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“It’s all been arranged by your employer,” the man explained, his voice gentle. “You’ll be flown to Lenox Hill this afternoon. The Worth family wanted to ensure you receive the very best care, and they want you close to home.”
Gracie took the pen the nurse offered and watched as she flipped the pages until reaching a spot for her to sign. Why would the Worths want to take her back to Manhattan and put her up at Lenox Hill? It was a private hospital—she couldn’t afford such an expense, and she certainly didn’t expect them to pay for it either. “I don’t understand.”
“Well, you are engaged to Hunter Worth, are you not?” the man asked.
“What?” she practically shrieked. The nurse winced, and Gracie clamped her lips shut, embarrassment by her mini outburst.
“I was informed by Alexander Worth that you are his future sister-in-law.” The man shifted on his feet and wrung his hands together. “We allowed him to overstep a few boundaries because we believed he is a family member of yours. Future family member, I should say.”
She stared at the man in disbelief. Future family member? This was all so…surreal.
“He is most definitely not her future family member.” Grandma stood in the doorway, her expression fierce. “These Worth boys have overstepped themselves for the last time. I refuse to let Gracie leave this hospital.”
“Oh dear,” the nurse whispered.
Grandma slowly walked into the room, approaching Gracie’s bed. “That Hunter Worth hates me and now he’s trying to take you away from me, Gracie.”
“He would never…”
“Oh yes, he would,” Grandma interrupted. “He told me so earlier. After all these years we’ve been apart, he’s trying to break us up. And I can’t believe you’d let him do it so easily. Don’t you love me?”
Gracie set down the pen. Why couldn’t anything be easy? And why did her grandma have to say such ridiculous things? This was the sort of thing she’d dreaded when she thought about searching for any of her long-lost family. And now it had all come true. “He doesn’t want to drive us apart, Grandma. He’s not like that. He’s a firm believer in family.”
Grandma snorted. “So he claims.”
“He wouldn’t lie,” Gracie said softly. She grabbed the pen once more and signed her name on the line, then leaned back while the nurse found the next page for her signature. “I know Hunter. He would never do that to me.”
“Why didn’t you tell him about the baby, Gracie?”
Gracie jerked her head up. Why did she have to go and bring that up in front of strangers? She really was taking this too far. “Can’t we talk about all of this later?”
“No, we absolutely cannot. If we wait any longer, you’ll be gone and I’ll never see you again.”
“Now you’re just being dramatic.”
“He knows about the baby. In fact, he even denied it was his.”
A chill shivered down Gracie’s spine. “How did he find out?”
Her grandma lifted her chin. “Never you mind that. You need to focus on the fact that he doesn’t believe it’s his baby. You need to rid yourself of him. He’s no good for you.”
“I can’t believe he would ever say that.” Gracie signed the final piece of paper, and the hospital staffers made a quick exit. Not that she blamed them. This was erupting into full-on family drama that even she didn’t want to deal with. “Why are you interfering in my life and trying to stir things up?”
“I’m trying to protect you from an overbearing man who will take great pleasure in bossing you around for the rest of your days, if you let him.”
Why did the idea of Hunter “bossing her around” fill her with warmth, not dread? Maybe it was the “rest of her days” part that held even more appeal. Besides, she always gave as good as she got when it came to Hunter. “He’s not like that, despite what you think.”
“Then he has you perfectly snowed.” Grandma sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to pat Gracie’s arm. “Don’t become so easily influenced by others, Gracie, especially smooth-talking men. Stand strong and be yourself.” She shook her head, made a soft tsking noise. “The same thing happened to your mom, you know.”
“What are you talking about? What happened to my mother?” Suspicion crept over Gracie, leaving her chilled to the very bone.
“Why, a handsome older man came into her life not too long after you were born and took her and you away from me. After all that we’d gone through, I finally had everything in order. You and Angie living with me, three generations in one house, it was going to be perfect. But then he came along.” Grandma screwed up her mouth so tight, her lips practically disappeared. “I tried my best to keep her here. I tried to keep you with me too, but she wouldn’t allow it. She believed all the sweet lies that man told her and ran away with him. Look where she ended up.” Her grandma sniffed, her eyes watery with unshed tears. “I hate to see the same thing happen to you, Gracie.”
It all made sense now. Her grandmother’s overprotective nature, all the worry and the nagging probably drove Gracie’s mother out of the house. Not that it was her grandma’s fault, what eventually happened to her mom, but she’d contributed to the drama.
Gracie refused to be pushed around. She wanted her grandma in her life, but if she wasn’t going to approve of Gracie’s choices, then she could function perfectly well without her. She’d done so already most of her life. The family connection was important to her, but not if it damaged her relationship with Hunter.
“Oh, Grandma. That’s not happening to me. My mom was just a kid and didn’t know any better. I’ve known Hunter for quite a while and I know what sort of man he is. I—I think I’m in love with him.” The realization made her dizzy with happiness.
