The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max) novel Chapter 9

“Ollie, Lark!” Bobbie’s voice carried from the Villeneuve backyard to the Hoffman’s.

Both women sat up at the urgency in Bobbie’s voice.

“What’s up, Mom?”

“Max was taken to hospital. We need to go.”

“What?” they both rolled out of the hammock and landed on their knees.

“Johan called. Max collapsed in his condo. He called an ambulance and Max is en route to the hospital. They think he’s having a heart attack.”

“He’s six weeks out from turning thirty!” Ollie protested as she yanked Lark to a standing position and then was pulling her through the back yards to where her mother stood. “What happened?”

“Don’t know. Johan said they were talking in his condo, and he started complaining of being short of breath and chest pains.”

“s**t,” Ollie flinched. “He’s been burning the candle at both ends, Mom. He’s been working twenty-hour days for months.” “We need to go.”

“Go,” Lark waved at them. “I can lock up the house for you. Go.”

“You’re coming too, young lady.” Nana Prue appeared behind them. “This is family, and I don’t care how much you two are bickering, you get your ass to the hospital to support him. Move.”

“Nana. We’re not -”

“Don’t you dare finish your sentence, Lark or so help me God you and I will have words,” Nana Prue pushed her through the house to the front door. “We are family. Sometimes family fall out and argue and fight but when push comes to shove, we have each other’s back and right now, Max needs us. Let’s go.”

She was bundled into the back of a car where Riggs was driving, and they were racing through the streets towards the local hospital. She was nestled between Ollie and Ollie’s younger sister Margot who was crying.

“You okay, Margot?”

“If he dies from a heart attack, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ve never met anyone who died before!” she wailed suddenly. She and Ollie exchanged glances and she wanted to kick her friend when Ollie’s lips twisted as if she were struggling not to laugh. Ollie’s go-to every time she was stressed or nervous was to laugh like a buffoon and the more absurd people behaved around them during high-emotion situations, the more Ollie giggled.

“He’s not going to die.” She patted Margot’s leg reassuringly.

“He might. He’s never had a girlfriend and he’s going to die!”

This time Ollie snickered, and Lark looked out the window.

“Margot,” Riggs called from the driver’s seat, “Max is a healthy young man. I’m sure it’s more likely anxiety or panic or something. He brokered a deal over a half billion dollars this week. He isn’t sleeping well. He’s drinking too much.”

“He’s drinking too much?” Lark asked seriously. “How can you say he’s healthy if he’s drinking too much?”

“He works out every single day but the past month or so, he’s been stressed, and he’s been indulging a bit more than usual.”

“Pfft,” she looked out the window. “I know exactly how he’s overindulging.”

Riggs met her eyes in the rearview and then gave a one-shouldered shrug. “It might be the only outlet which isn’t unhealthy.”

“Spoken like a man,” Ollie snorted.

The rest of the ride was quiet until they reached the hospital and then the occupants of the five-car convoy was spilling out in a rush. Johan was there waiting, and Lark hung to the back as he ushered them inside. Bobbie and Olivier rushed to the counter with Ollie at their side. She watched as Ollie and her four siblings paced nervously while they waited for a physician to come talk to them and let them know what was happening.

Johan approached her quietly, “how are you holding up?”

“I don’t know why I’m here. I haven’t spoken to Max in twelve years.”

“Maybe not but the rest of his family need you. It’s not about him but about them.”

“True,” she huffed, blowing a wisp of hair off her forehead. “I got your text earlier. Ollie and I had a good chuckle.”

He made wide eyes and opened his mouth, “you laughed at my dinner invite?”

“It was a joke, right? Ollie thought maybe Max put you up to it.”

“No. Nobody put me up to it.” He nudged her with his hip. “Lark, there wasn’t a guy in our high school who didn’t have it bad for you.”

“I can name one.”

“Tell that to the heart attack victim down the hall,” Johan snorted.