The Lost Tycoon (13 page)

“…anxiety attack. Her eyes are fluttering. Ma’am, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes? That’s good. Look at me. Good. Try to focus on me. No. Don’t shut your eyes again. Magnolia, open your eyes!”

Magnolia? Who was Magnolia? They were shaking her as they spoke, but she didn’t recognize the name. Who was this person?

Misty clawed her way through the dark tunnel, then wished she hadn’t. A bright light was shining in her eyes, and several people were standing around her. What was going on?

Where was she?

Her heart began racing as she tried to catch her breath. Tried. She couldn’t breathe.

“Get oxygen on her now!”

Something was placed over her mouth and her eyes shot open again as she reached up, clawing to get whatever was trying to suffocate her away from her mouth.

“It’s okay, Magnolia,” Bryson said. “The paramedics are trying to help you.” His voice was tense but low as he tried to be reassuring. If he hadn’t been panicked, it might have worked.

Oh, Magnolia! Her fake identity. So confusing on top of all the other confusion she was feeling. What if she messed this up? What if she made a mistake and then somehow Jesse found her because of it? They were in Seattle, though, weren’t they? That was a long way away from him.

Not too far away, actually — only a single state. She was too rattled to think clearly.

She turned toward Bryson, caught his face in her vision, and was finally able to make her lungs work. He was her anchor in this tempest of uncertainties. He was what she would hold on to.

“That’s good, ma’am,” the paramedic said. “Don’t try to talk. We’re going to move you to the ambulance now.”

Misty felt herself being lifted, and realized she was on some sort of board.

“I’m staying with her,” she heard Bryson insist, and she hoped they allowed him to. They’d have to if they didn’t want her passing out again. He was the only thing giving her some vestige of calm.

What had happened?

When they got her locked into the ambulance, she searched for Bryson again, and then he was there, stretching his hand out and taking hers.

“I’m so sorry, Magnolia. We pushed this too fast. We shouldn’t have come here yet. This is too soon.”

She wanted to answer him, but there was a mask over her mouth. Her frustration made her heart accelerate again, causing the monitors to emit loud beeps.

“You need to calm down, ma’am. We’re only about five minutes from the ER now.” The same paramedic as before was talking quietly and reassuringly to her.

He was good at his job, she thought. He had a soothing voice, and it helped.

The ambulance stopped and the back doors were thrust open.

As they wheeled her in, someone rattled off: “We have a twenty-nine year old female, appears to be an anxiety attack, no known medical conditions or allergies. She’s suffering from shortness of breath and high blood pressure, and she’s been conscious for thirteen minutes. Was unconscious for six minutes.”

“Sir, can you fill these out?”

“Give them to me, but I’m staying with her,” Bryson said, sticking resolutely by her side.

She was wheeled into a room, transferred to a bed, and then a doctor was taking her vital signs, checking her eyes, and calling out orders.

Words and phrases like
dehydrated
,
elevated heart rate
, and
low oxygen
were thrown out, but Misty ignored them, her eyes staying on Bryson. She would be fine if he remained with her.

Soon, she was hooked up to an I.V. and the room emptied; she was now alone with Bryson. After about fifteen minutes, her breathing became normal, her heart rate slowed, and she realized what had happened.

Angry tears stung her eyes. What a fool she was. She’d been so nervous over the visit, she hadn’t eaten or drunk a thing in two days. She’d had trouble sleeping, and she’d been a mess. She couldn’t meet her new family like this. How could they help but think she was too much work to bother with?

After an hour passed, the doctor came back in. “We would like to keep you here overnight, Ms. Linhart, just to make sure everything is under control. Our staff is going to move you to a room now,” he said, then answered a few questions for Bryson.

Misty was silent as they moved her through the hospital. When she and Bryson were alone again, she looked over at him with worry and shame. “I don’t have insurance. I can’t pay for this.”

How could she stay the night here? As it was, the cost of the ambulance ride and the ER would probably take her a couple of years to pay off. But to stay overnight would be impossible. She’d never clear up the debt.

Working part time for a retail store didn’t give the best salary, and it certainly didn’t offer her insurance. Trying not to panic any further, she took a calming breath.

“It’s covered, Misty. Don’t worry about it,” Bryson told her as he took a seat next to her bed and handed her a cup filled with ice water. She didn’t comprehend it at this point, but he knew that she was now part of a family who would never let her down. They would make sure only the best care was provided for her.

That was information for later, for when she was assured of her place in the Anderson family. Once she got to know them, she would understand that she would never be on her own again, at least as long as she didn’t want to be.

“Please, I just want to go. I feel so stupid. It’s my fault. I forgot to eat…or drink.” Her admission earned her a semi-stern look. “I was so nervous…”

“I can guarantee you that your brother will love you. All the Andersons will love you. There is nothing for you to worry about,” Bryson said.

But no matter what he said, she couldn’t believe him. Heck, she was only coming to visit them, and she’d passed out. Was there nothing she could do right the first time around?

“He’s correct, you know,” they heard a male voice say.

Both of them turned to find Damien and Sierra in her doorway. How did they know she was there? What were they doing standing so close to her? She didn’t want them to see her like this. It couldn’t be the way she met her brother! What a nightmare…

“Yes, Bryson is right. We already love you. Now we just want to get to know you,” Sierra said. Hand in hand, the two of them stepped into the room.

Misty was speechless. The newcomers walked over to her bed with a vase full of flowers and kind smiles on their faces.

“We should have come to you in California. I don’t know what we were thinking. I’m so sorry, Mi…” He stopped and corrected himself. “Magnolia.” He took the chair next to Bryson and sat down, then extended his hand, letting it be her choice to accept it or not.

