Page 100 of Forgot to Tell You Something

“Obviously. I’m not stupid. I have to pet their over-inflated egos. But do you care? Honestly, Owen, with everyone working together, we might open a dozen robotics cath labs within the next two years. But it was you who spearheaded the original project. We need you as the face of the company. Besides, we both remember when I tried to discuss a cholecystectomy with the orthopedic surgeon.”

I bite back a laugh. It was one of the few times that Charlotte ever appeared flustered. Or human. “I recall that dinner. However, in your defense, you held it together beautifully.”

Charlotte smiles. She needs to do that more. Real, genuine smiles, not the fake crap she flashes for the camera. “Thank you, even though I know you’re lying. We have to target the top cardiologists and surgeons in this area. You not only speak their language, you can empathize with them, get them on our side. We need them to bend the ears of the local politicians.” She grabs my forearm. “I know you hate this dog and pony show, but it’s the only way. Daddy can crawl the backs of his friends, but then it’s more his baby than it is yours. You deserve the accolades, Owen. I want to help you get them.”

My back stiffens at her direct offer of help. Her deal makes sense, and I think it will work. It will require a ton of effort, but what price do you put on saving lives? I can muddle through a dozen meetings, presentations and banquets, if it clears the way for the cath labs to open for the patients who need them. “Why are you doing this, Charlotte?”

She focuses her emerald gaze on a distant point, and for the first time, I see the hesitancy in her face. “Let’s just call it my personal apology for the way I treated you. I’m not very good with emotions, but I’m an amazing businesswoman. Use me, use my connections. Let’s get this done.”

“You also said this would help Tally, but I see no connection.”

The softness in Charlotte’s face disappears as she rounds her shoulders. Back to business as usual. “She’s in a very unstable financial predicament, as I’m sure you’re aware. She pays thousands for her father and donates what little time and money she has to the women’s shelter. She’s broke, Owen.”

I stare at the ground, feeling sick to my stomach. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know the details. She didn’t offer, and I didn’t push. Charlotte, apparently, has no such qualms. “I make plenty of money. I can take care of Tally.”

There’s that famous tongue click again. I know this discussion is difficult for Charlotte, but so is the fact that the woman I planned on proposing to is MIA, and I don’t have the first clue where to look. “She doesn’t seem the type to accept charity. With the training center open, there will be many positions available. Agree to this deal, and I’ll see that Tally gets a suitable position, with all the perks.”

“Here, in South Florida. You’re not sending her to Kansas.”

Charlotte chuckles. “I’ll give her a choice of locations. Where she goes will be up to her, not you.” She extends her hand. “Do we have a deal?”

I hesitate, realizing that my plan to have a one-and-done lunch with my ex has now turned into an extensive project. Still, it’s for the greater good, and she’s willing to help my Tally. “This is not a reconciliation,” I reiterate.

“This is a business deal, Owen. That’s all.” She pulls her hand back, grabbing a stack of paperwork. “Here is the business plan for you to peruse at your leisure. Please make any adjustments. I’ll be hosting a dinner in ten days, to introduce the concept of the training facility. I’ve invited all the bigwigs and their deep pockets. You’re expected to attend.”

“Can’t wait,” I mutter.

“Owen, I know that you’re upset about your fight with Tally, but this is an enormous opportunity. It goes far beyond what you or I want. Besides, you need to realize that this isn’t a cakewalk for me, either. I didn’t expect to find you with someone new. We all need to be adults in this situation.”

I nod in agreement, but I pray that Tally understands. It might be too far gone for her to even consider. Then I think about what Charlotte said, how Tally spends her few leftover dollars on the shelter. That’s her baby, and this is mine.

If anyone can understand why I need to do this, it’s my tiny vixen. She has the most giving heart I’ve ever known.Now I just have to convince her to give that heart back to me.

23

Tally

“How’s your food?”

I smile at Stefani. The woman has been glued to my side since the whole Owen debacle. Yes, that’s what I’m calling the shit storm that is my life. “It’s hospital fare. We aren’t setting the bar too high.”

She leans back in her chair, gauging me. Oh crap, here it comes. “Are you going to speak to him?”

I shove my food around my plate, avoiding her insistent stare. “Nope.”

“That’s it? Just nope?”

“I think that’s a perfectly acceptable answer.”

Stefani leans forward, grasping my forearm. “Only two problems with that answer. One is that you desperately love him, and the second is that you’re carrying his child.”

“Both are facts that Dr. Stevens never needs to know.”

She shakes her head, tapping her fingers on the table. Yes, she has gone over—several times—how Owen stopped by Wicked Chucks and how desperate he was to speak to me. She swears up and down that the man is crazy in love with me, and that Charlotte is not a threat.

The trouble with all that? She’s not on the receiving end of a bucket of lies, and she also didn’t see the woman who wore Owen’s ring.

I know it’s petty. I know looks don’t mean everything. Or they shouldn’t. But I also know that when you put me and Charlotte together on a menu—she’s filet mignon and I’m swiss steak. In other words? No comparison.

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