Close to Heart (17 page)

“Dr. Hart, I’m not sure what my wife had told you, but I’m the sort of man who’s been trying to reach my wife while she’s been away. Now, when will she return so that I can speak with her?”

“A few days, at least.”

“Days?” Alyssa’s husband sighed into the receiver. “That’s problematic.”

“Why is that?”

“Because we’re here to pick her up, like she asked.” Justin felt his lungs constrict painfully. The voice from the other end of the line grew sympathetic. “Alyssa didn’t tell you?”

“No, I had no idea she called you. Especially considering she has a restraining order against you.”

Justin felt alarm welling in his belly, making his stomach churn. Lyssa had set this up? Justin felt his chest constrict painfully as he wondered when Lyssa could have contacted him. She could have called him before Sam was born. Had that been why she’d been awake before her water broke, or had her labor awakened her like she claimed? Wouldn’t she have told him if she talked to Elijah? He remembered how secretive she’d been when she first arrived. If that was when she’d made the call, Elijah still didn’t know about his son’s birth.

The other man guffawed into the phone. “Dr. Hart, your sense of humor is refreshing. Of course, you already know the restraining order was faked. Mr. Monroe’s idea. But it’s been a tremendous boost for her reputation.”

“Why?”

Justin looked at Bailey, whose brows were furrowed as she tried to understand the one-sided conversation. He felt his hands clench around the phone, his stomach knotting and twisting painfully as Elijah Cole seemed to read his mind.

“Because she’s going back to movies,” Cole said matter-of-factly. “I assumed Alyssa told you all about our plan—to stage her disappearance. I’d start looking for her and we’d build media attention until we reunite. I suppose we should have notified you I was on my way after the press conference, but I’ve been working so frantically trying to set up the next one for our reunion that it slipped my mind.”

“That’s a pretty elaborate scheme just for her to get back to making movies. Most people would just make a few calls.”

Ice filled his lungs and he fought to maintain his rationalism. As much as he wanted to believe Alyssa, some of what Cole said rang true. She’d been talking of going back to acting since she’d arrived. The way she defended Elijah, claiming there was no abuse. Bailey waved her hands at him, trying to get his attention, but he turned his back on her, focusing on the man at the other end of the line.

“Yes, well, it
is
Hollywood. You have to make a pretty big splash to even get noticed these days. But the way she orchestrated her disappearance and you rescuing her . . . she’s made sure her name is on everyone’s lips and will be for quite a while.

“I just wanted to thank you for playing your part in this so convincingly. You’re quite an actor. But I’m sure my wife has already offered you a contract.” Justin could hear the blasé tone of Cole’s voice, as if this was something he did every day. Justin fought the disgust rising in his belly. Who knew, maybe it was.

“We’re arriving in Sacramento now.”

Justin heard Cole talking, but his mind wasn’t listening to what he was saying any longer. Lyssa had called her ex-husband to come get her. After everything she’d told him, everything they’d been through . . .

It was hard to believe, but he couldn’t help the niggling doubt that played in the back of his mind, reminding him of how little he had to offer her. He’d seen the look in her eye after she gave birth, when she questioned Elijah’s desire for his son. They had a child together. That alone gave them a connection that would be difficult to sever. Fury churned in his chest, making it burn and ache. He should have listened to his instincts and never gotten involved in the first place. How could he have been such a fool not to see he was being used? The sheer speed in which Cole reacted to her disappearance and called his first press conference should have been a sign it had been set up in advance.

Cole’s voice sounded almost friendly, but not quite. “In all seriousness, if you’re looking for representation, I’d be thrilled to accommodate you, although I’m sure she’s already paid you a hefty sum as well. However, Dr. Hart, I’m a very busy man. Can you please tell my wife I called?”

And he’d been about to ask her to marry him.

Justin felt as if he’d just had the wind knocked out of him. He couldn’t believe his Lyssa was capable of this. But this wasn’t the Lyssa he thought he knew. That woman was a fantasy, a role she’d been playing. She was Alyssa Cole, the cold, manipulative woman who answered questions for the media at her press conference with practiced grace and flawless appeal. She was the very image of beauty and America’s darling of the screen.

“How long before you arrive?”

He heard Lyssa’s husband ask someone with him how long it would be before they reached their destination. “That depends on where she is, Dr. Hart.”

