Cinderella Story
Alex was on his feet. Nina Lindstrom had turned ashen, and he was afraid she was going to faint.
“Maybe we should sit down,” Dr. Genkins said. Although delivered in a fatherly tone, this was an order rather than a suggestion. Slipping a hand under Nina’s arm, he guided her to a nearby chair.
Alex remained in the background. Obviously the doctor had the situation under control. Nina Lindstrom’s wait was over, and he was free to go. But he didn’t like leaving her on her own, not with the news he was certain the doctor was about to deliver. Besides, he wasn’t busy. He might as well stay, he decided, and eased himself back into his chair.
“Tommy does have a tumor,” Jim Genkins told her gently.
“Is it malignant?” Just asking caused a rush of terror.
“We won’t know until the tumor is removed and the lab can examine it.” He smiled encouragingly. “But there is good news. I had Dr. Zycros, a very capable neurologist, come in and take a look at the scan with me, and both he and I believe it’s operable.”
Nina saw the slight tic in his left jaw. It was a sure sign he was holding back, not telling her everything. “You’re not being entirely honest with me. I need to know the whole truth.”
He took her hands in his. “The operation will be tricky, but Dr. Zycros feels there is no other choice.”
“None?” She looked at him pleadingly.
“The rapid increase in symptoms suggests the tumor is fast growing. It needs to be removed before it can do any damage.”
Tears of fear welled in Nina’s eyes. “Damage?”
“I know how you feel. It’s terrifying when any child is in danger, and hundreds of times more so when it’s your child. But I can assure you that I will do everything I can for Tommy.”
Nina’s throat was so constricted she could barely speak. She did manage to choke out an, “I know you’ll do your best.”
“I’m going to have my receptionist set up an appointment for you tomorrow. That will give me time to take another look at the MRI and consult with some of my colleagues. I doubt very much that their diagnosis will be any different, but I want to be certain we don’t have any alternatives.” He gave Nina’s hands a final reassuring squeeze. “Now, shall we go get Tommy?”
As he started to rise, Nina laid a hand on his arm, keeping him seated. “I don’t have much money right now. I’ve been out of work since the storm,” she said stiffly. “But I want Tommy to have the best of care. I’ll pay whatever it costs. It just may take a little time.”
Dr. Genkins patted her hand. “Don’t worry about the cost for now. We’ll work out something. You just think about your son.”
Nina nodded and forced her legs to hold her as she rose. “I want to go to him. He’s probably wondering where I am.”
“He was asking for you,” Dr. Genkins confirmed, holding the door open.
Alex watched Nina cross the hall with the doctor and enter one of the rooms. Again he told himself to leave. Again he stayed. He wasn’t certain why. Curiosity, he decided. A few minutes later Nina emerged with a young towheaded boy. Must take after his father, he thought. Grudgingly, he admitted that he wouldn’t mind having a son of his own. He just wasn’t interested in having a wife.
The boy stumbled, and Nina scooped him up in her arms. Alex frowned. She didn’t look much steadier than the child. In the next instant he was on his feet heading toward them.
“You’ve had a pretty bad shock. How about if I carry your son,” he said, starting to reach for the boy.
Nina’s hold on Tommy tightened. She knew it wasn’t rational, but as long as he was in her arms she felt as if she could keep him safe. “I can carry him.”
Alex read the fierce protectiveness on her face. “Then, I’ll walk along and open doors for you.”
By the time they reached Nina’s run-down Ford, Tommy was asleep, his head limp on her shoulder. She shifted his weight to a hip so she could hold him with one arm. Standing slightly tilted, she dug in her pocket for her keys.
Some women carry independence too far, Alex mused. Without asking, he lifted the boy into his own arms. “I’m not trying to steal him,” he assured her in hushed tones. “I just didn’t want you to drop him or pull a muscle.”
Nina drew a shaky breath and ordered herself to calm down. “Thanks.”
Tommy woke and lifted his head. Seeing Alex, fear spread over his face. “Mommy,” he called, attempting to squirm out of Alex’s grasp.
“You’re all right, son.” Alex tightened his hold on the boy to prevent him from falling.
“Just one second,” Nina said, turning the key in the lock.
