“You don’t mean that.”
“I do mean that.”
Bob hesitated. “What happened, Ty? The news said he followed her home.”
“I screwed up and made an ass out of myself, and she rightfully got very upset with me. She was in search of boxes to move out.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yes.” Tyler took a deep breath. “It was my fault. I take full responsibility. Nevvie and Thomas should not pay for my stupidity. Please, whatever we need to do to take the focus off them, that’s fine. Let me see it for approval before it goes out.”
“How much does your publicist know about her?”
“He’s a don’t ask, don’t tell guy. He knows we have an arrangement.”
“How much do you want me to tell him?”
“He won’t talk, if that’s what you mean.”
“We need a statement that won’t give the guy’s defense any leverage later at the trial.”
Tyler swore under his breath. Of course. Unless Alex struck a plea deal, they’d all have to testify. More torture for his poor Nevvie and dear Thomas.
“Work it up. Make sure it’s okay from your perspective. I don’t want it going out until I see it.”
Bob paused. “It might be better to push her to marry Thomas when she’s out of the hospital.”
Tyler sighed. He’d already thought about it. “I know.”
He called Elliot Paterno and gave him Bob’s information, fielded his questions, then called his agent and editor. Eddie. A few other friends.
The last—and worst. He checked the time and held his breath as the call connected, then a woman answered.
“Hello?”
He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off a tension headache. “Hello, Mother.”
Chapter 28
Nevvie despised the ICU. She was sick of monitors and beeps and the whoosh of ventilators, hushed voices and jarring alarms that triggered more nightmares. She wanted a shower and a real toilet. She wanted a goddamned cheeseburger, but solid food wasn’t in her future for several days yet.
At least she had a TV. She was turning her brain to mush with SpongeBob, but it was better than going stir crazy.
She’d also had a lot of time to think.
The only reason she could tolerate being there without the boys at her side all the time was the sheer number of people around—and morphine. She could see the nursing desk, where at least one person always sat at the station, monitoring patient data feeds on the bank of computer terminals.
She stared at the nursing station her sixth morning there—the boys had already visited—when a woman walked in and stopped at the desk. One of the nurses pointed to Nevvie’s alcove and the woman headed her way. She carried a clipboard, wore a hospital name tag, and looked like trouble.
The woman walked in and pasted on a fake smile Nevvie saw right through.
“Ms. Barton? I’m Nancy Park from Administration.”
Nevvie didn’t offer to shake hands. She never doubted Tyler’s ability to sense things about a person because she’d begun to think she had that same ability, something else they shared.
Nevvie sensed a bitch with a mission.
When Nevvie didn’t speak, Ms. Park continued. “Uh, I wondered if I could ask you a few questions about your paperwork? There seems to be some confusion.”
Nevvie didn’t respond, instinctively mistrusting the woman.
“We have paperwork,” she finally continued, “from Mr. Paulson and Mr. Kinsey, and we’re not sure who your next of kin is.”
“Whatever they gave you, I’m sure it’s right.”
“Well, if Mr. Kinsey is your fiancé—”
Fiancé? “Do you have a point?” What the hell is going on? She’d have a word with her boys during their afternoon visit.
The woman lowered her voice. “Nevaeh—”
“Ms. Barton.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Ms. Barton, if you are in a situation where you need help, you can reach out to us and we can—”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Ms. Park dropped her voice even lower. “If Mr. Paulson and Mr. Kinsey are holding you hostage or abusing you somehow—”
“What?” If Nevvie could have sat up and hit her, she would. Her rage and indignation swelled. “Those men are not holding me hostage. And they damn sure don’t abuse me.”
And it was the truth. That this woman tried to bad-mouth her boys when they’d never mistreated her… Maybe she was dreaming or it was an effect of the painkillers. This bitch couldn’t be for real, could she?
“Well, yes, I’m sure it might not seem like it, but we can refer you to a women’s shelter, and we have professionals on staff, psychiatrists, who can help you learn ways to break free of their mental abuse.”
“Nurse!” Nevvie punched her call button, realized it was her morphine button. She grabbed the call button, thumbing it.
The nurse ran in and Nevvie pointed at the administrator. “I want her out of here. Right now. And a phone.”
Forty minutes later, Bob Campbell and the SICU nursing supervisor were huddled in Nevvie’s alcove with the door closed and curtains drawn for privacy. Nevvie had ordered him not to tell the boys she’d called.
“Bob,” Nevvie said, “I had a screwy visitor, a Ms. Park from Administration, who tried to convince me that the boys have me held hostage and are mentally abusing me.”
He laughed out loud then stopped. “Oh. Oh! You’re serious?” He scowled and looked at the nursing supervisor. “Is this true?”
“Between you and me, the woman has a stick up her ass. She’s been asking questions about Ms. Barton’s chart that are none of her business, and about Mr. Paulson and Mr. Kinsey and their relationship with her.”
“I’m guessing you can handle this, Bob?” Nevvie asked.
He set his jaw and nodded. “I’ve been looking for an ass to chew. I think I just found it.”
“Come back when you finish, wake me if I’m asleep. And don’t tell the boys.”
“I’ll see you shortly.” He grinned. “I love the smell of a HIPAA violation lawsuit in the morning. Smells like victory!”
Nevvie laughed, then moaned in pain and laughed some more. “Go, before I pull a stitch.”
The more she thought about it, the more she seethed. Yes, she was mad about the file she found, but it didn’t cancel out how the boys had treated her, how they spoiled her rotten, how they practically waited on her hand and foot.
How they obviously loved her.
She closed her eyes. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn’t she just sit down and talk to them?
Okay, scream at them.
She wouldn’t make a mistake like that again. She had a second chance to love them, and she damn sure wasn’t giving them up.
Bob returned an hour later, smiling. “Want the short version, which might not make you laugh, or the long version, guaranteed to be a stitch-ripper?”
“Go with the safe one.”
“Ms. Park will no longer be a problem. She was escorted off the grounds without the ability to ‘accidentally’ take any paperwork. Hopefully she didn’t already get anything she can leak to the media.”
“How are they, Bob? Honestly?” She’d sensed the tension between her boys, especially from Thomas, but they tried to hide it.
“How much have they told you?”
“I can only imagine there’s a lot of publicity.” She hadn’t watched the news, not wanting to know.