Justin was going to make damn sure he wasn’t anywhere near any of these vipers. He’d known they were different, but he’d never expected the chasm of differences to be so wide.

“Marshall Medical Center. Your son was born this morning.”

“Ah, my son.” Justin paused, waiting, disgusted that the man didn’t seem concerned in the slightest that his child had been born four weeks early. “I’m so grateful for your help with this, Dr. Hart. If there’s anything I can do to make this transition even more media-worthy, I hope that you or Alyssa will let me know. I’d be happy to make it happen.”

Bile rose in Justin’s throat as he recounted the past week, cursing his naiveté. After spending the past year berating his sisters and Bailey about protecting their hearts and not falling too fast, here he was, welcoming his heartbreak through the front door without thinking twice.

A
LYSSA STARED DOWN
at the perfect child in her arms as he nursed and wondered what she’d done to ever be so blessed. After leaving Los Angeles, she’d thought she was on a downward spiral. When she’d seen how Elijah was using the media to ruin her, she’d despaired any hope of a future for her and her child. But last night, after Justin asked her to stay, that hope flared brighter than ever before. Now that Franklin had begun her divorce proceedings, she and Justin could begin to move forward, toward a future of their own with her son.

She couldn’t help but remember the gentle way Justin’s hands had cradled her baby as he laid him in her arms. Or the way he’d looked down on him with such adoration that it almost broke her heart to think of Elijah as her baby’s father instead of Justin. But, if she had her way, Justin was the only father her son would know. Elijah might not want either of them, but that gave her and Sam a fresh start with Justin.

“Aly, you need to tell me what the hell is happening.”

“Good morning, Franklin.” She looked up as he waltzed into the room and tossed his briefcase into the chair by the bed. “What are you doing here?”

“Apparently I’m picking you up and taking you to a hotel. What’s going on?” He crossed his arms, waiting for her to explain.

Dread seeped into her and she shivered at the cold trepidation. The baby woke and began to fuss, so she rose from her bed to change his diaper without thinking. She was able to do it quickly, surprised at how instinctively she had fallen into the role of a mother.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” When she looked back at Franklin he went on.

“I got a message from Elijah’s attorney yesterday that he wants to meet with me this afternoon and then it’s followed by a call from Justin telling me you had the baby and that I should come get you and gather your things from his house while he’s out on ranch calls today.”

“What?” The breath was sucked from her lungs and she sank back onto the bed, her legs unable to hold her up. “When?”

“When what?”

“When did Justin call you?”

“Late last night. He was drunk as hell and said something about being a veterinarian, not an actor. I hope you know what that means because I’m thoroughly confused here. I thought we had a plan. Let the reporters see you with him, paint Elijah as the lying creep he is, and get you and this little guy a new start.”

Alyssa had no idea what had happened after Justin left the hospital. He’d told her he loved her, asked her to stay, and now . . .

“The last thing he said was that he’d be here this morning.”

Franklin moved his briefcase to the floor and sank into the chair, pressing his fingers to his temples. “Okay, I’m getting a headache. It’s too early in the morning for these games. Start from the beginning.”

“What beginning?” She scooped her son from his bassinet and held him to her chest. “I’m as confused as you are.”

“Why didn’t you call me when you got here?”

She tipped her head to one side and rolled her eyes. “I was a little busy. Besides, I don’t have my phone. It must be at Justin’s. His sister barely got a bag packed for me before the ambulance arrived.”

“So, what’s the deal with Justin, then? Did you two have a fight?”

She frowned and shrugged one shoulder. “Not really a fight. More of a discussion, but that was before I had Samuel.” Justin hadn’t been angry when he left. He’d been tender, happy, ecstatic actually. She had no idea why he wanted her to stay in a hotel. It had to be some sort of misunderstanding. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

“When did you last talk to him?”

“Before he headed back to the clinic yesterday, why?”

“About twenty-four hours ago. And now I have a call from Elijah’s attorney.” Franklin arched a brow and she remembered that look from college, when he was trying to work out a particularly difficult problem. He rubbed a finger at the point of his chin. “What time are you being released?”

“A few hours at least. They were going to get the paperwork together after the shift change.”

He rose and snatched his briefcase from the floor. “I’ll be back. I have a couple of things to take care of. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Just hang tight.”

