts to face me directly, sending a woman to do your dirty work.”

  Deja tried to think of what she could do. Alan stayed far enough away from them that there was no chance for them to grab the gun. He was big enough that she had no hope of wrestling it from him, but if she could get it knocked aside, James would have a chance to jump him without risking getting shot. She couldn’t stand it if he got shot. It would be her fault. Alan was going crazy because she’d told Shen Liang the truth. It was that simple. Now she had to stop him. Somehow.

  As the men talked, with Alan shouting, she circled, moving further from James. At some point Alan wouldn’t be able to focus on them both.

  Aware at some level that he was being out flanked, Alan turned, backing further into the room and moving further away, more out of reach. As he shifted his stance to face one and then the other, while shouting something she wasn’t hearing, she saw the door to her room open a crack. Kieran’s face peered out.

  She moved more to her left and toward Alan. “What the fuck are you doing, woman?” Alan shrieked. “Get back in front of me where I can see you both at the same time.”

  She moved closer, and Alan backed up, closer to Kieran. “It’s okay, Alan. This is a misunderstanding, that’s all. We can sort this out. I certainly don’t want you to shoot me, and you don’t want to go to jail, so why don’t we discuss some options?”

  “Options?” He spit the word at her.

  James edged forward and Alan turned toward him. “Don’t you fucking try anything or I’ll blow your kneecap off. In fact that might be a good idea anyway. A way to start the fun.”

  Deja took a breath and moved toward him again. As he turned, the door came open. Alan saw something out of the corner of his eyes and whirled around, just in time to catch the downward motion of an empty bottle of Irish whiskey across his forehead. He crumpled to the ground, and James stepped over to kick the pistol into a corner of the room.

  K
ieran stood over Alan, holding the bottle. “Now do you see why I always tell you it’s vital to keep a bottle of good Irish whiskey close by?”

  “Obviously it’s good to have your lawyer close at hand as well.”

  “That’s not covered by your basic retainer, I hope you realize.”

  “For once I won’t bitch about the extra charges on my bill.”

  As Deja went for the house phone, Kieran grabbed her arm. “No worries, darling. I called for the police myself before I decided they were taking a mite long and I needed to become a superhero in my own right.”

  “You did carry out a well-organized defense, Super Kieran.”

  He winked. “And that was some fancy footwork you two did getting him over within my reach.”

  “Shen Liang told me I need to find a balance between work and dancing,” James said. “I don’t think that’s what he had in mind, exactly, but it makes his point.”

  Deja laughed. “A balance between work and dancing? I like that man.”

  James smiled, and she felt her stomach churn. “Oh God,” she moaned.

  “What is it?”

  She sat down and tried to relax. “Same old thing.”

  There was an urgent pounding on the door and Kieran opened it to admit the police. “Everything’s more or less under control,” he said, pointing at Alan. “He isn’t a good dancer. We might need paramedics.”

  * * * *

  By the time the cops and paramedics had done their paperwork and left with Alan, Deja was throwing up again. “It’s the shock,” she said. “The sudden appearance of a pistol pointed at me is upsetting.”

  “It could be something more serious,” Kieran said. He sounded unusually serious. “Acting as your attorney, I called the front desk. The house doctor is on his way.”

  Deja laughed. “That’s a strange form of legal advice.”

  “Once again, above and beyond the service provided by my lesser competitors.”

  While they waited, James carried her into her room and put her on the bed. “You lie here, and take it easy.”

  “I can’t tell when I have to go into the bathroom again.”

  He got the empty ice bucket and handed it to her. “No need to jump up and run to the bathroom if your stomach starts to turn. If you need to throw up do it in here. I’ll empty it and wash it out.”

  The doctor arrived and seemed happy to be doing something. He sat in a chair by the bed and took Deja’s pulse, then put a hand on her forehead.

  “What’s wrong?” James asked anxiously.

  “She’s sick,” the doctor said. “Just a guess, but that’s why you called me, right? Still, even a medico as skilled as myself needs to actually examine the patient before coming up with a diagnosis, much less prescribing a brilliant cure.” He smiled at Deja. “I’ll need to take your medical history and then I’ll take your temperature. Between us we will figure out what’s making your body unhappy,” he said cheerfully. He turned to the men. “You two are in my way. Please go in the other room while I check her out. Go. Go.”

  In the living room, James paced in front of Kieran as they tried to get some perspective on things. “Alan flipped. I wonder what that does to your stock with Shen Liang?” Kieran asked.

  “It’s hard to say. I was getting the impression that nothing Alan said or did made any difference one way or the other. He said he didn’t care for Alan, and that he was out of the picture. With me, he’s been trying to piece together a puzzle that represents my character.”

  “How would he do that?”

  “I’m not entirely sure. But I do know he was looking for clues, wondering if I would demonstrate some heretofore hidden strength of character. Shen Liang has been fascinated by what I would do about Deja, and her sister.”

  “Well the sister is handily taken care of.”

  “Our secret.”

  “Yes. But what will you do about Deja?”

  He laughed. “I have no idea.” He walked back and forth then stopped. “The thing is, I think I love her.”

