Текст книги "Forever Us"

Автор книги: Sandi Lynn

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter 27

Connor

One month later…

“I don’t give a shit if his wife left him. You tell him that the Chicago building better be ready next month for the inspection. I’ve paid him good money to see that it gets done, and it better be ready! Because if it’s not, you tell that son-of-a-bitch that I’ll see him in court,” I yelled as I threw my phone across the desk.

“What’s going on?” Ellery said as she walked into my home office, carrying Julia.

“Just people not doing what they’re supposed to be.” I sighed as I got up from my desk and walked over to her.

“Is it the Chicago building again?”

“Yeah, baby, it is, but I don’t want you worrying about it,” I said as I kissed her head and took Julia from her. “Have you finished the last painting?”

“Yes, I have. I just finished it a few minutes ago.” She smiled.

“Great. I’ll have them wrapped and shipped to the gallery. They’ll be there just in time for the opening next week.”

I looked at Julia and she stared at me with her big blue eyes as I talked to Ellery. She was growing so fast. Ellery had started her on baby food and she’d learned to sit up by herself.

“Peyton and Henry come home today from their month-long honeymoon,” Ellery said.

“They had a great wedding. I can’t believe how fast it came and went.”

“I know. Time is going by so fast. Look at how big Julia is getting already,” she said.

We heard the elevator doors open and Mason announcing that he had arrived.

“Are you ready to hit the gym?” I asked Ellery.

“You bet I am. Let me go and grab my bag.”

We walked out of the office and I handed Julia over to Mason. “There’s the little princess.” He smiled.

While Ellery grabbed her bag, I took mine from the hall closet and grabbed my keys. “I forgot to tell you that I’m driving us today. Denny called me this morning, and he’s not feeling well.”

Ellery turned and looked at me. “What? What’s wrong with him?” she asked with concern.

“I’m not sure. He just said he wasn’t feeling well and that he’s sorry, but he couldn’t work today.”

“Denny is never sick,” she said.

“I know. I’m a little worried about him, but I’m sure he’s just picked up a bug. People at the office are sick.”

“I hope he feels better soon.”

“Me too, baby,” I said as I put my arm around her and we headed to the gym.

* * *

After our workout, Ellery dropped me off at the office and took the Range Rover with her. I told her that I’d catch a cab home this evening. Valerie followed me into my office, rattling off all the meetings that were scheduled for today. As I sighed, I set my briefcase down on my desk and looked out the large window that overlooked the city. My mind wouldn’t stop thinking about Denny. In all the years I’d known him, he had never once been sick, and I was concerned.

“Mr. Black, are you all right?” Valerie asked.

“I’m fine, Valerie. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a couple of things to do before my first meeting.”

She nodded her head and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her. As I turned my computer on, the screen displayed a picture of Ellery and Julia. After a few minutes had passed, Phil and Paul walked into the office, summoning me to the meeting. I left my phone on my desk and grabbed my files.

While I sat in the board room on a conference call with Sakura Nakamora, CEO of Takashi Enterprises, a Japanese company we were trying to negotiate a contract with, Ellery came through the door. As I saw her, I jumped out of my seat.

“Ellery, what’s wrong?” I asked, as I could tell she looked panicked.

“Connor, I’m sorry, but it’s Denny.”

“Finish this meeting without me,” I said as I looked at Paul and Phil.

I placed my hand on the small of her back and led her out to the hallway. “What happened?” I asked as we walked to my office.

“Dana called me and said that Denny had a seizure, so she called an ambulance and they immediately rushed him to the emergency room. We both tried calling you, but you weren’t answering your phone.”

“Shit. I left it on my desk while I was in my meeting. I’m sorry, baby,” I said as we walked into my office, and I grabbed my phone.

“I tried to call Valerie, but she wasn’t at her desk. I knew you had a meeting, so when you weren’t in your office, I figured you were in the board room.”

We raced down to where Ellery had parked the Range Rover. We got in and I drove as quickly as I could to the ER. Once we arrived, the nurse took us back to where Denny was. When we walked into the room, Dana got up from her seat and I gave her a hug.

