Franny's Way: Stasha's Legacy, #2

By Karen Rouillard

Franny went to work thinking this would be another work day but when she is taking in right in front of the hospital she knows it wont be. Now she has to save her self and the baby as well. Will Brad find her in time to save them both or will she have to find a way to do it herself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karen Rouillard
• Release date: Mar 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507098196

Book preview

Other books written by Karen Rouillard

Stasha’s Legacy

* Stasha’s Cure

I would like to dedicate this

book to my husband

Thank You for your endless support

I love you

I would like to thank Joanne Turcotte for all the help she has given me. Being an OR nurse, she has shown me that their job entails a great deal of strength, compassion and understanding. I appreciate the time she has spent with me, going over terminology and making me understand the feelings and stressful times that nurses must go through.

Chapter 1

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Sept 21, 1998

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It was going to be a hot day, soaring into the nineties, according to the weatherman. Brad lay in bed, lamenting the idea of flying commercial today. His best friend, Phillip, and Phillip's new bride, Stasha, had used the company Lear jet for their honeymoon and an extended business trip.

Twelve weeks ago, Phillip had married the beautiful Stasha. Brad still had not come to terms with his friend’s marriage. Brad remembered all the hopefuls who had wanted to be Mrs. Philip Demonde and how Brad checked each one out, so that his friend wouldn’t get caught by some gold digger. There were a couple of narrow escapes but Brad made sure that these women knew that they would have to sign an ironclad pre-nup. The candidates seemed to quit the race after that.

Brad, a lawyer for one of the most prestigious laboratories in the world, found his job challenging. On the upside, he got to travel all over the world. Now that the company, Magna Pharmaceuticals, had merged with Tantum Laboratories, he knew that he would be traveling a lot m

He’d have to hurry and shower. It made him realize just how spoiled he was, with the company plane at his disposal. He would arrive about twenty minutes before takeoff and still have enough time for a cup of coffee.

The hot, pulsating shower went a long way to release the tension that had built up in him lately. He knew that this meeting was crucial for Tantum and Philip told him how important it was for them to land the contract. He made sure that he finished all the paper work that was needed for VanStrauteen Enterprises last week. Philip had dealt with them personally, but it was up to Brad to follow up and make sure all the I’s were dotted.

Grabbing a towel, he dried off his six foot two frame. Wrapping the towel around his middle, he took his razor out and as he shaved, he took a long satisfying look at himself in the mirror. His body, glowing with health, was the product of the gym and health clubs. He never wanted to look like a body builder but he never wanted to go back to what he had looked like in high school.

He remembered that first week. As only a mom could, she had classified him as husky but the kids at school didn’t think so. To them, he was fat. He suffered with constant Hey Fatso or watch out for Blubber Boy. He never complained to his mother because he didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him.

His school days were filled with fear and self-loathing. One day, a few of the jocks harassed him in the hall and cornered him. He tried to sidestep them, but couldn’t. Hey Fatso, where you rolling to? said Tony C, the captain of the football team.

Brad was sweating it out and praying they would leave. He was nervously considering a run for it when Mr. Johnston came around the corner. Johnston quickly sized up the situation and glaring at the jocks, muttered, Don’t you guys have a class to get to?

Johnston was a big man; most of the guys in the school never talked back to him and the ones who did regretted it. Turning to Brad, he asked, Are you okay, son?

Brad was finding it harder and harder to shake off the insults but some days were worse than others. Anxious to get on with his day he said, I’m okay, Mr. Johnston. Thank you. I better get to class.

Brad, I think that you better come with me. Mr. Johnston took him by the shoulder and led him to a room down the hall. Brad never imagined that once Mr. Johnston opened that door, it would change his life forever. It was the school’s gym and he remembered how they would work out together at least four times a week. Mr. Johnston also taught him the finer points of self-protection and boxing.

Now, gazing in the mirror, Brad grinned at the memory. He remembered coming back to school the next fall. He had grown to over six feet by then and there was not an ounce of fat on him. The bullies who bothered him the year before were stepping out of his way. Things improved from there for him and to this day, he never forgot Mr. Johnston and his help.

After looking over to make sure no real damage was done from the razor, he washed off the excess lather and dried his face. He had a head full of black hair and emerald green eyes. His teeth had been capped when he was younger. They looked better now that he had them whitened. Realizing what he was doing, Brad stood back and grinned. Walking into the bedroom, he leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom and looked at the figure that lay there sleeping. He couldn’t believe that the tiny figure in his bed was actually his. He was still amazed every time she looked at him. He knew he fell hard when those blue eyes turned on him that Canada Day in Montreal. If someone would have told him he that he was going to fall in love a year ago, he probably would have laughed. He had flown in because Philip always asked him to go and celebrate with them but he always had work to do. The last time Philip asked him, he agreed to go. He phoned his parents to tell them he wouldn’t be home for the Fourth of July. His family in Colorado always celebrated with friends and family. His mom had been disappointed but she told him to have a good time. Philip had picked him up at the airport that morning and they drove over to the park where the celebrations for Canada Day were taking place. It was a beautiful park on the river and he was amazed at how many people were there. Philip told him that Stasha’s parents, his parents, and Franny’s parents decided to get together and celebrate. Philip took him around and introduced him to as many people as he could. He knew that he would only remember a few names. As three of them sat at a table in the shade, a woman approached them. My mom told me that I was to come over here and help you out, Stasha.

