Passionate Bid (22 page)

“Was just that—last night. Already in the past and will never happen again.”

Sam came back, licking her hands covered with butter.

“Sam, honey, come say goodbye to Doctor Ravenwood. He”s leaving now.”

“The hell I am.” So she”s back to formality again. Joanie was seriously pissing him off.

“Daddy said hell.”

“Sam say your goodbyes.”

“I don”t want to say goodbye.”

“Then come in the kitchen with me.”

“I”m not leaving, Joanie.” He yelled, but Joanie was already gone.

“Are you going to wash my feet?”

“Of course, Sam baby. I”m not going anywhere.” He picked up Sam then sat her on Saint Claire”s chair. “Stay here. I need to talk to Mama, okay?”

“Okay.”

He went to the kitchen and found Joanie pacing back and forth. He grabbed her hand. “Sit down. You need a drink? We have a bottle of white wine.”

“No. What I need is for you to leave us now. Come back tomorrow if you still want to see Sam.”

“Of course I want to see Sam. We thought we could all go to the fair together. What”s going on, Joanie? What did I do?”

“Stop pretending. You know what you did.”

“Please spare me from racking my brain. Just tell me.”

“You lied that”s what you did.”

“Joanie, I know this may sound crazy but—”

“She”s staying at The Riverhouse Premier Hotel. And that”s where you should be also.”

“Who?”

“Your unofficial fiancée, Georgina Myers.”

“Oh, fuck!”

“When you leave, take the bags with you. They”re full of toys from Georgina.

Sam doesn”t need them. I told her to take them back, but she didn”t. We live in a shack, but I can still put food on the table and send her to preschool. We don”t need either of your charity.”

“Joanie, I don”t know why she”s here and what she told you. But—”

“Please leave. Go see your fiancée. The forms are signed. You two can get married now.”

Julian stared at Joanie. She signed the forms. He was free of her. Of his unwanted, innocent wife. Georgina was here waiting for him. He didn”t have to beg her to come back to him. He could go see her now and spend hours in bed with her. Didn”t he think Georgina”s was the hottest ass he”d even seen? He tried to imagine himself in bed with her, but couldn”t. All he could see was his wife and her unrestrained passion.

“But I don”t want to marry her. And that”s the truth. Do you want to know what else?”

“More lies?”

“God damn it! Listen to me.”

“Why? What for? I don”t want you here anymore. Leave Julian. She”s waiting.”

“Don”t push me away. I am not leaving you or Sam. Never again, Joanie.

Within the span of, of what? Seven days, you—maybe unknowingly—casts a spell on me. You bewitched me. It”s hard to believe. Even I am having a hard time believing how fast you made me change. But it”s true.”

“Guilt, Julian. That”s what”s talking here. And lust. You feel guilty. That”s why you want to stay. And lust, lust could easily be mistaken for something else.”

“I am not stupid. I can distinguish the difference between the two. I want to stay here and be with you and Sam.”

“Is that why you broke this?” Joanie put the two pieces of the hairclip on the table.

“What the hell. Joanie—”

Cough! Cough!

“Sam, are you okay?”

More coughing came from the other room. Julian followed as Joanie ran into the living room. “Sam, baby. Jesus!”

Sam was on the floor holding her throat. Her little legs kicking hard.

Joanie pushed him out of the way and kneeled beside their daughter.

“Samantha! Oh my god! What”s wrong, bug. Look at me, Samantha Rose.

Bug, what did you eat? Julian! She can”t breathe. Epipen, she needs the epipen.”

“Give her to me. Call nine-one-one, Joanie. Open your mouth Sam.” He forced her mouth to open to look for anything lodged inside. He didn”t see anything. Sam must have eaten something she was allergic to. “Joanie! Where”s the epipen? Bring it here. Now!”

Joanie disappeared and came back with the pink bag she carried all the time. “Epipen, epipen,” she chanted shakily. “Here!” She practically threw the clear tube with a yellow tip at him. She dialed the numbers on the handheld phone all the while screaming Sam”s name.

He”d used an epipen on a dummy, but never on a human flesh. Especially not on a child”s. He looked at his daughter. Sam”s eyes were rolling back and her face was beet red. Good God, he was losing her. “Sam baby, this is going to hurt.” He removed the yellow tip of the epipen. “Joanie, hold her leg. Keep it steady.” Joanie crossed Sam”s leg together. “Use it now, Julian. Now!” With one more look at Sam”s face, he stabbed her leg with the epipen.

