Page 12 of Seduced By a Billionaire

Eyes wide all she could do was nod yes.

“I want you Ella.” Ella’s body stilled as he held her hand. Fighting against herself she allowed it to rest there for a moment.

“Hey Ella, how’s my big brother doing?” Faye asked startling them both as she dashed into the room.

Ella took a slow deep breath and let Kyle answer for her, “I think it’s possible I’m going to make it. I see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.”

Taking one look at Ella’s flushed cheeks and flustered demeanor, Faye realized she had interrupted a moment. She pretended not to notice and pulled up a chair and promptly began telling another entertaining story. Her life was so adventurous. Ella felt dull in comparison. She was going to have to do something about that. She glanced over at Kyle and caught him staring.

Pulling out her smart phone Faye said, “I have a video message from Finn.” She held the device so both Ella and Kyle could see the image.

“Hi Dad. I miss you. Guess what? I lost another tooth.” He peeled his lips back with his chubby little fingers, revealing a space where his two front teeth had once been. “See? Aunt Faye had me put the tooth under my pillow for the fairy and guess what? The fairy left me candy and money! When are you coming home? Aunt Faye says maybe we can FaceTime soon. She says you are getting better. I love you Dad.”

Kyle’s eyes were suspiciously glassy before he brushed his hand across them. He cleared his throat before he spoke, “Has he had any more nightmares?”

“Last night. He ended up crawling in bed with me.”

“I can’t imagine how this is going to fuck him up, both parents abandoning him, Jesus.”

“Kyle, kids are resilient. He knows you’re in the hospital but unlike his mom you’ll be coming home. He understands as much as a six-year-old can,” Faye said. “He was four when his mom died,” she explained to Ella.

Ella felt emotions she had thought were long buried. Things she hadn’t thought about for years suddenly clamored inside her head. “I lost both my parents in a plane crash when I was four.”

Faye’s eye’s widened, “How terrible, I’m so sorry!”

“I managed to come out of my childhood relatively intact. Trust me, he’ll get through this.”

“All he could talk about after his visit here was you Ella. He is your number one fan,” Faye said.

“Aww, thank you for saying that. He’s adorable. It’s mutual.” Glancing at Kyle she said, “He looks like you.”

“Unfortunately for him,” Kyle said.

“I don’t know his dad is pretty hot.” Laughing she said, “Did I really just say that out loud?”

“With witnesses,” Faye joked.

“I’ve got to go. I’ll leave you two to visit, remember I’m off tomorrow. I think Deb is on, though,” Ella said.

“Will I see you before you go?”

“Nope, this is goodbye. See you on Thursday.”

“Bye, Ella,” Faye said.

“Enjoy your visit.”

Kyle said nothing but nevertheless she could feel his eyes burning a hole through her back as she walked out the door.

4

“Well look what the cat drug in,” Artie called out to Ella from his usual perch at the marina. He had several poles in the water, his bait box next to him, and catch of the day dangling in the water in a container off the pier. Always by his side sat his loyal canine, Ralph, a big old hound dog.

“It’s my only day off so I’m spending it on the water,” Ella yelled back as she unloaded her board from the back of her jeep. “Come here Ralph, I’ve got a treat for you.” Ralph lumbered over for his treat, never in a hurry much like his human companion.

Artie and Ralph were a regular fixture at the marina where Ella often could be found on her days off. Today she had decided to bring her paddle board instead of her kayak.

“Maybe I’ll get lucky today and commune with some dolphins,” she said emptying her pocket of treats onto a flat rock as Ralph’s tail wagged slowly side to side.

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