Page 50 of The Problem with Playboys

Twelve

It was a long night. Chloe slept in the chair in her mom’s hospital room, but it was horribly uncomfortable. She only tossed and turned, worried about her mother and sick to her stomach over the way things with Parker had fallen apart. Everything ahead of her seemed bleak. Even though her mom had not needed a bypass and the doctors were able to do the less invasive angioplasty, it was a serious situation. Her mom would need her in a way she never had before. The support she’d given in the past had always been about love and romance and relationships. But now they were talking about life and death, and Chloe was facing the reality that her mom wouldn’t be around forever. It had shaken her awake to the ways in which she needed to step up.

Parker was another situation entirely. In her heart, she did not want to give up on him. Give up onthem. But she didn’t see her mom getting past this, and this was not the time to push the subject. Her mother needed love and TLC, and a minimum of upset. Bringing up George Sullivan and the way Chloe had fallen for his handsome son was not going to help the situation.

A nurse came in around six a.m. to check her mom’s vital signs. She usually slept through these visits, but with the sun peeking between the blinds of her room and the increased commotion in her room, her mom woke up. “Chloe, darling. You stayed all night,” she croaked.

“Of course I did.” Chloe climbed out of the chair and went to her mother’s side. “I couldn’t go home and not be here with you.” Even though it hadn’t been official, home had been with Parker less than twenty-four hours ago. The thought of not returning made her so sad. The idea of not being with him every night made the future seem so dark.

Her mom pointed to the other side of the room, to the ledge that ran under the window. “Who sent flowers?”

“Gavin, actually. I looked up his contact information in your phone and called him. I hope that was okay. He’s very worried, but I made sure he knew you were on the mend. I think he’s coming to see you this morning during visiting hours.”

Her mom sat up in bed. “I’m going to need to put on some makeup before that can happen. I don’t want him to see me looking like this.”

“Trust me. You look beautiful. And if he really cares about you, he won’t notice at all.”

Her mom grimaced in reply and settled back in bed. “If you say so.”

“You know, you gave me quite a scare yesterday.”

“In my defense, you gave me quite a scare, too.”

The nurse was finishing up. “The doctor should be here in the next hour.”

“Do you know if she can go home today?”

“It’s the doctor’s call as to when she’ll be discharged. But everything looks good so far this morning. If she’s ready, it’ll happen all around noon.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Chloe said, returning her attention to her mom as the nurse left the room. “I’m so sorry about Parker, mom. I should have told you from the beginning.” She sighed. “Actually, I suppose it would have been better if I hadn’t done it at all.”

“You’re going to need to start at the beginning. I’m completely in the dark here.”

“You mean with Parker.”

“Yes. I’d like to know when you became involved with the son of the man who broke my heart, and then broke it all over again yesterday when I saw that horrible photo.”

“It all started the day you sent me out to George’s house on Long Island to get your things.”

“Are you attempting to blame some of this on me?”

“Never. I’m merely pointing out that some things happen by chance.” She pulled her knee up onto the bed so she could face her mom more directly.

“You two started something then?”

“Of course not. In fact, he was kind of a jerk to me. He told me my job was pointless.” Funny, but thinking back on that day, despite everything that happened during their first meeting, Chloe could still feel the spark between them. It was so palpable, the electricity filling the air, even when he was cocky and arrogant. He’d taken her by complete surprise that day. And every day since. “Then he got to eat his words a few days later when his client ended up being the target of Little Black Book and he found that he actually needed my help.”

“These Little Black Book people sound absolutely horrid. Ruthless.”

“Nobody knows who’s behind it. But yes, they do seem to be out for blood.”

“Someone needs to stop them. Those photos were quite a shock. Why wouldn’t you tell me your fling was with George’s son?”

As much as Chloe had feared the question, she still felt flat-footed by it. Fear was the real answer, but it wasn’t all about being scared of her mother’s disapproval. As she pondered her mom’s word choice, she was struck by something. “Are you more mad that I did it or that I didn’t tell you about it?”

“That you didn’t tell me. You’re a grown woman. I’m not about to dictate who you become romantically involved with.” She wiped some sleep from her eye. “But it bothers me greatly that you hid it from me. We tell each other everything.”

Chloe nodded. “I know. You’re absolutely right. And I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you because...” She heard her own voice trail off. “Because I didn’t think it could ever be more than a fling. I didn’t think either of us were capable of more.”