Authors: Collette Scott
Devlan remained cool as he answered, for how could he say that most of the women he knew would do exactly that? “I don’t know, Diana. I really don’t know you at all.”
“You’re right; you don’t know me. So don’t come to such hasty conclusions. Allan Collins is my friend. His son and Hannah are friends. Allan and Mindy have helped me a lot through the past few months.”
Chastised, Devlan fought his surprising possessiveness. “I see. I apologize if I’ve offended you. I didn’t mean to.”
She refused to meet his eyes when she spoke next. “Yeah, well, I don’t jump from bed to bed.”
Feeling the tension and hostility rising, Devlan backed away. Once again he had offended her with his clumsiness. This was not how he had expected things to happen, but it was too late now. All he could do is retreat and try again later.
“Please call me if you need anything or if anything changes. Mike is coming with me now, but I wrote down the number of my suite on the back of the card.”
Diana flipped the card over and stared at his bold handwriting silently while Devlan gave one final glance at Hannah and slipped from the room. Now he would track down the doctors and see what they had to say. The next twenty-four hours would be the test, and it was a test he prayed the child would pass.
Chapter 5
There was a ringing in his head, a persistent high-pitched ring. Devlan opened his eyes a crack and glanced at the clock beside the bed. It was three in the morning. Who in the hell would be calling him at this time of night?
Sitting bolt upright, Devlan grabbed his phone with a shaking hand. “Diana.”
There was a slight hesitation before she responded. “How did you know it was me?”
He sank back against his pillows in relief. There was no grief in her voice. “Call it intuition.”
“I thought that was something I would say.”
“What happened?”
“Hannah’s awake. She opened her eyes.”
Devlan’s smile turned into a grin. “Diana, that’s great news. Did she recognize you?”
Diana was speaking quickly, and her tone was lighter than he had ever heard before. “I really couldn’t tell. She is on so many medications that I couldn’t be sure. But her eyes are open… She’s going to be okay, I just know it.”
“I’ll be there within an hour.”
Although he expected some reluctance from her, she surprised him by not objecting. Warning himself not to get his hopes up as he hastily threw back the covers, he realized that more than likely she was just so relieved that Hannah was finally awake that even his company was acceptable. But maybe, just maybe, his persistent presence over the past few days may have begun to have an effect on her stubborn defiance. After all, it was well known that he could be charming when necessary, and he had been using every trick in his book to break down her self-protective walls.
Devlan rang Mike’s room and told him where he was going before heading to the parking garage to retrieve the rental he had picked up for his frequent trips back and forth from the hospital. Much to his surprise, another inch of snow had fallen during the chilly night. It reminded him that winter would soon be upon the city in full force. He wanted to be back in L.A. long before then.
It was four o’clock by the time he reached Hannah’s hospital bed. No one in the deserted hospital questioned him; at that point they all assumed he was Hannah’s father. Passing the nurse’s desk, he sent a cheerful smile to the night shift as he hurried along to see his family.
Diana met him outside the room, her face radiant with a bright smile. He had not seen her smile since her wedding, and the sight of her pearly white teeth felt similar to an electric shock, sending tingly waves throughout his body. It was as if years had been erased from her face with just the simple gesture, and that brief flicker of happiness was like a ray of sunshine peeking through the storm clouds of those stressful recent days. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Devlan stopped in front of her. A smile of his own creased his face, one as genuine as hers.
“She’s awake. She’s finally awake!”
“Now?” Devlan asked.
“No. She went right back out, but they’re going to run more tests and begin weaning her from all the medications.”
“That’s great, Diana. I’m very pleased.”
Diana blessed him with another brilliant smile before hugging her hands to her waist. “Right now I want to go home and take a real shower, put on some clean clothes, and get a real meal.”
Devlan chuckled. “Is that all?”
Her gaze met his and a blush stole up her cheeks. As she bit her lip, he laughed out loud. Like everything else about her, her reaction to his teasing was invigorating and genuine.
Hoping to ease her embarrassment, he shrugged. “It’s really no surprise. You’ve been living here for days. When was the last time you were home?”
“I don’t even remember,” she said with a chuckle.
“Well, I’m here. Why don’t I give you a ride to your apartment? Then you can take your time and come back when you want.”
“Would you mind?”
“Of course not,” he answered quickly. “May I peek in at Hannah first?”
Devlan was aware of Diana’s curious gaze upon his back as he glanced in at the child who remained quietly sleeping. Her color was better, and her eyelashes fluttered as she dreamed. It was a sight that filled his heart with joy. She was returning to the land of the living – finally. Giving Hannah’s hand a gentle squeeze, Devlan smiled. Now that she was mending, he knew he had time to fulfill his promise. The worst was over. From here on out, it could only get better, and he was finally confident that he would win them both over. It just went to show that patience truly was a virtue. He could wait her out. After all, he had the means and skills to outlast one stubborn woman.
~
Diana stared at the shiny rented Mercedes and felt the first twinges of regret. Mike was nowhere in sight, and the car was much too small for just the two of them. She should never have agreed to let Devlan bring her home. Not only was she reluctant to show him her tiny apartment, but she was not ready to be alone with him yet either. Especially now that she was riding high with relief that Hannah was going to be just fine.
“Where’s Mike? Isn’t he coming too?” she asked, glancing around.
Devlan grimaced as he shot her a wry look. “I don’t bring him with me everywhere I go.”
Her lips twisted into a sarcastic half smile. “I thought you did.”
“No, he’s asleep, like the rest of the city.”
Devlan reached past her to open her door. Diana nodded her thanks and slipped into the soft, plush leather seat. While Devlan shut the door behind her and went around to his side, Diana glanced at the fine leather and wood interior. This was so beyond her modest means. Everything about Devlan was so beyond her.
