Destiny Undone: The Complete Series Box Set (54 page)

“Pepper!” My heart skipped when Mills and Aven rushed into the hospital room several hours later. They were all smiles when they saw me, and I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt more overjoyed to see their faces. They immediately began fussing over Gabe and me, like two overly-concerned mothers and Mills started the line of questions.

“Come on, tell us what happened! I mean, the story is all over the news but you know how that goes. They never get all the details right. So, tell us! Did someone really sabotage the boat so it would break down? Did you really punch a shark in the face to keep it away from Pepper?”

Gabe and I both laughed at the wild stories she was spouting then he said, “They’ve got some imagination but no, not at all. We got caught in a storm. No sabotage and as for the shark bite, I think I kicked the one that nibbled my leg, but no punching involved. What kind of marine biologist would I be if I went out boxing with a shark?”

I rolled my eyes. I knew he was joking, but it was corny, even by Gabe standards.

Aven gave Mills a knowing look. “See, told you the news people would get it wrong. They always do. So, tell us the whole thing, from the start,” she said.

I told them the entire story and realized that by the time our wounds were healed, we’d have both told the story a hundred times or more. Maybe I should have recorded it…

Both girls sat captivated by the tale and they both ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at how wonderfully brave Gabe had been. Jumping off the safety of the Dolphin Girl into shark-infested waters, just to save me. It was all so romantic to them… and to me.

James and Adrian stayed through this second re-telling and then his mom said they needed to go get some dinner. James spoke with Gabe while the two girls continued to fuss over me. Remarkably, over Aven and Mills’ excited voices, I was surprised to hear Gabe telling his dad about how Bobbie Jo was attempting to undermine his position and James seemed just as shocked and angry as I’d been when Gabe had first told me. Now, with the injury, Gabe would be gone for even longer and there was no telling how Bobbie Jo would take advantage of the situation while he was recovering. No doubt she’d be put in charge in his absence now… and what if Gabe didn’t fully recover? I pushed that dark thought away—I couldn’t even let myself go there.

“Mills, is Dad coming?” I asked, interrupting whatever they’d been saying. My focus was on Gabe and the defeated look on his face as he spoke to his father.

“Yeah. He’s parking the car.”

I gave one last glance back to Gabe and then excused myself. I wanted to catch my dad before he got to the room so we could talk privately and I barely made it down the hall before nearly running into him.

“Hey, Dad!”

“Pepper! So good to see you, sweetheart. Thank God, you’re all right.” He gathered me gently into his arms and held me still. We weren’t usually this affectionate with each other, but it felt nice and I relaxed into his embrace. “I can’t believe this. How are you? And what are you doing out of bed? I heard you had concussion.”

“I’m fine. Gabe saved my life—again. How many times does this make it?”

Dad laughed and let me go. “Well, I think you need to keep him around. Sounds like a good man to have in a crisis.”

I smiled. “I couldn’t agree more. Listen, Dad, I know I’ve been a total ass to you lately, and I’m really sorry about that, but I need you to do me a favor. Not for me though, it’s for Gabe.”

“I know you’ve been hurting, I’m sorry I put you through that and of course! Anything for the guy who saved my daughter’s life.”

“Thanks, Dad. All right, this needs to stay between us, okay?. He would totally freak if he found out I was even asking you for help, but here goes. Bobbie Jo, his assistant, actually told him on the day all this happened, that she’s planning to take his job and with this serious injury he has, no fault of his own, he’ll be off work for weeks, maybe months.”

“Oh, God. Is he hurt that bad? I didn’t realize.”

“Yeah, a shark tore his leg up pretty good. He’s in bad shape, but, in the meantime, I know Bobbie Jo, and she’s gonna do whatever she can to take his place. Hell, she’s already been scheming with some of the members on the board. She said he isn’t focused anymore, and to be honest, I think she’s trying to blame it on me. She practically told him that I was distracting him.”