J
USTIN LOOKED UP
in time to see the rental car pull into the clinic parking lot.

Son of a bitch.

Franklin was the last person he wanted to see right now. He watched Franklin slam the door on the car. Several cameramen and two reporters immediately approached him. “Mr. Monroe, where is Alyssa Cole? Was she in the ambulance that left here last night?”

“No comment.” He brushed them off as if they were no more than a slight nuisance, the way most people would wave off a fly as he made his way toward the office.

“Mr. Monroe, has Ms. Cole run out on Dr. Hart as well?”

“I said, no comment.”

“Who’s that?” Bailey asked, coming from behind the front counter, ready to lock the door if needed. They’d already had to lock out one reporter pretending to be a client.

“Lyssa’s lawyer,” he muttered. “Tell him . . . aw, hell, just send him back to my office and make sure to clear our appointments for the rest of today. I get the feeling nothing is going to get accomplished.”

Justin headed to his office as he heard the front door of the clinic chime. Bailey’s voice carried down the hall.

“Dr. Hart isn’t taking patients today.”

“I’m Franklin Monroe, Alyssa Cole’s lawyer. Where is he?” Franklin didn’t sound as if he was in a mood to chat.
Good, neither am I.

“I know who you are and I don’t give two shits. If you’re here to start trouble, I’ll throw you out myself.”

Justin couldn’t help the smile that tipped the corner of his mouth. Bailey was a bulldog when she thought she was protecting her family, something the two of them had in common. He couldn’t help but appreciate the gesture, especially when he knew she would think he was making a mistake, if he’d caved to her questions. Bailey realized something was wrong when he’d asked her to leave after hanging up Alyssa’s phone, but she had given him space last night. Space he’d used to get shit-faced and pass out on the couch. She’d been prodding him for information about the call all morning, but between appointments and keeping the reporters at bay, he’d been able to avoid talking about it. Until now.

“Bailey, send him in,” he called from down the hall. Franklin walked through the doorway and stood across from Justin, glaring at him over the desk. “What are you doing here,
Frank
?”

“The better question is what you’re still doing here when Aly needs a ride home. Why did you call me drunk to go pick her up? She needs
you
.”

Justin barely remembered calling Franklin. Had he really been that out of it? “Because I’m not going to sit back and be used. And don’t try to feed me that bullshit. From the looks of it, Alyssa Cole manages just fine without help from anyone.”

“
What
are you talking about?”

“You might as well grab Lyssa’s things since you’re here. Then you and those vultures outside can take a hike.”

Franklin shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, it’s good to know Aly can still pick out the biggest assholes. She put her trust in you.”

“The two of you aren’t really people who should lecture anyone about trust. Or honesty, for that matter.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Justin sat back in the chair, crossing his arms. “It means, I know all about this game, this charade, the three of you cooked up. You can tell Cole he can stuff his offer up his ass. I’m finished with you people.”

“What offer?”

Justin didn’t have the time or inclination to waste explaining why he wouldn’t take part in this farce any longer. He held up a hand. “Bailey will help you get all of Alyssa’s things together. Just get them and get the hell out. I’m not her puppet and I won’t be played for a fool. I hope she and Cole are happy together because I’ve never known two people to deserve each other more.”

Franklin leaned over the desk, fury etched in his face. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but there is a woman in the hospital who thought you were her knight in shining armor. I don’t know what the hell has changed your mind, but I thought you felt the same way about her.”

“Sure, and I’ll bet next you’ll have some bridge to sell me. Bailey,” he called, “can you show Mr. Monroe where Alyssa’s things are?” Justin rose from behind the desk, puffing out his chest and forcing Franklin to back up a step. “I may be a backwoods, country redneck, but I’m not an idiot.”

Bailey appeared in the doorway and Franklin looked from her back to Justin, shaking his head. “Yes, you are.”

A
LYSSA SAT UNDER
the hospital portico, holding Samuel close to her, waiting silently as Franklin brought his rental car under the overhang. He’d managed to head into town and purchase a car seat in order for her to go home. According to the pediatrician, Samuel was a beautiful, healthy boy weighing in this morning at seven pounds six ounces and measuring twenty-one inches long. Her due date had simply been off by a few weeks, and the baby was absolutely perfect.

