Anything but Love (17 page)

Max sighed. “If you say so.”

Kendall didn’t know who had her sympathy more: Jami for making a difficult decision, or Max, who still had a difficult decision to make. “My offer still stands. When either of you need to talk, my ears are always open.”

“You mean our ears are open,” Cole said. “I’m in this mess too, and I want to see you guys end up happy.”

Jami laughed. “I could say the same.” She nodded at Kendall.

“Only my knee is banged up, not my hearing. I’m sitting right here. And I take offense to that statement, Jami.”

Max laughed. “What else is new? She’s going to be a tough nut to crack, Cole.” Max winked at Kendall, then to Jami he said, “I’d better go. See you tomorrow.” He kissed her on the cheek and rose. “I won’t see you tomorrow, right?” He looked directly at Kendall. “I can reschedule anything you have that’s pressing.”

Kendall hated everyone telling her what she needed to do. “I’ll be there. What if someone goes into labor?” It would be a good argument if her patients hadn’t predominantly decided on Caesareans.

Max took out his PDA and turned it on. After he touched the screen several times, he turned the small computer off. “You only have two appointments tomorrow, and I can reschedule them. So you can stay at home and nurse that leg. Besides, it’s Friday and you have the whole weekend to…” he cleared his throat, “…sleep.”

Kendall didn’t like the insinuation, however true. “I’ll be in my bed alone, and Cole will be bonding with his son. So I’ll be resting all weekend and will be back at work on Monday.”

She saw the look that passed between the men and hated it. “Sure, anything you say, boss.” Max kissed Jami again, then left the house without another word.

CHAPTER 20

Monday morning Kendall walked into the hospital under her own steam. Two days of being in bed had been more than enough time for her knee to heal. She could walk almost normally. Between Cole calling her every hour on the hour and Jami, Max, Dylan, Kendall’s mother, and Cole’s mother waiting on her hand and foot, Kendall had never felt more loved than she had that weekend. And to think she had that miserable ex-husband to thank for it all.

She walked into her office and immediately put her feet up on her desk. She might have been recovering from her injury, but the journey from her car to her office had been a long one. She was just about to pop some Tylenol when Jami buzzed her office.

“Dr. Matthews, James Matthews is here. Should I tell him you’re busy for the rest of the day?”

Kendall wanted to say yes, but knew she was only putting off the inevitable. “No, send him in.” She washed down the pills.

A few minutes later, James walked inside her office and closed the door. “Hey, glad to know you’re up and about.” He took a seat in one of the leather chairs.

Kendall took a long sip from her water. She was actually tempering her anger before she spoke to him. “Yes, my fall wasn’t too bad.”

“That wasn’t my fault.”

“Nothing is ever your fault. When I caught you with that nurse from Arlington General, that wasn’t your fault, either. It was mine for coming home early and catching her in my bathroom in my bathrobe.” She took a deep breath, not wanting to relive that awful day. “You know, James, I’m not going to relive the past with you. What do you want?”

He studied her carefully before he spoke. “To put it in a nutshell, I want another chance with you. I’ve changed a lot over the four years we’ve been apart, and want to show you how much you mean to me.”

She wanted to yawn to show him how little those words affected her, but that would have been rude. But sometimes rude was good. She opened her mouth, but closed it quickly when she noticed the serious expression on his face. “James, it’s too little, too late. Just as I told you the night you knocked me down.”

He nodded, letting the words sink into his thick skull. “Look, baby, you know how it is. Those nurses were always throwing themselves at me. It was hard to resist.”

“Apparently. Why are you here?”

“I told you.”

Kendall shook her head. “No, you told me your motive for seeing me. Why are you back in Arlington? The last I heard you were in Milwaukee.”

“After our divorce, I headed to Seattle for a district vice-president promotion. After two years of getting rained on constantly, I moved to Boston.”

“Why did you come back?”

He smiled the smile that had been the way to her heart. “My family is here, too, you know. Mom has just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and I needed to be here for her.”

She gasped, not wanting to believe. She loved James’s mother with all her heart. Janet Matthews was a good soul, unlike her player-player son. “I didn’t know Janet was ill.”

“Yeah, she was diagnosed about four months ago, but only told me last month. I had to call in some pretty big favors to get this territory again.”

“I’m glad you’ve started using the larger brain for thinking.”

He laughed. “Okay, I probably deserved that barb,” he said good-naturedly. “I told you I’ve changed.”

“Please don’t tell me that you’re channeling the artist Matisse, or some kind of Zen thing.”

“I said I was in Boston, not LA.” He sobered. “I’ve changed emotionally, but I’ve not taken up talking to things that aren’t there. I know how you hate that whole artistic, free-spirit thing.”