“Pepper, you have to admit he does spend a lot of his time rescuing you in one way or another,” he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, but I knew he was right. “Anyways, I know your buddies with most of the board members, so I was hoping you could help them see that he is definitely the right man for the job.”

He nodded then looked down slightly, putting his thumb on his chin, hopefully already making a mental plan. “Of course, Pepper. I know how hard he works and what he’s done for Sea Lab. That place wouldn’t be what it is today without his drive and enthusiasm. I’ll take care of it… for you, and Gabe. This Bobbie Jo won’t be a problem anymore.”

“Oh, thanks, Daddy! I knew you would!” I swung my arms around his neck and he hugged me and kissed the top of my head.

“And don’t worry, I won’t say anything to Gabe. He won’t know anything about our little chat.”

I hugged him again.

“So you’re really okay?” he asked, looking down into my face.

“Uh-huh, but Gabe… I’m not sure. I mean, he is for now, but he has a long road ahead of him. Physical therapy, rehab type stuff.”

Dad nodded his understanding. “Well, I want to stop in and say hello to him while I’m here, but then, I do have to get going. I’m sure Mills has already told you the news?”

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “News?”

“I’ve asked Charlotte to marry me and we we’re planning on flying out tonight—if you’re okay—to Hawaii to celebrate. But now, I think we’ll have to postpone.”

I covered my mouth in shock and surprise. How come Mills hadn’t told me this right away?

“Pep, say something!”

I let my hand drop to my side again and smiled at him. “I think it’s great, Dad. Really! Go! Don’t stay here on my account. I’m fine. And Gabe…well, he’ll be okay. Go!”

He looked visibly relieved that I was pleased for him. “Charlotte and I had a rocky patch for a while, but after everything that, uhm… happened—”

I knew he was talking about Evangeline’s suicide attempt, but I wasn’t going to bring it up. “Anyways, after that, she was really there for me and we found a way to work through our issues. I realized then that she’s the right woman for me.”

“That’s great, Dad, really. Well, come say hi to Gabe, and then get out of here!”

He followed me into the room, said hello to everyone then shook Gabe’s hand and thanked him for saving my life...again! He stayed to chat for a few minutes before we all shooed him away to pick up Charlotte and get to the airport on time.

Once he’d left the room, I turned to Mills. “Hey, little missy. Why didn’t you tell me about Dad and Charlotte?”

She gave me a guilty look. “I was going to tell you… honest! So, excuse me for asking about you first. Sheesh.”

She was so melodramatic that we all laughed. “How do you feel about it though, Mills? In all seriousness?”

“Well, it’s no secret that I haven’t been a fan of them being together, but I get it now, and I’m so happy for Dad. He needs her and let’s face it—Evangeline’s a toxic mess.”

“No arguments here. Has anyone actually talked to her since… everything?” I asked—old unresolved feelings about her came rushing back.

“She’s home from the hospital now. I talked to her a little bit, but as usual, it was all about her. She didn’t even say she was sorry. I was blubbering on the phone with her, talking about how I felt, and she just complained the whole time about the hospital food and the no smoking policy.” Mills looked down at her barely swollen belly. “It was kind of messed up.”

“I’m sorry, Mills,” I said, then suddenly there was an awkward silence in the room with all of us seemingly lost in our own thoughts.

“So, did the shark chomp off part of your ass?” Aven asked, breaking the mood with her absurd comment and thankfully, it worked, and we all started talking again.

“I’m happy to report the beast left my ass completely intact,” Gabe answered, with a quirked smile.

“Thank God!” I laughed.

Gabe shot me a knowing look that would have been quite seductive under any other circumstances. “As it stands, I just won’t be able to wear those Speedo bathing suits anymore.”

“Damn, that’s disappointing,” I joked.

Mills and Aven rolled their eyes as Gabe and I flirted with each other then Mills brightened and added, “I know a great plastic surgeon! He can make that scar disappear in a snap! Want me to call him?”

