Gracie sniffed and wished for sleep again. For the first time in years, she felt like a complete failure.
She didn’t like it.
“Could you please tell me Gracie Hayes’ room number?” Hunter smiled at the nurse behind the desk, putting forth the Worth charm as best he could, but he was so damn tired, his smile wavered.
Great.
The nurse glanced up at him for one millisecond before she resumed scanning the chart in front of her. “Are you a family member?”
He frowned. “No.”
“Then I’m sorry, I can’t give out that information. She’s in the Intensive Care Unit tentatively until tomorrow. Once they release her, then I can let you know where her room is.”
“I know she’s in ICU. That’s why I’m here.” Irritation filled him, and he tried to clamp it down. Acting like an ass wouldn’t help in seeing Gracie. They’d probably kick him out of the hospital. “I’m her boss. We’re concerned about her safety and health and just want to make sure she’s all right.” A slight understatement, considering he felt like he was going to die if he didn’t find out if she was okay, but he needed to keep his cool.
The nurse didn’t even bother looking up at him. “I’m sure she’d appreciate your concern, but unfortunately, I cannot give you that information.”
Biting back the curse word that wanted to fly, he turned away from the information desk, glaring at anyone who dared look at him.
Including the old woman in the blue robe who stared at him with wide, assessing eyes.
“Yoo hoo! Are you looking for my Gracie?” she called, the nurse she stood with immediately shushing her.
He cocked his head, studying the woman. Had she overheard his inquiry? He went to her, saw that she clung to the arm of the young nurse. “Your Gracie?” he asked.
The woman nodded proudly. “She’s my granddaughter. Who are you? And why are you here?”
“My name is Hunter Worth. I’m Gracie’s boss.” The nurse gasped at first mention of his name, but he ignored her. Ever since Worthwhile was created, the younger set recognized the Worth name quickly. Plus there was that one-time appearance he made on a fashion designer reality show. He still regretted that choice, wished like hell Alex had done it instead. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He stuck out his hand.
The woman settled her hand in his warily, suspicion glinting in her gaze. “You came all the way up here to check on your employee?”
“Gracie is a very—valuable employee to me. Is she all right?” The words tripped over themselves, and he knew she noticed. He could tell by the turn of her head, the sharpness that gleamed in her green eyes. Eyes that reminded him so much of Gracie’s.
“She’s doing better.” She paused, contemplating him. “I’m going back to my room, Mr. Worth. Why don’t you come along with us so we can talk more about Gracie?”
Relief flooded him. “I would be delighted to accompany you back to your room, Mrs.…”
“Hayes. Mrs. Grace Hayes. She was named after me, you know.”
He nodded dutifully.
“And she looks a lot like I did at her age too. She’s almost the spittin’ image of me, if I do say so.”
“Two beautiful ladies, then,” he said in agreement.
The older woman smiled while the nurse continued to stare at him covertly. Word would most likely spread that one of the Worth brothers from Worth Luxury was at the hospital. He’d hoped to avoid this. “You’re a charmer.”
“Thank you—I think.”
“Oh, it’s definitely a compliment.” The woman cackled.
They stopped in front of an elevator, and Hunter turned to the nurse. “I can take over and assist Mrs. Hayes back to her room, if that’s not a problem.”
The nurse blinked up at him. “It’s not, not at all. Thank you. She’s on the second floor.”
“Room 226,” Grace added.
Hunter hit the down button, smiling at the nurse. “Thank you for your assistance.”
“Anytime,” the nurse whispered.
“I’d appreciate it if maybe you could…keep it quiet. That I’m here at the hospital, that is,” he said, hoping like hell she’d agree.
“Oh, I can do that.” She nodded furiously. “That won’t be a problem, Mr. Worth.”
“Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
She hustled away from them as soon as the elevator doors slid open. Hunter clasped hold of Grace’s arm and led her inside the empty elevator, the doors closing in on them quickly. He leaned over and punched the number two button.
“What was that all about?”
He turned to look at Mrs. Hayes. “What was what all about?”
“You were asking the nurse to keep it quiet that you’re here. Are you some celebrity or what?”
“Not quite.”
“Well, what are you then? And who are you really to Gracie?” She peered up at him, her jaw set, her lips tight.
“Perhaps we can discuss it further once we return to your room,” he suggested.
“Which means you’re avoiding my questions. I get it. I wasn’t born yesterday. And neither was my Gracie. She’s one tough cookie, I’ll have you know.”
Oh, he knew. And he admired the hell out of her for it, too.
The doors opened to the second floor, and he led Grace’s grandmother to her room, helping her settle on top of the bed and handing her a cup of water when she asked for it. Anxious to hear news on Gracie, he sat on the edge of the hard chair that was next to the bed, clutching his hands in front of him as he watched Grace settle in.
“You’ve been right patient with me,” she said once she was finished squirming.
He smiled but it was forced. “I wanted to make sure you were comfortable.”
“You’re also quite the gentleman. I’m sure my Gracie is taken with that.” He started to protest, but she held up a hand to silence him. “No need to deny it, I think I know what you’re all about.”
Hunter clamped his lips shut and swallowed. “What exactly do you think I’m all about?”
“Well, you’re not here simply because you’re her boss and worried over her condition.”
“I’m extremely worried about her condition, which you still haven’t informed me of yet.”
She leaned forward, her gaze meeting his. “She had surgery earlier. Minor internal bleeding, some damage to her kidney, but they repaired it. Though it might aggravate her later, the doctor said.”
Closing his eyes, he said a small prayer of thanks. Though worry still clutched at his heart at the words “aggravate her later”, at least she was going to be okay.
