Building Something Hot Read online

  “Can we see her?” Briella asked.

  “When she’s in her permanent room, yes. We’re setting her up in there now. Once she’s there, she can have one visitor at a time, for no longer than five minutes each. You need to go to the fourth floor.”

  Half an hour later, a nurse came into the waiting room on the fourth floor and asked for Briella. “You can go see your mother now. She’s in Room 423.”

  Kason walked Briella down the hall to her mother’s room and paused outside her door. He hugged Briella tight. “I’ll be here when you are done. You can take my 5 minutes too.”

  Briella looked up at him and gave him a weak smile before she opened the door to her mother’s room.

  Briella looked at her mother lying in the bed. She had an IV in her arm, wires connected to her chest to measure her heart rhythms, and all sorts of other tubes and monitors connected to her. She looked so small and vulnerable that Briella wanted to cry again, but she kept it together for Charlee’s sake.

  “Come here, and sit near me, honey,” Charlee said. Briella walked over and sat in the chair next to her mother’s bed, then took her hand.

  “Briella, honey, please don’t worry about me,” Charlee said. “I am so sorry for ruining your night. This is supposed to be a happy time for you.”

  “Mom, you are much more important than a birthday party. I hope you know that,” Briella said. “I am so glad Kason realized you needed to get to a hospital. I’m such an idiot. I was ready to just take you home and put you to bed.” Briella started crying.

  “Honey, don’t think like that. I have no one to blame but myself. I should have been checked out when I first started feeling sick.” Charlee squeezed Briella’s hand. “You know how lucky you are to have that young man out there? He is going to make a wonderful husband and father. I can just tell.”

  Briella nodded and smiled through her tears. “I know. Thank you for moving down here, Mom. Thank you for bringing him into my life.”

  Charlee smiled back. “So you’re actually glad I moved to Texas, huh?”

  Briella nodded and blushed at the truth of that. “I know I was so against it at first, but good things came about, didn’t they?

  “You bet they did!” Charlee said.

  “Mom…what now?”

  “Well, I need you to do a few things for me.” Briella nodded at her mother’s request. “I need you to take over the firm while I’m sick. I know that it’s going to put you in a pinch with your job, but maybe they can give you a leave of absence, or take some Family Medical Leave time off. I need someone I can trust to run the company, and I trust you above all else.”

  Briella nodded. “I will figure it out.”

  “I know you will…you always do!”

  “What else?”

  “I need you to contact my lawyer to have him meet with me before my surgery. His business card is in my desk at home.”

  Briella swallowed hard and nodded. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know why she needed to talk to her lawyer.

  “For the last request, I need Kason and Mila in here.”

  “Okay…”

  “It’s about my health care wishes,” she said.

  Briella immediately stood up and went to the door where Kason was waiting. She whispered to him, and he went down the hallway to get the nurse. She nurse initially shook her head ‘no’ at the request to have three people in the room. “You can only have one person at a time,” she said.

  Briella appealed to her. “Please…my mother is talking about her lawyer…she wants to talk to use about her health care wishes.”

  The nurse wavered. “Okay…but only for five minutes. Then you are all out for the night. Okay?”

  Briella nodded as Kason went to get Mila. Two minutes later they were all gathered around Charlee’s bed.

  “I need you all here as witnesses to tell you that it is my wish, that if something should go wrong in the surgery, I do not want to be put on life support,” Charlee took a deep breath. “I have my reasons, and whether you agree with me or not, please accept my decision. I will tell my lawyer the same thing, but I wanted it to be clear to all of you what my stance is on the matter.”

  “Mom! That won’t happen!”

  Charlee lifted her chin. “We have to be prepared if it does, honey.”

  Charlee had not shed a single tear, but Mila and Briella were crying freely. Kason was trying to stay strong for Briella, but he had grown so fond of Charlee over the past few months that it was tearing him up to see her looking so fragile.

