Blind Ambition (22 page)

But Flore was different.

Dan screeched to a stop under the portico of a dingy yellow two-story building perched behind a line of palms. He shot out of the car and opened Flore’s door. The second Alexa had the girl unbuckled, he lifted her into his arms and ran through sliding glass doors, calling for help.

Alexa dashed after him, her legs shaky.
Please let Flore be okay.

The emergency department sat nearly empty, aside from a chubby white-haired man with a red nose getting his finger wrapped. A young, petite woman in blue scrubs directed Dan to one of five beds that lined the wall, and he laid Flore gently on her back as he relayed her condition in confident, clear, urgent tones.

Thank God for him.

Alexa gave Flore’s hand a gentle squeeze before she was pushed out of the way to make room for the staff who raced in. They hooked Flore to a pulse-oximeter and set up a heart rate monitor.

“Wait over there.” One of the staffers pointed to a bank of plastic chairs that lined the far wall, and pulled a curtain partially around Flore’s bed, cutting Alexa and Dan out of the scene.

Alexa stared at the puckered beige fabric, fighting the cold that stole into her veins as voices behind the flimsy barrier called out for Albuterol and IV steroids, and read off the girl’s O
2
saturation levels.

Strong arms embraced her from behind. “Come sit down,” Dan said, his voice gentle as a summer breeze.

Her feet were made of lead.

He came around and faced her, rubbing her upper arms with warm, callused palms. “She’ll be okay.”

More than anything in the world, Alexa needed to have faith, so she followed him to one of the flimsy chairs and sat down, her body suddenly weighing a thousand pounds.

He squatted before her and gripped her hands, as if he could pull her back from the emotional quicksand. “You were great with her in the car.”

Alexa stared at their hands. “I haven’t felt so helpless since…”
No
. She gave her head a little shake. “Her O
2
sats are low. What if…?”

“The doctors and nurses are doing everything they can, honey. They’re taking care of her.” He pushed her hair behind her ear. “Your job is to sit right here and send Flore your love.” He stood and kissed her forehead before settling on the seat next to her, the chair protesting with a high-pitched squeak. “My job is to sit right here and give you mine.”

Her stomach dipped and she blinked until she regained control. She didn’t deserve Dan’s devotion, but he gave it to her anyway. Damned if she knew why. But she wasn’t foolish enough to reject his help. Not with Flore’s life on the line.

A plump woman with black and gray hair twisted into a bun bustled over to them with a clipboard. According to the badge clipped to her shirt, her name was Lily, a delicate name for such a sturdy lady. “Are you family?” She had a wide gap between her front teeth, almost large enough to fit another tooth. That distracting window into her mouth made her look friendlier somehow.

“No.” Alexa straightened. “I work for Hygiea.”

Lily’s gaze raked them both from head to toe. She frowned. “You have money to pay?”

“Yes. No problem.”

The woman nodded and handed over the clipboard and a pen. “You put your credit card information there.” She jabbed at the paper. “It must process before you leave.”

Just like that. Alexa gave the woman a placating smile. “That’s fine.”

But it wasn’t fine. She couldn’t even keep her hand steady enough to fill out the form.

Dan snagged the clipboard and pen and laid them in his lap. “Just breathe.” He massaged her neck with strong, knowing fingers, and she closed her eyes.

Was this more punishment for Despina? Was the little girl she loved suffering for Alexa’s mistakes? She didn’t have any specific religious beliefs, but if there was any kind of karma or higher power in the universe, she appealed to it now.

Spare her. Take me, punish me, but please, please,
please
save Flore.

Dan stood and resisted the urge to rub his rear end. The hospital waiting area chairs were starting to feel more like cement than plastic after three hours. Jumping jacks and maybe a few lunges would feel great right about now, but he was pretty sure the staff—especially the battleax named Lily—wouldn’t approve.

Alexa had been up and down probably a hundred times since they’d arrived with Flore, asking about her condition, trying to get a glimpse. The doctor—a soft-spoken woman named Evangeline Smithson—had introduced herself once the girl was stable, and patiently fielded Alexa’s questions. The girl was responding to the treatments, and the doctor would release her soon. But the woman wasn’t comfortable letting Flore leave with Dan or Alexa, since they weren’t family.