“Connor, Ellery, thank you for coming,” she cried.

“What happened, Dana?” I asked her as I looked over at Denny. He was sleeping.

“He woke up this morning, said he wasn’t feeling well, but he couldn’t describe what was wrong. He said he felt dizzy. So I made him lie down for a while and when he went to get out of bed, he fell to the floor and started seizing.”

“Are you sure it was a seizure?” I asked.

“Yes, my sister used to have them all the time,” she said as she cried.

As I held her tightly and told her that he was going to be okay, Denny opened his eyes.

“Why the hell are you hugging my wife,” he said with a slight grin.

“Why the hell are you lying in that bed in the emergency room? You were supposed to work today.” I smiled as I put my hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure you’d survive without me,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” I said with a serious tone.

He looked at Dana and held out his hand to her. She took it as more tears started to fall. Ellery walked over to her and clasped her shoulders.

“Dana, stop the tears,” he said. “I’m going to be fine.”

The doctor walked in with the nurse and told Denny that they were going to run a CT scan to see what was going on. As they took him out of the room, I took Ellery’s hand and we waited in the waiting room of the ER.

“I could use a glass of scotch right now,” I said.

“How about some coffee instead?” Ellery asked as she smiled at me.

I put my arm around her and we headed to the Starbucks that was inside the hospital. Ellery handed me my coffee and, on our way back to the waiting room, we ran into Dr. Taub.

“Ellery, Connor; it’s nice to see you. Ellery, are you here for your annual blood work?”

“No, Dr. Taub. A friend of ours was brought into the ER and we’re here visiting,” she replied.

“Oh, well, I hope your friend is okay. Don’t forget about that blood work. You know how important that is,” he said as he walked away.

We waited an hour before Denny was brought back to his room. As we were sitting there with him, the doctor walked in and asked to speak with Denny and Dana alone.

“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of them; they’re my family,” Denny said.

The doctor cleared his throat before he began to speak. “The CT scan showed a tumor in the brain.”

Immediately, Dana broke down and started crying. As I grabbed her, to keep her from falling, Ellery took a hold of Denny’s other hand.

“I’m not a specialist, but I’ve called one in to come see you.”

“What’s his name and how good is he?” I asked.

“He’s one of the best neurosurgeons we have on staff. He’s very reputable. His name is Dr. William Armstrong and he’ll be in tonight to see you. Until then, we’re going to keep you here overnight, and after Dr. Armstrong consults with you, then we’ll have a better understanding on how to proceed.”

Denny’s expression never changed as he listened intently to every word the doctor spoke to him.

“Is the food here any good?” he asked.

Ellery laughed as she squeezed his hand. “It’s not that bad,” she said.

“Okay then, I’ll stay.”

The doctor smiled as he walked out of the room. Denny looked over at Dana and squeezed her hand. “Stop crying, woman. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll be all right.”

“Of course you will be.” Ellery smiled at him.

Hearing the news that Denny had a brain tumor sickened my stomach. I didn’t know much about them, but what I did know was that they weren’t good. As I stepped out of the room to make a phone call, Ellery followed me. I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed Bernie.

“Bernie, it’s Connor. I need you to dig up everything you can on a Dr. William Armstrong. He’s a neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital here in the city. I want everything; do you understand me? This is important.”

“Yes, Mr. Black, I’ll get on it right away and get back with you.”

“Thank you,” I said as I ended the call.

Ellery grabbed my hand. “What’s that all about?”

“I need to make sure he’s the best, because if he isn’t, then I’m flying in the best.”

* * *

Ellery and I left the hospital to go home and be with Julia for a while, before coming back later when Dr. Armstrong was going to be there. As I set Julia in her highchair to eat and, while Ellery was getting her food ready, my phone rang. It was Bernie.

“What did you find out?” I said as I answered.

“Dr. Armstrong is rated one of the best in his field. His credentials are excellent, Connor. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“Thank you, Bernie. I appreciate it,” I said as I ended the call.

“What did he say?” Ellery asked as she set the jars of baby food on the table.

“He said that he’s one of the best. So, we’ll have to wait and see.”

