The Perfect Husband (13 page)

He couldn’t say how long she cried, but it
was fully dark when she finally lifted her head. Her eyes were
swollen and red and deep shadows haunted her gaze. A cut on her lip
had reopened and was oozing fresh blood. She stared at him as if
only now becoming aware of her surroundings. Almost
instantaneously, she pulled away from him.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I shouldn’t
have done that. I-I don’t know what came over me. I’m so
sorry.”

Irritation surged through him and he did his
best to tamp it down. “Would you stop apologizing? You’ve been
through a horrendous time—too terrible for anyone to imagine. Cut
yourself some slack.”

She inched further away from him and stared
up at him with eyes filled with doubt and confusion. She appeared
unsure about trusting his support and that somehow she’d thought,
instead of offering advice, he’d given her an order.

He moved closer, choosing to ignore her
sudden tension, and cupped her cheek in his hand, wanting so hard
for her to understand. “I only want to help you. Protect you.
You’re safe, Belle. It’s okay. He’ll never hurt you again.”

The shadows in her eyes didn’t lessen and
once again, she moved out of his reach. Fresh tears filled her eyes
and slid silently down her cheeks. Mason’s heart clenched. He
couldn’t bear to see her so…broken. In this moment, she seemed
nothing like the beautiful, vibrant girl from high school, the girl
who even now continued to haunt his dreams. And he would do
everything he could to bring her back, even if it wasn’t going to
be to him.

“Let me take care of you, Belle,” he
whispered. Unable to help himself, he reached for her again. This
time, she stood and crossed her arms defensively over her chest.
She walked across the room in the direction of the bedrooms. “I
need to check on Sophie and Ben.”

He nodded and ignored the stab of hurt her
withdrawal caused. He understood her reticence to let another man
get close. She’d just escaped a violent relationship. What more did
he expect?

“I’d like to meet them,” he said
quietly.

Her eyes widened. She stared at him for a
long moment, but eventually nodded and then turned away.

Mason stared after her, nervous, excited and
uncertain. What had he gotten himself into? He’d loved her for as
long as he could remember. He’d yearned to be a part of her life,
but he couldn’t help but wonder if it were too late, perhaps even
impossible. She was so badly broken.
What if she never
healed?

He pushed the unwanted thought aside. He was
determined to help her any way he could. Failure wasn’t an
option.

Nigel threw back two fingers of scotch and
once again pored over the phone bills that were strewn out all over
his desk. The sun had barely poked its head above the horizon when
he’d started looking for something out of place. An unfamiliar
number, a lengthy conversation—anything that might indicate where
Isobel had gone and who knew about it. He was sure she had an
accomplice. She wasn’t capable of walking out on him on her
own.

He’d managed to pull himself together long
enough to pay a visit to her sister in Bondi. Katrina thought the
sun shone out of his ass. He made sure to plaster on the charm when
he knocked on her door and asked to see his wife.

She’d shaken her head in total bewilderment
and had told him Isobel wasn’t there. He made up some story about
Isobel calling him the day before to say she was catching up with
her sister and was going to spend the night. He’d been in the
neighborhood and thought he’d surprise them.

Katrina had once again shaken her head and
he was sure her confusion was real. She told him she hadn’t spoken
to Isobel for a couple of weeks. Katrina assumed she’d been busy at
work and with the kids and all the other things that sucked up her
time every day.

Perhaps he’d misunderstood, she’d wondered
aloud. Perhaps it was another friend her sister had been referring
to?

Nigel had forced a smile that showed all of
his teeth and agreed that he must have gotten the conversation
confused. After sharing a few more moments of casual repartee, he’d
taken his leave. All the way home, he’d cursed the woman he called
his wife.

Now, the memory of his humiliating visit to
her sister came back to him and he flushed anew with anger. If she
and the kids weren’t with Katrina, then where the hell were they?
Surely she wouldn’t have gone home to Maitland? Her parents were
frail and poor in health.

No, she must have had contact with someone
else in the days or even weeks leading up to the day she abandoned
him. There was no other explanation. The bitch was too stupid to
have planned the whole thing by herself. Besides, why now? They’d
been living this way for years and she’d never once looked like she
considered packing her bags.

