“Overdose,” he murmured. “Twice. First when I was in college. And the second a few years ago.”
“I knew she drank, when we were growing up.”
“Her booze habit led to pills,” he said flatly.
Her smile faltered. “I’m sorry, Jared. I didn’t know.”
“We kept it quiet,” he said with a sigh as he glanced around the lobby. Florescent lights glowed overhead, and the place smelled sterile. Yeah, this was definitely not the romantic coffee date he’d envisioned in the middle of the night—or the conversation. “She’s back in rehab now. We’re trying a different place, out in California. And a much longer stay.”
“I hope it works this time,” she said softly.
“If it doesn’t, we’ll try a different program,” he said firmly. “I have the resources to fight her disease. That’s more than we had before.”
“She’s lucky to have you,” she said softly.
“Miss?” A woman in a pink scrubs appeared at their table. “Um, Ms. Elsa? Cara will be ready for you in a few minutes. They are just bringing her back to her room.”
“Great!” Lucy beamed up at the nurse. “I’ll give her a few minutes to settle in, and then I’ll head back. I remember the way to her room.”
The nurse nodded. Then she glanced at him. Her brow furrowed as if she thought she recognized him, but then she gave her head a little shake and walked away.
Jared set the coffee aside and focused on his date. “A mom hired you to visit her kid in the hospital?”
“Shh.” Princess Elsa pressed her index finger to her lips. “No one pays a princess, and never in hospitals. I met Cara on a pro bono trip a few weeks ago. She’s no longer responding to treatments. Her parents asked if I could stop by to cheer her up. They want to see her smile.”
Jared nodded slowly. “Go. Deliver a piece of magic to Cara. I’ll wait right here.”
She stood and smoothed her gown. “I won’t be long. Her mother said she’s very tired. I don’t want to wear her out.”
He watched her smile and wave as if she were walking in a one-woman parade. Blowing kisses to the children in the lobby, Elsa the Ice Princess slipped through the double doors. He stared down at his paper to-go cup. The lobby felt sad and sterile, like a rehab waiting room.
A place where hope goes to die, he thought.
But not when Lucy filled the lobby with her smile. It was as if she changed the air around him. She made him believe in the impossible—unicorns, fairies, and storybook endings. She left him wanting things that didn’t make sense. His life was built on success. One smart acquisition led to another. Bank accounts grew. Then investors knocked at his door. More money flowed in, and everyone walked away rich. The pattern worked—except when a curveball like a sex tape blew up a deal. And his life was ingrained in that pattern.
But Lucy’s world was a puzzle of hope. Th
e pieces didn’t fit, but she refused to give up.
I don’t know why she tried to find magic in a relationship. She is magical.
He wanted that opened-hearted, caring princess in his life. Hell, he wasn’t sure if he could offer fireworks beyond the bedroom, but he was willing to give it a shot.
“All set,” she announced.
Lucy’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he glanced up. “How is Cara?”
Her smile never faltered, but sadness shimmered in her blue eyes. “Weak, but there is still hope. The doctors are going to try a new drug. And you should have seen her smile when I walked in . . . ” Lucy shook her head. “There is a warrior princess in that little girl just waiting for another chance to fight her disease.”
She closed her eyes for a second as if sending off her wish to the land of fairy tales and happy endings. Then she opened them and looked at him. “But I’m sorry we had to spend our coffee date in a hospital.”
“I’m not.” He stood and held out his arm. “The limo is waiting outside. May I escort you princess?”
She nodded and placed a blue-gloved hand on his forearm. He led her through the lobby, pausing every now and then for her to wave at her admirers. Minutes later, they settled into the back of his limo. “I need to head to the airport, but after that my driver will take you to your next event. How many parties do you have this afternoon?”
“Just one, but it’s a deluxe party with all the extras—crafts, a visit from a fairy.”
“Should I be worried about drunk dad hands?”