At the sound of her voice and seeing the smile on her lips, he remembered that the day got better and better after that. He remembered standing up and watching Stasha hug her friend. Franny, you know Philip already but I would like you to meet his best friend, Brad. He leaned over to shake her hand. It was so small in his. It was not until they went to play a game of baseball that he had actually seen her eyes. When she removed her sunglasses to play ball, he knew in that single moment, he was a goner. They had been seeing each other since.

At his closet, he selected the suit he planned to wear and dressed as quietly as he could. Franny was so tired last night. She had worked a double shift the day before and then came over so they would have some time together before he left. He had packed his bags the night before while waiting for her to get to his place after work. He knew that she would still be asleep when he left, so he placed them beside the door. He decided to keep the jacket off and to carry it until he went to the meeting.

In the kitchen he made some coffee and poached eggs. He knew that he would have to have something in his stomach before getting on a plane. Taking a last sip of his coffee, he picked up his plate and cup and put them in the dishwasher and then grabbed the note pad off the counter and sat back down at the table.

My Little Rose:

I didn’t want to wake you. I know that this last week has been very hard for you, so I wanted you to get some more sleep before you have to return to the hospital. I’ll call you every day. Be good and I will see you at the end of the week.

Brad

He took one of the cream-colored roses that he had given her out of the vase that sat on the living room table. When he found out on their second date that her favorite flower was cream-colored roses, he always made sure that she had fresh ones every week. Walking as quietly as he could, he walked over to the bed and laid the note and the rose on the pillow next to her. He bent down, kissed her very gently on the lips, and then stood for a second, just to have one more look at her before he left. How could a person who was so small be so tough? She dealt with things that some of the strongest guys he knew would never be able to handle. He had never been so proud to call someone his own and this little lady had him by the heartstrings. Turning, he walked out of the bedroom and looked at the clock on top of the mantle over the fireplace. It was six o‘clock and his plane was scheduled to leave in roughly three hours. He knew that he was supposed to be there by now. If traffic was good, he would be able to make it there before eight-fifteen. Taking a look around, he thought once more about Franny lying in his bed and wished he could miss his plane. Draping his jacket over his arm, Brad picked up his suitcase and briefcase and left the apartment, making sure the door was locked before taking the stairs down to the garage. Minutes later he was on his way to the airport.

Franny knew without opening her eyes that Brad had left. Turning towards his side of the bed, she squinted her eyes half open and noticed the rose and the note. Sitting up, she gently lifted the rose to her nose and breathed in the wonderful scent. Smiling to herself, she placed it on her lap and opened the note. Ever since he found out that she loved roses, he had taken to calling her his little rose. She loved the endearment. Reading the note, Franny sat back against the pillows and smiled. She and Brad had been together for more than a year now and last night he had made a romantic supper for the both of them. She had gotten off at six and was exhausted but she had promised him that she would come over after work so they could spend some time together before he left.

When she walked in the door, he had candles glowing throughout the living room and dining room and the table was set for two. Franny remembered the look on his face as she went over to the couch and sat down. He brought her over a glass of wine, sat down next to her and then picked up her feet and began massaging them. As he rubbed her feet, she could see that he was waiting for a response to everything that he had done. She didn’t tease him but quickly told him that everything looked beautiful. He seemed to relax after that. It was the first time that he ever did anything like this and he wanted it to be special. She remembered the steak, baked potatoes, and corn that he prepared on his own. To most girls’ standards, it wouldn’t be classified as a romantic meal. Brad wasn’t a great cook and stuck to the basics. She made sure he knew, that it was the best dinner she ever had. She glided her hand over the still sleep warm sheets where he laid last night. Thinking about what happened after they cleaned up; she could feel everything build once again. Last night wasn’t the first time that they actually slept together. She knew that they had waited a while before they became intimate and she was glad that they hadn’t rushed into bed together.

She had really liked Brad when she first met him but didn’t want to be a notch on someone’s belt. If a guy couldn’t wait, then she didn’t want him. She told him right from the start, that if he wanted to be with her for sex, than he could look elsewhere. He showed her that he wanted her and waited until she was ready. She was more tired now than when she walked in last night after work. He was, as usual, a very passionate lover. He discovered places that even she didn’t know were so sensitive; G spots she never dreamed of, and she was a nurse. He gave more than he took and she enjoyed every minute of it. He kept her up most of the night and she thought that it was very thoughtful of him to let her sleep, even though she wanted to get up to see him off. Taking a look at the clock, she realized that it was just after nine. Pulling the covers back, she knew that she should take a shower, but couldn‘t resist having a Jacuzzi bath.

