Gone Too Far (16 page)

“You can blackmail him or something,” Haley said. “You can make him leave Avery, and you can have her.”

“I don't want Avery.”

“Please,” she interrupted. “Save that for someone without two eyes.”

Carter tried to nudge her off the desk. “Anthony can't walk, Haley. I've had his medical records checked.”

“Lately?”

Carter hadn't checked in the last few months, telling himself there was no point to it. “So you're saying, what, you saw him walking?”

Haley nodded enthusiastically. “I was in Long Beach with Peter. Don't ask why I was in that hellhole. Anyway, I saw him in a garage across from the hotel.”

Haley described how she'd seen him wheel himself to the car, and after looking around a little, he slowly stood up. He picked up the chair and placed it in its position in the driver's seat before sitting back in it and driving off.

“I'm not saying he was looking very steady,” she added. “But he was standing and walking.”

“That wasn't him,” Carter said.

“So you're saying there is another crippled guy who looks like Andy and drives that silver piece of crap car that is all hooked up with the driving wheel for people who can't walk?”

“It was a silver Camry?” He couldn't believe he was contemplating this, but the man and the car had to be too much of a coincidence. Wasn't it?

What would Anthony be doing in Long Beach? Going someplace where no one knew him. “Was he alone?”

She nodded. “You believe me?”

Carter stood up, coming face-to-face with his sister, his face only inches from hers. With his most serious tone, he said, “Haley, do not fuck with me on this.”

She didn't even blink. “Get me that signed contract and I'll get you proof.”

“You have proof?” Carter knew Haley's foolishness too well to believe her, but this was just too much. “Show me!”

“I took a picture with my phone, but…”

“Give me your phone!”

“I've already downloaded it,” she cried. “I'm not stupid. I want the contract.”

Haley let out a little yelp as he grabbed her arm.

“Get me that picture!”

 

Leigh knew she probably shouldn't have agreed to come to Max's room, but the day had been so incredible that she didn't want it to end. As soon as she was inside, she ran to the window overlooking the preserve. It was amazing.

Leigh had never heard of Giraffe Manor, so she was very anxious to see Max's surprise. But before she could, they had to lose security, both of them. Leigh was very impressed that Max had a plan to distract Bem. He'd been thinking about it all last night. He had ditched his own security just before coming to see her.

Once away, they took a cab to a private air strip and jetted off to Langata, Kenya, home of Giraffe Manor. Leigh was absolutely amazed.

Built in the 1930s, Giraffe Manor was an elegant, exclusive hotel that looked like a very large English cottage, complete with old vines growing along the brown brick. The manor was surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest and hosted all types of animals, but the stars of the show were the giraffes, a herd that was generations from the original two brought to the manor eighty years ago.

Once there, they were taken on a private tour of the grounds and the highland forest. Leigh was amazed at the endless species of beautiful birds and even herds of bucks they saw. They passed dozens of giraffes who would lean down to be touched or just to look. They went by a large pool and ponds full of beautiful flowers. It was like a paradise, and it made Leigh forget about all her worries. She wasn't a Chase and Max wasn't a senator. They were just two people immersed in the romanticism of this breathtaking country.

After a seemingly perfect day, they went to dinner, prepared just for the few guests allowed to stay at the manor. During their dinner, which was at a level fit for royalty in an elegant dining room, a giraffe stuck its head through the window, something they do all the time. While Max passed, Leigh didn't hesitate to feed the giraffe and rub his face. She was breathless at the closeness, those large eyes looking right at her.

They both passed on drinks with the rest of the guests and went to Max's room. There were only six bedrooms in the manor, designed as they would have been in the 1930s, at a price Leigh was sure was too high to ask.

Bem had reached her on her cell, and she told him where she was. Believing that Max had forced her away, he threatened to come get her, but she hung up on him. It was then that Steven called her and forced a compromise.

Max had called for a driver to collect Leigh and take her back to the airport for the short jet back to Nairobi, as she promised Bem she would be back that evening. Max, on the other hand, had rented a room and was going to stay overnight. He offered her a drink in his room before she left, and Leigh didn't want the day to end.

The window from his second-floor bedroom had a perfect view of the peaks of the far-off Ngong Hills. Leaning against the wall covered by bright white curtains, she could hear Max walking on the hardwood floor toward her, and she felt warm inside.

“It's such a shame,” Leigh said as he reached her.

“What?” Max offered her a glass of port.

“This beauty,” she said. “The beauty of Africa is so immense it's almost overwhelming. It's such a shame that people hardly ever get to see this.”