Unsure what to do, she looked to Bryson, who gave her an encouraging smile. She turned back to Damien, who, to her shock, had tears in his eyes, and something more, something that looked like…hope.

“I’ve wanted to find you since the moment I knew you were alive, Misty. I was just a small boy when my mother told me the story about you, and I never thought I would know you, never thought I’d be able to find you. I am so thankful the day has finally come, though. I’m sorry — so truly sorry — for what you’ve been through. I feel fulfilled now because I finally have my sister.”

She slowly accepted his hand, and he squeezed gently. He wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t unhappy to see her. It looked as if he really cared about her — a stranger. Yes, they were related by blood, but he didn’t know her. Why would he care what happened to her? It was beyond her.

As if he could read her mind, he continued, “I know I’m a stranger to you, but I hope to change that. I hope that we can get to know each other, be a real family.”

Misty looked into his kind green eyes and let herself cry. She’d fought it, but she couldn’t any longer, and she shed a mixture of happy and sad tears, happy because this man she’d been so afraid to meet was far from a monster, and sad because she’d gone her whole life without knowing him.

No one could be such a great actor. And what would be the purpose? She had nothing to offer him. This had to be real. It had to be.

Sierra joined her husband’s side. “I am so excited to have a sister. I want to learn everything about you.” She beamed at Misty with eyes just as kind as her husband’s. “I wrote you the letter because my husband started and stopped about a thousand times. We didn’t want to frighten you away, but really wanted you to know that we couldn’t be happier that you have been found. You’re family.”

“Thank you,” Misty was finally able to say. It probably sounded lame, but no other words would come out. She was too choked with emotion.

“We don’t expect you to do much talking,” Damien said. “We were waiting for you to get off the flight, and when the ambulance showed up, I nearly had a heart attack and joined you in the back. We came right over, and I have a doctor here who’s a friend, and he let me know where you were. I just couldn’t rest until I knew you’d be okay. If you’re up to it, then we’ll just sit with you for a while.” His words tumbled out as if from nervousness.

“I’d like that,” Misty replied, her trembling body finally relaxing. Why had she been so anxious? There was nothing to be afraid of. Yes, they might not end up being the best of friends, but maybe they
would
grow close. Maybe she’d really found a family who would love her. And who would want all the love she was so willing to give away.

“Good. You are so beautiful, just beautiful,” Sierra said. “Your eyes are the exact same as Damien’s. It’s amazing.” She sported a wide grin on her face as she looked from Damien to Misty and back again.

Damien grinned too. “My eyes have always been my favorite feature. Now, I know why. I must have somehow known that they were a connection to you,” he told Misty, making her practically glow.

“I’ve always liked the color of my eyes, too,” she said, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. She didn’t normally like anything about herself — and on the rare occasion that she did, she never admitted it.

“It must be some sibling telepathy or something,” Damien said, making Misty smile again.

“Thank you for inviting me here, for wanting to meet,” Misty said. “It was a very nice plane ride.”

“Well, until the part where she passed out,” Bryson piped up.

“Yeah, that must have been hell on you, actually seeing it,” Damien said, turning toward Bryson for the first time. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so focused on Misty that I’ve been rude. It’s been a long time,” he said, sticking out his hand.

“Yes, it has. It’s good to see you, Damien.”

“You, as well.”

They all chatted for a while — maybe an hour. Misty didn’t know. Time had ceased having any meaning, and she didn’t want the night to end, even if she was stuck in a sterile room on a hard bed. Despite everything, she’d never had a more perfect night, not even when she met Brad Paisley; nor had she ever laughed so much. Her stomach was actually developing a cramp.

“Which room is it? Are you all incompetent? I have a relative to visit.”

All heads turned as a loud voice echoed down the corridor and Damien jumped up. “I’d better save the nursing staff,” he said with a chuckle. “Joseph, down here,” he called out from the doorway.

“Well, there you are, boy,” Joseph called back, and then Joseph was standing before her again. Oh, my. She’d forgotten in just a few days how intimidating he was, standing well over six feet tall with shoulders that seemed to stretch on forever. Luckily, the well-trimmed white beard and mustache softened his appearance. “I don’t understand why it took so long for someone to call me. I was waiting for little Misty to arrive, and then I get a phone call saying she had an incident on the plane. It was like pulling teeth to get any information,” he said, his voice lowering as he approached her bed.

“Joseph, she’s Magnolia for now,” Damien said with a meaningful look.

Joseph’s tone quieted. “I’m sorry, Magnolia. I won’t make that mistake again,” he said, and he seemed honestly grieved over his mistake. Mistakes like that could cost everything they’d done to protect her.

“I’m fine,” she said. All this fuss was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to scare you with all my bluster. I was just worried, that’s all,” he said as he scooted Bryson out of his chair and took a seat. Bryson laughed at the old man’s antics.

“Everyone is fussing over nothing. I just…got dehydrated is all,” Misty said, not wanting them to know she’d panicked at the thought of actually meeting her brother face-to-face. She was grateful when they let her get away with her half-truth.

“It’s never nothing when you have to go to the hospital,” Joseph told her, “but they will take real good care of you here. If not, they have to answer to me, and I’m not pleasant to deal with when I’m unhappy.” He issued that warning just as the doctor walked into the room.

“I can vouch for that, Joseph,” the man said.

Joseph chuckled and leaned back. “How’s our girl doing?”

“Her vitals have improved greatly. She’ll be ready to go home in the morning.”

Everyone breathed a lot easier.

“It’s good to see you still do a fine job here, Carson,” Joseph said, and he stood up and patted the doctor on the back.