Rescued by the Billionaire (Billionaire Romance Novel) (16 page)

“Right, that’s exactly how it goes. Dave, you’ve got to realize something. I’m very proud of everything I’ve accomplished. I’m a hard-working mom who does things on her own. I’ve never relied on someone before so I don’t want to do it now. My mom always taught me that if you want things in life, you’ll work for them.”
 

After hanging up with him, she began to think that maybe she should take him up on his offer. I really could use the help, and it’s not like he couldn’t afford it. He’s a billionaire! But still, it wouldn’t be right to take his money. I’d hate to feel indebted to him. What if we didn’t work out? Would he expect me to pay him back? My credit card is almost entirely maxed, my bank account is almost empty and I have no cash in my purse other than today’s tips. Oh, wait, I almost forgot that mounting stack of bills over there on the table. Geez, could things get any better?
 

Chapter Ten
 

“Heather, I was wondering if you could trade shifts with me next week. Emma’s symptoms have flared up again and I have to take her to see the specialist two days before Christmas, but I can’t miss any more work.”
 

“I’ll have to check, but if I can, I will.”
 

This is going to drive me crazy. I can’t keep asking everyone to trade with me, come to my house and bend over backward. Things have to get better, right? I just have to make it through nine more months until some of these attendance points fall. Nine months. Oh, please, Emma get better.
 

The next morning when Kelly returned to work, Heather agreed to switch shifts with her on
the twenty-third. Emma’s condition hadn’t improved a bit, despite the NSAIDS and methotrexate. She hopelessly scanned information on the internet to see what the next steps were. Dr. Hinton said that these medications were only the beginning and had hoped to keep her symptoms at bay for quite a while. Overwhelmed by the wealth of information provided by her searches, she developed a pounding headache.
 

On the eve of the appointment, Dave offered to go with them.
 

“No, you have to work,” Kelly reasoned with him.
 

“I own my company, I can take off whenever I want,” he explained.
 

“It’s just that I don’t want our problem to become your problem. Know what I’m saying?”
 

“Kelly, don’t ever think like that. You and Emma are my world. I want to be there for you guys. Please, just let me come.”
 

She sighed. “Okay, if you want to. Do you want to come pick us up or meet us there?”
 

“I’ll come pick you up. If she missed most of school last week, I think it would be hard trying to lift her into and out of your car. I’ll bring my SUV and carry her myself.”
 

“Thanks,” she said relieved that he was going to do that for them.
 

The next morning, Dave showed up right on time and helped get Emma ready before carrying
her to the vehicle. Along the way to the doctor appointment, he tried to make small talk to ease Kelly’s mind.
 

“It's a shame Emma doesn’t feel well. I would’ve suggested we hit the mall and do a little Christmas shopping,” he smiled in the rear view mirror at the small girl before glancing over to her mom.
 

“Yeah, that would’ve been nice,” Kelly agreed. All she could think of was how few gifts Emma would get this year due to her financial situation. And Dave, she hadn’t even bought him a gift. What do you buy a millionaire who already has everything? A tree for the island he owns off the Florida coast?
 

This was the first year in a long time that she was dreading the holiday. Normally, Christmas was
her favorite holiday. She’d deck her house out in tiny snowmen with a nativity scene planted on top of the table near her front door and colored lights inside and out. This year, she barely managed to get a plainly decorated tree up in the living room and wrapped a few strands of garland along the door frame going into the kitchen. The tree had hardly any presents under it, but that was okay. That was normal, especially since Santa brought most of everything anyway. Boy, Santa sure is going to look pathetic this year, she thought.
 

Pulling up at the doctor’s office, Dave parked at the front door and turned on his hazard lights as he climbed out of the SUV to carry Emma inside for Kelly. Once they were inside the warm building, he headed back outside and parked the car. Dusting the cold winter chill off of himself as he re-entered the building, the medical assistant was calling Emma back for her appointment. He
headed back to the private room with them. Surprisingly, Dr. Berringen didn’t keep them waiting this time.
 

“So I hear Emma’s symptoms have gotten much worse than they initially were. What has changed?”
 

“She’s still experiencing the severe pain and stiffening even with the prescription-strength NSAIDS and the methotrexate. It’s almost as if her body does not recognize the medicine.”
 

“Mmhmm, I see,” he mumbled, glancing through her chart at the last set of tests. “I think we’ll need to do another MRI and maybe a few more X-rays before we decide on the next step.”
 

“More testing?” Kelly could feel her heart drop. This wasn’t something she was going to be able to afford.
 

“Yes, I can get them scheduled right after Christmas and I’ll have you come back in right after the first of the year. With the holidays, I can only work so much magic in rushing the tests.”
 

“Dave, can you go ahead and start taking Emma back out to the car for me?” she wanted to speak to the doctor alone.
 

After he and Emma had been gone, she turned her attention to the doctor. “Look Dr. Berringen, I really like you. You’re a great physician, but I can’t afford to keep doing all of this testing. I’m a single mom who lives on an extremely meager income.”
 

“Miss Hall, I do understand your concern. These tests are necessary. I would never order additional testing if it weren’t required to determine exactly what we’re dealing with.”
 

“So you’re saying that these tests are absolutely necessary? You can’t just look at the ones she did a few months ago?”
 