Tommy looked over his shoulder. Seeing his mother, he stopped his struggle. Still, he studied Alex skeptically, as if not quite certain the man was safe to be with.
Alex had dealt with many tough, single-minded businessmen during his lifetime. He, himself, was considered one of the toughest and most single-minded, but the child’s stare had an intensity that unnerved him. “I’m Alex Bennett,” he introduced himself, feeling the need to say something.
Tommy’s eyes seemed to glaze over, and Alex realized the child had lost the fight to remain completely alert. Tommy was in a state of dazed exhaustion caused by the residual effects of fear and the drug the doctor had administered to calm him. He gave the child an encouraging smile and a wink.
Tommy continued to frown, clearly not yet convinced Alex was a friend, but having neither the strength nor the coordination to struggle.
“I’ll take my son now,” Nina said.
“I’ll set him in the car,” Alex insisted, seeing her own exhaustion etched deeply into her features.
Nina stepped aside and let him put Tommy on the seat and buckle the boy in. “Thank you again,” she said when he straightened and closed the door.
“You’re welcome.” Time to get back to his own problems, Alex told himself.
Nina noticed that his smile didn’t reach his eyes. They remained cool and distant, as if he found her an interesting specimen but wasn’t interested in getting too close. A mother with a child with a brain tumor wasn’t every man’s dream woman, she mused dryly, rounding the car and climbing in behind the wheel. And even if she’d been childless, she was certain she wouldn’t have been Alex Bennett’s choice for a companion. He traveled in a much more elite crowd.
Driving away, she glanced in her rearview mirror to see him heading back into the hospital. Again she wondered why he’d bothered to give her any of his time. “We must have been Mr. Bennett’s good deed for the day,” she said to Tommy.
When he made no response, she glanced toward him to see that he was again asleep.
Brain surgery! The thought terrified her. “We’ll get through this,” she said aloud, using the sound of her voice to give her courage.
* * *
Alex Bennett ordered himself to start thinking about finding someone else to play the part of his fiancée. Instead, Nina and Tommy Lindstrom’s faces haunted him. The mother had looked desperate. The child was clearly scared.
He had his own problems! he reminded himself. His grandfather was on the brink of death and expecting him to produce a wife-to-be.
The frown on his face deepened. Approaching the desk, he asked the nurse to page Dr. Genkins.
Chapter Three
Nina sat cross-legged on the floor of her living room. It was late afternoon. The sandwich Helen had insisted on packing for her when Nina had picked up the children was lying uneaten on a plate on the coffee table. Tommy had made a small attempt to eat his, but he’d only managed a couple of bites. Helen had been supportive, and at any other time Nina would have stayed with her during the afternoon, gaining strength from their combined hopefulness. But today she’d felt the need for some time alone with her children. She’d also sensed that Helen needed a little time on her own. Her mother-in-law had been as shaken as she had. So, leaving Helen to break the news to Ray, she’d left and come home.
Beside her, Pete was building with his Legos. Elizabeth had set out her toy tea service on the near end of the coffee table and was hostessing a tea party. She’d set places for Pete, her mother, Tommy, herself and her dolls, Sarah Jane and Mary Beth. Nina had provided juice in place of the tea, and there were homemade cookies provided by Helen Lindstrom for all.
Pete, who had already eaten his cookie, periodically stopped his building to take a bite out of Sarah Jane’s. Elizabeth, having finished hers, was nibbling on Mary Beth’s.
Tommy, still looking drained and pale from the trauma of the MRI scan, was lying on the couch watching television. He was only nibbling at his cookie, and Nina was certain his bouts of dizziness were getting worse.
A knock on the door brought a mental groan. She was not in the mood for visitors. All of her energy was being expended in not letting the children guess how terrified she was for Tommy.
A second knock brought her to her feet. Its firmness let her know that whoever was there was not going to leave.
As she headed to the door, it occurred to her that it was probably Ray and Helen coming to check on her and the children. And their company would be welcome. The children loved their grandparents, and both Helen and Ray were good at putting on cheerful faces for them in times of adversity. As for herself, having Helen and Ray here might help keep her mind from the more morbid paths it kept trying to follow.
In case she was wrong about who was on the other side, she opened the door only partially. A gasp of surprise escaped. Standing there, looking totally out of place in this low-rent district, was Alex Bennett.