“I’ll need directions, Diana. I don’t know where you live,” he reminded her as he secured his tall length into the driver’s seat.
Swallowing hard, Diana glanced over at him nervously. “Would it be easier for me to call a cab? You don’t need to take me all the way home. You should be back at your room getting some sleep, not traversing all over with me.”
“Don’t be silly,” he said. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I put you in a cab while I went back to sleep? Buckle up.”
Diana sank back in the seat reluctantly. Her palms felt moist from her nervousness, and she wiped them against her jeans as casually as she could while she told herself to not care so much about his opinion. It was her pride that made it difficult. There had been a time, long before Peter had stolen everything from her, when she would have felt completely comfortable in the Mercedes with a man who had more money than Midas. However, so much had changed since then, and she was still picking up the pieces.
Devlan seemed not to notice her discomfort as he pulled the beautiful car out into the dark streets. He maneuvered it with ease, his hand firm on the gear shift and strong legs maneuvering through the gears smoothly. He was a piece of work, she realized grimly. There was a grace about him and a compassion she feared could easily win her over if she allowed her guard to slip. For all of his blinding success, there was absolutely no glimmer of selfishness in his demeanor. He had proven to be a hard man to resist with his sexy charm and winning smile.
“Which way?”
In a voice that quivered slightly, Diana guided Devlan back to her apartment complex. Luckily he did not seem to notice and continued driving with an occasional glance around him. Aside from her directions, they passed the fifteen minute ride in a companionable silence, but that ended when they pulled into her complex. Tucked behind a commercial area and on a busy main road, the cars in the lot announced the income level of the occupants. A grim frown turned down the corners of his mouth, but before she could jump to her own defense he scowled at her.
“You live here?”
Though she had been hesitant about bringing him there, she did not really understand how humiliating it would be until she witnessed his reaction. It bothered her so much more than she thought it would. After all, her monthly rent was probably what he earned in an hour, if that.
“I just recently started full-time work. I don’t have a whole lot left over once the bills are paid.”
“I thought your bills were paid,” he snapped.
“My bills are not your concern,” she replied through clenched teeth.
Devlan instantly closed his mouth and gave her an apologetic smile. His hand reached out as if to touch her flushed cheek, but she was already offended and recoiled away. “I’m sorry, Diana… I wasn’t expecting to find you and Hannah living like this.”
“It’s safer than it looks, and that’s all that matters to me. Thanks for the ride.”
Devlan pulled into an unmarked spot in front of her building and shut down the car. To her growing irritation, he opened the door and rounded the trunk to gallantly open her door. When she climbed out, his warm fingers encircled her arm and remained there while she fished out her keys.
“You don’t need to escort me in, I can manage from here,” she said quickly.
The smile he sent her told her that she was crazy if she thought he would give up that easily. “It’s quite alright. You mentioned breakfast, so I’ll take you out after you shower. Besides, I’m curious to see where you live.”
“But why?” she snapped, still stung by his earlier reaction. If he thought the parking lot was bad, he definitely would not approve of the inside. “Why are you so interested in my life?”
With a patient sigh, Devlan met her gaze straight on. “I told you before. Hannah’s my last surviving relative. I’m concerned about how and where she is raised.”
“And I’ve told you, she’s fine.”
One brow rose skeptically as he plucked the keys from her fingers. Frustrated, Diana knew this was one battle she was not going to win out in the parking lot. Spinning on her heel, she stiffly led him to her door. She stood to the side while he opened it then brushed past him angrily. The dark chill caught them first, for Allan had apparently turned down the heat in her absence, and the faint scent of eucalyptus and vanilla candles did their best to overpower the stale smell of an empty apartment. While Devlan closed the door behind them, Diana reached for the lamp.
Safe inside where no one else could overhear them, Diana turned back to face him. “Now you listen to me,” she said sharply. “I was raised with strong morals and know how to care for my daughter. I don’t need you to butt your nose into my business.”
When she paused, he merely nodded. Though surprised at his calm acceptance of her anger, she took the opportunity to continue her rant and express her frustration with his arrogance. “She’s my daughter - not yours – and I do doubt your motives. You’d never even set eyes on her before the funeral… So where were you during the tough times? Where were you those last months of hell?”
At that point, her voice broke and she turned away with a muffled curse of embarrassment. Pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, she blinked back the sudden tears, determined not to let him see her pain. No, she was not ready yet to get into the tragic end of her marriage to Peter.
“Diana…”
She raised her hand to stop him and shook her head. There was no way she was going to get into this with him. Not in her living room on the day her daughter finally opened her eyes. This was a good day, and she was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. She sighed heavily. “There’s instant coffee in the cabinet over the sink, help yourself. I’m going to take a shower.”
The apartment was small, consisting only of three rooms and a bathroom. There was no wall between the kitchen and living room, and Diana left Devlan standing awkwardly between them as she went to Hannah’s bedroom in the back. At that moment she did not care if he felt uncomfortable. He needed to know that his arrogance was out of line and she would not stand for it.
After closing the bedroom door securely behind her, she made her way to the closet she shared with Hannah to pick out some clean clothes. There, alongside her work clothes and worn jeans, she beheld her daughter’s small two-piece outfits all lined up neatly. A tender smile erased her frown as she fingered Hannah’s favorite dress, and she pulled it off the hangar and placed it on the child sized bed. When Hannah came home she would wear her favorite clothes and be surrounded by her favorite things. No matter what it took, Diana planned to make sure that happened. Even if it meant that she played nice with Devlan Doyle today. She would have to watch her temper a little better.