Breaking Love (Full Hearts Book 2) (20 page)

Megan nodded, biting down on her lip to stop herself from crying.

“If you could take a seat in the waiting area, we’ll come get you as soon as we know anything.”

Luc held her hand as they made their way over to the chairs. They sat down next to each other in the otherwise empty waiting room.

“Can I get you anything? Some tea or water?” he asked softly.

Megan shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“You tell me if you need anything. Okay?”

“I will.” Megan picked up his hand and placed it on her lap, holding it between both of her hands as they sat. She was grateful that she had his strong shoulder to rest her head on right now. He would see her through this—whatever was about to come and however their relationship would end. For now, she didn’t have to face this moment alone and that was more than she would have expected.

An hour later, a doctor came into the waiting room and walked over to Megan. She was young and, based on the dark circles around her eyes, tired. But she gave Megan a warm smile.

“Are you Helen Foster’s daughter?”

Megan nodded and stood up. Luc stood with her.

“I’m Dr. Sheppard. You can call me Bonnie. I’ve been looking after your mom. First, I want you to know she’s going to be alright. We’ve been able to rule out stroke and heart attack, which were our primary concerns. I’m running a few more tests, but it looks like she has something called peripheral vertigo. It’s a temporary condition of the inner ear that strikes fast and can knock someone on their butt for a few weeks. I’ve seen some huge men get taken down hard by this, but the good thing is that it will go away on its own.”

Megan listened quietly, nodding her head and trying to blink back tears of relief.

Luc spoke up to give her a moment to recover. “That’s great news. Will she need to stay in the hospital long?”

“I don’t want her to go anywhere until she can at least stand and walk a little without losing her balance. I also want to make sure that the last set of tests I ordered confirm that it is, in fact, peripheral vertigo. Does she have anyone she can stay with when we release her?”

Megan replied, “She can stay with me. She’ll want to get out of here as soon as possible. I don’t know how much her insurance will cover.”

Luc looked down in surprise at Megan. She avoided his gaze, feeling embarrassed.

Bonnie smiled at her. “Sure. You can come back and see her now.” She turned and led them through the doors to the emergency treatment area. She pointed to a room on the left. “Your mom is just in here. It will be a few hours before I can pop back in to see her.”

Luc stopped at the door to the room. “I’ll wait in the other area.”

Megan put a hand on his arm. “Okay, yeah. That makes sense. I’ll come out in a bit to see you.”

“I’ll be here. If you need me to go pick up anything, maybe get you some clothes or something, let me know, okay?”

“I will.”

Luc gave her a peck on the forehead and turned back down the hall. Megan took a deep breath and walked in to see her mom. It was close to three in the morning by now, but her relief pushed her exhaustion aside for the moment.

Helen was sleeping. She looked frail and much older than she was in the hospital gown. A machine measuring her heart rate beeped softly beside her. Megan tried to walk quietly to the bed, but the swishing sound her dress made caused her mom to stir.

“Oh no! You’re here?” Helen asked. “I’ve ruined your special night away.”

Megan pressed her hand to her mom’s cheek and gave her a kiss on the forehead, tears welling up in her eyes. “You haven’t ruined anything. How are you feeling?”

“I’m so dizzy, Megan. I can’t believe how fast this hit me. I can’t even get up without toppling over. I scared poor Elliott so badly.”

“No, Mom, he’s fine. Really. Don’t feel bad. It’s not like you did anything to cause this. We all get sick sometimes.”

“I don’t want to be sick. Makes me feel old and I’m not old. I’m young.”

“You are young. From what the doctor said, it sounds like you’re going to be back to your normal self in a couple of weeks anyway.” Megan flopped down onto the chair beside her mom’s bed and let her tears flow.

“I was so scared that you had had a stroke. I couldn’t believe that this was happening and I couldn’t get to you. It was just awful. I never should have gone.” Megan slipped her hand under her mom’s.

“Oh, sweet girl, don’t say that. You should go and have fun. Who could have guessed that something like this would happen?”

“I know, but my job is to be here for you and Elliott, not gallivanting around the country with exotic men,” Megan replied firmly.

“It was just bad timing for this to hit me now. You didn’t do anything wrong. Where is your man, by the way? Did he stay in San Francisco?” Helen squeezed Megan’s hand as she spoke.