  “Now, I also want to tell you what I will be telling my lawyer. I am leaving the firm to the three of you.”

  There was a long moment of silence. The girls were stunned out of their sobbing and they stared at Charlee with wide eyes.

  She went on. “There will also be a clause that if Mila marries Dexter, he will become an owner as well. He is not to know about that clause, because if he chooses to marry Mila, then I want him to do it on his own free will, not because of what he could gain by marrying her. I know that he wouldn’t be that shallow, but I still feel a need to protect Mila.” Charlee smiled at the three of them.

  “Also, I want my house to be sold, with the assets split evenly between Mila and Briella. All of the contents of the house can be split between the two of you, as you see fit.”

  “Mom, this is too much. This is…you’re saying you’re going to die,” Briella said, holding her mother’s hand and looking around the room at the others.

  “We need to talk about this,” Charlee said, taking another deep breath. “All of the investments I have, along with the proceeds of my life insurance, minus the cost of my funeral and medical expenses, will go into a trust for my grandchildren. Mila, your children are included in this because I have always seen you as a daughter.”

  Mila slowly nodded.

  Now, any questions?” Charlee asked.

  No one said anything.

  “Briella and Mila, you two do understand that if you take over the business, you will need to move to Texas and give up your jobs in New York?” Charlee clarified.

  “Yes Mom, we know that. But it won’t come to that,” Briella said fiercely. “I don’t know why we’re talking about all of this. The doctors say you’re going to be just fine.”

  “Well, it can’t hurt to be prepared. Now, I want you all to leave the hospital. Go home and get a good night’s sleep. Just because I have to be here, doesn’t mean the rest of you have to.”

  The three stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Mila moved first. She kissed Charlee’s forehead and told her she loved her before walking out of the room.

  Briella leaned over and kissed her mom’s cheek. “I love you Mom. We’ll be back tomorrow to see you. Get some rest, alright?”

  “I love you too, honey. Will you give me a minute with Kason?” Charlee asked. Briella nodded and kissed her mom’s cheek again before leaving the two of them alone.

  Charlee looked to Kason and grabbed his hand. “For some reason, I know that I’m not going to make it through this,” she said bluntly.

  Kason opened his mouth to protest, but the look in Charlee’s eyes stopped him. He simply nodded and gripped her hand hard.

  “I need you to be strong for my daughter, and don’t let her push you away. She loves you with all her heart, don’t ever forget that. Please take care of her. She is so special to me, and it breaks my heart to have to leave her.” Charlee finally let the tears spill over.

  “Charlee…”

  “They don’t tell you this part, you know? They always talk about how terrible it is for the people left behind, and I know it is. But they never talk about the realization that you won’t be there for all the wonderful things.”

  Kason leaned down and put his arms around Charlee. She leaned into him, letting the tears fall. The nurse stepped to the door, saw the two of them, and quietly stepped away. Charlee wiped her eyes.

  “I know that I won’t be here physically for your wedding, bu
t I will be there in spirit,” she sniffled. “Thank you for giving her your love.”

  Kason nodded. His voice was scratchy with tears. “I love your daughter more than anything. I will keep her safe and will do my best not to hurt her. I want to thank you for everything that you’ve done for me. You have really made an impact in this world, and especially on all of us.”

  Charlee smiled up at him. Kason stood up and wiped his eyes.

  “Jesus Christ,” he suddenly said. “I don’t know what to say. There are so many things to say, and there’s no more time…”

  Charlee nodded. “Remember that when you and Briella start your marriage,” Charlee said softly. “Remember that there is never enough time, so love while you can, and say everything you need to say before you have to worry about time running out.”

  Kason stared at her. Her words made it sink in.

  “Thank you, Mom. Get some rest now,” Kason said and kissed Charlee’s forehead. He wiped his eyes and walked out of the room, pausing once to look back at her. She smiled at him, then he stepped out of the room and was gone.

  Charlee lay in her bed and prayed, for the first time in a long time, then slowly drifted off to sleep.