“I’m afraid not. As the condition progresses, it takes its toll on the body. We need to see how much it has affected her bones and joints. If we don’t do that and don’t treat her condition correctly, it could leave her crippled in a wheelchair with severe pain—more pain that she’s in right now.”
 

Frustrated, she agreed, “I’ll make sure we have it done.”
 

Out in the warm car, Dave and Emma waited for Kelly. When he saw her walking out of the building, he circled around to pick her up at the front door. The car ride home was silent as Kelly thought about how much everything was really adding up. It also didn’t help the fact that she barely had Emma’s presents bought for Christmas. When they arrived at Kelly’s house, he carried the little girl inside and sat her on the couch.
 

“Emma Buggy, would you like some hot chocolate?”
 

“Yes, momma, I would! Can I have marshmallows in it?”
 

She nodded her head indicating that she could and made her way into the kitchen. As she filled the cup with water, tears began to blur her vision.
Dave walked in and noticed her shoulders heaving as she cried silently by the sink.
 

He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her, “Hey, it’s going to be okay. We won’t let anything happen.”
 

At her melting point, Kelly broke down. “Let’s go into my bedroom for a minute,” she sat the cup of water on the counter.
 

Once they were inside the bedroom, Kelly shut the door to prevent Emma from overhearing what she was about to say. Dave looked at her with concern in his eyes; this was going to be bad.
 

“What’s going on?” he asked her.
 

“I don’t know how to say this to you. I—I’m almost ashamed to admit this to you,” she paused,
looking away. The tears began to flow. “I’m just so stressed out. I know that she’s sick and needs medical help, but I can’t afford it. I’ve maxed out my credit card, I have almost no cash, business has picked up some, but it’s not been great and I hardly have any of Emma’s presents bought. She was actually hoping for a tablet this year. Before she came out of remission with her symptoms, I told her to pray to God and ask Santa to bring it and maybe she’d get it. I don’t even have fifty bucks to go buy one of those small, cheap tablets! And the doctor keeps ordering all this testing….” Her voice broke as sobs washed over her.
 

“Kelly, it’s not the end of the world. She needs this medical testing and she needs you. She needs you to be strong for her and show her that everything’s going to be all right. I know that I offered to pay for everything before, and you shot me down, but would you consider it now? Please?”
 

“I’m sure you mean well, but I can’t just let you pay for everything,” she said, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
 

“Listen, Kelly, you’re my girlfriend, not some charity case. You and that little girl on the couch out there mean the world to me. Here’s what I’d like to propose, and you tell me what you think; don’t interrupt, just hear me out.”
 

She nodded her head, still sniffling her tears as she wiped her cheeks dry.
 

“I’ve actually put quite a bit of thought into this; it’s something that’s been on my mind for a while now. I realize that you won’t take my money, you’re not that type of person, but what if I was able to get the money to you in a different way?”
 

Now he had her attention; she was listening.
 

“What if I didn’t give you the money?” he asked, putting the word give into air quotes as he said it. “I’d like to hold a fundraiser, and call it the “Emma Buggy Fund”. I will personally finance all of her medical bills and procedures. All money raised from the fund will directly go to help benefit other children with her condition.”
 

He looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction, but her face was blank. As she processed his words, she was at a loss for words.
 

“Can I be honest with you?” she asked. “No man has ever been this good or kind to us, why are you? Why do you care so much? I mean, I appreciate what you’re proposing, but what’s your motivation to do it?” she asked out of curiosity.
 

“I’ve never seen someone as pure as you, so genuine. Kelly, you may not realize this, but you’ve shown me that people with good hearts really do exist. Your love for Emma is something that I wish I would’ve had with my own mother; I want you to have the best in life. Please, let me help you.”
 

“Let me think about it. I need time.”
 

Dave’s words replayed through her mind. How can I, she thought, not take his help? This could make a huge difference in my baby’s life; how can I deny her of that? There’s no way that I could pay for all of this—well, if I did, it would take years based on my salary. I might have to swallow my pride and accept his help. Does that make me a bad mother for taking his money? Angry, she wondered, knowing that I’m too proud to accept his help, how could he publicize my need? On the same token, it’s so touching that he would go
through all of the trouble to organize an event on her behalf. It could also help other families that are in the same financial struggle that I am.
 

She hated the fact that she needed to accept his offer and how ashamed it made her feel. With all of these emotions coursing through her, she wore herself down as she pondered on whether or not to accept his generous offer as she drifted off to sleep. Not only would it make a difference in Emma’s life, but it could make a difference in the lives of other children. After a good night’s sleep, she mulled it over some more in the morning; it was Christmas Eve. Staring at the bare tree made her feel even worse, but at least Santa would be coming that night. He would deliver several more presents for her baby girl, though, none of them would contain the tablet that she so desperately wanted. The one she’d been hoping and praying for.
 

“Dave,” she said when he answered the phone, “I was wondering if you were coming over tonight for dinner?”
 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Is there any particular time I should be there?”
 

“Oh, I thought maybe we’d eat around six o’clock, and maybe we could have some egg nog after dinner.”
 

“Sounds good to me. Do you need me to bring a dish or pick anything up on my way over?” He knew that she couldn’t leave her little girl to run to the store.
 

“Actually, yes, if you could pick up an apple pie and some whipped cream, that would be great. I
forgot to get dessert when I went shopping for dinner.”
 

“I’ll be there in just a bit; I’m wrapping some presents right now and then I’ll head over.”