Baby for the Billionaire(76)

Prickling at the return of his high-handed tone, she said, “I can’t. It might be important.”

“Work, you mean.”

She forced herself to ignore the icily sarcastic jibe and squinted at the face of her cell phone. The number was unfamiliar. And so was the voice that introduced itself as Juliet after she’d said hello.

Listening in absolute silence and in growing guilt to what Juliet had to say, Victoria heard the silent screaming in her head. Please not this.

She terminated the call and raised her gaze to Connor’s bleak visage.

“My father has had a heart attack.”

Connor insisted on accompanying Victoria to the hospital after waking Moni to look after Dylan. It didn’t take him long to bundle a rigid Victoria into the Maserati and head for the hospital.

“I haven’t seen my father for three years—and I haven’t spoken to him in months.”

Connor shot a look to Victoria where she sat curled in the passenger seat, her hair tousled and wild against the leather seat back, her eyes dull and staring.

“The conversation ended badly the last time he called.”

Her voice was flat and lifeless—nothing like the decisive Victoria he knew. Guilt etched deeply into her pale, drawn features. Empathy for her overwhelmed him. And he wished he could absorb the pain she must be feeling. Coming on top of the crushing shock of Suzy’s death, the news of her father’s heart attack must be a heavy blow.

He nosed the car into the hospital’s underground car park and came around to help her out before putting a hand under her elbow and escorting her into the elevator.

Frank Sutton was still undergoing an emergency angioplasty to open the blocked coronary artery, they were advised by an efficient nurse who sent them to the visitor’s waiting room.

As they came through the double doors a woman with a round face and laugh lines leaped to her feet and directed a shaky, uncertain smile at them. “Victoria?”

Victoria moved forward. “Juliet?” At the older woman’s nod she said, “Thank you for calling me.”

“I tried your home number first, but a disconnect message gave me your cell number.” There was a hint of curiosity as Juliet’s gaze flickered from Victoria to Connor.

“This is Connor North.” Victoria linked her hand through his elbow as she introduced him. Drawing a deep, audible breath, she added in a rush, “My husband.”

She hadn’t found that easy to admit, Connor realized with grim humor.

“Oh, Frank didn’t mention …” Juliet’s voice trailed away.

“My father doesn’t know yet,” Victoria said brusquely. “Do you have any idea when I’ll be able to see him?”

“The nurses said it would be a while.” After an uncomfortable pause Juliet said, “Frank’s been talking about you a lot over the past few weeks.”

Tears welled up in Juliet’s eyes, and Connor read the discomfort in Victoria’s expression. She had no idea of Juliet’s role in her father’s life, he realized suddenly.

Stepping forward, he said, “There’s a coffee dispenser in the corner. What would you each like?”

Both women turned to him with expressions of identical relief. Thank God for coffee. It fixed everything.

“I’ll come over and make my own.” He should’ve known that Victoria would be her usual, independent self—even in a time of crisis.

“I’ll come, too. Oh, good, there’s hot chocolate.” Juliet rubbed her hands up and down her arms as though her skin was already too tight. “I don’t think I could face caffeine right now.”

So he was wrong—and coffee wasn’t always the answer. Especially where human relationships were involved. Connor could only hope that the outcome this time would be happier than it had been for Michael and Suzy. For Victoria’s sake, he offered up a desperate prayer for her father to make it safely through without any further complications.

It was three hours before they were allowed to see Frank Sutton. Although the angioplasty had been a success, Victoria was shocked at how much her father had aged since she’d last seen him.

“You came, Victoria!” His eyes lit up as she halted beside his hospital cot.

“Yes, I came,” she said lamely. “Juliet called me.”

“Ah, Juliet. She’s my guardian angel.”

“How did you meet her?”

“I started going to church,” he replied. “She was one of the first to welcome me.” He must’ve seen her shock because he added, “Hard to believe, I know.”