“She suffered a major head injury and she broke her wrist. She’s pretty banged up,” her grandmother continued.
Nodding, he silently urged her to continue.
“She’s also been unconscious since they brought her to the hospital. She was talking and responsive when they pulled her from the wreckage, but once they arrived, she slipped back into unconsciousness and only came out of it a bit ago. I’m sure she’s not out of the woods yet.”
Dread consumed him. “Unconscious?” he repeated weakly.
“Yes. What with her head injury, they think the two are related, but the doctors are surprised at how long she was out.”
“What exactly happened to her?”
“It was a terrible car accident about twenty miles from the hospital. It was raining and she drifted into the other lane. She ended up rolling the car down an embankment.”
Fear gripped him by the throat, nearly choking him. She could’ve died. Or her injuries could’ve been far, far worse. Of course, no one knew the true extent of her injuries considering she’d only just woken up from a three-day unconscious state no one could explain.
“She’s pregnant, you know.” The words dropped from the older woman’s lips like live bombs, decimating him with her nonchalant tone. As if she’d made a neutral comment about the weather.
Those words rocked Hunter’s world. Robbed him of breath and sent him reeling so hard he leaned back in his chair, stunned silent.
“I gather you didn’t know.” She paused. “I don’t think she knew either.”
“Does—does she know now?” He sounded breathless, as if he just ran one hundred miles and his heart beat erratically.
“I told her. I believe it was that bit of news that woke her up, though she didn’t acknowledge the fact that she’s going to be a mama.” The woman fairly beamed, she looked so proud. “She’s going to make me a great-grandma. I gather you had something to do with that as well?”
If he’d been stunned silent before, her words had now completely rendered him mute. How was he supposed to answer that?
“The look on your face is answer enough.” She shook her head and scoffed. “You men come in my girls’ lives and ruin them, just like that. She’s a successful businesswoman, and you go and seduce her. How dare you?”
It had just taken a turn for the worse. “It’s not how you think,” he started but she silenced him with a cold stare.
“It’s exactly like I think and I know it. Mister Big Shot Boss tells pretty little Gracie that he wants to be with her and next thing she knows, she’s falling into bed with you. You use her up, spit her out and already forgotten her. I’m sure you’re here only out of a sense of guilt. The girl could’ve died, you know.”
“I know,” Hunter said firmly. “And I’m not here because of some sense of guilt or obligation. I’m here because I care for your granddaughter and was worried sick about her.”
“You don’t know my granddaughter. You don’t know how tough her life has been or how much she’s suffered. And now you’ve gotten her pregnant. What are you going to do to make it right?”
“You don’t know how tough her life has been or how much she’s suffered either. You weren’t there for her for years,” he accused.
The woman flinched, her expression turned murderous. “Men. You’re all good for nothing. I’ll tell you how you’re going to make it right. You’re going to leave her alone.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Oh, yes you are, you’re going to stay out of her life and move on. Write her a big fat check and leave it at that.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I won’t have you visiting her in this hospital either.”
He stood, rage making his limbs shake. That this little old woman was trying to manipulate him and tell him what to do astounded him. “You have no control over who her visitors are.”
“You don’t think I can’t put you on some sort of blocked visitors list? Watch me.” She smiled smugly.
She was crazy, stark raving mad. And what the hell had he done to this woman to make her so damn angry? She’d been sweet out in the hall. The minute she had him in her room her tone had become venomous. Her words, foreboding.
“I think you’re still upset. Perhaps you need some time alone.” He started to back out of the room. He needed to talk with someone. But who would listen? He wasn’t a relative of Gracie’s and he wasn’t her husband. No one in this damn hospital was going to tell him jack shit.
“I don’t need any more time alone when it comes to you, mister. Now take your fancy butt on out of here and never come back.” She waved him away by flapping her hands. “Go on now, shoo. And leave my Gracie be. I’ll take care of her now.”
The moment he neared the doorway he turned and hurried out of there. Approaching the elevators, he decided to head back up to ICU. Find that nurse who’d escorted Grace Hayes earlier and see if she could help him.
He could only hope she would.
Chapter Sixteen
The doctor’s prognosis was warily optimistic. He didn’t know how to classify her unconsciousness and wanted to do more tests on her brain, but otherwise he was pleased to see that she had come around and that she was healing nicely. He gave the nurse pain medication recommendations, scheduled tests and proclaimed her ready to be shipped out of ICU first thing in the morning.
After he left, the nurse had dug up Gracie’s cell phone and went on the hunt for a charger since she’d left Manhattan with only her purse and the clothes on her back. It was easy enough to find, considering she had a popular phone, and within twenty minutes she had it charging away.
She’d fallen asleep contemplating the short list of people she wanted to call.
Dreams of Hunter followed. Set in the future, Gracie with a baby in her arms, Hunter looking proud. The three of them together, a cute little family in love, what she’d always believed was an unattainable dream felt in reach. She’d woken up with a smile on her face.
And a slightly hysterical grandmother in the same room as her.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Her shrill voice gave Gracie a headache, and she closed her eyes against the sound. “What are you talking about? And why are you here? It’s late and you’re not allowed in ICU.”
“I couldn’t stand being away from you, Gracie girl. I was worried. What is that plugged in over there?”
“Oh, it’s my cell phone.” Weird question, considering her grandma owned one. “A nurse found a charger for me. I need to make some phone calls.”
“To who?”
Gracie cracked her eyes open. Her grandma was being sort of weird. And really overprotective. Of course, maybe she was just worried after everything that had happened. “I need to call my friend Becky, first of all. She can help me get back home.”