“Well, you certainly took enough pictures for everyone in the entire United States.”

Leigh laughed. She had gone a little overboard with the pictures on their driven tour through the preserves, where they stood only a few feet from the youngest giraffe, a one-year-old female Leigh immediately fell in love with.

“Too bad it all ends tomorrow.” She turned to him and was surprised to find he had been looking at her the whole time. She had thought he was looking out the window like her. “For you and me at least. Those refugees don't have anywhere to go.”

“If you want me to promise my report to the president will be what you want,” he said, “I can't do that.”

“The people need you,” she urged. “I've seen you during the time we've been here, and you have a bigger heart than you like to show.”

“If that was all this was about,” he said, “that would be enough.”

Leigh was hurt when he suddenly walked away. She wasn't willing to let this disagreement ruin their day. It had been too perfect, and she hadn't had a perfect day in as long as she could remember.

“Do you think one of them will stick its head through your window like downstairs?” she asked. “They said they do it all the time.”

“Why don't you stick around to find out?”

Leigh turned around to find Max sitting on the flowery cushioned settee at the end of the large canopied bed surrounded by white curtains.

“Is that your line?” she asked, walking toward him.

“That depends,” he answered. “Did it work?”

“No.” She sat next to him. “The giraffes are keeping me here, not you.”

He offered a charming smile. “Leigh, I know you're a cautious woman, and you don't take lightly to relationships.”

“Do I sense a ‘poor little Leigh' comment coming?” she asked. “Because I'd rather just leave now.”

“God, no,” he answered. “I look at what you've done with your clinics, and I've watched you here in Africa. You're a very strong woman. If I were to even suggest pitying you, I think you'd punch me in the face.”

She tilted her head. “You have to learn somehow.”

He exchanged a flirtatious smile with her, then shook his head.

“I would probably be smarter to walk you down to that car waiting for you, but I don't want to. I want to—”

Leigh leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips, pressing against him gently. His eager response warmed her inside and made her want more.

Max leaned away and with a wicked smile said, “Bem is going to be very angry at you.”

“No,” she answered as she brought her hands to his face. “He'll be angry at you.”

This time, he initiated the kiss and Leigh felt a tingling sensation throughout her body. Her heart began to race as his strong, hard lips coaxed her mouth open, and his hands came to her waist, where he caressed her persuasively, making her body move closer and closer to his.

By the time he eased her down on the bed, Leigh was burning like fire. She was hungry and his lips were tantalizing. He kissed her on her cheeks, her neck, and her chest. As she removed her shirt, he caressed her breasts, his fingers circling her sensitive, hard nipples as his lips seared her soft skin with intimate, slow kisses.

Leigh was tense at first, but her body relaxed very quickly and became eager in response to his touch. He removed her clothes and then removed his own. She could see he was hard but appreciated that he was slow and patient with her. He would kiss her on the lips and then move to another part of her body. As he made a path from her stomach to her breasts and back to her neck, Leigh could feel herself melting. With gratifying touches, sweet kisses, and masterful moves, he was awakening an aching need within her that she had tried to hide. His tongue teased her ear as he told her how sexy and beautiful she was, intensifying the thrill of her arousal. His warm, soft flesh against hers made her body squirm, pleasure radiating everywhere.

He took a second to find a condom and placed it on himself before returning to her. She was sprawled out on the bed, her desire so taut that she felt no apprehension lying there exposed and naked, waiting for him. He leaned over her gently, slowly placing the pressure of his body against hers. She could feel his hardness against her thighs as he took her mouth in his again.

Pleasure radiated through her entire body when he entered her. He was slow and tender as he patiently stoked her fire, letting the passion build within her until it was pounding throughout her entire body. They were moving faster now, their bodies molded together. She was moaning aloud with carnal pleasure as he pleased her, and she pleased him back, bringing each other to the verge of erotic hysteria.

 

When Janet returned to Evan's hospital room, she was surprised to see Kimberly sitting by his bed. She had left only for a moment to have a cup of coffee.

When Kimberly looked up at her, Janet saw the pain of a mother, and she could feel nothing but compassion. In all of this, while Janet was too preoccupied with concern for Evan to have animosity toward Kimberly, she hadn't until now really taken a look at the woman who had been a source of pain for her for so many years.

Janet had never fallen no matter how many times Kimberly tried to take her down. Yes, Kimberly had caused her to lose her composure and act less than a woman of her standing and breeding should. There were a few times when they actually fought each other. But no matter what Kimberly had thrown at her, Janet had met her tenfold and came out the victor.

