Yours Completely (Billionaires and Brides 1)

“This wasn't caused by his lifestyle. Apart from running a stress test, there would have been no way to know about this,” Dr. Verner explained. “From the tests I ran, it appears to be an arrhythmia, which means that his heart's electrical system isn't firing properly.”

“Arrhythmia,” I repeated. The word was bitter in my mouth.

He nodded. “Today, the electrical system in his heart malfunctioned. Instead of sending the normal beat pattern, it sent gibberish, which made his heart spasm. Luckily, it reverted back into a sustainable rhythm before too much damage occurred.”

I took a deep breath, focusing on the fact that my father was okay. “What happens now?” I asked, almost afraid of what the doctor might tell me.

“First, I'd like him to rest while I monitor his condition,” Dr. Verner replied. He tugged at one of the ends of his stethoscope. “There are some tests I'd like to run once he's feeling a little bit better, but he needs to relax and recover for a few days. Once I've had a chance to run those tests, we'll be able to look into treatment options.”

“Like a pacemaker?” It was the first thing I thought of when Dr. Verner had mentioned electrical problems of the heart.

“Yes, a pacemaker might be a viable option.”Dr. Verner smiled, warmth coming into his eyes. “I'll know more once I get the results.”

“But, he'll be okay?” My voice cracked as I asked the question. Dr. Verner patted my knee gently.

“Yes, it looks like he will be,” he assured me. “But, I will need to keep a close eye on him just to make sure.”

I nodded, relief flooding my chest and letting me breathe again. He was going to be okay. Maybe not right away, and maybe he would need a pacemaker, but those were both things I could deal with.

“You said he'll need to take some time off?” Charlotte asked, still holding my hand in hers.

Dr. Verner nodded. “Yes. No work for at least the next three days. I want that heart monitor on him at all times. It's connected to my phone, so I'll have an alert the moment it does anything strange and I'll be within five minutes at all times. It also has the ability to shock him if necessary.”

“Wait, you said no work?” I repeated, trying to ignore the part of his sentence that mentioned shock. “But that's the whole reason we're here. Are you sure?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, I'm sure. He needs to rest. If you bring him work that he can do in bed and without getting his heart-rate up, I'll allow it.” He gave me a stern look. “But no crawling around under furniture. He needs as little stress on his heart as possible.”

I nodded, but grudgingly. This was going to make this week a lot more difficult.

“Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to send some of the findings off to a cardiologist to get his opinion on them.” Dr. Verner stood, and I rose with him to shake his hand. “If you have any more questions, please let me know and I'll be happy to answer them.”

I knew I should have a million questions, but there was only one that I could think of.

“Can I go see him?”

Dr. Verner smiled. “Of course. He's sleeping right now, but you're welcome to go in.”

“Thank you, doctor,” I replied, shaking his hand. I grinned at Charlotte and then took off for the door at the quietest sprint I could manage.

I paused for a moment with my hand on the doorknob. My whole body was shaking. I was afraid that I would see him hooked up to a bajillion machines like Mom had been. Slowly, I held my breath and opened the door.

Inside, Dad was fast asleep in a massive four-poster bed. For the first time in my life, he looked small. Human. The man who was always my super hero suddenly looked like an ordinary person. I stifled a sob and took a step further inside. There were some monitors and wires, but I was glad that he looked like he was sleeping normally. He was even wearing the pajamas I had gotten him for Christmas two years ago.

“Hi, Daddy,” I whispered, kneeling at his side. I took his hand in mine, glad to feel it warm and full of life. He looked so peaceful, that if I hadn't just experienced the day, I never would have guessed that anything was wrong. His cheeks were pink again and his chest moved in a comfortable, easy rise and fall.

I kissed his hand, holding it to my cheek. I could feel the steady pulse of his heart through his wrist. “Don't leave me, Daddy. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too.”

He just kept sleeping, and I finally let the tears I had been holding back all day stream silently down my face.

Sunrise Kisses: Chapter 9

I sat at the kitchen table with my computer, tablet, and several maps of the house scattered around me as I worked. A glass of lemonade sat half-full beside me, but I had mostly forgotten about it. I had to come up with a new plan on how to appraise everything in the house on the same timescale, but with my father laid up in bed. It was going to take some doing, but I think I had figured out a way to get it all done.

The kitchen light flickered on overhead, making me blink as the light blinded me. The sun must have set at least an hour ago without me noticing the change.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to focus on the person joining me in the kitchen. “I didn't realize how dark it had gotten.”

Mr. Belrose stood at the light switch. He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and black dress pants that seemed like they might be a bit much for the tropical heat, even with the air conditioner on in the house. I was almost too warm in my linen pants and a tank top. I had abandoned the light, conservative sweater I wore to cover my arms hours ago.