  When they got back to the house, no one was in good spirits. Dexter and Mila disappeared into Dexter’s bedroom while Kason and Briella silently made their way up the stairs. Kason went into his bathroom and drew Briella a bath in his tub.

  Briella sat on the bench just inside the bathroom. As the water continued to fill the tub, Kason sat behind her and began massaging her shoulders. Briella let her head drop, and moaned at the feel of his hands.

  “I know you’re not in the mood tonight,” he whispered. “And to be honest, I’m not either. I’m sorry that this all happened on such a special day, honey.”

  Briella sighed as she leaned into his hands. “I know. But we will have years and years to celebrate our love. Right now we need to focus on my mother.”

  “I agree.” Kason rose from the bench and turned off the water, then turned and watched as Briella undressed. He was turned on by the simple sight of her, but the somberness of the evening meant that he kept it in check. He held her arm as she sank into the water, then made quick work of removing his own clothes and sliding in behind her, cradling her in his arms.

  “I love you so much, and I can’t wait to marry you,” Briella told Kason as she cuddled with him in the tub.

  “I love you too, and I’m glad you accepted,” he said, as he held up her left hand to admire the ring. “It looks so perfect on your finger.”

  They lay in the water for a long time, until the room began to grow cold and their skin began to wrinkle. Eventually he intertwined his fingers with hers and said, “Come on, we should get out of this water. It’s getting cold. Besides, we need to get some sleep.”

  Briella stood up and got out of the tub, holding onto Kason’s shoulders so she didn’t slip. She dried off and went to lie in bed, trying to wait for Kason before she fell asleep, but her body shut down before he finished draining the tub.

  The next morning, Briella smelled something heavenly cooking as she headed downstairs. She entered the kitchen and found Kason and his mom talking. Raelynn had come over help, so that the kids could go to the hospital to see Charlee. Kason smiled at her when he saw her walk in, and Raelynn put a plate of food in front of her.

  “This looks delicious Raelynn. Thank you for making breakfast. You didn’t need to come all the way over here just to do this,” Briella said.

  “Oh, it’s no problem. Kason’s all grown up, and I feel like he doesn’t need me anymore, so when I get to help, it makes me feel warm inside.” Raelynn smiled as she watched Briella dig into the breakfast. “Besides, I thought I’d pitch in and clean up a little, then I’m going to interview some new maids for you. The agency is sending a few over, so I’ll narrow it to a couple, and you two can have the final say. I know you’ll be busy over the next few days.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Kason said. “Just make sure she’s older and realizes that Briella and I are getting married. We don’t need any Parker repeats.”

  “Thank you for your help, Raelynn. I really appreciate it!” Briella said, as she gave Raelynn another hug, then left to go upstairs to shower and change. Kason waited until he heard the door close upstairs before he turned to his mother with sad eyes.

  “Mom, Charlee doesn’t think she’s going to pull through the surgery, and I don’t know what to tell Briella. I can’t keep pretending that everything is going to be fine when Charlee has told me she’s going to die. I don’t want to keep giving Briella false hope, but I don’t want to see her hurting either.”

  Raelynn was silent for a moment. “That must have been a difficult conversation,” she said.

  “Maybe she’s not going to die,” Kason said suddenly, brightening up. “Who knows…maybe she’s just being maudlin.”

  Raelynn shook her head. “Honey…sometimes, you just know.”

  Kason sighed and looked down at the countertop. “I know.”

  “You just need to be there for Briella. I’m sure she knows in the back of her mind that this is a very serious matter. Just be her shoulder to cry on, and the hand to hold. Don’t lie and tell her it’s going to be alright. Tell her the truth…that you’ll get through whatever happens together,” Raelynn said, and kissed her son’s cheek as Mila and Dexter made their way down to the kitchen.

  “Good morning. What are you doing here so early, Raelynn?” Dexter asked.

