One-Click Buy: November Harlequin Presents (126 page)

By the time she arrived Henry had been moved into a small side ward where Jed was standing, staring out of the window. He turned quickly to see her. And, without the slightest thought that it wasn't the thing to do, Cryssie ran across and put her arms around his waist, holding him so tightly they could have been one person. And he didn't let her go as she buried her face in his neck, a tiny sob escaping her lips.

It didn't take much for her to remember those other times she'd visited hospitals…holding Great-Aunt Josie's hand as she and Polly had whispered goodbye to their parents, losing their battle to live after the accident, and then seeing Josie, who'd been so strong for them, lying inert after a fatal stroke. She and Polly had had each other to cling to then—but who did Jed have at this precise moment? No one, she thought fleetingly. He'd had to ring his PA to support him in this very human moment.

Eventually she slid away from his embrace, and together they went across to the bed where Henry lay quite still, being kept alive by wires and bubbling sachets of liquid. Still holding his hand, Cryssie looked up into Jed's troubled face. The strong features had suddenly taken on a haggard look, she thought, and dark stubble was already forming on the line of his jaw.

‘What do they say, Jed? What have they told you?' she whispered.

‘Not much,' he replied quietly. ‘The next forty-eight hours are crucial, apparently. My mother is in Edinburgh, so there's no way she can get here at this time of night. I've made arrangements for a flight for her in the morning—she'll know about it at first light—and I've ordered a car ready to pick her up at the airport and bring her straight here. I've left messages with her hosts.' He looked away for a second. ‘I…apologise…for ringing you, Cryssie,' he said. ‘But I didn't—'

‘You don't need to apologise,' Cryssie said quickly. ‘I'm glad…I'm pleased you felt you could,' she added softly.

He gazed down at her then, for a long moment, and his eyes seemed to melt into pools of melted dark chocolate…soft, liquid, and appealing. He was appealing for warmth, compassion and understanding. And in Cryssie he'd come to the right person!

The sister came in then, to check on her patient, and she smiled at Cryssie, who was still standing close to the bed, holding Jed's hand. She took in the girl's appearance at a glance, taking pity on the frail figure, pale face and anxious green eyes. ‘Try not to worry too much, Mrs Hunter,' the woman said kindly. ‘Your father-in-law is in good hands.' She paused. ‘Would you like some tea—or coffee? I'll get a nurse to bring you some.'

‘A cup of tea would be lovely,' Cryssie said—almost adding, ‘And my husband would like black coffee.' But she stopped herself in time! The sister had clearly put two and two together and come up with five. But somehow it hadn't come as the nasty shock Cryssie might have expected!

‘Black coffee, please,' Jed said, and the moment passed—but not before he'd caught her eye and winked, just slightly. Perhaps he hoped that the natural mistake the woman had made would set the seal on his requirements? Cryssie thought. But now was not the time to go into all that. This present trauma was a matter of life and death—and there wasn't anything that her control freak of a boss could do about either.

Their drinks arrived, and they sat down on two hard-backed chairs.

‘I can't really believe this is happening.' Jed shook his head. ‘My father has been so well. He's obviously on medication all the time, but this is totally unexpected…'

‘No one ever expects the worst to happen,' Cryssie said slowly. ‘And when it does we're never prepared for it. How could we be? We're not gods…none of us…we're just poor human beings, trying to make the best of everything, of every day. Whatever it may bring.'

Jed looked at her as if seeing her properly for the first time. Why was it that he didn't want to take his eyes off the woman? he asked himself. As usual, there was nothing special about her appearance—she was dressed anonymously, as she normally was, her hair hanging loose around her face. Yet there was this thing about her…her simplicity, her vulnerability, her amazing stoicism and bravery. Suddenly he began to feel ashamed at the deck of cards that fate had handed
him
.

They drank in silence for a few moments, and, glancing across at him, Cryssie had an almost insane desire to clutch him to her and smother his face with kisses—as she did when Milo had fallen down and hurt himself. She wanted to tell Jed that it would be okay…that it would be better tomorrow…And those sudden thoughts shocked her momentarily. Had Jed been right when he'd accused her of only wanting to nurture everyone, to look after people?
Was
that what her instincts were really all about? But then she remembered how she'd felt when he'd enveloped her in an almost overpowering embrace!
That
had been her need for passionate loving from the most achingly handsome man she was ever likely to meet!

She looked up and saw him staring at her.