She'd wanted Kimberly out of their lives from the beginning and felt a certain sense of relief once Michael finally divorced her, but she hadn't gotten all she wanted. Kimberly was still here, and she had the kids. Janet intended to take a break and focus on the other countless issues she considered a threat to her family, but Kimberly was never far from her mind. She would have to get out of their lives completely for Michael to ever be able to really move on.

That was before Evan got sick and fell into a coma. What else mattered? Everything was about Evan now, and despite wishing she could, Janet could never lay the blame of a bad mother on Kimberly. She was completely devoted to her children, and they worshipped her. But that was never the issue.

As Kimberly was sitting in the chair next to the bed talking to Evan, Janet took the seat at the end of the bed. She reached into her purse to get her BlackBerry and check her schedule. She didn't speak a word as she listened to Kimberly tell Evan about a school project Daniel was working on.

She rearranged her schedule for tomorrow, moving a Chase Foundation meeting back and canceling a luncheon with the Ladies of Distinction Society. She was trying to make sure her day was free to spend with Leigh, who was supposed to come home tomorrow. She hadn't noticed that Kimberly stopped talking, but she couldn't ignore it when Kimberly yelled out.

“Oh, my God!” Kimberly jumped up from her seat. “Evan!”

“Kimberly.” Janet shot up from her chair and rushed over to her. “What's wrong?”

“He moved his head!” Kimberly yelled as she frantically searched for the button to alert the staff. “He moved! How do I call the doctor?”

“Stop it.” Janet gripped her arm. “That is just a reflex. The doctor told us—”

“Look!” Kimberly yelled. God had answered her prayer!

Janet was already looking, the sudden motion having caught her attention. This was no reflex. Evan slowly moved his head to the left and then the right. Then he let out a soft, almost inaudible sound, a weak moan.

“Thank you,” Kimberly whispered to God as her heart caught in her chest.

Without thinking, both Kimberly and Janet turned to each other and wrapped their arms around each other in a big, fat hug.

“B
e prepared,” Joe said as he looked back at Leigh and Max. “Lots of press out there.”

The Chase jet had landed at LAX just after ten at night with Leigh; Max; Joe; and Max's security guard, Rick, on board. Leigh didn't want to take the jet back and hadn't known that her father had sent it, but after evading Bem, he contacted Steven, who immediately sent the jet to Africa to collect his daughter. Leigh didn't want to break from the group, but she had broken the deal by leaving her security behind. To make peace with her father, she had agreed to take the jet, which would get her home about four hours earlier than the regularly scheduled flight.

Max agreed to come with her, and Leigh was happy. She wanted to be with him. She wondered what he might think of her after last night. Leigh was used to not having sex for long intervals and was surprised at how hungry she was for Max. They made love three times, twice initiated by her. Morning came with a knock on the door and notice of a car ready to take Leigh back to Nairobi.

As happy as she was that Max was coming along, Leigh knew that it would look suspicious if it was just the two of them. That was when Joe and Rick were added to the mix. She and Max flirted and laughed while looking at all the pictures Leigh had taken during their trip.

“Maybe we shouldn't step off together,” Leigh said, looking nervously out the window. “They're here for you anyway.”

Max frowned. “Are you trying to say you don't want to be seen with me?”

Leigh smiled as she nervously looked down at her feet. “Of course not, but…”

“It's too late,” he said.

“What's too late?”

“They already know,” he answered. “Kelly said someone must have tipped them off about you and me.”

“That's not good.”

“Sorry to be so embarrassing for you,” he said sarcastically.

“It's not you,” she assured him. Although now that she was back in the real world, Leigh was worried about another public affair. The last one ended so badly. “It's Evan. It's not appropriate for me to be romancing in Africa while my nephew is in a coma.”

“It's not as if you were on vacation, Leigh. You were working incredibly hard for a very good cause. Besides, your brother texted you and told you he's come out of his coma.”

Leigh was so happy about that, but she was too experienced with the way the press slanted stories. “But he wasn't when I was in Africa, and that is what the story will be.”

“I understand.” Max reached out and touched her arm. “I'll make you a deal. I agree to deny romantic rumors and say we're just friends if you agree to have dinner with me very soon.”

Leigh was very happy. She had a lot of concerns about many things now that they were back home, but one thing was clear: She wanted to see him again, badly. “Sounds fair.”