She instantly thought of Cole and how he had burst into her very predictable life and refused to leave her alone until she succumbed to his charms. She was so glad he was as stubborn as she was.

“You know, with that giddy look on your face, I’d say you were hiding something. Speaking of which, who was that guy? I think he would have kicked my ass if you hadn’t been bleeding so badly.”

“Thanks to you. That was my neighbor.”

“He looked like more than a neighbor to me. The way he was tending to your leg, he seemed more like a lover to me.”

She knew that. That night she’d seen a very different Cole. If she hadn’t fallen in love him already, she would have fallen in love with him that night. “He’s a good friend.”

“I should smack your tight butt for lying,” James said. “That is, when you’re more ambulatory. Now it wouldn’t be any fun. I like a challenge.”

Kendall was shocked at the remark. “There’ll be no butt-smacking here. Now back to your mother. Tell her I’ll come by soon to see her.”

He shrugged and rose. “Sure. I hear your dream of the cancer wing is underway.”

“Not exactly. Just in the planning stage. I’m trying to keep the cost down so the hospital can remain a free hospital.”

“You know, you should think about getting on the Net. A website could increase the public’s knowledge about what you’re doing.”

“James, what a sensible idea, but the board has beat you to it. Some reporter from some cable news network is supposed to come down in a few weeks and do a full-scale interview.”

“Wow, I’m impressed. Mom told me some big-time writer donated a million bucks to the hospital, but I didn’t know of anyone like that in Arlington, not a male one anyway. I know there are a few female authors in the metroplex that could afford a donation like that, but I don’t know of any black male authors. Most of them live in New York.”

“That’s stereotyping. Authors live everywhere. Since I know you’re going to badger me until I tell you, the man who helped me the night you knocked me down was Coltrane Highpoint, the author. He’s also the same man who made the million-dollar donation.”

For once in his forty-two years, James Alexander Matthews was shocked into silence. Not able to make a comeback, he simply bowed to Kendall and left her office without another word.

Kendall laughed so hard she started to cry. No matter what all those new age spiritual people said, revenge did feel good.

* * *

Jami watched James walked down the hall and to the elevator. She glanced at Keerya, waiting for some kind of sign from Kendall’s office.

Keerya stood and walked to the counter. “What do you think, Jami? You think we should go in there and console her?”

Jami shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s necessary. Cole is in her life now, and James couldn’t compare to him.”

“Well, look who’s on the Cole Highpoint bandwagon,” Keerya drawled. “If I didn’t know you’re in love with Max, I’d say you have a crush on Cole.”

“I’m not in love with Max, Keerya. And that’s supposed to be a secret, big mouth,” she chided her friend. “I just think Cole is perfect for Kendall. He’s brightened her life these last few months. You have to admit she’s been a lot easier to get along with since he stumbled into her life.”

Keerya shook her head. “Very true. Okay, I’m on his side, too.”

“Now if we could just get Kendall to see it our way, everything would be great.” Jami glanced at her watch. It had been at least ten minutes since James walked past the nurses’ station. She should really check on Kendall. “I’ll go check on her.”

Keerya nodded. “Yeah, she likes you best. She won’t toss you out on your ear. Yell if you need me to call my brothers.”

“What on earth for?”

Keerya snorted. “Girl, don’t you know nothing? I’m from a large Hispanic family. I’m the only girl. All I have to do is tell my brothers and James Matthews will be a thing of the past.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Jami knew Keerya was being very truthful. When she was having problems with Karl, Javier, Keerya’s oldest brother, offered to have a little talk with Jami’s husband. Thank goodness she’d refused his kind offer or Karl would probably be at the bottom of the Trinity River. Jami walked down the hall to Kendall’s office and knocked timidly on the closed door.

“Come in.”

Jami took a deep breath, whispered a prayer, and entered the office. To her surprise, Kendall wasn’t crying her eyes out. She was leaning back in her chair with her leg propped up on her desk and she was smiling.

“Did you need something, Jami?”

“No, Dr. Matthews. I was just making sure you were all right. You know, since your ex just left.”

“I told you it was only Dr. Matthews out on the floor. I’m fine. I finally got closure from the idiot.”

Jami nodded, but didn’t understand.

“I know you think I’m nuts, but that man used to have quite a hold on me. I always thought the dissolution of my marriage was my fault. James constantly told me I was frigid, and I had begun to believe him and doubt myself.”

Jami didn’t believe that for one second. Kendall was the most put-together person she knew. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Actually, if Cole hadn’t burst into my life, I probably still would have gone on thinking James was right. Since I’ve been seeing Cole, I realize that I’m worthy of a lot of things, including love.”