As I took the baby spoon and dipped it into the jar, Julia started to squeal. I smiled as I brought the spoon to her mouth and she gracefully took it.

“Mason said that he would watch Julia for us tonight while we’re at the hospital. Have you called your mom and dad yet?”

“No, I still have to do that. I will as soon as I’m done feeding Julia.”

Ellery walked over to me and put her arms around my neck. “I can feed her, babe,” she said as she kissed my cheek.

“I want to finish feeding her. I’ll call them after.”

When Julia was finished eating, Ellery cleaned her up and took her out of her highchair while I went and called my mom and dad. They were upset when I told them the news and said to let them know what was going on and when they could visit. About an hour later, Mason stepped off the elevator with Landon.

“Hey, you two,” I said.

“If it’s okay with you, we’re going to take Julia with us furniture shopping,” Mason said.

“Oh, that sounds like fun!” Ellery exclaimed.

“That’s fine,” I said as I walked upstairs.

I went into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. Things weren’t sitting right with me, and I had a bad feeling. I stood with my hands on the counter when Ellery walked in and looked at me.

“Connor, are you okay?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Elle. To be honest, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”

She walked over to me and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. I needed her now more than ever before. I closed my eyes as she rested her head on my back.

“Let’s try to think positive about this, Connor. I know it’s hard, believe me, but positivity is the key to staying strong, and we need to be strong for him and Dana. Your strength is what pulled me through my illness, even when we thought there was no hope.”

I turned around and held her face in my hands. “I never gave up hope. Hope was all I had. I wouldn’t have made it through without it. The thought of losing you to that illness flooded my mind every day, but I never once gave up hope, and I never once gave up on you.”

Tears formed in her eyes and her bottom lip started to quiver. “I had given up. I lost all hope for me. Then I met you. You made me fall in love with you, and you showed me there was a reason to fight. You had enough hope for both of us and, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here today.”

A single tear fell from my eye as I listened to her words. I pulled her into me and held her as tightly as I could. She was my safety, my saint, and my savior, and I thanked God every day for not taking her away from me. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around me and I carried her to our bed. I gently laid her down and stared into her eyes as I softly kissed her lips. Believe it or not, that was all I wanted. I just wanted to kiss her and nothing else.

* * *

When Ellery and I went up to Denny’s room, Dr. Armstrong had just left and Dana was crying. Ellery walked over to Dana to comfort her, and Denny gave me a sullen look.

“What’s wrong? What did Dr. Armstrong say?” I asked as I went and stood at his bedside.

“I have a Grade III brain tumor and it’s aggressive. Which means it’s growing rapidly.”

When I heard Denny speak those words, my stomach twisted itself in knots. “What does that mean?”

“It means I have brain cancer and there’s a possibility it spread somewhere else. But he won’t know that until they do an MRI.”

“When are you having that done?” I asked.

“In the morning,” he said as he looked away from me.

I had no words at that moment. I didn’t know what to say. The worry that I once thought was gone from my life had returned, just with someone else that I loved, and was very important to me. Ellery looked at me with tears in her eyes as she tried to comfort Dana.

“What about surgery?” I asked.

“He said it’s operable and that he’ll discuss that with me after the results of the MRI come back.”

“I’m sorry, Denny,” I said as I looked down.

“Don’t be, Connor. I’ll be okay.”

Ellery sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on Denny’s. “I’m always here if you need me. If you want to cry, talk, laugh, or even scream, I’m here.”

If anyone knew how Denny felt, it was Ellery. She had endured, battled, and fought her cancer, not only once, but twice. As Denny started to grow tired, we decided it was best to leave. Dana walked us out of room as we said goodbye.

“He’s going to be fine, Dana. I’m not going to stand here and tell you not to worry because I know you can’t help it. Go home and get some rest. You’ll be no good to him if you’re tired,” I said as I kissed her head.

She smiled and nodded her head as she turned and walked back into Denny’s room. I sighed and looked at Ellery as she looked like she was lost in a thought.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” I asked as I pushed her hair behind her ear.

“I know what he’s going through, and I know what he’s feeling. It breaks my heart that he has to go through this.”