Until Franklin’s visit this morning, she’d been excited to return to Justin’s, to spend time getting to know her son, watching the two of them interact. She might not know where their relationship was heading, but she’d been more than content to just let it happen.

And then Franklin arrived with the news that Justin wanted her out, too.

Without any warning, she was on her own again with next to nothing. Even now, her luggage barely took up the trunk of the rental, and she was going to have to buy some clothing for the baby. Everything she’d bought during her pregnancy was still at the house in Beverly Hills, in the nursery he’d never use. But Alyssa wasn’t going to give up this easily. She wasn’t giving in to Elijah’s manipulations, and she wasn’t leaving town until she knew what had changed Justin’s feelings.

She hadn’t spoken to him since he’d left her room and had no idea what was going on in his head, why he’d refused to come to the hospital today or why he’d had a sudden change of heart. After the words he’d said only two days ago, the way he’d asked her to stay, he at least owed her an explanation.

“Is that him?” the nurse asked as Franklin slowed and put the car into Park in front of them. “I just need to make sure the car seat is installed correctly.” The nurse locked the wheelchair into place and made sure the baby seat was secure before helping Alyssa put Sam inside. “Good luck, sweetie,” she said, patting Alyssa’s shoulder. The nurse couldn’t begin to comprehend how much luck Alyssa was going to need.

Alyssa settled herself in as Franklin climbed into the driver’s seat. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to the hotel I’m staying at. It’s one town over, but it will be an easy jaunt into Sacramento. I’ve already booked you a room.”

“Take me to Justin’s.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Aly. I told you what he said. Just cut your losses now and—”

“Either you take me or I’ll get my own rental and go tomorrow.” She stared straight ahead, afraid that if she looked at him, she’d break down in tears. Just because she sounded confident didn’t make it true.

“Aly, don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to see this stubborn backbone of yours again, but this is a bad idea. There’s nothing good that’s going to come out of it, and we have to figure out what to do about Elijah. I’m not sure what this meeting today is about, so we need to be on the offensive, not the defensive.”

“As long as it’s a legal issue, I’ll let you decide how to deal with Elijah. I won’t subject Sam to that kind of emotional torture for the rest of his life. I’m far from perfect, but I don’t want my son growing up with that voice criticizing him for the next eighteen years.”

“Do you think he’ll relinquish his rights?”

Alyssa took a deep breath, considering the various sides of her ex-husband. “I think he will for the right price. It’s just a matter of figuring out what that is.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll see what I can finesse out of him.” Franklin shot her a sideways glance. “I still don’t think seeing Justin is a good idea.”

She laid her hand over his forearm on the center console. “I know, and I appreciate your opinion. You’ve been a great friend to me.” She saw him wince and shake his head. “What?”

“I
am
your friend, Aly. I always have been. That’s why it kills me to see you keep choosing the same kind of men. You’re only attracted to guys who are bound to break your heart.”

“Franklin . . . ”

He held up a hand. “Just hear me out for a second. I was there when you started dating Elijah. I watched you become a shell of the woman you were. You let him change you. Now you’re finally getting away from him, from the demands he put on you, and you’re just starting to be yourself again. Justin—”

“Isn’t like Elijah,” she interrupted.

“You don’t know him the way you think you do.”

“I can’t explain it but I
know
he’s good and kind, Franklin. I don’t know what happened, but Justin wouldn’t just abandon me . . . us,” she said, glancing back at Sam, sleeping in his car seat.

“I’m not convinced he’s not just another asshole, Aly,” he argued, rolling his eyes. He reached across the car and took her hand in his. “You deserve so much better than either of them. I know you. You want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Well, some people don’t deserve it.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. Franklin was such a good friend and he was right, he did know her. But he should also remember the stubborn streak she’d had when he first met her, the one that kept her acting in the face of failed auditions. She wasn’t going to leave without talking to Justin first.

“I have some decisions to make. For myself and Sam. Before I can do that, I want closure.”

“With Justin.”

“Yes. Then I’ll need to decide where I want to raise Sam, because it won’t be in LA. I’m betting Elijah would be willing to buy out my share of the agency, regardless of listing me as CFO. He doesn’t want me involved any more than I want to be. I’d rather not go back to acting, and I should be able to live comfortably for a while on whatever you’re able to negotiate as a settlement.”