“That was his mom’s car. He didn’t steal it. Just took it without mentioning it to her and she thought it had been stolen.”
“That’s probably because he was grounded and so were you. Neither one of you was supposed to be out at three in the morning. And you sure weren’t supposed to be doing whatever it was you two did down by the lake.” David wore a wicked grin. “But you can’t really stop young love, can you? Hey!” David exhaled air on a protest as his sister jabbed her elbow into his ribs.
“Shut up, David. You weren’t exactly the poster child for upright behavior, either, when you were young. Chet’s going to be eleven in five months. Maybe I should tell him about the time you stuck fireworks in a dead squirrel and blew it up on the back porch. I don’t think you could sit down for a week after Dad found out.” Missy paused for only a second before continuing. “Or, how about the time you and our trusty brother Matt—”
David’s voice rose over hers. “Okay, I get your point, I’ll shut up.”
“Thank you.” She smirked, but her pleased expression didn’t last long.
Sebastian spoke softly in her ear. “I see we’ll have lots to discuss when you get back to Houston.”
She eyed him without turning her head. “It was a long time ago.”
“But it’s part of who you are so I’m interested in hearing all about it.”
Like all small towns at five in the morning, Main Street looked buttoned up tight. David blew past five blocks of store-fronts before Sebastian had a chance to blink. What had it been like for Missy to grow up in such a place? He’d guessed her hometown was small, but he had no idea how isolated. He’d assumed as a preacher’s daughter, she wouldn’t have had a lot of chances to learn how the world worked. Now, however, Sebastian recognized signs of the teenage rebel lurking beneath the sensible, efficient exterior of the woman who’d been his assistant for the past four years.
The truck passed a sign pointing the way to the hospital and David took a right at the stoplight. Conversation suspended as David turned into the front driveway that would take them to the entrance.
“I’ll drop you off here and park. Dad’s probably still in recovery so everyone should be in the waiting room.”
Sebastian slid out of the pickup and reached for Missy’s hand to help her down. Despite the warm night and the sweatshirt she still wore, her hands were like ice. Shock. He recognized the signs. His mother had been like this when Brandon had collapsed. Sebastian knew what to do, offer a strong shoulder to lean on and keep the Kleenex coming. His mother had gone through an entire box before her husband had come out of triple bypass surgery.
Pulling Missy’s arm through his, he tucked her hands between his arm and his body to warm her. She moved like a zombie at his side, her steps jerky as if her muscles had stopped functioning properly.
“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured as the hospital doors swung open before them.
They stepped over the threshold. Missy straightened her shoulders and pulled away. As hard as it was to let her go, Sebastian held back as Missy reunited with her family. Three tall men, mirror images of David, gathered her into tight hugs that left her teary and out of breath. Four women hovered behind the men, then took their turns, each returning to offer support to one of Missy’s brothers.
With the greetings complete, Missy cast about for him. Sebastian’s heart bumped against his ribs as her shell-shocked gaze found him. He came to her side, needing to wrap her in his arms, but she sensed his intention and shook her head, eyes pleading.
Turning to the group, she said, “Everyone. This is my boss, Sebastian Case.”
As he shook hands with Missy’s brothers, he couldn’t help but contrast this tight group of brothers and wives with his own family. He and Max were close in age and the best of friends growing up, but as adults they’d gone out of state to different universities and taken different career paths. Eventually those paths had converged at Case Consolidated Holdings, but the years of separation had taken their toll. They’d become less like family and more like coworkers.
From what he gathered, Missy’s family all lived within a couple miles of each other. In a few short minutes, he learned each brother was married and had between one and five kids ranging in ages from four months to fourteen years. He visualized boisterous family dinners every week with tons of children running around, and he understood why hitting thirty had heightened Missy’s longing for marriage and children.
Two hours after they arrived, Reverend Ward was released to the ICU where he would be watched and monitored. Each of his children got to visit him one at a time. Missy went first, then sat beside Sebastian on a molded plastic chair, hands in her lap, distanced from him by her need to keep her family in the dark about their altered relationship.
He wasn’t accustomed to seeing his ultra-efficient assistant so down and out. The sight unnerved him. Being unable to offer her support frustrated him. As she’d pointed out often these past couple days, he wasn’t the sort to sit idle. He needed to help.
But he also needed to be in Las Vegas at the summit. Leaving his father in charge for more than a day could spell trouble.
At eight o’clock, he could wait no longer to check in. Not wanting to disturb Missy’s family, he stood. Missy had closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall behind her. When he moved, she straightened and blinked in blurry disorientation. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around. The sisters-in-law had gone home to check on their children. All who remained were Missy’s brothers.
“
I’m going to step out and see how the summit is going,” he told her, giving her hand a squeeze.
The cellular reception at the hospital had prevented him from receiving any calls. However, two messages awaited him. The first one made him curse.
Damn it. What the hell was going on?
He dialed Max’s cell and heard the frustration in his brother’s voice when he answered.
“Sebastian, I’ve been trying you for hours. Where’ve you been?”
“In Crusade with Missy. Her father was in an accident.” No need to explain more. “Lucas Smythe said he’s leaving the summit. What’s going on?”