Blindsided (Indigo Love Spectrum) (29 page)

“How did Reese receive that?”

“She was angry. And I’m sorry she’s angry, but I’m not
sorry I said what I did.”

“I think you’re sorry about something. Your sullen expression before you began to explain said as much.”

“I guess I could have delivered my words in a gentler
manner. It’s just . . . seeing her with this kid. He seems
nice enough, and his father works at my firm, but . . .”

“But your daughter with a guy makes you see red.”

“No, it makes me see fear. You’ve said Reese and I are
a lot alike, and I have to agree with that. That’s what
scares me. She flirts with young men.”

“You flirt with women. Young and old. Mrs. Lee.”

“Yes, but I know what I’m doing. And I’m a man.”

“You did not just say that.”

“Dahlia?”

“Norris, Reese is a very smart girl. She’s not adver
tising or suggesting anything when she flirts. It’s just her way. It’s a part of her charm, like it is yours. As for ‘find
ing’ her with this young man, you really need to choose
another term. I don’t think she was hiding anything.”

“Maybe she wasn’t, but I still want to keep closer tabs
on her, and I definitely want to spend more time with
her. Gail’s been gone over six weeks, and Reese and I have
spent little significant time together.”

“
You’re definitely within your rights as her father, but
you don’t want to come across as a tyrant. Go easy with her. I will see that she follows your rules.”

“Thank you, Dahlia. I appreciate your support.”

“Gail wants you and Reese to get closer, and I’m here
to help that along.”

“How are you getting along?” Norris asked. “We
haven’t really talked since Martin’s.”

Dahlia nodded. “I know. I’ve been—I’ve been
thinking about things.”

“And where are your thoughts?”

“Right now, I’m thinking how glad I am to see you.” She closed her hands around his. Her heart swelled from
the warmth in his touch and light in his eyes. “I’ve missed
you a lot, but that’s the norm.”

“I know. I’ve missed you, too. You know it’s not
about . . .”

“I know, Norris. You said a lot that night at Martin’s, and I’ve thought a lot about it.” Dahlia wondered if she’d
be able to explain the battle she’d been waging since she
realized she’d fallen in love with him. How her desire to
give him the loving relationship he wanted wrestled with
her desperate need to keep her heart safe from harm from
a man so much like her ex-husband it would be foolish
to believe he could be different. How could she explain
it? “I know what you want from me, Norris, and I think I should tell you that—”

The phone rang in the middle of her words.

Norris gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “Let it ring.”

“
I can’t. It might be Reese.” Dahlia reached for the
phone. Her father’s cell number appeared on the caller ID display.

“Is it Reese?” Norris asked.

“No,” she said, placing the phone to her ear. Norris
sat back on the couch with his arms folded. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Dahlia, baby, I know you have issues with your
sister, but things are bad right now.”

“What do you mean, bad?”

Norris leaned forward, watching her intently.

“Her blood pressure is extremely high and she’s gone
into early labor. They’re giving her medicine to slow down
contractions and lower her pressure, but they still might
have to take the baby. She has six weeks to go. It’s too
early, Dahlia, and she’s scared. She needs her big sister.”

A knot formed in Dahlia’s throat. Tears slid down her
cheek. Norris reached for her hand, the comforting
squeeze like an embrace for her whole body. She drew a
breath, gaining strength from his touch.

“Will you come to Atlanta?” her father asked.
“Yes, Daddy, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Norris retrieved the phone from her shaky hand.
“Dahlia, what’s wrong?”

“Leslie’s in the hospital. Her pressure is up and she’s
having contractions.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I have to go to Atlanta.” She clasped her shaky
hands. “I need to book a flight. Arrange a rental car.”

“I’ll take care of that. Do you want me to come with
you?”

Y
es!
But she couldn’t say that. Norris’s presence would be a comfort, but it would also be a huge distraction. She had enough of her own questions without having to deal
with those of her parents. “I think it might be best if I go
alone,” she said.

“I’m worried about you, Dahlia. You and your sister have issues and the pregnancy is upsetting to you. You shouldn’t go to Atlanta alone. Your folks are going to be
too upset about your sister to concentrate on you.”

“It’s okay, Norris. I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can, but you don’t have to.” He closed
his hands around her face. “I want to take care of you.”

“I know.” The emotions in his eyes overwhelmed her.
New tears slid down her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me for that. It’s not a favor, Dahlia, it’s an honor.” His thumbs brushed away the warm streams.
“I love you. Give me your hurt and I’ll take it away.
Believe in me and what I feel for you. I promise you can, and you won’t ever regret it.”

“Don’t believe anything he says, Dahlia!” Reese
bounded into the living room. “Norris, you just couldn’t
wait to . . .” Her eyes widened and words stopped.
“Dahlia, what’s wrong?” Reese moved to the space next to
Dahlia on the couch, glaring at Norris. “He hasn’t been
feeding you lies about me, has he?”

“No, Reese, he hasn’t,” Dahlia said, wiping her eyes.
“You’re back early,” Norris said.