‘Come back from wherever you are,' he said. ‘You were miles away. What are you thinking?'

Their eyes met in a long, lingering gaze, and for a while neither spoke, both lost in the private world of their own thoughts. A pretty blush rose in Cryssie's cheeks at what
she'd
been dwelling on a few seconds before! Imagine if she said, Well, Jed, I was actually thinking how good it would feel if you were to make love to me!

‘I wasn't really thinking about anything,' she lied. ‘Only that time seems to stand still in these places.'

And as for Jed, his own interpretation of what had been going on behind her captivating green eyes was that she probably wished she was safely home in bed, listening out for Milo. Yet he knew that wasn't true. She'd insisted on being here with him. And there was no one in the world he'd rather have near him than this unlikely woman who seemed to have invaded every part of his consciousness since the day they'd met.

The minutes ticked by, with various comings and goings from the staff, and presently Jed said, ‘You must be worn out, Cryssie. But I don't want you to go home yet…I mean, not now, in the middle of the night. Can you stay another couple of hours—until daylight? I'd feel happier you driving home then.'

‘Of course I can stay,' Cryssie said at once. ‘And I don't feel tired. I seldom do in emergencies.'

Jed nodded, pleased. Going out into the main ward, he brought back two soft chairs and put them together. ‘Here—no one's going to need these until tomorrow,' he said. ‘At least you can lie down for a bit. There's even two cushions.'

Obediently Cryssie lay down, as instructed, and had to admit that it felt good to rest her back. It had been another long, long day, and in the silence of the room her eyes began to droop and her mind drifted briefly into a semi-doze.

Sitting there, Jed swept his gaze from his elderly father to the woman who hadn't hesitated to drive a distance at night to be at his side His eyes softened as he watched her breathing gently, with one small hand tucked beneath her chin.

And, even in his present anxiety and concern, his overriding thought was that he was now more determined than ever that Cryssie should never escape his plan—for both their futures!

D
URING
the following days there was obviously a lot of discussion going on at Hydebound, as to whether the move to Latimer's would now take place, given the traumatic time the Hunter family was going through. But one day Jed came into the office, unsmiling and businesslike as usual, to assure everyone that nothing had changed.

He was away a lot of the time after that, and Cryssie was glad of the respite it gave her—from seeing him, from thinking of how she was going to be strong enough to withstand his persistence. Because she knew he was not going to give up. Part of her so badly wanted to accept his proposal of marriage—yet there was a more than niggling doubt that she'd be doing the right thing. Her past would keep rearing its ugly head, filling her with misgivings, and Jed's obvious motives just did not fit in with her own ideas of what made a successful marriage—one that would stand the test of time.

He had rung her several times with progress reports on his father's condition, and for a long time it didn't look good for Henry. Jed and Alice spent most of this time at his bedside, and Cryssie wished with all her heart that she could do something to help. But what
could
she do that they couldn't afford to pay for? she asked herself.

One thing they could not buy was the ‘Get Well' card which Milo made for the invalid. It showed a picture of a house with smoke coming from the chimney, and a garden with flowers, and two matchstick people playing football. And right around the four sides the little boy had added brightly coloured kisses, with the words ‘With love from Milo' in his own childish writing added at the end.

Jed rang specially to speak to Milo, and the two held a long and serious conversation which Cryssie could only half-hear as she listened. But Milo's face was wreathed in smiles as he heard what Jed was saying.

‘Well, what was all that about?' she asked.

‘Not telling. It's a secret,' the child replied, running off.

Eventually, the call Cryssie most wanted to hear came, on a Saturday morning just as she was filling the machine with all their week's washing.

‘Hi, Cryssie…I thought you'd like to know that my father came out of hospital yesterday, and—'

‘Oh, Jed! That's terrific news! You said last week that they were a lot more optimistic. This is
so
good to hear!'

‘Yes, I think we're out of the woods at last,' Jed said. ‘But I'm afraid I do have a request. Henry wants to see you—he'd love you to come over, if you could spare us a couple of hours.'

‘Of course I can!' Cryssie said at once. ‘When were you thinking of?'

‘Now—today—if possible. I know it's your day for doing things, and taking Milo somewhere, but—'

‘That doesn't matter—it's okay,' Cryssie said, thinking that those were trivial considerations compared with spending a short time with someone who had so recently cheated death. ‘I could leave in about half an hour or so—and I won't stay long, because I don't want to tire Henry out. I'm sure he'll need a lot of rest for a while.'

