Worth Fighting For (Hope Harbor Book 4)

by Ann B. Harrison

  She clicked on the email and started reading. Tears blurred her vision and she had to pause. The doctor wanted to see her again and in her mind, that could only mean one thing – bad news.

  Mia felt the palpitations as her heart raced. She had so many questions and few answers. Mia felt the spike in her breathing and tried to slow it down. Her palms began to sweat as fear crawled up her throat. This wasn’t normal by any stretch of the imagination and she really wasn’t surprised to be called back.

  Whatever her uncle was planning for the business, she hoped it would make things easier for her to slow down too. The last thing she wanted was to die young without experiencing more than just working herself to death. Was it too late to enjoy life like any normal person?

  Chapter 17

  “Are you sure this is the right way to go forward?” Mia stared down the table at the board members, then back to the screen where her uncle and Atticus Hope sat staring at her from Matt’s kitchen. “Tell me why you all think this is a good idea.”

  Ryan calmly outlined it all once again while Mia tried to not let her emotions override her business sense. “You can still be the face of the company for as long as you like if that’s what you want to do, Mia. But this way, your workload will be much lighter. Someone else can do the day-to-day stuff, and if you wanted to take on some of those projects or head into another direction, you could.”

  “Another direction?” Those two words pulled her up short. Hope fluttered in her chest.

  Ryan answered her. “Sure. You keep getting invitations to make over famous homes and I’ve had a few offers for worthy causes you could be involved in too. You never had time before, so it wasn’t worth mentioning. But, if we go ahead with what I’ve proposed, you can diversify. You can also walk away if you feel it’s time. Maybe open up a little shop if you felt the need to and take on small private jobs. Do some of those television projects you keep getting offered.”

  A shop. Like the one she’d discovered on the back street of Hope Island. It kept popping into her mind. Besides, now that Ryan was buying on the island, there wasn’t much to keep her in Seattle apart from the business. And she’d just been handed the perfect opportunity to walk away from it with her pride intact if she chose to.

  Atticus stared at her through the screen. “Just to tempt you a little in that direction, Mia, I have a few properties empty right now that I could lease you—both in Seattle and here on the island.” He smiled, his silver moustache twitching as he leaned into the camera.

  “Thanks, I appreciate the offer. Do you have anyone interested in taking over, Ryan?”

  She knew him well. If it was something he was thinking about, he’d already have feelers out in the business community and offers on the table.

  “As a matter of fact, yes I do. A company in the city has shown an interest in our company before. I approached them with a purely speculative scenario and they seemed more than willing to discuss it. It’s up to the board now to vote on it.”

  Forty minutes later, Mia shook the hands of all the board members and walked back to her own office, taking her time and wondering if she would miss this. She would miss the excitement of it all. But, by the same token, now she would be free to explore other opportunities, which was thrilling. It’d taken her a few days to come to terms with the fact that things were changing. Whether she was there or not, the company was successful and will continue to be successful due to Ryan and Mia’s sharp mind and hard work.

  Ever since Ryan had had his heart attack, she’d been wracked with guilt for contributing to his condition with the workload she’d put on his shoulders. If Ryan could retire and enjoy what was left of his life, even if it was on the island, she’d be thankful. At least she would still have him alive and happy.

  He deserved it all and more because he’d just given her the best gift of all, which she finally acknowledged to herself. She was going to walk away and have a life. She couldn’t believe she wasn’t crying over it. Last week she would’ve. After all, she had when Matt suggested it.

  Barb put her head around Mia’s office door. “Mia. Your doctor’s appointment is in thirty-five minutes. Better get a move on.”

  “Thanks, Barb.” She grabbed her purse from the desk and hurried down to the street. It was only a short walk to the specialist’s office and she wanted to feel the sun on her face and the fresh air in her lungs before she got into the nitty gritty of dealing with her own possible heart condition.

  “Mia, come in.” Dr. Sanders gestured her into his office. “Take a seat.”

  She sat and placed her purse on the floor beside her chair. “I got your request for a follow up appointment. I gather it’s not good news. I have the same condition as my uncle, don’t I?”

  “Yes, you do. But not to the same extent as Ryan or your father since we’ve caught yours at an early stage. Even so, as I said before, I’m concerned about your blood pressure.” He looked at the computer screen in front of him, clicked a couple of keys and swung it around so she could see. “These are your monitor readings. The pauses in your heartbeat are still minor but will probably get longer with time.” He gave her what should have been a reassuring smile. “I want to keep you on medication and see how that goes before we try anything more invasive like we’ve had to do with your uncle. Hopefully it’ll keep everything running smoothly. Two weeks should give us a fairly good indication of how its tracking.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  “We’ll have to look at putting in a pacemaker. You’re young and fit. This shouldn’t slow you down at all. This kind of heart condition is more common than you think.”

  “But it’s genetic. So if I have children, chances are they’ll have it too.”

  The doctor nodded. “Yes, true. Many factors come into play when we talk genetics. None of your children may have it or all of your children might get it.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip.

