Accidental Parents Read online

  Accidental Parents

  By

  Evie Matthews

  Copyright © 2013 RascalHearts.com

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  For questions and comments about this book, please contact us at [email protected]

  Chapter One

  July has always been an unusually humid month in Silver Bow County. This particular year had been reported to be the warmest ever, with a record high temperature of eighty seven point nine degrees. Even at two in the afternoon, no one dared to venture outside.

  With heatstroke posing a serious threat, residents preferred staying inside their homes with their air conditioning units running full blast. But for the three hundred employees of Willow Creek Community Hospital, today was just another busy day. The flurry of activity along its hallways concealed the rising tension inside the office of Dr. Lisa Ackley, the hospital administrator.

  She was in the middle of a conference call between the hospital’s President, Matthew Deveron, the Montana Governor Lucas Montgomery and Silver Bow’s Mayor Suzanne Merit.

  “With all due respect Governor Montgomery, shutting down the community hospital will not only mean forcing the residents of Silver Bow county to travel seventy six miles to Helena to seek medical help, we will be putting over three hundred people out of work.” Dr. Ackley pointed out, careful not to allow emotions to tint her voice.

  “I perfectly understand that, Dr. Ackley, but you know my hands are tied. The state will no longer pay the salaries of your employees. Community hospitals are supposed to generate enough profit to pay for their operations or at least secure private funding.” The raspy voice of Lucas Montgomery blared through the speakerphone.

  Dr. Ackley knew the governor merely stated the obvious. She took a deep, calming breath as she struggled to rein in her impatience. For the past twenty minutes, she had been banging her head against the wall, asking the same questions, somehow hoping to get a more favorable answer.

  “How much time do we have?” Mayor Merit’s cool, crisp no-nonsense voice cut through the uneasy silence. If anything, Suzanne Merit was smart enough to recognize a dead end when she encountered one.

  “End of August.” It was Matthew Deveron, the hospital’s President who answered wryly. Since the death of Ephraim Harrison, the main hospital benefactor, funding from private sources have been close to nil.

  “Then we still have until the end of August to get local benefactors to sign up, won’t we? As you both have succinctly pointed out, the closure of the hospital is not an option. If that’s the case, then we will need to start taking matters into our own hands,” Mayor Merit pointed out coolly. “Dr. Ackley, Mr. Deveron, let me know how my office can be of any assistance.”

  After exchanging perfunctory niceties, the conference call finally adjourned. Lisa Ackley closed her eyes wearily. The hospital was on the brink of shutting down unless they could come up with at least five million to sustain operations until the end of the year and find generous benefactors fast.

  The death of billionaire Ephraim Harrison had resulted to a huge financial blow to the community, and in particular for Willow Creek Community Hospital, which relied on private donations to offer inexpensive medical services to the community. With the economic slump, Harrison Enterprises was forced to make drastic budget cuts, and the hospital unfortunately got the axe.

  Lisa rubbed her forehead absently, kneading the tension away. For the past couple of weeks, she had been suffering from recurring headaches due to lack of sleep and stress. At thirty-two years old, a lot of people questioned her appointment as the hospital administrator two years ago. Without a doubt, there were several medical professionals more senior and qualified than her. The Board of Directors’ decision to appoint someone outside of its roster caused a number of eyebrows to rise and tongues to wag.

  But during the course of her tenure, she was able to prove her diminutive figure belied her iron will and capability to run one of the largest community hospitals in the western region. Under her administration, notable improvements had been made, including the increased efficiency of their medical emergency response squad and the quality of the healthcare services they provide.

  It’s no secret that most of the average hospitals in the United States barely break even. In fact, a lot of community hospitals have shut down across the country while smaller private facilities have chosen to consolidate. Willow Creek is certainly not an exception. Since its creation, the community hospital has always stood by its promise to deliver accessible, inexpensive healthcare services. Dr. Lisa Ackley definitely had no plans to change that.

  Most of the residents in Silver Bow had been born in this very hospital. Its walls have reverberated with the triumphant wails of newborns and it has also stood silent witnesses to inconsolable grief brought about by the passing of loved ones. Residents of neighboring counties also sought health services in Willow Creek, as it offered a more convenient facility instead of travelling all the way to Montana.

  “Not under my term,” Dr. Lisa Ackley muttered under her breath. There were people who no doubt looked forward to seeing her fail, including her husband Senator Reginald Jenkins. Second on the list would be her father, Robert Ackley. The two had been waiting to see her crawl back and resume her role as a dutiful politician’s wife.

  The thought drew out a humorless bark of laughter from her. Over my dead body, she thought. Her friends back in Texas had probably had a field day gossiping about her and her ex-husband when she finally summoned the courage to walk out of their marriage. It was a good thing they had never had a child to make things more complicated than they were.

  Who knew an ex-Senator’s wife would end up at this backwater, so far away from her glitzy life two years ago? Silver Bow County is a small county in Montana with just about forty three thousand residents.