‘I could come over and fetch you—' Jed began, but she interrupted.

‘No—no, there's no need. I know exactly how to get to you, and it would be silly, you having to make four trips.' If she drove herself, it also meant that she could leave when she wanted to, Cryssie thought. Without waiting for Jed to make up his mind about when he would bring her back.

‘It'll be good to see you, Cryssie,' Jed said slowly. ‘I've missed you,' he added. ‘And I've actually missed going to work each day. I've decided that I don't much care for illness and hospitals.'

‘I've never met anyone yet who does,' Cryssie replied dryly. ‘But you were right to stay there, with Alice and Henry. We must all be aware of where our priorities lie.'

They rang off just as Polly and Milo came downstairs, and Cryssie told them where she was going.

‘Can I come too, Cryssie?' Milo asked eagerly.

‘Oh—don't you want to go to the park after all, darling?' Polly asked hopefully.

‘No. I want to go to Jed's house. Please, Cryssie…can I?'

Cryssie poured some cereal into a dish for the little boy, and he clambered up into his seat at the kitchen table. ‘I'm sorry, sweetheart. You know that Jed's father has been very ill, don't you? You made him that lovely card, didn't you? Well, he's getting better, but he has to keep very quiet for a little while, so not many visitors are allowed, I'm afraid.'

‘But I wouldn't make a noise,' Milo persisted, picking up his spoon.

‘No, I know you wouldn't,' Cryssie said gently. ‘But, look, if you go with Mummy to the park this morning, I promise that I'll take you to Jed's house soon.' Cryssie paused, wondering when that might be. ‘And I shan't be late back. We'll do something special then, okay?'

‘What like?' Milo said grumpily.

‘The summer fair has come to town. We could go for an hour this evening.'

‘Yeah!' Milo cried, cheering up a lot.

Presently she got dressed and went downstairs. Polly glanced at her. ‘Mmm, you look nice, Cryssie,' she said, noting her sister's simple white cotton blouse, and the short denim skirt which emphasised her slim legs. ‘And I like your hair done like that.'

‘Like what?' Cryssie asked, knowing very well that she had taken more trouble with it than usual.

‘I like the knot really high on your head, with the curly strands escaping around your face…it suits you.'

‘Oh—thanks,' Cryssie said, looking away. She
had
arranged it differently today, she admitted—but why? She knew the answer to that! Why was she having this tug of war with herself? she agonised silently. I want him to want me; I don't want him to want me; I don't want to want
him!

It was almost lunchtime when she made her way slowly up the long drive at Shepherd's Keep. It was a perfect June day, and the spring flowers she'd admired last time had been taken over by ranks of bright red tulips. Cryssie sighed. This place was like a little bit of heaven, she thought.

Seeing that another car had already been parked in front of the big wooden entrance door, she stopped a little way away, and got out just as Jed came across the garden to meet her. He looked lean and suave, dressed in chinos and an open-neck black shirt. Realising that this was the first time they'd come face to face, alone, since the night they'd been at the hospital made an unusual shyness sweep over Cryssie. She was totally confused about her true position in life, she told herself. Confused about almost everything!

But Jed was as self-possessed as ever, and he bent and claimed her lips as if it was the norm. How far they'd come, she thought. But…how? Helplessly, she didn't resist, but closed her eyes in a kind of wonder that this man should play such havoc with her life, with her emotions. One moment she was sure that she could never trust him, the next she was certain that he was all she wanted!

Their kiss was not a perfunctory fusing of two pairs of lips, but a lingering moment of noon-day passion—sweeter, somehow, in the warm daylight than on other more obviously romantic occasions. He paused, looking down into her upturned face, then kissed her again, a little more urgently this time. After a moment she pulled away breathlessly. ‘I've actually come to see Henry,' she reminded him, and he took her by the hand.

‘And so you shall—but the doctor arrived a few minutes before you, so we'll go over to the lodge for a bit, until he's gone.'

Hand in hand, they strolled over the lush green grass, and Cryssie felt a pang of guilt. Milo would love to be here now, she thought. He would just race around the acres of space, as free as a bird. Instead of that he was having to make do with the rather scruffy little local park. She shrugged inwardly. She'd make it up to him, she thought.

They got to the lodge and went inside, and Jed pulled Cryssie down beside him on the swing chair.