Soon after their arrival, Alexa had called the St. Isidore Adoption Bureau to make sure the director knew the children had been recovered and that Flore was at the hospital. Dan was pretty sure she was also hoping he’d shortcut the waiting period and give her custody. The island wasn’t that big. If they were going to find any relatives for Flore, it would have happened by now.

The director said he was on his way.

Dan twisted from side to side and looked down at Alexa. Despite the dark circles under her eyes and her rumpled clothes, she still took his breath away. “Do you want a coffee? Or a soda?”

She glanced up and shook her head. All of her concern for Flore was written in the set of her eyebrows and the pinch of her lips and the way she rubbed her left wrist. He’d give anything to be able to ease her worry.

Across the room, the glass doors slid open, admitting hot, sticky air that battled with the a/c. A tall, thin man with dark skin and close-cropped black hair stepped inside. He wore a gray pinstripe suit, complete with a green silk handkerchief tucked into his coat pocket. Classic hot-weather wear.

A middle-aged couple in their Sunday best followed on his heels. The woman’s shoulders were rigid and her eyes swept the room in a wide arc. The man peeled her fingers from his plaid shirtsleeve and directed her to a bench near the door.

Dan had thought the couple was with the slick forty-something in the suit, but maybe not.

Alexa glanced toward the new arrivals and launched to her feet. “Mr. Armeaux.”

Ah, the man from the adoption bureau. Dan glanced at the couple again, his brain spinning.

She rushed forward and took Armeaux’s hand. “Thank you for coming.”

Dan hovered behind her, not wanting to interfere in something that had nothing to do with him, but reluctant to leave her unattended.

“I wanted to speak to you in person,” the man said, his voice a deep, resonant bass, reminiscent of James Earl Jones, but with a combination of island accent and British lilt.

She nodded eagerly, her body tense, her shoulders high. “As I mentioned two weeks ago, everything is already cleared on the U.S. side of things. Once I get the paperwork from you, the embassy in Barbados will issue the documents I need to take Flore home.”

Armeaux frowned. “There has been a development.”

Alexa’s entire body stilled.

“We found Flore’s next of kin,” he said. “In fact, they are here to take her home as soon as she is released.” He gestured to the couple who sat stiffly by the door.

The air whooshed from Alexa’s lungs and she stepped away as if to distance herself from the news. Dan moved closer and laid his hand on her lower back.

She glanced his way with wide eyes and then turned to the man who’d just taken her dream. “That’s…wonderful. May I…” She swallowed and stole a quick look at the couple. “May I ask who they are?” Her voice came out soft and small. “Does she know them?”

The man gave her a sympathetic smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “It is her mother’s cousin and her husband, Helene and Raymond. They moved to another village many years ago and only just made contact after someone told them we were looking. I doubt the girl would remember them, but they know her.”

Alexa’s gaze strayed to the pale curtain that hid Flore from view. “Can they…?” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, but can they afford to take care of her?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, gently. “She and her husband work as domestics for a plantation owner who provides them health care, housing, and food. They have no children of their own, so they can devote their time and care to Flore.”

Something in Dan’s gut protested. This all seemed too easy, too pat, too sudden. And yet, what right did he have to interfere? What cause did he have to accuse the man of anything?

“And you have proof?” Alexa asked. “There’s no doubt?”

“Yes. There’s no doubt.”

She gave a jerky nod. “I’d like to meet them, if I may,” she said, her voice stronger now. “As her caregiver. To ensure that her new guardians understand her health issues.”

“Of course.” Armeaux inclined his head and gestured toward the couple.

She looked over her shoulder at Dan. “I’ll be right back.”

Dismissed
. It shouldn’t matter. He had no dog in this fight. Nothing to do with Flore or her adoption or Alexa’s future. But it mattered to him. A lot. He wanted her to need him. Stupid. Irrational. Petty. And he couldn’t turn it off. Couldn’t turn away as she strode to the bench with her head held high and suffered through the introductions with perfect grace. How did she do that? How did she smile politely and keep her poise when she was dying inside?

Lord knew he was failing at it.

She spent several minutes with the couple, making sure they understood Flore’s condition and how to deal with it.