  “Before you get stressed over this and decide children aren’t for you, let me tell you what medical science is doing for this condition.”

  By the time Mia walked back to the office, she’d decided her future.

  * * *

  Matt pulled fresh beans from the vine in the vegetable garden and dropped them into the basket at his feet as his father walked up the driveway. He’d been so lost in his own thoughts, he hadn’t even heard the car pull up.

  “Hi, Matt.”

  “Hey, Dad. What are you up to?”

  “Heading into town to meet up with Mia. Thought I’d drop in and say hi on my way.” He paused at the edge of the garden and picked a bean, looking it over before popping it in his mouth and chewing happily.

  “She’s here?”

  Atticus swallowed and nodded. “Yes, she is. Called me to say she wanted to look at the commercial properties I have for lease. An agent showed her the ones in the city and I’m meeting her in half an hour to show her the ones I have available here.”

  “She didn’t tell me she was coming back.” It hurt that she hadn’t let him know, but it wasn’t as though they’d been in constant touch since she’d gone back. “I did tell her I’d have a room for her, though.”

  “Good. Because I can’t imagine she’d want to stay anywhere else with Ryan here.”

  Matt thought about it. According to his father, she’d given in and accepted what the board suggested without any fuss. She’d never once balked or tried to argue, which surprised everyone and gave Matt hope for the future. Maybe she was going to surprise him too. Perhaps that was why she hadn’t told him she was coming.

  “I’d better go and meet her. You take care, son.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  His father stopped at the edge of the driveway. “Listen, do you know what happened between David and your aunt Gigi?”

  “She mentioned something about him wanting to move to New York, and she didn’t even want to contemplate that idea.”

  “When she first mentioned it, I figured she’d go with him.
Fair enough. So”—he glanced at the house—“she and Ryan seem to be hitting it off.”

  “They do. And since he’s staying on the island, it’s good. Right?”

  “Yeah.” His father said goodbye and walked back down to his car.

  So Mia was looking at setting up a shop. That made his heart dance. To have her around all the time would be amazing. Would he be pushing things if he asked her to stay there with him as his partner, or should he wait and woo her a bit more? They’d only had three weeks together, counting the time he was with her when she went rushing back to Seattle. Maybe it would be wise to work on their relationship before he asked her to live with him. He walked inside, arguing with himself about the next step.

  “You look like you’re having an inner struggle, Matt.” Ryan walked into the kitchen and put his empty glass on the kitchen counter. “Anything I can help you with?”

  “Dad was just here. Said he’s showing Mia some properties.”

  “Yes, that’s right. She didn’t argue at all with our ideas for the company, which blew me away. I thought we’d have a battle on our hands getting her to step away from the business. But it turned out to be her choice. I have to say I’m thrilled to bits about how it all came together. It’s about time she slowed down.” Ryan slid onto what was fast becoming his stool. “Gives you kids a bit more of a chance with her here on the island.”

  “Yes, I guess it does.” Matt breathed. “Better get something nice planned for dinner then. Might be a celebration if all goes well.”

  “I’m hoping so. I think the freedom to take on other projects will give her a whole new outlook on life. Maybe she’ll learn to live a little instead of working herself to death.”

  “I’m impressed. I’m glad she’s being smart about this.”

  “Me too. But at the end of the day, she’s nothing if not sensible. She’ll do what’s right for everyone involved. Mia’s always been like that even if she panics initially about how it will all come together.”

  Matt hoped that she decided a relationship between the two of them was a sensible thing to do.

  Chapter 18

  “Mia.” Matt hurried outside when her car pulled into its usual spot outside the kitchen.

  Mia smiled, got out, and he held her in his arms. “Hey. How’s everything?”

  “Better now that you’re back. Tell me all about what’s happening. I can’t wait to hear what you have planned.” He grabbed her overnight bag from the trunk and took her arm up as they walked up the path to the kitchen door.

  “Sorry I didn’t let you know I was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise, but your father said he mentioned it to you.”

  “He did but that’s okay. You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

  “I’m leaving the company, Matt.”

  “I figured as much. Maybe later, you and I can go for a walk and talk it all over. What do you say?”

  Mia squeezed his hand and that went a long way toward making Matt feel better about not being told of her arrival.

  “Of course. I can’t wait to tell you everything.”

  “And I can’t wait to hear it. Go and say hello to Ryan while I put this in your room. I think he’s fussing with the flower bed out front. I’ll bring coffee out to the front porch if you like, and you can tell both of us together.”

  “You’re a gem. Thanks.” She walked through the house and Matt ran up the stairs with her bag, dropping it inside her bedroom door.

  By the time he got everything organized and carried the tray out to the porch, Mia and her uncle were coming up the path. She smiled. “I could really use a cup of your coffee. I’m parched and desperate for a caffeine hit.”

  “Did you settle on a building though? That’s what I want to know.” Ryan waited until she was seated and then took his own.