“Well, then, it’s a damn good thing he has you to talk to,” I said as I pulled her into me and hugged her tightly.

I could tell she was as scared as I was. She had too much on her plate already with the gallery showing and with Julia. She had just moved on and put to rest the trial and the incident with Ashlyn. As I glanced over at her while we were driving home, that look of pain and sadness was spread across her face. I grabbed her hand and brought it up to my lips.

“Tell me what you’re feeling, Elle.”

She sighed and then took in a sharp breath. “I feel like I’m going through this all over again. Even though it isn’t me, it’s someone that I love and is like a father to me. FUCK,” she screamed.

I pulled over to the side of the road, threw the Range Rover in park and got out. I walked around to the passenger’s side and opened the door. I grabbed Ellery from her seat and held her as tight as I could.

“It’s okay, baby, let it out,” I said as tears swelled in my eyes.

Ellery sobbed into my chest and we both slowly fell to the ground.

“Why? Why the fuck did this have to happen to him? It’s not fair, Connor. He has brain cancer, and I’m so scared he’s going to die. He’s the father I never had. He’s always there for me. He can’t die. He can’t die, Connor,” she screamed.

She was shaking uncontrollably. I’d never seen her this way before, and it was killing me. The only thing I could do was hold her and try to give her some comfort. The tears pooled from my eyes as I buried my face into her neck. We needed to be strong, but we also needed to let our feelings out.

“He’s going to beat this, Ellery.”

She didn’t say another word. She just cried in my arms until there were no more tears. I told her we needed to get home to Julia, and she nodded her head as I helped her back into the truck. I helped her with her seatbelt, then kissed her on the head before shutting the door.

Chapter 28 Ellery

A few days had passed and Denny’s MRI showed that the cancer hadn’t spread to any other organs in his body. Connor and I were relieved with the news. Dr. Armstrong had scheduled the surgery for Friday, which was the day of the gallery’s opening and my showing. Connor had all my paintings flown to Chicago already, so I had nothing to worry about. I just needed to show up. At this point, I no longer wanted to go. Denny was more important and so was being there for him, Dana, and Connor. I just wasn’t sure how Connor was going to take the news.

I gave Mason the day off, and Julia and I drove over to Denny’s house for a visit. He seemed to be in high spirits. As he sat in the chair across from me, I reached forward and grabbed his hand.

“I know you’re scared, but Dr. Armstrong is one of the best in the country. You know that Connor had him checked out thoroughly.”

“Yeah, I know he did, and I don’t doubt that he’s the best, but the thought of my brain being cut into isn’t very pleasant.”

“I know it’s not, but it has to be done. After, you’ll start chemo for a while, and then you’ll be cancer free and you can put all of this behind you.” I smiled.

“Easier said than done, Elle.”

“Not really. I’ve put it all behind me.”

“Do you ever think of the ‘what if’s’?” he asked.

“Sometimes I do, especially when I’m with Connor. If I can’t sleep at night, I’ll roll over, wrap my arms around him, and start to think about what if the treatments didn’t work. It’s who we are as human beings, Denny. Those thoughts will always creep up in your mind, and you’re the only one who can put them to rest.”

He smiled as I got up from the chair and took Julia from Dana. As I walked over to Denny, I handed Julia to him.

“Give Uncle Denny a kiss goodbye,” I told her.

She made her cute noises and proceeded to hit him in the face. “Your daddy taught you that, didn’t he?” He laughed.

Denny gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. I leaned over, kissed him goodbye, and Julia and I headed home.

* * *

The penthouse was quiet. No one was home but me and Julia. I set her down on her blanket in the living room and surrounded her with toys. As fall was settling in, and it was getting chilly, I walked over to the fireplace and turned it on. I sat down on the blanket across from her and began playing with her and her toys. I gave some more thought about my showing on Friday and decided that I could fly to Chicago right before the opening and fly back the same night. After an hour had passed, Connor came home. He kicked off his shoes, set his briefcase down on the chair, and joined us on the floor.

“How are my two special girls?” He smiled.

“We’re good, sweetheart,” I said as I kissed him.