“He’s in the waiting room. His assistant managed to charter a jet for us to get back here.”

Helen’s eyes grew wide. “He came back with you? On a private jet? You might want to hang on to him, my girl. A guy like that doesn’t come around every day.”

“He’s pretty wonderful, actually, but we’re just enjoying some time together. It’s not going to be a long-term thing. It wouldn’t work.”

Her mom’s eyes closed slowly and then she reopened them, trying to stay awake.

“You get some rest, Mom. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Helen spoke again without opening her eyes. “You look beautiful, Megan. Just like a princess.”

Megan held her mom’s hand as she slept. She suddenly wished she was dressed in a big sweater and a pair of jeans. She needed to get her car from her house and figure out how to pick up Elliott, but she didn’t have her keys. Thinking about her house keys made her worry that her house might very well be sitting unlocked. She walked over to a small closet and found her mom’s coat hung up on a hook and her purse on the shelf. Looking through the purse, she found her mom’s keys, which included a key to Megan’s house. She tiptoed out of the room and down the hall to find Luc.

Luc stood up when he saw her. “How is your mom?”

“She’s good, considering. She looks really pale but at least she’s asleep for now.”

“Good. What can I do to help you?” Luc asked, reaching out to hold her hands in his.

Megan gave him a weak smile. “I’m not sure . . . I need to get my car and maybe some clothes from my house. I have to figure out what to do with Elliott for tomorrow.” She paused, trying to think of what else needed to be done. “Oh crap, I’ll have to clean out our spare room as well. She’ll need to stay with us for a while, and it’s full of boxes right now.”

“If you’re comfortable with me going to your house, I’ll take a cab and bring back some clothes and your car for you. As far as Elliott goes, I know you want to keep things totally separate, but if it makes sense for you, I would be happy to spend the day with him. I don’t know a lot about kids, but I think we could muddle through.”

Megan stared at him for a moment before answering. She was completely exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of the evening and she had no idea what to think. Her mind was clouded with confusion and worry. If she allowed Luc into her personal life, she would be going against everything she had tried to do for so long to protect Elliott. But what harm could really come from him spending some time with Luc? She needed help and here was someone she had grown to trust offering just that.

Luc watched her, patiently waiting for an answer before he spoke up again. “I know it’s a scary thought for you to let me into your family life, and I don’t want to overstep any boundaries. But I’m here and I want to help however I can. We can tell Elliott that we are friends, which is true, and the rest we can figure out later. For now, let’s just get through today.”

“You read me like a book. I’m just so worn out right now, and I honestly don’t know what to think. But you’re right. I need help. The only other person I have that I can count on is lying in a hospital bed down the hall. For now, if you can go get my car and something for me to change into, I would be really grateful.”

“Alright. For now, that’s what I’ll do, and you take your time figuring out the rest.” He took his cellphone out and opened the navigation app. “Can you put your address in for me?”

Megan punched in her address and handed him his phone along with the keys to her house. “Thank you, Luc. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for all of this.”

“There is no need. I’m just glad I can help,” he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Try to get some rest if you can. I’ll come find you when I get back.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Megan sat in the chair beside her mom’s bed, hoping she could doze a little. She had leaned the chair against the wall and had her head propped up behind her, but it was terribly uncomfortable. Even if she had somewhere to lie down right now, she doubted she would sleep. Her stomach was twisting in knots as she thought about Luc going to her house. She was almost embarrassed for him to see where she lived. It would be his first real taste of her reality. Compared to his immaculate luxury penthouse, her slightly messy, modest home would feel cramped. Compared to his Mercedes, her little Toyota would run rough and feel junky to him. Megan suddenly felt scared that he wouldn’t be interested in her anymore after this. He would see how different she was from the woman with the beautiful clothes he had met in Paris. She had tried to explain to him more than once how different their lives were, but she knew he would never fully comprehend it.

Sighing restlessly, she got up and wandered over to the window. The sky showed no sign of morning coming any time soon. The moon shone brightly on the parking lot outside the hospital. It was a cold night and she knew Luc would be chilly in his tuxedo and dress shoes, getting a cab to collect her things and then driving back here in the middle of the night. The thought of it made her heart ache.