  This was her mother’s birthplace and she used to spend her summers here as a kid. When her marriage crumbled and the press feasted on the scandalous photos of the Senator and his trusty secretary, Silver Bow provided a convenient escape. It was remote enough to avoid the drama and the malicious gossip, which had only added more insult to injury.

  Pacing agitatedly across the expanse of her office, she mulled over their options. Of course, even away from the political scene, she knew she could make a few calls and pull some strings. She immediately crushed the thought. She did not want her ex-husband know about the rut she was in right now. No doubt, Senator Reginald Jenkins would jump at the chance to get back in her good graces and play the part of a knight rescuing a damsel in distress, which of course would never happen.

  She had no choice but to hold a meeting with the hospital staff and inform them of the situation. Hopefully, they could come up with some good suggestions to save Willow Creek.

  She squared her shoulders and jutted her chin out with stubborn determination. She had handled far larger, multi-million dollar projects in the past, including two landslide victories of a United States Senator. Saving a community hospital seemed like a small feat in comparison.

  But for her, the stakes are higher this time. She had become emotionally attached and had grown to love the quirky charm of the community that had given her refuge during those tumultuous months a couple of years ago.

  Heaving a deep sigh, she walked towards the bathroom located at the right corner of the room. With the long hours she usually kept, a small bath had become necessary. In fact, she also h
ad a small closet neatly tucked behind a cabinet of books, hidden from view.

  Looking at her reflection in the mirror, signs of weariness and worry were evident. People would never guess she was prone to feeling momentary weakness and self-doubt. Early in life, she had learned to mask her emotions to be able to hold her own in a man’s world. To the rest of the world, she was a cold and capable woman who knew what she wanted and would get it one way or another.

  Giving herself a mental shake, she focused on the problem at hand. A lot of people depended on her. She could not afford to succumb to weakness, even temporarily. After re-applying a fresh coat of makeup, she returned to her table and summoned her secretary Beth Carson to schedule an early meeting with the Department Heads of the hospital.

  * * * *

  Silence filled the conference room. A few faces wore stunned expressions. Understandably so, a lot of people had not seen it coming. Dr. Ackley had just broken the news on the imminent closure of the hospital, unless they are able to come up with additional funds or convince new benefactors to sign up.

  Dr. Dylan Ross, the hospital’s head surgeon was lounging in the corner of the room, calmly taking stock of the situation and observing other people’s reaction with polite interest.

  “How about we come up with a charity or a fundraising event?” Kendra Simmons, a nurse from the pediatrics department spoke up.

  “We will need to raise at least five million to sustain the operations of the hospital until the end of the year. And even after that….” Sherry Desmond let her words falter, allowing it to hang like a thick blanket of foreboding in the air. A mother of three kids, Sherry has been working in Willow Creek since she had been in her twenties. She started out as a patient service assistant and was eventually promoted as a patient service coordinator. Now in her late forties, the closure of the hospital would mean a significant financial blow, especially in view of the recent death of her husband.

  “It can be done. We need to organize an invitation-only charity auction, inviting the millionaires of Silver Bow and the neighboring counties.” Dr. Ackley spoke up, which stirred the interest of everyone in the room. As an ex-senator’s wife, she has had extensive experience organizing such events. Mulling the idea, it made perfect sense. After all, Montana is home to some of the wealthiest families in the western region.

  “And what shall we auction off?” Dr. Ross drawled quirking one dark eyebrow.

  “Our services. We will need at least five volunteers to be auctioned off. The highest bidders will be entitled the one month of service.” Dr. Ackley responded. She had been toying with the idea all afternoon and the more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. It gave a fun twist to the event. In her experience, people generally responded to something fun and exciting instead of merely asking for donations to save the hospital.

  “I like the idea!” One of the nurses piped in, and the room responded with a general murmur of agreement. For the first time since Dr. Ackley dropped the bomb, now everyone seemed to feel hope blossoming.

  “Who will be auctioned off?” Sara Myers, a new nurse from Dallas asked. With the growing excitement, everyone seemed to want to have a say who should volunteer.

  “To be fair, names will be drawn. I’ll have Beth prepare the names.” Dr. Ackley said, offering a tight smile. It was the first trace of a smile from her that day. “I will be heading the organizing committee and I expect everyone to help out.”

  The rest of the meeting focused on working out the details of the event. By the time they adjourned and the news spread out, the initial sense of doom was replaced by a buzz of excitement.

  Kendra Simmons stepped out of the conference room in a daze. The recent developments still weighed heavily on her mind, when her phone rang. Little did she know, the call would turn her world upside down.

  Chapter Two

  Earlier that day, in the small, remote town of Prairie County…

  The screeching sound of brakes followed by the crashing noise of metal against metal rent the air. The sound of the impact jarred Fred Conlon awake. In his old age, sleep had proven to be quite elusive. These days, he is lucky to claim three to four hours of uninterrupted sleep.

