Page 318 of Under Her Skin
He runs his hand over his bald head and smiles at me. “Youlike?”
“Very hip,” I tell him, then go sit in the chair next to his bed. “Wanna play some football while Nurse Richards puts up some Christmas decorations to brighten up yourroom?”
“Yeah, I have some time to whoop your butt in a game.” He tosses me a game controller. “Now, what’s had you so busy you couldn’t stop by for a game in threeweeks?”
“Business,” I lie. “So, update me on your progress, Terry. Tell me what I’vemissed.”
“It’s all the same,” he says as he starts thegame.
“No, it’s not all the same,” Delaney says as she stops placing ornaments on the tree and looks at me with a shimmery light in her green eyes. “There’s very good news. His tumor is shrinking a little each day. If he keeps making this kind of progress, he’ll be on his way home within a fewweeks.”
I shake my head as I look at the fifteen-year-old young man and catch a little smile. “Home? Man, I don’t even remember what it feels like to bethere.”
“It’ll be good to get back there,” I say. “There’s no place like home. You know, I heard Santa was going to come by to see you, Terry. He and I are good friends, youknow.”
“Is that right,” he says, then laughs. “Well, I’ll just have to start thinking about what I want him to bring me for Christmas, won’tI?”
“I would, if I was you,” I tell him, then score a touchdown. “Yes!”
“You made that look a little too easy, Blaine. I bet you can’t make even one more of them,” he says, and I can see his mind working on how to stop me from winning thisgame.
The intercom in the room comes on with a squeak then I hear a man’s voice say, “Nurse Richards, I need you and Mr. Vanderbilt in myoffice.”
Delaney rolls her eyes as she comes to the intercom and hits the button. “Yes, Mr. Davenport. We’ll be there right away,sir.”
“Who is that?” I ask, as I’ve never heard of himbefore.
“He’s the head of security here,” she says, then takes the game controller out of my hands. “You’ll have to pause your game, Terry.Sorry.”
“Man!” he whines. “I was this close to making a touchdown,myself.”
I laugh as I get up and follow her out of the room. “I’ll be back. And you weren’t close toanything.”
Getting into the elevator, I notice Delaney hitting the basement button. “His office is all the way downthere?”
“Yes, they keep him in the basement. That’s where all the security monitoring equipment is. I know that damn Mr. Sanders is behind this. Get ready to get angry, Blaine,” she says as the elevator stops and we step out to find a tall man with short, dark hair, wearing a blue uniform that resembles a policeofficer's.
His badge has his name on it, making it easy to see this is the man who called us down here. “Mr. Davenport,” I say as I extend my hand. “I’m BlaineVanderbilt.”
He takes my hand and gives it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you. Follow me,please.”
Delaney and I follow the man to a door on the side of the long hallway. The cement floor makes the sound of our footsteps echo loudly. It’s chilly down here, so I wrap my arm around Delaney as she runs her hands up and down herarms.
When we step into his office, we find it warm and on the cozy side. He takes a seat behind his desk, and we sit in the chairs on the other side. “A Mr. Sanders has asked me to talk to you two. He’s worried about the children you’re visiting and giving thingsto.”
“It’s none of his business,” Delaneysnaps.
I put my hand on her knee in an attempt to keep her calm. Her cheeks are already growing pink, and I think the little Pitbull she can be at times is trying to getout.
For some reason, I find myself calm.Eerilycalm.
Chapter2
DELANEY
Fury is right at the surface and I have to fight to remember this is just Davenport’s job. It’s not him I’m angry with, it’s Meagan’s father. Blaine’s hand moves to my knee and he gives it a little squeeze. I suppose he’s trying to calm medown.
But I don’t know if I can be calm aboutthis!
