A Taylor-Made Life (23 page)

“That’s what I thought. Dr. Monroe is
on duty today. I’ll page him now.”

Gavin had seen Dr. Monroe the week
we’d come from Dallas, but I hadn’t gone with him to the
appointment. I stared down at his unconscious body. In the flurry
of activity around his bed, revelation hit me. Really hit me. It
was one thing to know I was going to lose him some day, but it was
another to have it smack me in the face. I stifled a
cry.

No God. Please. Not
today.

Mom sat next to me and held my hand,
while nurses took vitals and drew blood from his arm. “Honey, he’ll
be fine. This is just like last time.”

“It’s so hard to see him like this.” I
dropped my head in my hands.

Mom leaned over and hugged me.
“Believe me. I know it is.”

I soaked in the softness of her
comfort. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s waiting outside.”

Dr. Monroe entered the bay, a short
man with a shiny bald head. He appeared to be more like an
absent-minded professor than a world-renowned oncologist. He held
Gavin’s chart, studying the results of the blood tests they’d
drawn, then turned to me. “Was he under stress when he fell out of
consciousness?”

“Yes. His business partners filed a
lawsuit against him for his company.”

The doctor shook his head. “So much
money. Was bound to bring out the worst in people. Especially when
they perceive a weakness.” He took off his thick reading glasses
and looked at me. “Young lady, are you his wife?”

I sat up straight in my chair, feeling
like I was in chemistry class. “Yes, sir.”

“I thought I recognized you.” He
quirked an eyebrow.
Shit.
Not him too. “I hope to hell he’s
a better husband than he was a mentor.”

I blushed. Gavin had told me how Dr.
Monroe had signed him up for CanSM. “He is.”

He looked like a hobbit when he
smiled. “You’ve had quite an eventful few weeks.”

That was one way to look at it. “Yes,
sir.”

“I’m afraid Gavin’s body is succumbing
to the disease. I’ve explained to him the importance of getting
plenty of rest and recommended he not return to work. If he follows
my advice, his last days will be fatiguing but less traumatic for
him and you.”

I let the man’s words sink in. Gavin
loved his work, his company. He’d never leave it unless he had to.
But now it looked like he had to. And about the traumatic
part—well, I wasn’t going to think about that right now.

The man’s gaze focused on my head. My
hand reached instinctively to make sure my hat was still in
place.

“You have AML?”

I nodded. “I have an appointment with
you next week.”

“Hmm…” His eyes narrowed as he studied
me. “Let’s move that appointment up to tomorrow. Okay?”

“Okay.” I said quietly. The last few
weeks Gavin’s illness—and Gavin in general—had taken focus, but I
could feel my body weakening under the strain of my own illness.
Eventually something would have to give, but I was so happy to be
with him and so afraid if I said something about the pain in my
bones, the bruises and bleeding that they’d take me away. Tears
welled in my eyes, and I rapidly blinked them back.

Dr. Monroe continued to stare, but his
face took on a mischievous grin. “His current prognosis limits his
ability for
certain activities
.”

I dried my eyes and tried to focus on
the here-and-now, my cheeks flushing under his scrutiny. He was
talking about sex.

Oh crap.

Gavin stirred on the bed, and his eyes
opened.

Distracted by the movement, the doctor
peered down. “Gavin. Gavin, can you hear me?”

I rushed to his side and took his
hand. “Honey, you’re in the hospital.”

He winced and whispered, “Not
again.”

Dr. Monroe nodded. “I’m afraid so. I
told you about too much stress.”

“Doc, I passed out. That’s
all.”

“Well, if you’re so sure that’s what
happened, what do you need me for?” The little man gave Gavin a
scolding look. “I explained at your last visit this would continue
to happen and with increasing frequency. You need to stay at home
and rest.” He faced me. “I’m saying this in front of your wife and
mother-in-law in the hopes they can talk some sense into you. If
you want to continue to enjoy your beautiful new bride, I suggest
you listen.”

Mom piped up, “Dr. Monroe, what
exactly does Gavin need to do?”

Oh hell.
I knew that determined
tone. I turned to Mom, having forgotten she’d been there the whole
time and gave her a wide-eyed, butt-the-hell-out glare. She, of
course, ignored me and addressed the doctor directly. “We’ll make
certain he follows your advice.”

“I’m prescribing bed rest. No work or
travel. He can get out of the house for doctor’s appointments
only.” The man spun on his heel and stared Gavin in the face. “And
for God’s sake, no more beach escapades, son.”

Gavin and I both spoke,
“What do
you mean—”
We looked at one another, grinned and
blushed.

I shot a side-glance to Mom, who
clasped all ten fingers over her mouth as if doing her damnedest to
keep from saying something that was better left unsaid.

Dr. Monroe chuckled. “Newlyweds.” He
shook his head. “Normal marital relations are fine. But, Gavin, try
to keep your blood pressure at a relatively normal rate. That means
no new acrobatics like I saw.”

We both groaned. “You saw?”

The doctor grinned and conceded with a
vague gesture. “Well, you are my patient. It’s my job to know
what’s going on with your body, and I have to say, I got a pretty
nice gander at it.”

My face flamed with the memory of
exactly what we’d done. Nothing like having sex on the beach with
ten million of your closest friends watching. At least I’d had the
chance to put on fresh make-up before they’d taken my mug shot
later that day. I had to laugh. What else could I do? At least the
doctor wasn’t barring us from all
marital relations
. I
giggled nervously.

“I’m sending you home tonight. But I
expect you to rest, or I’ll admit you into the hospital
indefinitely. Is that understood? No sex—”

“But you said….” Gavin started talking
but trailed off when the doctor glared at him.