“No. I don’t think I’ll need plastic surgery, but thanks. Listen, as much I’d love to sit and chit-chat with you about my ass all day, if you lovely ladies wouldn’t mind, I’m feeling my IV cocktail kicking in and I’m fading fast.”

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Sure, babe. You get some rest. I’ll go outside with the girls for a while, but I’ll be back.”

He smiled at me and Gabe’s eyes had closed before I’d even gotten to the door. He looked peaceful, but just when I saw the last sliver of him as I closed the door, I saw him twitch and suddenly, the alarms on the machines that were hooked into his arms begin to squeal.

I started back into the room, but was quickly moved aside by a horde of nurses and doctors to let them through. Watching it all unfold in front of me was like something out of a terrible movie.

The room was full of bustling medical staff and in the middle of the chaos, somebody yelled, “We’re losing him!”

I tried to push in, but two nurses stopped me and one of them said, “I’m sorry, Ms. Anderson, but you’ll need to wait out here.”

I opened my mouth to argue with them, but they wouldn’t let me in and swiftly shut the door leaving me confused and heartbroken all over again. Mills and Aven swarmed me, one on each side. “What the hell is going on?” Aven asked.

Mills started sobbing again as she clung to me.

“I—I don’t know. He was fine…two seconds…you saw him! He was fine!” I bellowed, as though it would suddenly change things and set them right again—I couldn’t lose him. We waited, huddled together just outside the door and overheard the jargon the doctors were using, but none of us understood any of it.

“It’s going to be okay, Pepper. He’s gonna be okay,” Aven said and squeezed my hand. I nodded and sucked in a sob, unable to tear my eyes away from Gabe’s door until what seemed like an eternity later, one of the nurses opened it, shushed me and took my hand, ushering me back into the room. Gabe was wearing an oxygen mask and had even more tubes connected to him than I remembered from before.

A doctor hovered over Gabe. “Mr. Gregory. Do you remember me? I’m Dr. Carter. We spoke earlier.”

Gabe blinked his eyes to indicate he was listening and the doctor continued. “It seems you went into, what we call, hypovolemic shock and we had to resuscitate you, but you’re stable now. You lost a lot of blood when you were attacked and it put a lot of stress on your cardio-pulmonary system. Your heart has some minor damage from the blood loss which may heal in time, but it may not. It’s too early to tell right now. I know you’re in pain, and we’re going to try and manage that as best as we can without stressing your body any further.”

Gabe nodded sleepily under his oxygen mask. He looked pale as he stared up at the doctor and hung on his every word. His eyes were beady and I barely recognized him from the man I’d seen not more than twenty minutes ago. The doctor continued. “Very good. You’re going to be all right, Gabriel. Hang in there for me.”

I stood frozen in place by the door of his hospital room, a helpless bystander as the doctor delivered the news. There were still too many nurses in the way for me to get to him. Aven squeezed my hand again and Mills rubbed my back with one hand, and her little baby belly with her other. I looked over and gave them both a weak smile. I had to keep it together—for Gabe’s sake…and my own.

Later that night, he was transferred to the ICU, still recovering from all the treatments he’d received. Normally at this time of the day, the visiting hours were over, but one of the nurses took pity on me and let me in to see him. I steeled myself but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I stepped into his room. He was hooked up to a whole bunch of machines that flashed and beeped and had tubes and monitors than I’d seen in the previous room. The scariest part of it all was the weird color of his skin. Gabe normally had a dark tan from spending so much time outdoors at Sea Lab and every other available minute on his boat. I wasn’t used to his pale, drained appearance and it really scared me. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and I almost backed out so I wouldn’t disturb him.

“Dolphin Girl?” he whispered.

I smiled and tears sprang to my eyes. “I’m here, babe.”

I crossed the room and sat on a space next to him on the side of his bed. He gave me a small smile, but I could tell what he’d been through had taken a lot out of him. “Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey.” Tears welled up in my eyes again as I took his hand and brushed my thumb across the skin that wasn’t covered in medical tape. “How are you feeling?”