He’d made it clear on many occasions what
he’d do to her and their kids if she ever left him. He reminded her
of it every chance he got, and yet, she’d run away. With his kids.
The bitch would pay for that.

With a vicious curse, he thrust the pile of
phone bills aside. He’d found nothing out of the ordinary and
neither had there been any unusual texts on her cell. She didn’t
know it, but he went through her phone every night. It was
important for him to know who his wife was spending time with, even
if it was only via texts.

He glanced at his watch and cursed again. He
was going to be late for work. Pushing away from his desk, he found
his briefcase and keys and headed out the door.

The traffic was heavy as at least a million
people made their way to work. He slammed his fist against the
steering wheel. One of the things he hated about Sydney was the
peak-hour traffic. It started before seven in the morning and
didn’t let up until ten. The trip home was just as bad. There were
few things he missed about his hometown, but the slower pace of
country life was one of them.

Thoughts of his hometown triggered memories
of running into Mason Alexander. He hadn’t seen him since
graduation. It had to be ten years or more. Mason hadn’t changed a
bit—maybe filled out a little. His football body was still taut
with muscle. There hadn’t been a sign of fat. He obviously kept
himself fit, like Nigel did. He wondered if he worked out at the
hospital gym.

Nigel frowned. Mason worked at the Sydney
Harbour Hospital, on the same ward as Isobel. She’d told him
yesterday she hadn’t run into him. Yet Mason told him he’d been
there over a week. It seemed odd they hadn’t met. Perhaps as
strange as the fact his wife disappeared the day Nigel ran into
their mutual friend.

Coincidence?

Nigel didn’t believe in coincidences.

* * *

Mason made a notation on the chart in his
hand and maintained his focus on the three-year-old patient in the
bed beside him. The little girl’s renal infection had finally
settled. The antibiotics had done the trick.

“Guess what, Ellie? I think you’re well
enough to go home.”

She squealed with excitement and clapped her
hands. The child’s mother threw him a grateful smile.

“Thank you, Doctor Alexander. I’m so
relieved she’s okay.”

“She’ll be fine. No doubt back to her usual
self in a day or two. I’ll give you a script for another course of
antibiotics that she can continue when she gets home, just to be on
the safe side. I checked her history. It appears she’s a little
prone to these kinds of infections.”

The woman nodded. “Yes, she’s suffered from
them on and off since she was a baby. It seems like every time she
catches one, we end up in here.”

“It can’t be easy. I understand you have
other young children at home.”

“Yes, a two-year-old boy and a
seven-year-old girl. I’m lucky my husband’s self-employed. He runs
his own software business from home. He’s amazing with the kids,
especially at times like this. There’s no way I’d leave her in here
alone.”

“No, of course not. Well, your husband will
be pleased to hear you’re both heading home.”

“Yes, thanks to you and the wonderful
nursing staff. They always treat Ellie so well. It makes it so much
easier for both of us.”

“We’re just doing our jobs. I’m glad I could
help.” Giving both her and her daughter a wave of farewell, he left
the room and walked into the one beside it. A nurse stood near one
of the patients, checking the child’s observations. Mason’s
thoughts turned to Isobel and he was helpless to stop them.

He recalled how she’d introduced him to her
children, quiet pride shining briefly in her eyes. Sophie had
lifted her head momentarily off her mother’s shoulder and given him
a sleepy look. Ben’s face was lively with curiosity.

“Mom says you’re her friend,” he’d stated
matter-of-factly. “We’ve never met any of Mom’s friends. Have you
known her long?”

Mason was happy to answer him, although he
was surprised to discover Isobel hadn’t introduced her children to
any of her friends. Was it because of Nigel? Was she scared her
friends would notice something amiss? He had no idea, but he filed
the information away for further contemplation.

“I’ve known your mom
forever
.” He’d
responded with an exaggerated eye roll and a big grin. Ben had
smiled back at him.

“Forever? Really?” the young boy asked.

