It was a video of Harvey tenderly helping Caden negotiate the handholds on the smallest climbing wall. “I won’t let go of you,” he said to the boy, who looked over his shoulder and nodded, reaching up for the next peg. Tears stung her eyes. Then Corinne burst into the video shouting, “Watch me next, Harvey! Look! I can do a somersault!” Harvey held Caden steady, grinned at Corinne and said, “Yes, you can, you clever girl! Have you always done flips like that?” Corinne beamed at him, and Caden climbed up to the next foothold and the video ended.
Bella remembered how grand he had been with the orphans at that fundraiser, how gamely he’d climbed in the dunking booth, how generously he’d donated. How kind and funny he’d been with those kids who looked at him like he was a god. When she took a step back and let him, he was wonderful with their twins. Just as she’d known he would be, until she’d tried to boss him around and made everyone uncomfortable. It warmed her heart that they got on so well together. They were father and son, father and daughter, after all. And they deserved to know it.
Bella got to her feet, grabbed her keys and ran out to the Corvette. She was going to join them at the jump park and tell those children the truth. That this man was their daddy, that they had a father who loved them. Swiping tears out from under her eyes, ignoring how messy she looked, she messaged Maria that she was on her way, that she would be there in fifteen minutes and she wanted them to tell the twins together that Harvey was their father. She messaged Harvey as well, and then headed that way.
Chapter 16
Harvey was surprised to get the message from Bella. He looked at twins, happily jumping up and down, hand in hand, on one of the trampolines. He took another picture of them—he’d already taken ten—and thought that soon they’d call him dad. He felt pride and a swell of love with an edge of nervousness. What if they didn’t want a father at all? Or what if they just didn’t want him? He’d taken over multi-billion dollar corporations, had dated some of the most gorgeous and sought-after women in the world
, had made international business deals, but these two five-year-olds intimidated the hell out of him.
He nodded to Maria and went over to buy a bottle of water. He drained it, threw the bottle in recycling and wondered why Bella had a sudden change of heart. He wondered how she’d look at him, if she was resigned or if she was happy and proud like he was. Would she love it a little, to see him with their babies? Would it ease her mind that he wasn’t the big bad wolf? He couldn’t bear the fact that she hadn’t trusted him with their children. If she was thawing out, learning that he was a responsible, caring adult, then maybe there was hope yet for the four of them.
He looked at his watch. It had been ten minutes. Any minute now, she’d be here, come walking through those doors and into the loud music and strobe lights and shouting of the trampoline park. Her hair would be in a ponytail, the way she always wore it on weekends when they were together. Not cascading in waves down her back the way he’d like, but pulled up out of her way so she could get down to business. He watched the doors for her, her distinctive walk with that purposeful bounce in her step.
After a few minutes, he decided she was caught in traffic and went back to playing with the kids. They all jumped in the ball pit while Maria took pictures. He carried Caden on his shoulders while Corinne flailed around and tossed foam blocks at them and scrambled away while they chased her.
When they climbed out, he expected to see Bella on the sidelines, but she wasn’t there. He checked his phone. It had been thirty-five minutes since she texted it would be fifteen before she arrived. He messaged her to ask if she got delayed. Then he checked his phone nine times in two minutes and there was no reply. He ventured to ask Maria if Bella was usually late.
“No. She is always so early, that one,” Maria confirmed, “I wonder what’s keeping her.”
Harvey called her number but it went to voicemail. Maybe she couldn’t answer while driving, or maybe she forgot her phone, or it was in her purse. He left a message. Then five minutes later he called again, got her voice mail again. “I’m getting worried,” he said to the recording. “I’m heading your way, see if you had a breakdown or a flat.” He told Maria where he was going, then dialed Bella’s number again on the parking lot.
“Hello?” a man’s voice said, the accent distinctly Latino.
“Hello?” Harvey said, “Is this Bella’s number? Have I dialed wrong?”
“No, sir. My name is Jaime. I’m a first responder with EMS. I saw the lady’s phone ringing and thought I should answer it.”
“Oh my goodness, what happened? Is she okay? Can I talk to her?”
“No, sir, the lady, she is being loaded into the ambulance now. We’re taking her to St. Cecelia Trauma Unit. Are you her husband?”
“No, no I’m not,” Harvey choked out, “Is she—alive?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll put this in simple terms and spare you the complicated medical jargon. She is breathing with the help of a bag right now. She was in a very bad car accident. Please get here as fast as you can.”
Harvey stood there, his whole body freezing cold at once. He bolted back inside, whispered to Maria that Bella had been in an accident, and to take the kids home and not tell them anything. He gave her some cash to feed them lunch and gave her his phone number, promising to keep her updated. He had to get to Bella. That was his only thought. His heart pounded with it. He had to see her. Breathing with the help of a bag? Loaded in an ambulance? He felt sick. He wasn’t sure he could even drive, but he programed St. Cecelia’s into his GPS and made his way there. He was so cold that he blasted the heat in his Porsche, but it didn’t help.
He rolled down the windows, but he still couldn’t breathe. The wind buffeted his face as he sped toward the hospital. The blast of warm air, the brightness of the sky offended him. Bella is hurt, may be critically hurt. Maybe dying. The sky should be dark, the birds should be silent. There should be no breeze off the water, no music from the passing cars. The city should be muted, darkened, holding its breath.
He loved her.
He truly and deeply loved her with all his heart. Maybe he didn’t realize it until it was too late.
He thought about the good times and the way she made him laugh.
The shock he felt had burned out into fear, a sizzle of terror that rode along his spine as he parked, as he ran to the emergency room entrance and demanded to know where Bella James was.
“Are you a relative?” the clerk inquired.
“No. I’m the father of her children. I know EMS was bringing her here—she was supposed to meet me at the trampoline park. I need to know how she is. I need to see her,” he stumbled over his words, his voice less commanding than in the boardroom, more pleading.
“Have a seat. I’ll find out if they’ve brought her in.” The woman picked up the phone, shooing him toward the waiting area. She seemed bored.
His leg jittered up and down. A news show blared from the TV bolted high on the wall, a headline ticker crawling across the bottom of the screen. He couldn’t make out the words, his eyes wouldn’t focus.
Bella could die.