Sam jerked and made gurgling sound. He held the pen for a few seconds before pulling it out. He didn”t see the needle. But it was inside Sam”s thigh. He knew when it struck Sam. He felt the needle hit her bone. Still, he checked the needle, if it was out to make sure Sam received the dose. It was.

Joanie was screaming Sam”s name. The agony in her voice was that of a child, piercing his heart. “Sam, baby. Open your eyes…Sam. Sam!” Sam stopped kicking. Her arms went limp on her sides and then her face turned purple. “Sam, honey? Samantha!” he screamed her name over and over. He placed the side of his face directly over her mouth to see if she was breathing. She wasn”t. Heart hammering against his chest, he felt for Sam”s pulse. It was there but faint.

Julian began the rescue breathing. He blew steadily into her mouth, watching her chest rise. Removing his mouth from Sam”s, watched her chest fall.

Again, he felt for Sam”s breath on his cheek. Nothing. He blew air in her mouth again, counting three seconds for each breath. Shaking, he remained focused on what he was doing.

“Oh God! Samantha, honey, be strong. Mama needs you. Mama needs you.” Julian”s vision blurred as he breathe air through Sam”s tiny mouth. The little bug, the sweet pancake who loved animals and anything pink now lay unmoving on the floor.

The sound of a siren came closer and closer. Help was coming. His throat constricted at the sight of his daughter”s face.

Only minutes ago, she was laughing, happy. Now, she was inches from death. He opened Sam”s mouth to feel her breath. A cry of relief broke from his lips when he felt Sam breathing again.

“Julian, is she okay? Is my baby, okay?”

“She”s breathing now. But she still needs to go to the hospital. The ambulance is here.”

“Thank you, thank you. Oh God, I”ve already lost Dad. I can”t lose Sam.” Julian picked up Sam, hating the fact that her chubby, soft arms didn”t wind around his neck. “Daddy loves you, Sam.”

The drive to the hospital seemed like an eternity. Sam was given another dose of epinephrine because she didn”t get enough. She was breathing but still unconscious. Her heartbeat was faster than normal, but the medic assured her that it was the effect of the medicine.

Julian was beside her holding Sam”s tiny hand, kissing her little fingers over and over again whispering „I”m sorry” as if what happened was his fault. “Sam, honey. It”s going to be your birthday soon. You need to wake up so you could see what Daddy got you, okay? I love you, little pancake.” Julian sobbed.

Joanie didn”t say a thing. She just watched, feeling the love, grief, remorse mixed with anger pour out of Julian for his little Sam.

Two hospital staff shoved Julian away from the gurney because he wouldn”t let go of Sam”s hand. The doctor snarled at him, telling him that he was only delaying his daughter”s treatment. Julian, who seemed to have realized what he was doing, raised his arms up then nodded his head.

The doctors whisked Sam away to the emergency room, leaving her and Julian standing together, watching the silver double doors leading to the emergency room close.

And then she let it out. She wailed and screamed like she wanted to do when she saw Sam on the floor. Julian pulled her roughly against him and whispered, “She”ll be okay. She”s tough like you. She”s tough.” It was incredible how even a nonbeliever, secular, or whatever he was could remember God in times like this. When was the last time he went to church to pray? Shit, if this was His way of nudging him, to let him know that He exists, well, this was one fucking harsh way to do it. Who in the world with a right mind would use a child to teach an adult lesson? No, God had nothing to do with this.

And he had a pretty good idea who put his daughter”s life in danger.

After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, the doctor came out and called him and Joanie. Sam was out of danger and sleeping.

In the small room where Sam was transferred, Julian kept his eyes on his daughter and wife. Sam woke up only to fall asleep again. This time because of the Kid”s Tylenol the nurse had given her to ease Sam”s discomfort. But Sam would sleep even better if her dolly were beside her. She”d be staying here overnight for observation. Sam would want Dolly.

“Joanie.”

Joanie looked up. She had already stopped crying but her eyes looked utterly sad and tired. “Yes?”

“I”ll go back to the house to get Sam”s doll. You have my cell. Call me if she wakes up or for anything.”

“Okay. But you don”t have to do that. Sam will ask for you when she wakes up.”

“Tell her I”ll be back. I have to check on something.”