What am I doing with this man?
she thought.
We have nothing in common other than the fact neither of us wants to ever be tied down, and yet here I am, asking him to take care of me as though we were together.

Looking back at her mom, Megan felt suddenly terrified. She had been relying on her mother since her divorce, but now she was all too aware that Helen could be taken from her in an instant. What would she do without her? How would she manage? She and Elliott would have no family left here. Megan pushed the thoughts aside. It wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Her mom was going to be fine. For now, Megan just needed to get through the coming day. The rest would take care of itself in due time.

Luc opened the front door to Megan’s house and flipped on the light to find himself standing in an entryway that led to a small living room. The house had a cozy feeling and was decorated in a way that seemed to invite guests to make themselves comfortable. Toys and children’s books were strewn around the living room. He took his snow-covered shoes off and made his way slowly through the room, looking at the photos on the wall as he went. Several shots of Elliott at various stages of life adorned the walls. This was Luc’s first real look at the boy. He had white-blond hair and looked a lot like Megan. Luc couldn’t help but smile at a photo of Elliott laughing as he sat on a red tricycle. He appeared to be about two in the picture, and there was something about the expression on his face that reminded Luc a lot of Megan when something took her by surprise and made her laugh loudly.

He turned on the light to the stairwell and jogged up to the second floor, finding Megan’s room. It was not big and he was surprised at how messy it was. Some clothes were slung over an armchair as though they had been tossed there. A pile of folded laundry sat in a basket on the floor, waiting to be put away, and stacks of books covered the nightstands on both sides of the bed. Luc reminded himself that instead of having a housekeeper as he did, Megan had a little boy as well as a business to look after. Of course she didn’t have time to keep everything perfect. Feeling a little bit like an intruder, he walked over to her closet and opened it. He picked out a white long-sleeved T-shirt, a cozy-looking black V-neck sweater and some jeans. An overnight bag sat tucked into the corner. Luc grabbed it and put her things in it. Opening her dresser drawers, he found some warm socks and underwear. He went to the bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste for her as well, before heading back downstairs to find her some warm boots and a coat.

Locking the front door, he carried his shoes and the bag across the kitchen to the door leading to the garage. Shutting the door behind him, he wondered if he would ever be back in Megan’s home again. He hoped so.

As he drove back to the hospital, Luc struggled to keep his eyes open. It was mid-morning already back in France and he still hadn’t been to bed. He thought about Megan and what she was going to have to manage in the coming weeks, looking after her mother on top of all her other responsibilities. He wanted to find a way to be useful to her during this ordeal, and he had a feeling he would have to be very persistent in getting her to allow it.

What was it about this woman that he couldn’t resist? What had made him offer to watch her son? He had never wanted to look after a child in his life, but as the words had come out of his mouth, he knew that he really
did
want to meet Elliott and he really did want to spend the day with him if that was what Megan needed. He realized he would do anything for her, and he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to stop being there for her. The thought both terrified him and gave him a new energy.

* * *

Luc found Megan in Helen’s hospital room, staring out the window. He stood quietly in the doorway, taking in the sight of her in her gown, lit by the moon outside. She was the loveliest thing he had ever seen. His heart stirred at the sight of her. She turned and saw him, giving him a tired smile as she crossed the room.

“There you are,” she whispered, giving him an appreciative smile. “How did it go?”

They walked out into the bright light of the hallway and gently closed the door behind them.

“It was fine. I just hope I brought what you wanted,” Luc replied, holding the bag up to her.

Megan looked into it. “You picked just the right things; I need to be comfy right now. I just feel so bad for you. You must have been so cold, and you must be exhausted. I just remembered how late it is for you.”

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me.” Luc gave her a long hug. “How are you holding up?”

“Good. Sleepy, but I’m just so happy that she’s going to be alright.” Megan rested her head on Luc’s shoulder for a moment as he held her.

“Me too. I’m so glad for you both,” he replied, kissing the top of her head. “You know, you have a surprising amount of candy bar wrappers shoved in the door pocket of your car. Is that all you eat?”

Megan blushed a deep red. “Pretty much. Chocolate is my secret addiction.”

“Maybe I could become your new secret addiction?” Luc asked, giving her a hopeful look.

“I really don’t think so. I wouldn’t be able to fit you into that little pocket in the car door so. . . .” She shook her head, curling up her nose a little.