“Yeah, I was too mortified to sit through the movie.”
Reese rolled her eyes and turned to Dahlia. “If he didn’t
say anything, why are you upset?”

“
Her sister has been hospitalized,” Norris answered.
“I need to go Atlanta,” Dahlia explained. “I hope you
understand.”

Reese nodded. “Absolutely. I’m so sorry to hear that,
Dahlia. I hope everything will be okay. I’ll call Diana. I’m
sure her folks won’t mind me staying over until you’re
back.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Norris said. “You’ll be
staying with me until Dahlia returns.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes, you will! And it’s not up for discussion. You have a room at my place, and you will be using it. Now
go upstairs and get your things.” He held up his finger. “And do it without saying another word.”

Reese shot off the couch and stomped up the stairs.
Dahlia slowly turned to him. “What happened to
gentler?”

“I’m being firm. I have to take this stand.”

“All right, Norris. I want you two to get closer while I’m away. Just be careful.”

“You be careful.” His finger glided against her cheek,
stirring the butterflies that grew restless in her stomach
whenever he touched her or fixed those gray eyes on hers.
“I’ll be thinking about you the whole time you’re gone.”

Dahlia nodded. “Me, too,” she murmured.

“I’m glad to hear that, but here’s a little something
that might help along the way.” He leaned forward,
claiming her lips. Their mouths moved in concert, softly,
tenderly. “Call me if you need anything at all, or even if
you don’t, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll stay down here and make your arrangements.
You go up and pack.”

“Thank you, Norris.”

“Stop thanking me. Go on, I’ll take care of everything.”

Dahlia believed he would take care of everything.
And maybe, just maybe, that included her heart.

Dahlia stepped off the elevator. The pungent scent of
alcohol and disinfectant made trying to forget she was in a hospital impossible. Not that she could forget even if
she wanted to, with personnel in scrubs of every color of
the rainbow scurrying here and there, with hip-clipped
pagers and stethoscope necklaces enhancing their med
ical look.

After two and a half years away from the city,
returning had its difficulties. Dahlia had never wanted to
come back after that horrible winter day. Her attempt to
surprise Jonah with an early return from Denburg had
yielded a shocking and unexpected surprise that ended her marriage and destroyed life as she knew it. She’d
always thought herself lucky to have a husband so understanding about her spending three to four days a week in
another state, but she wasn’t lucky, just blind.

Familiar laughter caught Dahlia’s attention. She
looked up to find her ex-husband in cheery conversation
with a pretty nurse with dark brown micro-braids and
deep dimples. Jonah brushed his hand against the nurse’s
cheek and whispered something in her ear. Dahlia shook
her head, surprised, yet, not. Too good-looking not to
notice, Jonah had a way of demanding attention, even when you didn’t want to give it to him. Always perfectly
g
roomed and stylishly dressed, Jonah Baron, of the Baron
Bourbon dynasty, used his winning smile, athletic body,
and excess charm with the finesse of a snake charmer. You
didn’t know you were under his spell until it was too late. Maybe she could save this unsuspecting nurse before she
became the newest casualty of Baron magic.

“Dahlia.”

Her mother’s distraught voice stopped Dahlia’s
approach toward her ex. She turned to see her mother’s
face stained with tears, and her father, holding tight to
her mother, looking older than she’d ever seen him. Her
heart dropped to her stomach. Tears blurred her vision and thoughts she didn’t want to think filled her head.

“What—what is it?” Dahlia asked, managing to speak
through the knot in her throat.

“Her blood pressure, the contractions. There was a
se—seizure,” Wilson said, clutching tight to Nona’s hand as the woman sobbed uncontrollably.

Warm tears raced down Dahlia’s cheeks. “She’s not . . .”

“I don’t know. They rushed us out of the room.”
Wilson walked his distraught wife to the waiting area.

Dahlia sat beside her mother and took her other
hand. “Try not to worry, Mama. Leslie’s strong, and she’s
strong-willed. She’s going to make it.”

Nona snatched her hand away. “And it would be no
thanks to you,” she hissed.

“Nona, don’t do this,” Wilson said.

“Why not? You know it’s true. She stopped talking to
her sister. Even when Leslie first had problems, she didn’t
bother to come see her.”

“Mama, . . . .”

“No. She kept asking for you in that room before she
started shaking so uncontro—She wanted her sister, and you were nowhere to be found. You gave up on her.”

Dahlia drew a breath, trying mightily not to respond
with the anger growing inside her. “Mama, I know you’re
upset, but this is not my fault, and I refuse to take the
blame for it. I’m here now, and I do care. Why is it you
refuse to recognize what Leslie did to me? Why I have
reason to be upset with her?”

“There is never a good reason to be upset with your
sister. All you have is family, and you turned your back on yours.”

“What did she do to me? What are you doing to me
now?” Dahlia shot up, desperate to get away from her
mother before she said the wrong thing. Her tone was
already a lot louder than she knew it should be. “I have
to get out of here.”