  So when the loud, strident sound unceremoniously jolted him from his slumber, Fred felt a wave of irritation. Muttering a string of curses under his breath, he reached out to grab his bedside clock. It was two in the morning. Who would dare raise such ruckus at this God-forsaken hour in the sleepy town of Prairie County?

  He squeezed his eyes hard in an effort to reclaim the last vestiges of sleep, which proved futile. After several minutes of tossing and turning, he gave up trying. He was in the middle of putting on his threadbare robe when for the second time that night, the fertile silence of pre-dawn was intruded on by the blaring sound of the ambulance siren and several cars pulling over to an abrupt stop.

  Opening his cabin door, he saw about twenty people converging on what seemed to be the scene of a car crash, which was just several meters away from his cabin. From the looks of it, no one survived the accident. The front half section of the black BMW was totaled. The other vehicle, a minivan was also badly damaged.

  Walking as fast as his gnarly feet could carry him, Fred joined the rest of his neighbors as paramedics and police officers surveyed the scene and removed the bodies. The driver of the minivan was thrown out through the windshield, his body could be seen a few feet away lying in a weird angle.

  A few minutes later, the police officers were finally able to pry the badly crushed car open to retrieve the body of a man and a woman, who were almost unrecognizable by the look of their mangled bodies. It was later found out that the bodies were that of Mr. Timothy and Melissa Chadwick, residents of Silver Bow County, several hundred kilometres away from the scene of the accident.

  * * * *

  Kendra’s forehead furrowed in surprise when she realized the caller was Tyler Chadwick, one of Silver Bow’s most elusive bachelors and a well-known rake. What could possibly send Tyler calling this early in the morning? Kendra thought.

  “Ken…Tim and Mel died in a car accident earlier today.” Tyler Chadwick’s voice sounded detached and hollow on the other end of the line.

  It took several seconds for the meaning of his words to sink in. He had spoken the words quietly, but the impact of the news sent Kendra reeling. She leaned against the hospital walls for support.

  “What? What happened?! Where are you, are you okay?” Kendra’s voice sounded shrill even to her own ears.

  Timothy and Melissa were two of her closest friends in Silver Bow. Together with a small group of individuals, they regularly gathered at the Chadwick’s home for regular get-togethers. Having grown up in the same community and gone to the same high school, they treated each other like extended family.

  Tyler was Tim’s younger brother, who occasionally joined them when he was not too busy running his construction business or when he was in between girlfriends.

  “I’m at the morgue.” Tyler said, his voice sounded strained, as if he was trying to keep his emotion under tight leash.

  “Oh God, Ty. I…Wait for me, I’ll be there in ten.” Kendra was already grabbing her bag even before the call disconnected.

  Half-running towards the nurse’s station, Kendra frantically explained to Lucia, the head nurse she had to leave an hour early. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks as she drove to the morgue.

  Swallowing a sob, she heaved a deep, steadying breath before stepping out of her car. From the small, dark hallway, she could see the silhouette of a man sitting on the bench, his hands supporting his bent head, seemingly lost in his own grief.

  Kendra was just a few steps away when Tyler looked up. At the sight of her, he silently met her halfway, arms outstretched. His eyes were bloodshot.

  “Oh, Tyler. I’m so sorry.” Kendra rushed to hug him, her voice breaking in anguish.

  It was only then that Tyler allowed himself to weep. The sound of his broken sobs pier
ced through Kendra. It was a sound she knew she would never forget. They stood there in the hallway both crying for what seemed like an hour, too overwhelmed by their grief.

  In a stilted voice, Tyler told her what had happened. The couple had been on their way back from a weekend trip when their car crashed into a minivan, killing them both instantly. Because of the state of their badly injured bodies, Tyler opted to have them cremated. Melissa’s parents were already dead, so the funeral would be small, attended only by a few friends and relatives.

  Kendra could hardly believe the unfortunate turn of events. Just several days ago, she had been at the couple’s house for a weekly get-together. Tyler was not able to join them. Melissa was showing off the latest antics of sweet little Sophie.

  “Oh God! Sophie!” Kendra gasped out loud, her eyes frantic as she looked at Tyler. At the mention of his niece’s name, Tyler’s eyes showed he forgot about his 8-month old niece, who was, at this very moment was in the care of Melissa’s aunt. Poor little Sophie, orphaned before she could even form any lasting memory of her parents. Kendra sobbed quietly.

  “I’ll take care of her.” Tyler’s voice was rough with emotion. His mind was racing at the implications of having a baby in his life. Tyler’s lifestyle was not exactly kid-friendly. In fact, it left very little room for a long-term relationship, much less raising a child. Tyler pushed his reservations and feelings of inadequacy aside, Sophie now depended on him. He would not fail her.

  Tyler felt an unfamiliar wave of protectiveness. For the first time in his life, he felt responsible for another human being, one so tiny and beautiful. He had managed to grow his construction company from scratch and turn into a multi-million dollar business with over a thousand employees. His close friends would often joke that there was only one thing that could send Tyler running away like a dog with his tail between his legs—a woman pining for marriage.