“I thought I’d stop by and see how Tommy is doing,” he said, thinking she looked even more drawn and vulnerable than she had this morning. Clearly the strain of worrying about her son was wearing her down. That could be to his advantage, and hers as well.
“He’s fine. He’s watching television.” Embarrassed by how shabby she knew her apartment would appear to him, she continued to keep the door mostly closed.
It was obvious she didn’t want to invite him in, but Alex refused to be deterred from the purpose that had brought him here. “I was wondering if I could speak to you.”
Nina had to admit she was curious about why he was taking such an interest in her and her son. His manner wasn’t that of a man pursuing a woman he found attractive. He was polite but cool, almost formal. Her place, she told herself, was clean, and although the furnishings were not quality, they were functional. Still, she remained uncomfortable about inviting him in and continued to block his entrance. “What is it you want to speak to me about?”
“You mentioned to Dr. Genkins that you’d been out of work since the storm.”
Hope that he might have a job for her bloomed. “I worked at the Grand Springs Diner. It had extensive damage done to it during the storm and has been closed,” she confirmed.
Alex’s gaze narrowed in recognition. “Yes. That’s where I’ve seen you before. I knew your face was vaguely familiar.”
Mentally she patted herself on the back. She’d been right in assuming he’d never have given her a second glance if she’d simply waited on him the night of the canceled reception.
“I have a business proposition for you.” Alex glanced up and down the public hallway and frowned. “However, I prefer to keep my business private.”
Her hopes grew stronger. Maybe he needed a maid or a housekeeper. Either would suit her. Stepping aside, she allowed him to enter.
Alex passed her, then stopped short. “Are all of these children yours?”
Nina had been closing the door. Now she turned to find him surveying her brood with a stunned expression. Her shoulders stiffened defensively, and motherly pride glistened in her eyes. “Yes.”
Alex frowned at himself. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right. I was just surprised. I thought you only had the one child.” Try to be more diplomatic in the future, he chided himself. He wanted her cooperation. Making her angry wasn’t going to achieve that.
“You said you had a job for me?” Nina reminded him sharply. “Or has my having three children caused you to change your mind?”
For a moment he hesitated. Three children would be a shock to his grandfather. However, William had no need to know about the other two. “No. No, it hasn’t,” he replied. He looked toward the children and saw recognition in Tommy’s eyes. The other two were watching him as if fearful of trouble. Their mother’s curt manner was causing them to be apprehensive. He smiled at them encouragingly, but they continued to remain guarded. Great first impression you’ve made, he told himself dryly. Glancing back at Tommy, he saw the boy push himself further into the pillow, the anxiousness of his siblings registering on his face, as well.
“I’ve had a very long day, Mr. Bennett. If you would just tell me about the job…” Nina left off the “and leave,” but it was in her voice. She knew she should be grateful for any work, but she was tired, and his reaction to the discovery that she had three children was still grating on her nerves. His momentary hesitation hadn’t been lost on her, either.
Recalling that children were not good at keeping secrets, he asked, “Could we speak in private?” He read the refusal in her eyes. “Children sometimes repeat what they hear and this is a very personal matter. It involves my grandfather. He’s very ill, and I’ve come to ask you for a favor…a favor I’m willing to pay for.”
Nina had to admit the affection she heard in his voice when he spoke of his grandfather was genuine. That he had referred to what he’d come to ask of her as a favor intrigued her. She could think of no favor a person in her position could do for one in Alex Bennett’s position. It can’t do any harm to listen to what he has to say, she reasoned. “The kitchen is as private as you and I are going to get.” She looked to her daughter. “Elizabeth, keep an eye on your brothers.”
Elizabeth nodded.
Noticing the young girl’s shoulders straighten, and her manner become instantly adult, Alex experienced a sense of kinship. Like him, this child had been forced to grow up more quickly than others, accepting responsibilities beyond her years.
Pete was on his feet, moving toward his mother. Squatting to his level, Nina kissed him lightly on the tip of his nose. “Go back and build something really special for me. I’ll bring you another cookie.”
Remaining by his mother, the boy stared up at Alex anxiously.
“I just want to talk to your mother,” Alex assured him.