“If you will please let me finish. No
sex tonight or tomorrow. After that…”

Gavin let out a relieved moan and
squeezed my hand. “Doc, I was afraid you were going to tell me
making love to my wife would kill me. In which case, I would just
have to die a happy man.”

The doctor’s eyebrows arched, and he
nodded his head. “I understand, son. You have a lovely
bride.”

My face flamed again, and I hid my
eyes with my hands. At least Dad wasn’t here to join in on the
conversation. Thank the Wizards for small miracles.

The hobbit-looking man continued,
“Enjoy each other as long as you feel up for it.” He grinned
devilishly. “And I mean that in a very literal sense.”

I sank low in my seat and studied my
cuticles. My humiliation was complete, but a tiny smile tugged at
my lips as relief flooded me. Gavin was going home.

I snuggled close to Gavin. His hand
stroked my fuzz-covered head as he pressed his chest against my
back. I loved how he embraced my not-so-pretty parts and made me
feel like any normal girl with a new husband, like I was his most
treasured possession. And he did possess me. Body and soul. I
belonged completely to him.

The sunrise barely lit the room
through the blinds. Another day. Thank the Wizards, they hadn’t
kept him overnight in the hospital. I hated the freaking hospital.
Especially now that it meant we’d be apart. I didn’t think I could
sleep without him next to me.

“Taylor, I need you to do something
for me.” His voice was soft but serious.

I rolled over in his arms to face him.
“Okay. What is it?”

He ran his finger over my cheek. “I
need you to learn how to run my business.”

“No sweat, Techno Boy. I got you
covered.” I gave him my best-dimpled grin.

He laughed. “I’m serious. Rick and
Charlie have blocked my living will naming you as controlling
recipient and Interim President. They’re trying to drive you out of
TME before you can even get there. I need you to know at least the
basics of the business and who you can trust. I want you to start
running the company as soon as possible.”

My jaw dropped. “Are you
serious?”

“As a stage IV tumor.”

“Crap, Gavin. I can’t run a whole
company thingy. That would be a stretch for a business guru, but
for me, it would be like…like trying to eat a freaking
elephant.”

He drew his lips into a thin line and
cocked an eyebrow. “Well, it might help your confidence if you
stopped calling the company a
thingy
. You can do this,
Sweetness. I know you can. If I give you a strong foundation and
support group now, while I’m still alive….”

I closed my eyes at the thought that
was too painful to communicate. “I don’t want your company, Gavin.
I want you.”

He pulled me close and kissed me. “I
know you don’t, which is exactly why I want to give it to you.
Besides, you already promised me, Mistress of the
Havens.”

I rolled my eyes. He knew using
LAION
terms always buttered me up.

“I only want you to get your foot in
the door and understand the basics. I know you’re not well and
promise not to push you beyond your limits, but—” He cupped my chin
and stared me in the face. “I’m counting on you living, Taylor. I’m
putting all my hope in the fact that you will have this company for
our baby.”

How could I say no? He needed me
because he loved me and because there was no one else.

“I know it’s a lot to ask.” He kissed
my forehead and held me tighter.

I shot him a worried smile. How was I
going to run a dang company?

“Do you know how to eat an elephant?”
he asked. “Because I do.”

Hopefully, he’d enlighten me. “I have
no idea. How?”

A wide grin spread over his face as he
rose over me and pressed me back into the mattress. Heat scampered
over my skin. I knew where this was leading.

His lips brushed mine as he spoke
softly, “One bite at a time.”

He let the silence of the moment sink
in. He had so much faith in me. and I knew he would never let me
fail. Confidence and security flooded my limbs. Gavin knew exactly
what I needed, but a twinge of doubt remained. I stuffed it down.
“Okay. I’ll try.”

He captured my lips and kissed me slow
and deep.

I moaned and turned my head to the
side, gasping for breath. “Hey, hey. I have to get ready for my
appointment with Dr. Bilbo. Remember what he told you?”

Feathering his nose along my jaw, he
whispered, “You still have a few minutes, and as I remember, the
doctor said as long as I felt—”

“Don’t you dare say
it
.”

He chuckled and covered my lips with
his again.

* * * *

The doorbell rang…
again
, and
Zelda hustled to the door. I watched as three more people, two guys
and a girl, stepped in. That made a total of eleven, not counting
me and Gavin.

My body felt like a Mack truck had
squashed it, but Gavin had planned this meeting. I wasn’t about to
let him down. I could suck it up for a few hours then rest.
Besides, it got my mind off the stress of a baby. If there was a
baby.

My husband was banking on this baby to
save me, and he was banking on me to save his company. Deep in my
heart I was banking on all that, too. But I couldn’t let my hopes
sail too high. If there were going to be a baby, then what? I’d
still be a teenage, single parent. And that assumed the bone marrow
transplant took. There were no guarantees.

Dr. Bilbo Baggins had insisted I do
some intermediary radiation to keep the white cells down. It was a
few sessions on an outpatient basis. He was pleased with my counts,
but without knowing how long I could go without more chemo, he
wanted to make sure they didn’t get out of control. At least the
nosebleeds hadn’t started again. He had seemed pleased with the
possibility of our baby.

Gavin yelled from the sofa, “Hey guys,
you made it.”

He stood and hugged the girl, and then
man-hugged the guys in a typical clap on the back where no body
parts touched.

One of the guys looked me up and down.
“Jesus, Gav. Where’d you find this gal? And she really agreed to
marry
you
?”

“I know. Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Must be the money.” Gavin winked at me, and I chuckled.

The girl strode up and held out her
hand, which I immediately took. “Hey, I’m Sophia. We’re the
development team. Other than the Asshole Gang of Rick and Charlie,
we’re the oldest employees of TME.” Then in a deliberately loud
voice, she said, “And the most valued.”