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was even her mother.
    “Oh, baby, you’ve always done what is right. You have to allow yourself to make a mistake now and then. Sometimes in our lives, the best results come from us making the worst mistakes. We don’t know why anything happens. You can’t blame yourself for me getting in that accident. It may be the thing that saves my life. You never know the reason behind it. Maybe if I’d been home the next week, a burglar would’ve come in and shot me, or what if I was driving to the store and a child dashed in front of my car, and I killed him? We can’t agonize over what has happened – we can only be thankful it wasn’t worse.”
    “I needed you so much these last months, Mom. No one can make me feel better. Please, I’m begging you, please don’t leave me. No matter what it takes, don’t go. I love you.”
    Ari flung herself into her mother’s frail arms, vowing that she was never going to let go again. She could get through anything as long as she had her mom there beside her.
    “Ms. Harlow, can we speak to you for a few minutes?”
    Ari sat up and turned to find a doctor standing in the doorway. Her stomach clenched with anxiety when she looked at his somewhat somber expression. She didn’t think she was going to like the conversation. As she looked at her mom, she found the added strength she needed. None of this was insurmountable as long as they had each other.
    “I’ll be right back, Mom.”
    “Take your time, sweetie. I’ve been up for a while and these pain medications are making me tired. I think I’ll catch a little nap.”
    Ari walked from the room , a sense of dread filling her at the thought of her mother taking a nap... What if she didn't wake again for months? It would probably be months, maybe even years before she wouldn’t dread her mother going to sleep. She knew she couldn’t live life that way, but tell that to her irrational heart.
    Since she couldn’t do anything more, Ari trailed the doctor down the hallway and into a small conference room where several other men in suits were sitting around a table. This couldn’t be good.
    “Thank you for joining us, Ms. Harlow. We were pleased when your mother was admitted after waking from her coma. How are you feeling? We know that often this kind of tragedy can be harder for the loved-ones than the patients.”
    “I’m trying to take it one day at a time right now. It’s all been very difficult,” Ari answered cautiously, wishing he would get to the point. She didn’t want to make small talk. She needed to be with her mother.
    “I’m sorry about that. I wish we could put this off, but due to your mother’s injuries, time is of the essence. Her new scans show that she has stage four melanoma in her uterus. We need to operate immediately if she has any chance of survival. At this point, her chances are slim, less than a ten percent chance, and that’s with aggressive action.”
    The doctor paused, letting his words sink in. Were they telling her she should have the operation done, or she shouldn’t ? It sounded to her like they were telling her that she was going to lose her mom after-all. This was why she’d been so afraid to hope.
    “We’ve called you in because your mother doesn’t have any health insurance benefits left, and this operation is a costly procedure. Because this isn’t an emergency surgery, we can’t schedule it until payment arrangements are made. We’re here to help you get this funded, apply for loans, grants, whatever it takes. We won’t leave you in the dark, but we must have funding before we operate.”
    The bottom fell out for Ari. It all boiled down to money – which she didn’t have. The men continued speaking, but she didn’t hear anything else they had to say. She was spiraling down a long dark hole. It seemed the only way for her to escape was to take the job as Rafe Palazzo’s mistress.

Chapter Four

    “Have you made your decision, Ms. Harlow?”
    “Yes, I’ll take the…