  “Well, from a legal perspective, staying married would save one hell of a lot of paperwork.”

  “I knew I could count on you for a romantic Irish perspective.”

  “Glad to be there for you.” Kieran sat for a time. “You know, you and my sister would’ve been a rotten couple.”

  “Think so?”

  “I do. She thinks so too.”

  “So why were you all fired up?”

  “Tradition. We lawyers love our traditions.”

  “Is there a traditional way to get passed that?”

  “Well, if we follow Irish tradition, we’d probably have a knock-down, drag out fight down at the local, then buy each other drinks until we pass out.”

  “I can see the wisdom in that, but is there another option?”

  “Well, the sterile, watered-down, Americanized, politically correct, FDA-approved version would be for you to just order up another bottle of whiskey.”

  “I can do that.”

  The door to Deja’s room opened and the doctor came out, smiling.

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s my patient. Of course she’ll be fine. She’s sleeping at the moment.”

  James sighed with relief. “So she’ll get over this?”

  “Absolutely. It won’t happen quickly however.”

  “How long will it take?”

  “She’ll get over these symptoms fairly quickly. The underlying cause will take longer.”

  “Underlying cause?” James asked.

  “Well, vomiting is not recognized as an illness, you see.”

  “How long until she’s herself again?”

  The doctor laughed. “Oh, before she’s only herself? Approximately eight months. But babies are notoriously unreliable about keeping appointments.”

  “A baby?”

  Kieran roared. “You’re a dad, James.”

  The doctor nodded. “I did a quick test, and while there is a possibility of false positives, the test results, along with the nausea and other symptoms suggest that your wife is a healthy pregnant female. I want you to get her to an OB/GYN tomorrow to confirm it and to start her prenatal care.” He handed them a card. “Since you don’t live here, you might want to call my cousin. She is excellent.”

  “Of course!”

  Kieran went to the bar. “That deserves a toast. Will you join us, doctor?”

  “I’d be honored.”

  James sighed. “Better make mine an orange juice, Kieran. My wife and I have done enough alcohol to last us for some time.”

  The doctor nodded. “And she is off the stuff for the duration.”

  After the toast, the doctor left and Kieran sat in a big chair, a smile spreading over his face. “So, James Andrews as a daddy. What does that do for your messy domestic planning?”

  “Well, Deja being pregnant changes a lot of things.”

  “Because, due to my excellent legal advice, you are still married to the lady, that takes care of one important detail. Assuming she’s willing to stay married to such a bum.”

  “She’ll be a great mom too.”

  “And so?”

  “So, I suppose I’d better go ask the lady, see if she wants to be Mrs. Andrews permanently. I couldn’t blame her entirely if she said no. It’s been a rocky road to the altar.”

  “At least you were both at the altar on time.” As James headed for the bedroom, Kieran coughed. “I suggest that after she gives you her decision you ask her to call Shen Liang with the news.”

  “More legal advice?”

  “No, that’s a friend talking at you.”

  “Well, friend, I’ll do it, but it will likely be a formality.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Shen Liang knows everything before the rest of us.”

  And when she called, Shen Liang was pleased, but certainly didn’t sound surprised.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  James and Deja went to see Barbara together, walking in
to her room, holding hands and bringing a weak smile to her face. “Not only am I glad to see you two, but I have to say I’ve never seen anyone look happier than you two.”

  “It’s good to see you awake and smiling. I know it wasn’t easy. You’ve had a rough time,” James said, bending over the bed to kiss her cheek. “You have a fever.”

  “Who cares? I’ve been in the hospital forever. Right now, I’m inclined to believe that being anything better than a cadaver is damn good, James Andrews. And guess what, you kept your promise about the pain. I hurt like hell, but that’s so much different.

  I’m still feeling some of the ‘they cut me to pieces and sewed me up’ kind of pain. But it’s only been a few weeks since the last procedure and that will go away. That other pain, the one that says you are dying, is gone. I have to thank you for that.”

  “Thank these great doctors.”

  “I will, I do, I have. But without you, I wouldn’t have them.” She winked at Deja. “I bet you don’t even know.”

  James suddenly realized what she was going to say. He had no idea how she could know, but she did. “Barbara, no.”

  Deja looked at James, then at Barbara. “What? Tell me.”

  “During the last couple of months, recovering from surgery, then having a new one, I’ve had a fair amount of time on my hands. So I did some research. I found out that the grant that paid for the surgery was a very special one—so special that it had my name on it before the ink was wet. And it was funded by a dog food company in Los Angeles.”

  “Dog food?” Deja laughed.

  “I wormed bits of the truth out of the staff and the doctor from UCLA. She wanted me to know, so that wasn’t hard. Then when that Irish lawyer representing the company came by, well he was a piece of cake. He thought he’d flatter me, but I had him spilling his guts in no time.”

  “About what?”

  “About a handsome guy you know, who owns the holding company that owns the dog food company that, incidentally, has never made so much as one can of dog food. I was tickled to find out that it invests in virtual reality companies, because about then the entire world seems rather virtually real.” She held out her hand. “Thank you, James.”

  Deja felt her head spin. “You paid for it? Why didn’t you tell me? Why the secrecy?”