“Go on.” He nodded toward the door, where the flight attendant was waiting. “I'll make a few calls and come out later. I'm sure your family is eager to see you.”

“My car is going straight to the hospital.” Leigh reached down into her chair and grabbed her purse. “Max…”

He pulled her to him and kissed her possessively on the lips. “I know,” he said as he let her go. “We're back in the real world.”

 

Kimberly wasn't sure how long Michael had been standing at the edge of the hallway watching her, but when she came out of her haze and noticed him, he looked away. She had called him on his cell the second she could and was too excited about Evan's movement to remember their last encounter. Now he was here, and she wanted desperately for him to hold her and share in her joy, but he was guarded and kept his distance.

She didn't want to make a bad situation worse, but as time went on, Kimberly couldn't take it anymore. She walked over to him and looked into his angry eyes. She couldn't say she was sorry she told him because she wasn't. She felt certain this was God's mercy, and she couldn't take back what she promised.

“I'm sorry I hurt you again,” she said. She wanted to reach out and touch him but wouldn't dare. She was familiar with this cold stance.

“How many doctors need to come in and out of there before they can tell us something?” He glanced impatiently at the door to his son's hospital room, where his mother and both his sisters were sitting and waiting in chairs only a few feet away.

“They said they had a lot of tests to take,” she answered. “They don't want to be hasty.”

“But he was awake when you went in there?”

Once doctors arrived at Evan's bedside, Kimberly and Janet were thrown out of the room. When she returned, he wasn't awake, but she was told he was conscious and just sleeping. The nurse wouldn't allow her to try and wake him up. More doctors came and she was ushered out again. No one had been let back in for the last couple of hours.

“I didn't see him awake,” she said. She had never actually seen his eyes open in front of her. “But he is. I let go of my anger. Don't let it come between us now. They're going to come out any minute, and we can't go in there with this.”

“I can't do this,” he said. “I just want to focus on Evan now and—” Michael stopped speaking and stood at attention before he rushed past Kimberly.

When she turned around, she saw that the whole family was standing to meet Dr. Kent. When she reached them all, Michael was already demanding answers, and the doctor wasn't pleased. Kimberly placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed hard. It worked. He stopped and although he didn't look back at her, she could feel him calm down.

“What is going on with our son?” Kimberly asked above all the other voices.

“If you two would like to come in,” she answered, “I'll tell you everything we know.”

 

Leigh could see it was killing her mother that she wasn't able to go in the room, but she was a little surprised that she didn't even try. She had been there for only an hour but already sensed something odd in the air between her mother and Kimberly. She had made a practice of steering clear of their insane battles and had become an expert on detecting when the tension would boil over.

“I can't take this,” Janet said, squeezing her daughter's offered hand. “Where in the hell is Steven?”

As if on cue, Steven and Carter walked briskly down the hallway, both wearing sharp black suits, as they had come from a business meeting in Pasadena.

Steven immediately rushed to his wife. “I hope these are happy tears,” he said as he reached her. “It's still good news.”

“They're in there with Michael and Kimberly now,” Leigh said as she leaned in to kiss her father. “I'm sure it's going to be good news, right?”

“How sweet,” Haley mumbled as she finished off her last text on her cell before slowly standing up. “Everyone is all kisses, hand-holding, and hugs. Too bad it takes a miracle to make it happen.”

She sidled up to Carter and asked, “Any update for me?”

“What are you talking about?” Carter was only eager to hear news about his nephew.

“My contract!” she announcement loudly. “I need it now. Really, like now.”

Carter took her by the arm and pulled her away from the rest of the family. “This is not the time to talk about this.”

“Are you reneging?” she asked. “I helped you out!”

“Please,” Carter said. “That very blurry picture you gave me was of an unrecognizable man getting into a car of which you couldn't see the plates. I had to hire my own investigator.”

“And I care what you have to do?” she asked. “I did my part. I need my document.”

“I'll take care of you as soon as I get proof of what you allege.”

“Allege?” She made a smacking sound with her lips. “Why would I lie about this? I don't give a shit about Avery, her husband, or you.”

“Point taken,” Carter said.

This truth was the only reason that Carter was actually holding on to hope that this was true, but his PI had been following Anthony nonstop for the past few days and had nothing.

“We'll talk about this later,” Carter said.

“I don't have much time,” Haley said as her brother dragged her back to their waiting family.

 

It was too early to determine if Evan was suffering from any disabilities yet, but the doctor was encouraged by his fast recovery from the coma. Now that they could test him, they would know what type of medication and physical therapy he might need, if at all. But all the immediate tests they took told them that Evan was going to be among the 50 percent of ADEM children who fully recovered from the disease.

