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She needn’t have bothered.
Jason Sterling was standing in the lounge directly across from the elevators, looking as out of place as a polar bear in the Sahara Desert. He wore a full tuxedo, outlining his tall physique and broad muscles. His blond hair was neatly combed, his blue eyes bright, his features exquisite. As usual, he was the center of attention, surrounded by people. Only this time, they were kids.
Dara watched Jason with the young patients, as he talked to them, joked with them, made them giggle and laugh. Relief calmed her heart, but something else tugged at it. He wasn’t playing hooky to have fun – he’d skipped the event to entertain sick kids. Was this why he’d disappeared all those times?
He looked up suddenly, and their eyes met. As the familiar connection sparked, she slowly approached. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.” She nodded at Jenny, who was next to him, sporting a curly-haired sock puppet instead of a camera. A tinge of jealousy surfaced, not because he was with the beautiful woman, but because he’d shared this special moment with her.
“I’m sorry about the party.” He looked down at the kids. “I was supposed to leave an hour ago but got caught up.”
“I can see why.” Her voice was a murmur, yet it held a thousand messages. They locked eyes with a thousand more. A friendly nurse arrived, with a wide smile that belied her serious job. Dara stepped forward and held out her hand. “I’m with the Dragons baseball team. I’d like to make a donation.”
“That would be great.” The woman beamed. “You can make a corporate donation in the business office.”
“Actually, that wasn’t what I had in mind.” Dara gestured to the kids crowding around their sports hero. “I’m sure the team would be happy to make a donation as well, but I wanted to make a personal contribution.”
“Oh, thank you!” the woman gushed. “In that case, it’s easiest to do online.” She explained the process, then gestured to Jason. “Thank you so much for arranging Mr. Sterling’s visit. The kids loved having him here.”
Dara turned to Jason, who for once was silent. “Don’t thank me. He did this all on his own.”
By his frown, he wasn’t happy with her revealing the truth, yet she wouldn’t take credit for his altruism. He inclined his head toward the elevators. “Dara, why don’t you and Jenny go downstairs and wait for me? I’ll be down in five minutes.”
“You don’t have to rush.” Now that she knew the truth of his charitable endeavors, she couldn’t draw him away, not even for the party. “We’ll be fine without you.”
He hesitated, but then shook his head. “No, it’s important for me to be there. Hopefully it’ll encourage people to give to another great cause.”
“Plus, he’s coming back twice more before he leaves,” the nurse shared.
Jason visibly stiffened. “I just want to say goodbye to a few kids who can’t leave their rooms. I’ll be right down.”
Dara nodded, and Jenny gave the puppet to a smiling little girl. The photographer pointed to the elevators. “There are benches right outside the front entrance. We’ll wait for you there.” They rode down the crowded elevator in silence, but when they reached the relative privacy of the bench, Jenny gave her a warm smile. “You looked scared to death when you first saw us.”
For a moment, Dara didn’t respond. “I was,” she finally admitted. “I didn’t know why Jason was in the hospital. And I just imagined…”
As her voice trailed off, Jenny’s smile widened. Still, it remained kind and genuine. “You seemed very concerned for just a colleague. You like him, don’t you?”
“Me? No! Of course not. I mean, absolutely, a hundred percent no.” Only, maybe?
Jenny’s smile turned as wide as a homerun belted into the stands. “You know what they say about people who protest too much?” She held up her hands before Dara could protest even more. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. He looks at you the same way, you know.”
A thousand more protests froze on Dara’s lips. “He does?”
“He clearly has feelings for you.” Jenny said the words matter-of-factly, as if sharing her opinion on today’s starting lineup. “I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you.”
“That’s impossible. I thought you and he–” Dara swallowed the words. Jenny had been all that was professional and didn’t deserve her scrutiny or accusations. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“But you want it to be.” Jenny’s guess was far too accurate. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “You thought we were together.”
Dara hesitated, nodded.
Jenny shook her head. “We’ve been friends for many years, but nothing more than that. He’s like a brother to me. Until recently, I actually had a pretty serious boyfriend.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
The photographer’s gaze hardened. “Don’t be.” She sat back and took a deep breath. “I don’t usually share this with people I don’t know, but Jason did something tremendous for me, and I’m going to repay him by telling you the truth. You believe Jason needs to be reformed, but you don’t have all the information. The fight that Jason got into – that was over me.”
Dara opened her mouth as recognition dawned. That’s why Jenny had seemed so familiar – her face had been featured right next to Jason’s.
“The media played it like Jason was dueling some jilted lover, but that wasn’t true. He was defending me from my ex.” She shuddered slightly. “Brody had been abusing me.”