His skin held a yellow cast marred with liver spots that she’d never noticed. He looked old and tired. A broken man. Nothing like the feckless, handsome man who’d ruined her mother’s life and made her childhood a battlefield. A sliver of pity pierced her heart.

Whatever he’d done, however enraged and disappointed she’d been with him in the past for failing her, he didn’t deserve this.

His hand inched out and closed over hers, the tightening fingers telling her without words of his fear and desperation.

“Frank, this is Victoria’s husband, Connor North,” Juliet said from the foot of the bed.

Frank lifted his head with a struggle. “You’re married?”

And she’d never told him.

It hung between them, yet another recrimination.

Victoria nodded miserably. Connor had been right. She should have invited her father to the wedding, despite their differences.

“Remember my friend Suzy?”

“Of course I remember Suzy. I was sometimes home through the years.” His mouth twisted. “Even though you and your mother probably wouldn’t believe that, not that I blame either of you,” he added as she clenched her fingers under his grip.

“Suzy died in a car accident. Her husband was killed, too.” How to explain it? “They had a baby—”

“Oh, poor mite,” exclaimed Juliet.

“His name is Dylan … Connor and I were appointed his guardians—”

“And you fell in love.” Juliet wore a dreamy expression, and Victoria didn’t have the heart to disillusion her.

She searched for something to say that wouldn’t make their marriage sound like a cold, convenient arrangement.

Juliet took Frank’s other hand. “Your father has been wanting to call you. He’s got something to ask you.” A smile lit up her cheerful round face, and Victoria found herself warming more and more to the other woman. She had a brisk lightheartedness that was contagious.

“Juliet wants us to get married.” Her father’s eyes were oddly anxious as he waited for her response.

What did he expect her to do? Refuse permission? She would never do that. Even though she believed Juliet ought to be warned what she was getting herself into.

But it wasn’t apprehension that lurked in his eyes. It was something infinitely more basic.…

Her father wanted her approval.

Deep within her something gave. He’d never sought her approval before.

“That’s wonderful,” she said. “When will the wedding be?”

The lines around his eyes eased fractionally. “I’ve still got to propose. Maybe Juliet won’t have me.”

“It’s been difficult enough to get you to this point, so I’m hardly likely to bolt now.” Despite her tart tone, Juliet’s eyes overflowed with emotion, tears not far away. “You silly, stubborn man. You had to almost die before you saw sense. Now you’d better hurry up and ask.”

“Worried I might croak?”

“Don’t joke about dying.” Juliet gave a visible shiver then leaned across the bed and brushed her lips across his furrowed brow. “There’s nothing remotely funny about it.”

“You could do so much better, my dear,” Frank whispered and Victoria’s own eyes grew dewy.

“Don’t sell yourself short, honey.” Juliet straightened. “Now hurry up, before the nurse comes back and chases us all out. I’ve got witnesses now, so you won’t be able to back out later.”

Victoria exchanged looks with Connor—his eyes were gleaming with humor.

“Juliet, my dear, I’ve wasted a lot of time because I was afraid I’d let you down. I’m certainly no Romeo, but you will bring light to my life if you marry me.”

A funny sensation shot through Victoria.

Juliet loved her father. The emotion in her glowing eyes was unmistakable as she gazed at Frank. But Victoria’s stomach hollowed out at the certainty that Juliet was heading for heartbreak.

Her father wasn’t capable of living up to anyone’s love. He’d even admitted that he hadn’t wanted to propose because he knew he would let Juliet down.

Yet before she could protest she heard Juliet reply, “Of course I’ll marry you, Frank. Tomorrow if you wish. You only ever had to ask.”





Twelve


It was midnight by the time Connor pushed open the front door. The coolness of the night had already settled like a blanket over the house. As they crossed the darkened entrance hall, Victoria finally broke the silence that had clung to her like a heavy pall on the way home.

“You were right,” she said listlessly, “I should’ve invited him—them—to the wedding.”

“Victoria, you couldn’t have known—”