“She needs a clean environment, as dust-free as possible. She also needs to have a rescue inhaler with her at all times, and should be on a daily treatment to help control the asthma and reduce the number of attacks.”

Helene nodded. “She will be cared for.”

Not a very personal statement. Did they even want Flore? Was the girl a burden to them or a newfound joy? Maybe he was reading too much into her words. Maybe it was her accent.

Alexa paused and stared at the woman. She shot a glance at Armeaux and then turned back to the would-be mother. “Do you…” She cleared her throat. “Do you actually
want
Flore?”

The woman sent a wide-eyed look of panic to her husband, who had been tapping his thumb against his thigh, but halted mid-tap.

“I don’t know if Mr. Armeaux told you—” Alexa started.

“We want her,” Helene practically shouted. She cast her eyes downward and let out a shaky breath. “We want her,” she said softly, but with force.

Alexa nodded. “Okay.” She stood and rubbed her hands down the front of her thighs. “Okay. If you don’t mind, I’d like to say goodbye to her before you leave.”

“Of course,” Raymond finally spoke. The tapping resumed.

Across the room, Dr. Smithson emerged from behind the curtain that surrounded Flore’s bed. Armeaux urged Helene and Raymond forward and the trio left Alexa behind as they made introductions.

She watched the procession disappear into the space where she was denied entry, her arms wrapped around her body. Dan fought the urge to hold her. She was obviously struggling for control, and if he touched her she might lose it.

Finally, the curtain around Flore’s bed pulled back. The little girl stood between Smithson and Armeaux. As soon as she spotted Alexa, she ran.

The doctor clucked and shook her head, but didn’t move to stop her.

“Missalyssa!” Flore crammed the words together into one.

Alexa opened her arms and staggered back as she caught the determined child, smiling as she hugged Flore close. “Obviously, you’re feeling better.”

“Yes. Thank you.” She held tight for several more seconds, then lifted her head. “Are they really my family?” she asked, her voice soft and tremulous.

Alexa’s smile lost its beautiful spark. “Yes. It appears so.”

“But I want to live with you.” Tears streamed down the girl’s face.

Goddamn. Dan didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t walk away either.

“I know, sweet girl. I wanted that too, but I can’t be selfish.” She smoothed a few stray hairs from Flore’s face. “You are an islander. You belong here with your family, your culture. I can’t take you away from that.”

Flore nodded, her face grim, and snuck a glance at her new guardians. Eyes downcast, she said, “I understand.”

Alexa swiped a tear from her cheek. “They’re going to take good care of you, okay? Helene and Raymond promised. They live in a nice house on a plantation and they’ll have your medicine and everything. You’re going to love it.” She slipped the girl a piece of paper. “My phone number and email address are on here. Please keep in touch. And contact me if you ever need anything.”

“Okay.” Flore stepped back and glanced at Dan, then whispered in Alexa’s ear, eliciting a smile that made Dan’s heart skip.

Alexa relinquished her hold on the girl and stood.

Flore walked toward him, her pretty face solemn, but her eyes alight. “Mr. Dan.”

He held out his hand, but she slipped inside his guard and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” His heart damn near broke.

The girl tugged on his shirt and he crouched down. “Do you love her?” Flore asked softly in his ear, her words only for him.

Fuckin’-A
. Dan blinked and kept his gaze on the scuffed linoleum tile. If he looked at Alexa right now, he’d probably lose it. “Yeah, sweetheart, I do.”

Flore put her tiny hands on his shoulders and nodded, capturing his attention with her earnest, brown eyes. “I don’t want her to be sad and alone.”

“Neither do I, but it’s not up to me.”

“You will try?”

This girl was going to be the death of him. Jesus Christ. “My very best. You have my word.”

She squeezed him hard and graced him with a brilliant smile. “Thank you,” she said. Then she gave Alexa a lightning-quick embrace before shuffling toward her new family.

Helene and Raymond nodded at them and led Flore outside to a waiting car.

Armeaux glided over and took Alexa’s hand in both of his in a gesture that made Dan think of overzealous salesmen and insincere politicians. “I’m sorry this did not work out for you, but rest assured that Flore will be safe. I am grateful for your kindness to our country and our children. Thank you for bringing them all back to us.” He patted her hand, gave Dan a practiced smile, and walked out.