  “I’m just playing maid. What can I get you both for breakfast?” Raelynn asked Dexter and Mila.

  “I don’t think I can eat, I’m too upset,” Mila said.

  “You might be surprised.” Raelynn went over to the toaster and dropped two slices of bread in. “You need to at least try something. I’ll fix you some toast with peanut butter and jelly. That always hits the spot!”

  Mila smiled sadly, and thanked Raelynn. Dexter went for bacon and eggs. By the time they were done eating, Briella had rejoined them.

  The four of them headed to Charlee’s house to get books and other things she might need during her hospital stay. Briella also called Charlee’s lawyer, and scheduled an appointment for him to meet Charlee later that day in the hospital. After they gathered items they thought Charlee would need, they headed to the hospital to see how she was doing. Briella hoped she was strong enough to keep herself together for her mom.

  Chapter Thirteen

  When the group got to the hospital, they headed straight to the fourth floor. They were told by the nursing staff that Charlee had made some progress overnight, and that she was out of Intensive Care. Visitation was no longer limited to one person at a time for five minutes. Briella was elated to hear about her progress, and hoped that everything would be okay after all.

  As they entered the room, all four gasped, stopped and stared. The room looked more like a flower shop than a hospital room. In the middle of all the colors and greenery was Charlee, looking much healthier than she had the night before. She gave them a big smile. “Well, someone finally got you guys out of bed?”

  “Somebody has admirers,” Dexter teased.

  “Yeah, a few. Guys just find it hard to resist me,” Charlee joked back. She pointed to the biggest vase of all, right in front of her window. “Thank you all for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  “You’re looking a lot better, Mom. You’ve got some color back in your face,” Briella said.

  “It’s all the rest. These nurses won’t let me up for anything. I’m surprised they let me move my fingers to change the channel with the TV remote!” Charlee laughed. “I’m sure the drugs help a little though.”

  “Well, no matter what it is, you look so much better than yesterday Charlee,” Mila said. “I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time!”

  “You know, Mom, you’re looking much healthier. Are you sure you still want your lawyer to come? I can call and cancel, if you want,” Briella offered.

 
“No honey, I still want him to come. I’ll be going in for surgery, and you never know what’ll happen. Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, no matter what, my will needs to be updated. It’s just the prudent thing to do.”

  The group sat around talking about nothing at all until Charlee’s lawyer came in. They all excused themselves and went to the cafeteria to get some lunch. As they walked out of the room, Briella grabbed Kason’s hand and pulled him towards her. She planted a big kiss on him and smiled when she released him.

  “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” Kason asked.

  “Can’t a girl kiss her fiance whenever she wants to?” Briella replied. Kason gave her a look to say she was crazy. “Okay, I’m just happy that my mom’s looking better. I have a lot more hope now that she’ll pull through this.”

  After they ate, they headed back up to Charlee’s room. The lawyer was still there, and he had some papers that needed to be signed. They did as they were told, and he gathered the papers and left, wishing Charlee a speedy recovery.

  Dexter and Kason left shortly after to give Briella and Mila some time alone with Charlee. When the guys left, Charlee asked if a date had been set for the wedding.

  “Um, not yet. I think we had some more important issues yesterday than setting the date,” Briella said, a little surprised that her mother would think life goes on when she was lying in the hospital so sick.

  “I was just wondering,” Charlee said airily. “Oh, hey! What about a November wedding? You’d still have about 6 months to plan it, and the weather would be just perfect if you got married here.”

  “Yeah, November’s nice. I’ll have to talk to Kason about it,” Briella said.

  “Oh, reach under that cupboard over there, Mila, and pull those magazines out,” Charlee instructed. Mila did so, and pulled out 5 thick bridal magazines. “I had one of the nurses get those from the gift shop downstairs for me. I thought we could look for dresses and stuff. Besides, what better to keep me occupied while I’m in here than to help plan the wedding?” Charlee said, with so much joy in her voice.