The Lost Tycoon Read online

  Yes, any thoughts of laughter had evaporated — moaning had taken its place.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Taking a deep breath, Misty gazed out the windows, watching the clouds below her shifting, blowing, making shapes. Now a herd of elephants rushing to a water hole, now wild stallions roaming free.

  Anything to take her mind off meeting her brother for the first time. This was forcing her to confront all sorts of emotions she’d never thought she’d have to. Her biggest fear? Rejection. As the plane made its final approach, her stomach dipped, her heart thudded, and the only thing holding her in place was the feel of Bryson’s hand clasping hers.

  What if her brother was cold, cruel, a person she wouldn’t want to know? What if he had a great life and he was kind — too kind to reject the sister he wished he didn’t have? Yes, she’d met Joseph, and, yes, he was a kind man, but this man, her brother, hadn’t grown up with the Anderson family, either.

  He’d essentially been an orphan, too. But look at him now. He was a mega-successful businessman with a beautiful wife and child. The most frightening part of all of this was how badly she wanted to know Damien — how badly she wanted him to love her.

  How was it possible, through all the hurt she’d endured, for her to still want to be loved? It was ridiculous. Some would say she was simply setting herself up for failure. And they’d probably be right.

  She looked down at the picture again and stared at eyes the exact same shape and color as hers. They both had dark hair; they both had the same smile. Shared genes were on full display here. She’d never expected to see anyone in the world who looked so much like her, but then she’d never thought she’d find him. Heck, she’d never truly believed in his existence.

  But he was real. And she was about to meet him. Would the meeting help heal her, or would it shatter her ability ever to give her heart away?

  “Breathe,” Bryson whispered.

  She hadn’t realized she was now holding her breath. Bryson had been so good to her, understanding that she needed silence, that she needed to brood. He was another man she didn’t deserve, but she was just selfish enough to hold on to him for as long as he would stand beside her — and all of her dysfunctional, irrational behavior.

  It was strange to think that she had not only a brother, but a sister-in-law, too, along with about a million other relatives. And she was an aunt! Not that she’d want to meet the whole passel of them all at once. Not this first time — too much pressure. If, and it was a very big if, they invited her to come back, she could meet them gradually.

  Right now, it would be too overwhelming. She wouldn’t be able to enter the room — wouldn’t be able to speak. What would they expect from her? Damien was hugely successful when they found him. If they thought she’d be the same, boy, were they going to be disappointed.

  She was just Misty. She was nobody special. That was the most depressing thought of all. Yes, Bryson kept telling her that she was special, and he even made her feel that way, but for too many years she’d had people saying the opposite, saying she was a hopeless case, not adoptable, too many issues, too much work.

  Ever since she turned three, after her first foster mother had passed the only people who’d taken the time to know her had been either those she was thrust upon, who at least got a paycheck to have her around, or those who wanted something from her — like Jesse.

  Now she knew that she was related to the Andersons. Whoa! When she researched them, she’d become paralyzed with fear. Why would Joseph have bothered to show up on her doorstep? This man was loved and respected, and would probably win the next presidential election if he chose to run.

  There wasn’t a single good thing he hadn’t done. His family had the golden touch — even Damien seemed to have inherited the Midas gene. Whatever they began always ended in success. And not just a little, but world-domination-style success.

  Talk about intimidating.

  Though she didn’t want to think about it, she had to wonder what her life would have been like if she’d grown up with them, had cousins to play with, been able to attend the schools they did. If she’d had support from people who loved her.

  “I can’t do this,” she whispered as the plane touched down and growled and vibrated during the jolting ride on the landing strip.

  “You can, Misty. I know this family. They will love you, and you will love them. It will be as if you’ve been with them your entire life.” Bryson turned her face toward his.

  “But I’m a nobody, Bryson. They’re rich and powerful, and they have each other. I’m an intruder, and Damien is probably horrified I exist, embarrassed that I’m showing up.”

  That would be the worst. If he looked at her with disgust, or pity, or coldness. If he looked through her instead of at her.

  Pulling out the note from Damien’s wife, she read her words again.

  My dearest Misty,

  How excited I was to learn that a miracle was granted to us and you were found. We’ve searched for years, and it just goes to show that you were meant to be a part of our family. I know we mean nothing to you right now, and you’re probably feeling confused, but please come and visit us — give us a chance to know you, and give yourself a chance to know us. I look forward to meeting you.

  Sierra

  Misty rubbed her thumb over the words again and again, some of the ink smeared from the tears she’d cried while reading it, tears she hadn’t even noticed falling until she saw the blots on the fancy paper.

  Sierra sounded like a lovely woman, at least from her letter, but that didn’t mean that Damien wanted to know her. It only meant that he’d married someone fantastic. Misty was worried though, that Damien wouldn’t want this. After all, his wife had been the one to write to Misty — the letter hadn’t come from her brother.

  She didn’t want to be the source of anything negative, of problems between Damien and his wife. She’d caused others enough turmoil during her miserable life.

  Existing in the streets and fighting for everything had taught her at a young age how to survive, but it hadn’t shown her how to live, and it certainly hadn’t taught her how to trust. So, here she was, about to meet her brother’s larger-than-life family. What if she ended up throwing up on their expensive shoes?

  That would certainly make a wonderful first impression.

  As the plane pulled up to the gate, she felt her vision blur. This wasn’t good.

  “Misty!”

  Bryson’s voice was coming to her from far away. Maybe it was good. Maybe she would just sleep for a while. Then, when she woke up, this would all have been a dream. Her entire life would turn out to have been a dream, and she wasn’t really an orphan, had never been with Jesse, and wasn’t flying to meet American royalty.

  But then, she also wouldn’t have met Bryson…

  Chapter Seventeen

  “…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 th
is 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.