“Go on and play.” Nina turned Pete around and gave him a light nudge back toward his toys.
“Come on, Pete. I’ll help you build something,” Elizabeth coaxed, seating herself in the place her mother had previously occupied.
Pete cast a backward look at Nina.
“Run along,” she said, this time sternly.
Still looking unhappy, he obeyed.
Following Nina, Alex glanced back over his shoulder to see Elizabeth and Pete sitting on the floor together, but neither was building. Both were watching him suspiciously. Tommy was studying him, as well, the worried expression on his face causing the circles under his eyes to seem even deeper. Alex gave them an encouraging smile, but the three pairs of eyes continued to cause a prickling sensation on the back of his neck as he entered the kitchen.
Inside the small room, Nina wished she’d had an alternative. It was barely large enough for two people to move around in, and Alex Bennett seemed to dominate what space there was. “Now, what is this favor you want to hire me for?”
“I need a fiancée for a short while.”
Nina stared in disbelief. “A fiancée? Me?” Anger replaced her disbelief. “Look, Mr. Bennett, I’m having a rough time right now. I’m not interested in playing any game or being the brunt of some joke one of your high-society friends has cooked up. What is it? Some kind of scavenger hunt…find the most unsuitable match?”
The woman has fire. Alex blocked her attempt to exit. “This is not a scavenger hunt. I told you, it involves my grandfather. He’s dying. I want him to leave this world in peace, and he says the only way he can do that is to know I’ve found a wife.”
Nina continued to regard him skeptically. “Why me?” she asked again. “I’m sure you have plenty of sophisticated women friends who would gladly pose as your fiancée.”
“You come fairly close to matching the description I gave him.” Alex refused to admit he’d described her. That could give her ideas, and he wasn’t seeking to get involved with her. Admittedly, if she’d been the type to have an affair he might have considered pursuing a short liaison—he still didn’t think he’d ever seen a more kissable pair of lips. But she didn’t strike him as a woman who would be interested in casual sex. If she was, she wouldn’t have fled the night of the storm. No, Mrs. Lindstrom was more the “wedding ring first” type. “And I figured we’d both be doing each other a favor. You pretend to be my fiancée and I’ll pay for your son to have the very best medical care money can buy, plus living expenses until you find a permanent job.”
“You want me to help you fool a dying man?”
Alex scowled at the disapproval in her voice. “Better I find a fake fiancée than marry on his whim and end up with an expensive divorce and a lot of bitter feelings.”
“You have a point,” she conceded.
“I spoke to Dr. Genkins after you left. He wouldn’t discuss Tommy’s case specifically, but we talked theoretically. There’s a gifted neurosurgeon in Denver. He’s one of the best in the world.”
“Denver?” Nina paled. “I thought someone here…”
Time for the hard sell, Alex decided. “There is a surgeon here who can perform the operation, and if you don’t accept my offer, you can stay here and he’ll probably do an adequate job. But I’m sure you want the best for your son. You want him to have every chance of a full recovery. I’m offering you that opportunity.” Alex knew, even as he attempted using her son to blackmail her into agreeing to his scheme, that no matter what she said, he would pay for the boy to go to Denver. But life would be a lot easier if she would play along. Otherwise, he’d have to find someone else who matched her description.
In her mind’s eye, Nina saw her son lying on the couch. Everything had happened so fast that she hadn’t even considered how she was going to pay for his surgery. He trusted her to take care of him. Besides, what harm could playing along with Alex Bennett’s scheme cause? “All right. You’ve got yourself a fiancée.”
Triumph flowed through Alex. “Shake on it?”
As his hand closed around hers, heat traveled up Nina’s arm. It had a curiously sensual feel to it and wove through her until it reached her toes. Inside her shoes, they curled with pleasure. Immediately, Tom’s image popped into her mind and she experienced a rush of guilt.