“Well, maybe not forever, but it feels that
way,” Mason replied with another grin. “Your mom and I went to high
school together and believe me, high school was a long time ago.
Are you at school yet, Ben?”

“Not yet. I’m five-and-a-half. I go to
school next year.”

Isobel had reached for her son, drawing him
in close against her side. She smiled down at him tenderly.

“You’re growing up way too fast, Ben
Donnelly. I’m flat out keeping up. Now, how about you say goodnight
to Mason and I’ll tuck you into bed.”

“But I haven’t had a shower, Mom!” he
protested.

“You can have one in the morning,” Isobel
had replied. “It’s too late to have one now.”

“But Mom, I want to stay up and talk to
Mason. I—”

“You can talk to him again in the morning.
Come on, honey, it’s time for bed.”

She’d adjusted a sleeping Sophie in her arms
and had headed in the direction of the bedrooms, with Ben trailing
behind her.

“’Night, Ben,” Mason called after them.

Ben turned and waved. “Goodnight, Mason. See
you in the morning.”

The smile the little boy sent him had warmed
Mason all the way through. He waited for Isobel to reappear, but
she didn’t. He’d been disappointed they wouldn’t get to share a
meal or otherwise celebrate her first night of freedom, but he
understood her need for privacy in order to settle her kids and
come to terms with the reality of her new life.

The truth was, he needed to be careful. All
the years of hard-won effort spent trying to forget her had
disappeared the moment he’d seen her again. It was like they were
back in high school and she was the most beautiful girl in the
world. He wanted to protect her, cherish her and keep her safe from
harm, every day for the rest of their lives and yet he also needed
to keep his distance and protect his heart from being trampled on
all over again.

She hadn’t given him any indication that she
saw him as anything other than a friend. True, she’d called on him
in her hour of need. But that’s what friends did. They were there
for each other when they were needed. It didn’t mean she wanted
anything more. Hell, he didn’t even know if she found him
attractive.

No, right now, Isobel West needed to find
herself, regain her confidence and take care of her children.
Everything else would have to wait.

“Where the fuck is he? Get the hell out of
my way! Mason! Mason Alexander! Come out and show yourself like a
man!”

Mason heard the commotion in the corridor.
He set down the chart he’d been reading and left the room, trying
to locate the origin of the angry voice. He rounded a corner and
nearly collided with Nigel. The man was almost foaming at the
mouth.

“You fucking asshole! You stole my fucking
wife! You always wanted her. Did you think I didn’t notice the way
you used to look at her? You’ve had a hard-on for her since high
school!”

Before Mason realized what was happening,
Nigel threw a clumsy punch in his direction. He neatly sidestepped
it and almost gagged at the smell of liquor on Nigel’s breath. It
was nine in the morning.
What the hell was the man
thinking?

Two nurses came to a sudden halt, shock
flooding their features. A burly security guard materialized and
Mason breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he feared getting beaten.
In fact, there was nothing he’d enjoy more than to knock Isobel’s
husband off his feet, but the man was obviously drunk and needed to
be removed before any patients got wind of it or some bystander was
hurt.

Mason should have known Nigel wouldn’t go
quietly. The furious man broke away from the loose hold the guard
had on his arm.

“You’re not even going to deny it!” Nigel
spat. “You fucking bastard! You’re the reason she left! It took me
awhile, but I finally twigged to what happened. She was fine until
you arrived in town, sniffing around her.” He sucked in an angry
breath and once again, Mason caught a whiff of alcohol.

“I want you transferred to another ward,
effective immediately,” Nigel shouted, getting up in Mason’s face.
“I want you to stay the fuck away from my wife!”

Mason worked hard to control his temper. He
replied as calmly as he could. “I’m a pediatrician, Nigel. I work
on the pediatric ward. As far as I know, it’s the only one in the
hospital.”

Nigel stabbed a finger in Mason’s direction.
It barely missed his face. “You
knew
she was a nurse here.
Don’t fucking try and deny it. You’re here because this is where
Isobel works. My wife!
My
fucking wife! I got home last
night and the house was empty. She’s run off and taken the kids and
now I know where she is!”