“You love him?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Huh?”

“I hadn’t planned on falling in love with Cole. I was looking for anything but love. A little fun, yes. I hadn’t planned on it going this far.”

“Kendall, I’m sure this makes sense, but I’m just too thick to get it right now.”

“You’re not thick-headed, Jami. You’re very smart. Let me explain. You see, I like being in control of every aspect of my life, professionally and personally. With Cole there’s no such thing as control. It’s his way or no way. When I hurt my leg, I wanted to come home, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

“He just wanted to look after you.” Jami thought it was very sweet.

Kendall smiled. “He just wanted me to stay in his bed. When he kisses me, something happens to my brain and I find myself agreeing to whatever he suggests.”

Jami thought it was the cutest thing. Kendall would fight love with all her might, but it was useless. She’d already lost the battle. “So what do you plan on doing?”

“I have no idea.” Kendall took a deep breath. “How is the situation with Max? I know what you did the other night wasn’t easy, especially since you both work at the same place, but I applaud your decision.”

Jami felt as if her heart was breaking, but she had to deal with the small battles before she could actually handle the war. “It’s been hard, but it had to be done, or one of us was going to end up getting hurt. I’m dealing with enough stress with Karl and my impending divorce.”

“You know my brother is an attorney,” Kendall offered. “He doesn’t handle divorces as a rule, but he’d do it for me.”

Jami was shocked. “Wow, thanks, Kendall. I’m not ready to start proceedings yet, but it’s nice to know there’s an attorney waiting.”

“Jami, I want you to know that any way I can help you, I will.” Kendall did something Jami wasn’t quite used to her doing. She stood and hugged her.

Jami hugged her back. “Thank you, Kendall. I appreciate your support.”

Kendall glanced at her wall clock. “Oh, God, is that really the time?” It was past two in the afternoon. “I have a meeting with the medical board in an hour.”

Jami nodded, knowing Kendall’s schedule to the last minute of her day. “Yes, you’re supposed to discuss the publicity options. Personally, I think the interview with the cable person will reach more people. Is it true she used to date Cole?”

“What?”

Crap. Jami wished she could take back the question, but it wasn’t like it was a secret. Keerya had found the information on the Internet. “I’m sorry, Kendall. I thought you knew.”

“No, we’ve never really talked about past loves or anything. We’re doing good just to make it through an evening without getting into an argument.”

Jami knew that was Kendall’s pride talking. She also knew that those arguments were something she looked forward to. This woman was fighting love every freaking step of the way. “Actually, I saw her name in the headlines about a story she did about a year or so ago. Remember that congressman from New Jersey who got caught in that bribery scandal?”

“Yes, the story kept alluding to some famous writers being behind it all, but later they found that wasn’t true. She claimed she was misinformed.”

Jami nodded. “Yes, after she had tarnished the reputation of those writers. The network had to offer them a public apology plus a monetary settlement. This is supposed to be her way to get back in good with the network. It’s her first assignment since then.”

“I guess you got all this from the Internet?”

“Guilty. It was quite a juicy story.”

“So I’m her redemption story?”

Jami smiled. “Pretty much. This is do or die for her.”

“That explains her eagerness for the interview.”

“Yeah. Just wait until she finds out you’re seeing Cole,” Jami said.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t find out.”

* * *

An hour later Kendall entered the medical building a few minutes late for the board of director’s meeting. Although she detested tardiness with a passion, there was a good reason for hers. Her accountant had called at the last minute with a reprieve for the new wing. Through some palm greasing on his part, he’d worked out a deal, saving InfaCare over a million dollars.

She walked inside the large room expecting to see ten faces. There were eleven. The extra face belonged to Cole. What was he doing there? She took a deep breath and took the last empty seat, which was next to him.

“Gentleman,” she said calmly. “Please excuse my tardiness. I was on the phone with InfaCare’s accountant.”

“Good news, I hope,” Philippe Wynn, the chairman of the board, said.

Kendall nodded. “Yes. It could save over a million dollars.”

“Wonderful.”

Kendall thought so, too. “Yes, we can use that money to update the office equipment,” Kendall said.

“That’s what I love about you, Kendall,” Philippe said. “You’re always thinking ahead. Have you heard from the network person yet?”

She darted a glance at Cole. “Actually yes, but I was on my way here, so I told her I’d call her back.”

Philippe nodded. “Who’s doing the interview?”

“Holly Banton.”

Cole cleared his throat. “Did you say Holly Banton of Cable News Tonight out of New York?”