Tom’s gone, a little voice reminded her. She recalled her ringless finger. A year ago she’d removed her wedding band because she’d decided it was time she started getting on with her life. Still, her body tensed. She wasn’t entirely ready to tie Tom’s memory up with pink ribbons and store it away. Besides, even if she was, Alex Bennett wasn’t an option. He would never consider her a real possibility for a wife, and she wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Alex was a little surprised by the strength of her hand. He was used to women whose grasp was delicate, as if they were too fragile to participate in a real handshake. In the past, he’d considered that light touch seductive. Now it seemed insipid. The firm contact spread through him, reminding him of how good she’d felt in his arms. He had to fight the urge to pull her to him. Reminding himself that he’d already determined that she was the marrying kind, he released her. “I’ll go with you to see Dr. Genkins tomorrow, and we can begin making the arrangements to take Tommy to Denver.”
Nina nodded.
“We’ll need to make arrangements for your other children as well.”
“They can stay here with their grandparents.”
Alex breathed an inner sigh of relief that the problem was solved so easily. “That’s probably for the best. Three instant great-grandchildren might be a little too much for my grandfather to take at one time. In fact, it might be best if he was led to believe you only have the one child.”
Nina scowled at him. “I will not deny my children.”
“I’m not asking you to deny having them. I’m merely saying that if the subject doesn’t come up, we don’t have to bring it up.”
They were playing this charade to ease his grandfather’s mind, she reminded herself. “You have a point,” she agreed stiffly. “He could think you were taking on too much paternal responsibility.”
Alex caught the cynical edge in her voice, suggesting he wasn’t capable of carrying so great a load. He chose to ignore it. “And what will you tell your parents about us?”
“My parents are dead. It’s Tom’s parents, and I’ll tell them the truth. I don’t like the idea of lying to them. They’re good people and I trust them.”
Alex wasn’t happy about too many people knowing of his ploy, but he could tell she had her mind set on this. “What about your children? What will you tell them?”
“I’ll tell them that you’re a friend who’s going to help me see that Tommy gets well.”
“Since they’ll have no contact with my grandfather, that should work just fine. What time is our appointment with the doctor tomorrow?”
“One o’clock,” Nina replied, already feeling uneasy about the bargain she’d made.
Alex read her nervousness. “We’re both doing the right thing.”
Again she thought of Tommy. “I suppose.”
Exiting the kitchen, Alex intended to leave, call one of the available women he knew, then have a quiet dinner and an intimate evening. But as he entered the living room to find himself the focus of three worried gazes, he heard himself saying, “How about if I treat you to some pizzas and soda for dinner?”
“That really isn’t necessary,” Nina said quickly, wanting some time on her own to get used to the idea of the arrangement she’d agreed to.
Alex had noticed a gleam of excitement in the children’s eyes at the mention of pizza. Now he saw them look to their mother with a plea on their faces.
Her uneasiness about the arrangement was replaced by embarrassment. Takeout pizza and soda was a treat she couldn’t afford very often. And from her children’s reaction, she knew Alex Bennett had guessed that. Her shoulders straightened with pride.
Watching her, Alex realized that Nina Lindstrom didn’t like accepting anything she considered charity. “All of us should spend some time together,” he said before she could refuse his offer. “My grandfather will expect me to know some details about you and Tommy.” That he found himself honestly wanting to stay and spend the evening in the company of three children, rather than having a romantic tryst, surprised him. He told himself that he was doing this for William and to test his own feelings about fatherhood.
“Mom?” Elizabeth said hopefully.
He was right, Nina conceded. Besides, she was going to have to get used to having him around. “All right. Sure.”
Alex had to admit to feeling insulted by her less-than-enthusiastic acceptance of his company. Generally women enjoyed his presence. As before, he found himself thinking that when he came back to Grand Springs in search of Nina, this was not the woman he’d expected to find or anything even remotely resembling the situation he’d expected to find himself in.
Elizabeth was studying him with interest now, her mouth pursed into a thoughtful pout. “Tommy said he thinks he saw you at the hospital, but he’s not sure. He says it could have been a dream. Are you a doctor?”
“No, I’m not a doctor. But I was at the hospital.”
A haunted look came over Tommy’s features. “That machine was scary. They put me way up inside.” His voice trembled. “It was loud, too.”
He’d barely spoken since she’d brought him home. Now Nina realized he’d been so afraid, it had taken this long for him to be able to voice his trauma. “But the machine didn’t hurt you,” she said soothingly, hurrying to him and drawing him into her arms. “In fact, it helped the doctors. Now they know how to make you feel better.”