‘A lot seems to have happened since we were here last,' Cryssie said, trying to stem the tide of anxiety that was rising inside her. This was the perfect place, and time, for Jed to try and pin her down—to force her to change her mind about not accepting his proposal of marriage. And, if he did, was she ready with her answer?

‘Yes, a lot
has
happened,' he agreed. ‘For both of us.'

‘I seem to remember that we were discussing business last time,' Cryssie said. ‘Talking of which—what about the trouble at your hotel in Wales?'

‘Oh—with everything else that's been going on I forgot to tell you,' Jed replied. ‘It sorted itself out in the end, would you believe? Max's wife is pregnant—don't ask me who the father is, because I don't care! And Max and his wife are over the moon—they've wanted children for ages. So she's given in her notice, and Kevin will have to look elsewhere for his entertainment.' He smiled down at Cryssie. ‘But it was so good that you were the one who rumbled the whole sorry mess, and so good to have you to talk to about it, too, Cryssie. It cleared my mind. So…thanks.'

Cryssie smiled back, genuinely pleased that that particular thorn had been removed.

Jed leaned back for a second, his hands behind his head. ‘I'm afraid all business topics have taken rather a back seat lately,' he admitted. ‘But I'll be in harness again next week. Luckily for me, all our management personnel are more than reliable, and can be trusted to act on their own initiative when necessary. They've all been very sympathetic with the present situation, and nothing's ground to a halt—so far as I know.'

Cryssie stared at him thoughtfully. Although he seemed to have a reputation for being cold and hard sometimes, he paid well, and was generally admired and respected. She could imagine that all his staff would do their utmost to keep everything running smoothly.

They were silent for several moments, before he slowly turned to her, putting his arm across her shoulders, tucking her in towards him. ‘What do I have to do to convince you what your next vital step should be, Cryssie?' he murmured. ‘You must have been giving it some thought. Haven't events helped you come to your decision?' As if to add a further dimension to his question, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her—very gently, but with an added sense of purpose.

Luckily Cryssie was spared having to say anything in reply, as at that moment Alice's voice could be heard calling. Sighing, Jed released her, and they both stood up as the woman came in.

‘Ah, there you are!' Alice said. ‘I thought this was where I'd find you! The doctor's just gone, and Henry is about to have a little sleep, but he insists on seeing Cryssie first.' She gave the girl a hug, and Cryssie responded warmly.

‘Alice—I can't tell you how worried we've all been. And we're so thankful that Henry is on the road to recovery.'

‘Thank you, my dear. But he's got strict instructions to take it easy…with only a very occasional glass of champagne to cheer him up!'

Together, the three went into the house. Upstairs, Henry was lying propped up in bed, with massive pillows behind his head. On the small table by his side Cryssie couldn't help noticing Milo's card, already displayed, and, following her gaze, Henry pointed his finger. ‘That was the thing that helped me get better,' he said, smiling. ‘And I want to thank Milo in person soon.'

‘I'll arrange it—don't worry,' Jed promised.

They stayed for less than half an hour before Cryssie realised that the older man was looking weary. ‘I must go home now, Henry,' she said gently. ‘But when you're stronger I'll come to see you again.'

Downstairs, Megan had already gone home for the afternoon, but on the kitchen table she'd left a beautifully prepared cold luncheon, and without much persuading Cryssie sat down and helped herself to fresh bread, salad and cheese. Sitting next to her, Jed poured her a glass of water.

‘Not quite the dinner date we were going to have at the Laurels, is it?' he murmured. ‘But that one's on ice for another time.'

Cryssie broke off a piece of bread and buttered it. ‘This'll do me nicely for now.' She smiled.

Presently, they walked slowly back to her car, neither wanting to bring this part of the day to an end.

‘Henry has really been through the mill, hasn't he?' Cryssie said. ‘He still looks strong enough, but his eyes say it all.'

‘Well, he'll only ever be as strong as his heart is,' Jed said slowly. ‘My parents are actually talking about going to live abroad somewhere, where it's warmer. Well, my mother is, and she'll persuade my father eventually. Spain, probably, or the South of France, where they can spend at least the cold months of the English winter.'

‘That sounds a very good idea,' Cryssie said.

‘Yes, but of course at first my father thought he couldn't possibly be so far away from the business. I told him that was ridiculous. Communications mean that we can be in constant touch, and if necessary we can be together in a matter of a couple of hours or so. Travel's no problem. Not today.' He paused. ‘And, as my mother has pointed out, now that
you're
part of our set-up, they know that I'll have all the support I need.'