After thanking the doctor, Michael walked over to the bed where his son was sleeping peacefully. For the first time in a while, he didn't feel so helpless and he wasn't so scared for his little boy, who looked so tiny lying in that big bed. He glanced at Kimberly, who stood next to him looking down at Evan. Tears were still falling down her cheeks, and she made no attempt to wipe them away.

Michael felt his heart melt as he watched Kimberly reach down and gently take Evan's little hand in hers. She knelt down and kissed the back of his hand once and then twice before leaning back up.

Without thinking, Michael reached out and placed his hand over Kimberly's. When she looked at him, he was struck with how completely angelic she looked. Right now she looked beautiful in the purest sense of the word.

“I believe you,” he said.

Kimberly let go of Evan's hand but kept Michael's. “Believe what?”

“Everything,” he said. “You said you had to tell me to come clean with God, and I can see that now when I look at you. You shine like…”

Kimberly's heart caught in her throat as she saw a tear trail down his cheek. How was it that this man could still touch her this way? After everything? She knew how. It was because he was right. With her anger and hatred gone, she was left with nothing but love. Without the animosity, she could see her prince, the prince who he used to be for her.

“I am sorry,” she said, turning to him fully.

“No,” Michael exclaimed soundly. “Everything you did, you did because you were trying to survive. I brought you into this crazy world occupied by my family and you survived. Very few who connect with this family can do that.”

“I loved you,” she said. “I loved our family. It was all worth surviving for.”

“You shouldn't have had to,” he said. “If I had put you first like I should have—like a husband should have—so much pain could have been avoided.”

“None of that matters anymore.” Kimberly looked down at Evan. “He's all that matters. Him and Daniel.”

“It matters to me,” Michael said. “And I'm sorry. We're here because of me and I'm sorry.”

“You can't still be blaming yourself.”

“He's getting better because of you,” Michael said. “God answered your prayer because it was said without anger, self-pity, or selfishness, like mine have been. You weren't afraid of the consequences.”

Kimberly looked at him with a tender smile. “Oh, there was plenty of self-pity, fear, and anger. And it was all selfishness.”

“Well, then,” Michael said, “he must just think you're very pretty.”

Kimberly laughed as she cried more. “How dare you make me laugh at a time like this?”

Michael shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to pull her to him and kiss her, but he was afraid. Of what, he couldn't be sure, but he was feeling that all-too-familiar powerful hold she'd had on him all those years.

“Do you remember the night you told me you were pregnant?” he asked, looking down at his son.

Kimberly nodded. “I was scared to death. I thought you would ask me to get rid of the baby or just leave.”

“I would have never done that,” Michael said. “Even if I didn't love you, I wouldn't have asked you to do that or leave. So I guess it was a good thing that I did love you. I should have been scared, but I wasn't. You being pregnant with my baby, it just seemed right.”

“It was,” she answered. At least it was then.

 

“Carter!” Avery shouted as she opened her front door.

She was so happy to see him. She had been depressed and heartsick nonstop since he left her at the gallery. Filled with intense regret, her mood darkened as a dream she had told herself wasn't possible a long time ago suddenly seemed impossible for real. It was only news of Evan's condition that lifted her spirits.

“I heard the news. I'm so happy! How is Kimberly? I tried to call her, but…” Carter's staid expression made her stop, made her worry. For a second, she had hoped the good news had softened his heart and that was why he was there. It clearly wasn't.

“Is he here?” Carter asked, stepping inside without an invitation.

“Anthony?”

“Do any other men live in this house?” he asked sarcastically.

“No,” she said. Her mood fell from the top of the sky to the ground in seconds. “He's not.”

“Where is he?” Carter asked. “Jogging?”

Avery frowned, confused. “Why aren't you happier? You hear that Evan is awake, and your first reaction is to come over here and make fun of my paralyzed husband?”

It wasn't his first reaction, Carter thought. When he heard the news, he first thought of Avery as he always did when he felt any overwhelming emotion. Whether it was happiness, sadness, or frustration, his mind still went to the woman who once comforted him in a way only she could. But he fought that emotion and instead sought comfort in his fiancée.

“Where is Connor?” he asked, looking down the hallway.

“She's sleeping in the…” Avery rushed after Carter as he stormed through the house. “What are you doing? This isn't your house!”

“Isn't it, though?” he asked as he turned to her. “You pay the mortgage with my child support, don't you?”