  “I think so. I need to go over the finer details with Atticus but I really liked the three empty shops on the back street he showed me. I discovered them when I was walking the first week I was here and they stuck in my head. They could easily be turned into one big shop if Atticus doesn’t mind. I don’t need to be down at the wharf where tourists can see me. Not for what I have planned.” She took the cup Matt offered and sat back.

  Matt pulled up a chair of his own. “Tell us. I’m excited about you coming to Hope Island.”

  She smiled at him and Matt melted. “It was Ryan’s idea. But once the board had agreed to sell, I made inquiries. There’s a couple of networks that are interested in me doing a show. It’d keep me busy for a few months of the year and that would give me time to have a shop as well. Maybe employ a local to work with me because there’d be times I wouldn’t be on the island. When we’re shooting, for example.” She sipped the coffee and sighed. “That’s so good.”

  Matt held out the plate of raspberry friands he’d made earlier. She gave him a look of pain and he laughed. “You know you want to. Go on, they’re not bad for you; I promise.”

  “Matt’s been making me heart healthy meals. Even healthy sweet treats.” Ryan patted his belly. “Gotta watch my figure now.”

  “If you insist. Is there anything you can’t do, Matt?”

  “Can we talk about that later? I don’t want to change the subject when we are talking about you. So, a show?”

  “Yes. It makes sense, really. Home renovation shows are money-makers at the moment, and with the name I already have, the networks are sure it’d be a success.”

  “I have no doubt about it either. That’s why I suggested it when we discussed your future.” Ryan took a bite of his friand and chewed. “Matt, you should have your own show too. These are amazing.”

  “Thanks but I’ll leave the celebrity stuff to our girl here.”

  * * *

  She had to tell him before he assumed they would be a couple. She liked Matt—a lot—but the two of them together wasn’t a possibility. Not with her condition. Not with the risk to any children they might have and she knew he wanted babies.

  She’d lost her parents to ill health and it’d done serious mental harm to her. She wouldn’t put any child of hers through the same pain. And even if it broke her heart, she wasn’t about to let Matt fall for her when she had no intention of getting married and being a mom. He was so ready for a family of his own. She’d seen it with the way he acted at the baby shower and the small comments he’d dropped into everyday conversation.

  Matt would make the perfect dad one day. It broke Mia’s heart that it wouldn’t be with her.

  Later when Ryan went to have a nap, she went in search of Matt. They needed to talk before their supposed relationship got out of control.

  He was in the garden, weeding around the salad greens he’d planted last weekend. “Hi. Can I sit and talk while you work?”

  Matt smiled up at her. “Of course. Feel free to get your hands dirty too if you like.”

  “Maybe later.” She perched on the wooden bench with the pergola over it. The beans were growing well and almost ready for a second picking.

  “Why the long face?”

  “It shows, eh?”

  He pulled a weed and shook off the dirt before dropping it into a bucket. “You have a sense of sadness around you. Like you’re happy but not happy.” He brushed his hands together. “Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll see if I can fix it for you.”

  She blinked back tears and shook her head. She was going to miss him so much. “You can’t fix everything, Matt.”

  He stood and moved over to her. “I can try.”

  “Not this time.” She sniffed and wiped a hand across her face, doing her best to contain her pain. He didn’t need to see how much this affected her. It was her problem, not his. But it was so easy to dump it on his shoulders even if she knew there wasn’t any easy fix. “I saw the specialist.”

  Matt sat beside her and took her hands. “Tell me what he said. I’m guessing it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.”

  “You could say that. I have it too—ARVC, or arrhythmogenic rig
ht ventricular cardiomyopathy, to be precise. The same disease that killed my father and put Ryan on his ass.” She sniffed again. “Sorry. That wasn’t a nice thing to say.”

  “But it’s true. It did put him on his butt, but he’s getting better now.”

  “But he’ll always have to look after himself. Make sure he eats right and exercises. There’s no getting away from it.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose.

  “That’s fine. It’s manageable because we know what it is. Just like it’ll be with you. We’ll take care of it.”

  “Matt, there’s no we.”

  A flash of pain crossed his face. “What do you mean?”

  Mia took a deep breath. “There’s no us. There can’t be. I won’t do that to you.”

  He dropped his head. Mia waited for him to speak. Eventually, he did.

  “But I don’t understand. Just because you have a manageable condition, why would that change anything? I’ll still love you the same. I do love you, Mia.”

  There it was, that love word. What she’d been waiting to hear. But it was not on the cards for them.

  “I know you want children. I saw it in the way you played with April’s kids and the comments you’ve made since I’ve known you. I want you to be happy, Matt. I love you enough to wish for that. But it can’t be with me.”

  “Why not? You’ve just said you love me, Mia. When you love someone, you work things out. That’s how it’s done.”

  “What if it can’t be worked out?” She touched his face and he looked at her. He deserved a baby of his own. “I won’t bring a child into this world with this condition. I refuse to give that kind of death sentence to anyone. I saw what it did to my mom. She faded away and died not long after my father from a broken heart. Who would do that knowingly pass that onto a child?”