Julia started yelling when Connor sat down. She was becoming very vocal lately. Her high-pitched voice was hard on the ears. Connor leaned towards her, held her arms, and stood her up. Her little legs wobbled as she smiled and shrieked.

“Wow, she’s really happy today!” he said.

“She’s been very good all day. We went and saw Denny earlier.”

“How is he? I stopped by this morning before going to the office.”

“He’s okay. I can tell he’s scared about the surgery.”

“That’s natural. I would be too,” Connor said as he carefully lowered Julia down.

“I need to talk to you about Friday,” I said.

“What about it? That’s the day of Denny’s surgery.”

That was all he said. He didn’t mention anything about the opening or my showing. It must’ve slipped his mind with everything going on. I wasn’t going to discuss it further. I was going to get in and get out of that gallery as fast as I could. I’d be home before Connor even noticed I was missing.

“I just wanted to tell you that Mason is keeping Julia all day and all night at his place.”

“That’s fine,” he said as he leaned over and kissed me, forcing me on my back as he wouldn’t stop.

Our make-out session was interrupted by Julia’s screeches. Connor broke our kiss and we looked at her. She was on her knees, rocking back and forth.

“Oh my God, Connor, she’s going to crawl!” I exclaimed.

Instantly, he sat up and held his arms out to her. “Come to Daddy, Julia,” he said.

She stayed in that position and smiled. When she wouldn’t move, I took all her toys and moved them away from her and set one block in front of her, but far enough away so that she would have to crawl to reach it. She started to get frustrated as she kept falling over. Soon, she’d had enough and let out a full-blown cry. Connor picked her up and held her. I would never get tired of seeing him with her. Then I started to think about what Denny said and the what if’s.

“I’ll go get her a bottle. She’s probably hungry,” I said as I got up.

As I walked to the kitchen, I remembered that I had to call Vinnie and tell him not to mention the opening to Connor. That was the last thing I wanted him to worry about. I got Julia’s bottle ready and walked back to the living room, where I found Connor asleep in the oversized leather recliner and Julia curled up on his chest. Smiling, I snapped a picture with my phone and sent it to Peyton.

* * *

Since Denny’s surgery was scheduled for six o’clock in the morning, Mason had come and picked up Julia the night before. When the alarm went off, Connor rolled over and put his arm around me as I reached over and turned it off. I snuggled closer to him for a few minutes before we had to get up and get ready to go to the hospital.

“Me and you need to have a talk,” he said in a serious tone.

“About?” I replied.

“The art gallery and showing tonight.”

Shit, I thought to myself. I should have never underestimated him and thought that he’d forget something.

“What about it?”

“I’m a little pissed off that you failed to mention it to me and the fact that you’re going without me.”

I rolled over and looked at him. “How did you remember with everything going on, and how did you know I was going without you?”

“My pilot called me last night to confirm.”

“Damn him. Why didn’t you say anything last night?” I asked.

“Because Mason had just picked up Julia and I wanted to devour your body. I figured if I mentioned it, we’d fight and then no body devouring for me.”

I cocked my head in disbelief that he had just said what he did. “Are you serious?” I asked.

“Yes, I am, and I wasn’t giving that up. It’s not that often that Julia isn’t here to interrupt us.”

“I’m not talking about this now. We need to get ready and go to the hospital,” I said as I got out of bed.

Connor climbed out of bed and followed me into the bathroom. “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Ellery. We are going to discuss it now.”

Who the hell did he think he was, starting an argument with me before I even had my first cup of coffee? I slipped on my silk robe and headed towards the kitchen and Connor followed behind.

“I’m coming with you; end of discussion. See, now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Connor.”

He walked over to me, picked me up, and set me on the counter. “Listen to me. You’re my wife and this is something that’s very important to you, and it’s important to me too. “

“But—”

He cut me off and brought his finger to my lips. “No buts. I love Denny and we’ll be here for his surgery. But I’m getting on that plane with you and we’re going to that art gallery together. I would never miss your first showing, or any showing, and to think that you were going to go by yourself really hurt me, Ellery.”