Luc laughed at the image. “I love your sense of humour.”

There was that word again. Megan gave him a little smile. “I’m going to go find a washroom to get changed. Can you sit in the room with her in case she wakes up? I told her I’d be there. She knows you’re here so I don’t think she’ll be startled.”

“Of course.”

A few minutes later, Megan folded her dress carefully, tucking it into the bag as best she could. Luc’s words came into her mind. Twice that night he had used the word
love
, and this last time, it had made her heart jump. She had thought he was going to say “I love you,” but he hadn’t. She was surprised at her pang of disappointment. She knew it wasn’t part of the deal, but she now realized it was becoming part of what her heart wanted. Walking slowly back down the hall, she let herself back into the room and found Luc fast asleep in the chair by the window. Tilting her head, she watched him with what could only be described as a look of total adoration for a few moments. She hadn’t seen him asleep since their first night together, and now he looked so handsome in his tuxedo. Megan put her things down on the floor and sat back in the chair by the bed. This time, she fell immediately to sleep.

Two hours later, they were awoken by the light being turned on. A nurse stood in the doorway, startled to see two extra people in the room. “I’m here to check on our patient,” she said in a singsong voice. “How are you, Helen?”

Helen lifted her head off the pillow a little and then let it flop back down. “Dizzy.”

The nurse asked Megan and Luc to give them some privacy. The pair quietly got up and went into the hall.

“Did you get some rest?” Luc asked, yawning and scratching his head with his fingers sleepily.

“I did. How about you?”

“I did.” He answered. “I suspect that will be it for now. Shall I see if I can find us some coffee?”

“That would be amazing. I need to leave to get Elliott in about an hour.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Megan walked back into the room just as the nurse was leaving. “Your husband is a little overdressed for the occasion.”

“Oh, he’s not my husband,” Megan replied.

“No? You should lock that down, honey. He’s hot even at this hour in the morning.”

After the door closed, Helen spoke up. “Yeah, lock that down, Megan.”

“I see you got your sense of humour back, so that must be a good sign.” Megan slumped down in the chair again with a sigh.

“You must be exhausted. Sorry about all of this. I feel silly about all this fuss.”

“Stop it. Of course I should fuss over you.”

There was a gentle knock at the door.

“Come in,” Megan called.

Luc poked his head in tentatively. “Is it alright if I come in? I’m bearing coffee.”

“Come in, come in,” Helen said. “I want to take a look at you.”

Luc walked in with a small smile as his eyes met Helen’s. “Hello, Mrs. Foster. It’s good to meet you, even under such circumstances.”

Megan smiled up at him as he crossed the room and handed her a cup. “Mmm, you’re a lifesaver, Luc. Thank you.”

She looked over at her mom, trying to gage her reaction.

Helen gave him a weak smile. “I’m very dizzy right now, but I can already see what Meg likes about you. Thank you for getting her here so fast.”

“No, please don’t thank me. It was my responsibility. I’m the reason she was away in the first place.” Luc’s eyes fell back on Meg as though he had no control over them.

Megan spoke up. “Mom, I need to go pick up Elliott at Jase’s in a bit. I’ll bring him back here.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine. You go home with him and get some rest. I’m going to sleep anyway. The nurse gave me another dose of Gravol just now.” Helen’s eyelids moved slowly down and back up as she struggled to stay awake.

“Well, I’m not going to leave you here alone all day. I want to be here when the next set of test results come in so I can ask questions.”

Helen turned her head slowly in Luc’s direction. “She’s very stubborn. I’m not sure if you noticed that yet.”

Luc grinned from mother to daughter and nodded. “I think she said she prefers it to be called ‘persistence.’”

Megan raised one eyebrow. “Ganging up on me already? I knew I shouldn’t introduce you two.” A hint of a smile escaped her lips.

Helen’s eyes were closed now and her breathing was growing more rhythmic. Megan walked over and gently touched her mom’s cheek with the back of her fingers, whispering, “We’re going to go get Elliott. I’ll see you in a little bit, okay?”

Helen nodded without opening her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Luc.”

* * *

Megan paced back and forth a few times in the waiting room, chewing on her thumb while Luc stood patiently waiting for her to make a decision about how to proceed. Finally, she turned to him. “What do you know about kids?”

