Page 86 of The Heartbreaker (Chandler Brothers 3)
She refused to meet Sloane’s inquiring gaze, something that gave Sloane all the information she needed.
“Oh really?” Michael raised an eyebrow. “And who deserves the scoop of a lifetime? That is, if you don’t mind sharing the answer with me, your husband, the person from whom you don’t keep secrets.”
Sloane followed the byplay, looking from her stepmother to her father. Like Michael, she waited for Madeline to speak. Unlike Michael, she already knew the answer.
Madeline flushed but didn’t flinch, nor did she seem particularly concerned about her husband’s reaction. “I promised the exclusive to—”
“Chase Chandler,” Sloane said, the knowledge settling inside her. “You promised Chase an exclusive in exchange for looking out for me. Right?” she asked, but didn’t need confirmation. Gut instinct was enough.
Though Chase had already admitted Madeline asked him to watch over her, he’d never mentioned any kind of quid pro quo. Sloane should have known that Chase the reporter had something in it for him. Her shoulder hurt, her heart hurt, and now her head hurt as well.
“It seemed prudent at the time.” Madeline glanced down at her skirt, waiting for the jury to pronounce her fate.
To Sloane, it didn’t matter. What was done, was done. Besides, nothing could have changed the outcome between her and Chase.
Michael let out a long breath. “Considering you were protecting our daughter, I say bravo.” He clapped his hands. “It seems we owe the man a story.”
Sloane shut her eyes. She’d known this was coming. One way or another, Chase was going to write Sloane’s story, expose her parentage, and obtain the scoop of his career. Once he did that, once he validated himself as the reporter he’d always wanted to be, he’d be free to live the life he’d only dreamed of before. Big stories and no time for family or responsibility.
Just the way he’d always wanted. She just wished that in being the vehicle to his success, she didn’t have to lose him in the process.
“Set up a meeting with Chase Chandler,” Michael told Kate, oblivious to Sloane’s inner turmoil and pain.
From the slanted look her stepmother gave her, Madeline knew exactly what was going on in Sloane’s mind. Or rather, her heart. Not that it mattered. This was something not even a mother’s hug could cure.
Another knock on the door interrupted them and Eric walked inside. With his white coat, stethoscope, and concerned look on his face, he appeared every inch the doctor and nothing like Raina’s relaxed suitor. “Everything okay in here?” he asked.
Sloane nodded, then launched into introductions. When they were through, Eric faced Sloane. “There’s someone who’s been asking to see you. And now that you’ve had time with your family, if you don’t agree, I’m afraid he’s going to do some serious damage to our hospital.”
“Chase.” Sloane didn’t have to ask. She already knew.
“Yes,” Eric said with a fatherly, kind smile on his handsome face.
“I’m not sure she’s ready,” Madeline said, stepping between the doctor and Sloane. Madeline knew how her daughter felt about Chase, and perhaps she was responding to his absence. In any event, she was playing protective parent and Sloane realized she and her stepmother had some serious catching up to do.
“Sloane?” Eric asked over her stepmother’s shoulder, patiently awaiting her decision.
“My family has some business to take care of,” she said pointedly to Madeline. “You need to be by Dad’s side through all this.”
And they all knew what this meant. “You two go discuss strategy and let Eric send Chase in.” She drew a deep breath. “I can handle him,” she said with more confidence than she felt. Especially with the drugs making her exhausted and the pain wearing her out.
A few more protestations by Madeline and reassurances by Sloane, and Michael finally led his entourage out of her room, leaving Sloane alone. Alone to compose her words and find the strength to say good-bye to Chase.
Chapter Seventeen
Chase waited until after Sloane’s family left, then gave her a few minutes alone before walking toward her room. It wasn’t easy, being patient, but he hoped the reward would be well worth the anticipation. Knocking once, he stepped inside, his pulse pounding a mile a minute and his heart in his throat. There wasn’t a cliché he wasn’t feeling at the moment and his gut told him all these rare and extraordinary emotions were normal. After all, when was the last time he’d laid his heart at a woman’s feet?
Swallowing hard, he looked at Sloane for the first time since seeing her passed out on the floor, blood splattered everywhere. Now she lay in the bed, a vision against the standard white hospital sheets. Though her face was pale, her copper hair gave her a vibrant look, warming his heart.
“Hi, sweetheart.” He stepped forward, pulling out from behind his back the flowers he’d bought at the gift shop downstairs. “You sure know how to scare a guy.”