As I stared into his eyes, I could see the hurt in them. What the hell did I do? My eyes started to swell with tears as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I’m so sorry. I just feel so guilty having to go to this showing while someone that I love very much will be having brain surgery. I feel so selfish, Connor, and I didn’t want you to have to make a decision.”

“There was never a decision to be made, honey. I was going with you all along.”

“I’m sorry.” I began to cry.

“Let’s go upstairs and finish getting dressed so we can get to the hospital,” he said as he kissed me on my head and picked me up off the counter.

* * *

Thanks to the morning New York City traffic, we arrived at the hospital just as the nurse was getting ready to wheel Denny out of the room and into the operating room.

“I didn’t think I’d see you two before I went under the big knife and got my brain cut open,” he said.

“Damn traffic,” Connor said. “We’ll be here waiting for you when you get out, so make it quick.” He smiled.

“Yeah, I’ll try.” Denny smiled back.

After I gave him a kiss on the cheek, I whispered, “You’re strong and you can do this. Remember, I’m out here waiting for you, so you better come back.”

“I will,” he said as they wheeled him down the hallway.

Connor put his arm around Dana and led her to the waiting room. Dana’s family arrived and tried to keep her as occupied as possible. Connor and I left the waiting room and went up to the cafeteria to grab some lunch.

“Are you nervous about tonight?” he asked.

“Yes!” I smiled.

“Don’t be. You’re a very talented artist, and everyone is going to love your paintings.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my husband.” I smiled and stuck out my tongue at him.

Connor laughed and threw a straw wrapper at me and then he glanced at his watch. “It’s been six hours already since Denny went into surgery. We should get back to the waiting room.”

He grabbed our trays and then my hand as we walked back to the waiting room. We weren’t back very long when the doctor came to speak to us.

“We were able to remove the tumor, but it did cause some cerebral hemorrhaging and there was significant swelling in the brain. During the surgery, he slipped into a coma.”

Connor grabbed Dana as she almost fell to the ground. Instantly, a sick feeling washed over me, and I needed to sit down. This can’t be happening. Doctor Armstrong continued as Connor kept a tight grip on Dana.

“This isn’t uncommon, and we’re keeping an eye on him very carefully.”

“How long will he be in a coma?” Connor asked.

Dr. Armstrong sighed as he looked at us. “There’s no telling. It could be up to twelve hours or twelve days. I wish I had an exact answer for you, but I don’t. The good news is that the tumor is gone, and the cancer didn’t spread to any other organs. So now, we just have to wait. He’s back in his room and you may go see him.”

“Thank you, Dr. Armstrong,” Connor said as he walked away.

He looked over at me and shook his head as Dana sobbed in his arms. “Come on, Dana, let’s go see him,” he said, leading her to Denny’s room.

I got up from my chair and followed behind. When we reached the room and I saw Denny lying there, tears started to fill my eyes. The soft beeps of the machines to which he was hooked up, and the white bandage that was wrapped around his head were horrifying. Dana almost collapsed before Connor sat her down in the chair. He looked over at me as the tears streamed down my face. As Dana reached over and ran her hand across Denny’s cheek, Connor came over and pulled me into him.

“He’s going to be okay,” he said as he kissed my head.

I needed to be strong, and I couldn’t let Dana see me fall apart. I pulled back from Connor, kissed him, and told him I’d be right back. When I found the nearest bathroom, I stood and stared at my tear-soaked eyes. The thought of going to Chicago terrified me. I found myself no longer wanting to go for the fear that something bad would happen to Denny while we were gone. But, Denny had made me promise him that I would go; not just for myself, but for him. When I walked back to the room, Connor walked over to me.

“I think she’s settled down now. It’s time for us to leave.”

“Connor, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stay with her,” I spoke softly.

“We’ve already settled this, and I’m going with you. Now I don’t want to hear another word about it. Do you understand me?” he said in a commanding tone.

I nodded my head and we said goodbye to Dana and her family. Connor told her to keep us posted and that we’d be back tomorrow. As we walked out of the hospital, hand in hand, I could tell Connor wasn’t doing well, but he refused to show it. I was worried that if he didn’t let his feelings out, he was going to have a break down.