Anything but Love by Celya Bowers Read Free Book Online Page A

an easier mark than a sober one, but he had to do the right thing. “Max, maybe you should slow down.”
    Max signaled the waiter for another beer. “I’m perfectly aware of what I’m doing, Cole.”
    “Of course you are, Max. I just don’t want Kendall blaming me when you have a hangover tomorrow. I would like to get on her good side and you showing up to work smelling like a brewery isn’t going to help.”
    Max grinned as if he knew a secret, which he most likely did. “I know what would get you on her good side.”
    “What?”
    Max shook his head. “Not so fast, Cole. I need to know why you want her so bad.”
    Cole didn’t know the answer to that. It was something about the way she looked at him as if he were wasted space. He had to prove her wrong. “I wish I knew, Max. I know for some reason she thinks I’m worthless. I just want to prove her wrong.”
    Max nodded. “So it’s a competition thing. You guys are going to kill each other. You’re like two kids fighting over a toy.”
    “Are you going to tell me or not?”
    The waiter placed another beer in front of Max. He took a long sip, then set the glass on the table. “Okay, I’ll tell you. I’m only telling you because I got a feeling about the two of you. If you want to get on her good side, ask her about InfaCare.”
    Cole knew of Arlington’s only charity children’s hospital. It was known nationally for its good work and the fact that underprivileged children were getting quality medical care without their parents having to incur the cost.
    “What about it?”
    “It’s almost in the red.”
    “What’s that got to do with me?”
    Max laughed. “Make the red go away.” Suddenly, his head plopped on the table.
    Cole knew that sound. That was the sound of a man whose life was in the toilet and who was hiding his pain through liquor. Max was out cold and in no condition to go home. “Just what I freaking need,” Cole groaned. “Just freaking great.”
    * * *
    After getting Max settled in the car, Cole drove to his house and helped Max inside and into the guest room. Max groaned and passed out on the bed.
    Cole left the room and headed to the living room to call Max’s wife. Cole was surprised no one was home. It was after eight. As the answering machine kicked on, Cole decided just to leave a short message.
    “Caitlin, it’s Cole. Max had a little too much to drink, so he’s at my house.” He hung up the phone and went to his computer.
    Since Max was not an option anymore, Cole went to his laptop to search the Internet for InfaCare. On his first attempt he hit pay dirt, or at least he thought he had. InfaCare was a hospital, and it was located in Arlington, Texas. But what did that have to do with Kendall?
    He clicked on the link to the hospital and got his answer. Definitely wasn’t the one he was looking for. According to the website, Kendall was one of the founders of the hospital. Why? She didn’t have kids. Maybe she was looking for penance for something in her past, just as he was.
    The light finally went on in his thick skull. The few words Max had got out before he passed out finally made sense. InfaCare was in financial trouble. He could see a very devious plan hatching. If it worked, Kendall would be his.
    * * *
    Friday morning Kendall stifled a yawn as the accountant for InfaCare explicitly laid out the trouble she was headed toward.
    “Ms. Matthews, although the facility is still financially sound at this time, we should really consider letting investors in.”
    Kendall shook her head. “No investors. I’ll solicit donations or something, but that’s it. When people start investing they start trying to tell me how to run this place, and I’ve done just fine.”
    The mature gentleman smiled at her. “Yes, you’ve done an excellent job, but this year the patient load increased by thirty percent.”
    “That’s not my fault. Call the president and tell him to find these parents a job so they can have