Luc looked up at the ceiling, trying to think. “Never let them play with matches. Or lighters. Or anything else that can start a fire.”

Megan gave him a hard stare. “What else?”

“They are like adults, except with less life experience. You need to show them respect but guide them in matters they don’t know about.”

“That’s pretty good,” Megan responded, feeling surprised. “You’re a very insightful man.”

“I know.”

“Shit. This is a terrible idea.” Megan went back to pacing.

Luc reached out and stopped her, gently turning her to him and lifting his hands to her face. “You’re scared. I understand that. This takes a lot of trust and I promise I won’t let you down, Megan. But only you can decide what to do.”

Megan sighed. “Okay. Let’s do this. I’ll go get Elliott. We’ll tell him that you and I are friends.”

“It’s going to be alright, Megan. We’re not doing anything that will hurt your little boy. I promise.”

* * *

Megan gulped down her coffee as she sat in the driver’s seat of her car, waiting for a light to change. She was alone, having asked Luc to wait at the hospital. The night’s events would be enough for Elliott to deal with, and she wanted a chance to talk to him alone and find out how he was doing. Draining the coffee, she realized she would need several more of those to get her through what was going to be another long day.

Twenty minutes later, Megan had Elliott settled into the back seat of the now-warm car as they headed in the direction of the hospital.

“You doing okay, buddy? I bet last night was pretty rough for you.”

Elliott looked at his mom in the rear-view mirror. “Yeah, it was kind of scary. I thought Grandma might die. But when the ambulance people got there, they were really nice and told me everything would be okay. That made me feel better.”

“Good. Listen, Elliott, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I should have been home to handle that, not you.”

“Mom, it’s not your fault. You didn’t make Grandma get sick. Besides, it was kind of fun to ride in the ambulance. They let me wear a stethoscope and they gave me some Batman Band-Aids to keep! I can’t wait to tell the kids at school! They’re going to be so jealous.”

Megan smiled back at her little boy and shook her head a little in amazement at his resilience. “You sure know how to roll with the punches, kiddo.”

“I probably get that from you.” He grinned.

They rode along for a moment before Megan approached the subject of Luc. Her heart was in her throat and her hands felt clammy against the wheel as she tried to think of what to say. Finally, she cleared her throat and began. “So, Elliott, you know I went to San Francisco with a friend of mine. My friend is a man, actually.”

“I know. His name is Luc. Grandma told me,” he replied simply.

“Okay. . . .” Megan hesitated; Elliott didn’t seem bothered by it. “Well, yes that’s right, his name is Luc. He came back with me in case I needed any help. He’s at the hospital.”

Elliott’s eyes lit up. “So, am I going to get to meet him?”

“Yes, if you want to.”

“Yeah, I would like to. Are you are going to get married to him?” he asked.

Megan laughed. “No, no. We’re just friends. He lives in France, which is very far away.”

“Okay. Just wondering. You should marry someone, Mom.”

“Why’s that?”

“Jase’s mom doesn’t have to do as much as you. His dad does stuff like shovelling and taking care of their van and yelling at the kids when they fight. It would be much easier for you to have a husband.”

Megan laughed a little at her son’s keen observation. He was wise beyond his years, a result of spending his young life almost exclusively with adults. “Yeah, well, I’m happy the way things are. I don’t mind doing all of those things myself, actually. And I never have to stop any fights since there are just the two of us.”

Elliott shrugged. “I guess so. But it might be nice to have more people. You should think about it.”

* * *

Megan held Elliott’s hand in hers as she hurried him through the sliding doors into the hospital and out of the cold wind. Her heart pounded and she felt slightly sick to her stomach as they approached the waiting room. Luc sat, still in his tuxedo, flipping through a magazine. He looked up and smiled when he saw them. If he was nervous about meeting Elliott, no one would have been able to tell by how casual he appeared. He stood and tossed the magazine onto a table nearby.

Megan spoke up, “Elliott, this is my friend Luc. Luc, this is my son, Elliott.”

Luc extended his hand. “Elliott, I’m very glad to meet you,” he said with a little nod.

Elliott gave him a hearty handshake and eyed him up and down. “You talk funny and you’re dressed for a fancy party.” He looked up at his mom with a skeptical look on his face, then whispered to her, “
This
is the guy? He’s kind of weird.”