“We”ll be here.”

Julian nodded then turned to walk away. He was almost at the door when Joanie called him. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Joanie. I will give my life for Sam, for you.” He walked away with his chest in a state of emotional upheaval. But one thing was clear—he loved his family. And those who dared hurt them would fucking pay.

Joanie”s house was awfully quiet. No singing, giggling, pitter-pattering of little feet. No Joanie in the kitchen burning food. Julian stood in the middle of the room. Sam”s sandal was on the floor. She must have lost it when she was kicking hard trying to breathe. His vision blurred at the memory of little Sam fighting for precious air, clawing her neck. Julian picked up the sandal and stared at it.

Imprints of Sam”s little toes were there. He tucked the sandal in his back pocket and looked around the floor. It was a mess, but he still spotted Sam”s necklace. The chain was broken but the ring was still there.

Because of the stupid necklace, he learned about Sam. The reason why he insisted he stayed to get to know her. What did Joanie say about his decision? Ah, playing with people”s lives. His selfishness brought all of this to Sam and Joanie. If he just took her offer, gave her the money, he would have been back in Manhattan looking at his animal patients and Georgina wouldn”t have come here.

Georgina. The woman he thought was perfect for him had hurt his family.

Without a doubt in his mind, she brought nuts in this home. What a dumb fuck!

He smelled nuts on Sam”s breath. He kept scanning the room. Sam ate nuts that made her sick. Wherever it was, he”d find it. Joanie would never buy anything with a hint of nuts in them. And he would never do that either. So where did Sam get the freaking nuts? Georgina.

He kicked the brand new toys that were on the floor until he spotted a ratty looking ragdoll peeking out from under the couch. Dolly. Beside it was a can of cashew nuts.

“Fuck!” He picked up the can and thought about hauling it against the wall, but changed his mind. He”d go after who brought it. “Georgina, I”m going to kill you for this.” He put the can and all the toys back in the brown bags including the shopping bags. When he was sure he got them all, he strode toward the back of the house where he dumped the bags in the garbage bin.

He was leaving the kitchen when he spotted Joanie”s broken hairclip on the table. He pocketed the two pieces. With certainty that Joanie would never want him in their lives, especially after what happened, he moved around the house cleaning. At least Joanie wouldn”t have to worry about cleaning when they get home. When he was finished, he started packing his things, including the small Dora toothbrush Joanie gave him the first night he insisted that he stayed here.

With a big lump forming in his throat, he straightened up the living room, making sure no more nuts and candies were lying around the house. He was making one more sweep when a scrapbook caught his eyes.

It was Sam”s baby scrapbook. Joanie recorded and collected everything, including Sam”s dried umbilical cord. Sam was a big baby and according to Joanie”s records, was colicky. She started walking at the age of one and was potty trained when she was eighteen months. The first time Sam was detected with severe allergy was during her first birthday. Someone had given her a peanut butter cracker.

Julian continued to look through the book until he reached the page about Sam”s parents. Joanie”s picture holding Sam was glued on the corner and beside it was a short note. “Daddy’s in your heart, bug.” Shaking his head, he closed the scrapbook and put it back where he found it. He hitched his overnight bag over his shoulder and walked toward the door. But the sound of the phone ringing made him stop. His heart leapt. Did something happen in the hospital while he was gone? If it was Joanie, why didn”t she call his cell? Without waiting for the second ring, he picked up the receiver.

“Saint Claire”s residence.”

“Oh, hi. Is Joanie available? This is Carmen, Windermere agent.”

“Hi, this is Julian. I”m sorry, but Joanie is not available right now. Can I take a message?”

“Joanie called me again earlier today and said the property is up for sale again. Oh, I”m so happy. Please tell her that my client is happy that Joanie finally changed her mind—again—about her property. I will be there early tomorrow to close the deal.”

“Sure. Joanie talked to me about the property but she didn”t mention that the deal is already made. When did she put it on the market?”

“Oh, she put Sam”s Woods on the market a few weeks ago. The name caught my attention and I contacted her right away. She said her house needs immediate repairs because of her child. She”s super nice. I”m glad I called her. That property is a prime lot. Anyway, my client is eager to put up the fence so he could bring in his horses. So, please tell Joanie to call me right away. It”s Julian, right?” Julian gripped the phone hard until his fingers ached from the pressure.