After all this time, she was still amazed at his house. It was a Brownstone, truly beautiful and detailed everywhere you looked. The bathroom was spectacular. The Jacuzzi was set in the corner with Italian marble in a sand stone color. In the other corner, was the shower with a dozen jets to hit a person from all angles. The vanity had two large framed mirrors over each sink and the marble was carried over to the countertop. Small inset lights were recessed over the sinks and gave great lighting. She walked over to the Jacuzzi and turn on the water. As the steam came up from the water, she went to the cupboard for a towel. Grabbing a big, fluffy one, she placed it on the side of the tub and climbed in. The water felt so good and she lay back and let the heat and the motion of the jets sink in. Ah, she thought, this is what I needed all week. She could feel all the tension that had been building up over the last few weeks, release. Lying back against the tub, she thought back to what had happened to Stasha. She remembered the shock of the hospital staff finding out that Eric had tried to kill her over the project that she had been working on. She still couldn’t understand why a great doctor like him would want to jeopardize his career like that. He had made great money and was recognized for all the work he did with his cancer patients. Why throw all that away? Then there were some of the single nurses who denied that he could do such a thing and how sad it was that he was killed. They were the ones who looked at her as if it was her fault. All of them knew that Stasha was her best friend. She was glad that Philip had taken an earlier flight that night and showed up in time. If Stasha would have been hurt or killed, she didn’t know how she would have reacted. She had been on duty when they called her up in OR and told her that Stasha had been brought in. She remembered how she felt the first time four years ago when the same thing happened. She had rushed down to emergency, all the way hoping that she wouldn’t have to relive that night over. When she arrived at the emergency, one of the nurses, who was also on that night long ago, came up to her and reassured her that it wasn’t serious. She walked into the room and saw Philip standing beside the bed holding her hand. She remembered going over and grabbing the chart at the end of the bed, and was relieved to see that she just needed a few stitches. She remembered looking down at Stasha to see some bruising that started on the side of her face. Her eyes had been closed and then they started to open. Stasha took a look at her and started to cry. That was when Stasha told her everything that had happened and Franny had been in shock. Looking at Philip for confirmation at what Stasha had just told her, he nodded and told her that Eric was dead.

Ever since that night, she had felt the pressure at work but just shrugged it off. It wasn’t her fault that Eric was greedy and couldn’t be satisfied with what he had. She knew that over time, things would get better. She had just been relieved that Stasha had been all right. She let herself drift back to the wedding and remembered how beautiful Stasha looked. It was the most beautiful wedding she had ever been to. Everyone sitting there that day could see how much Philip and Stasha loved each other. She hadn’t spoken to Stasha in a few weeks. They had gone on their honeymoon and the day they were to return, a business matter came up and they had decided that they would leave from their honeymoon in the Caribbean and fly to Utah. Philip had one of his smaller labs there and had to approve some testing that had taken place while they were away. They were to arrive home tomorrow. Brad unfortunately had to be in Germany tonight, so he had to take a commercial airline instead of the company jet. As she lay there, she remembered how Brad looked when he told her that he had to take a commercial flight. She knew that he hated flying to begin with and had gotten used to flying in the company plane. As the Jacuzzi jets sprayed the areas in her lower back, which had been bothering her over the last couple of days, she thought of the new doctor who replaced Eric. She seemed like a nice person but time always told the truth. Some of them would start out as great people and then Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde would appear. She was grateful that she didn’t have to work with that team of doctors. They were in cancer treatments and she was in cardiovascular. Realizing that the water was starting to cool, she decided it would be a good time to get out and get ready for work. Standing up and grabbing the towel from the side of the tub where she left it, she dried herself off. Being a petite person did have its advantages. Brad was six foot- two inches and the tub was made to fit him comfortably. Franny was five feet, three inches and the tub almost swallowed her whole. It was great because as she lay there, it seemed that every jet seemed to hit all the places she needed tending to.

After cleaning up the bathroom, she walked into the bedroom and grabbed her bag in the corner. She knew that she would be staying over and brought some clothes for work. Looking around the room as she dressed, she was still overwhelmed at how big the rooms where in this house. Brad’s bedroom had a textured sand color on the walls. The window in the room had stained glass portions on each side. The furniture was mahogany and huge. The bed rested on a raised platform, which a person needed to step up to. The one thing that she noticed was that it wasn’t all masculine. It was more contemporary.

Just as she finished dressing, she heard Lidia, Brad’s maid call out to her. Hello Miss Franny, it is just me, Lidia. Mr. Brad called me from his cell phone and told me that you were still here. I will make you some breakfast before you go to work.

She had liked Lidia since the first time she met her. She and Brad had a day off during the week and spent it around the house. Going back into the bathroom, she took her makeup out of her case and applied just a bit of mascara and lipstick. Taking some gel in her hands, she manipulated her hair into the spiky way she wore it. It was spiked up on top with pieces going this way and that way. In the back, it came up and she left a couple pieces that would lie against her neck. She just had a few colors of blonde and caramel put in at the hairdressers with foil and the effect looked great. Taking one last look in the mirror, she decided that, that was going to be the best it was going to get. Putting everything back in her bag, she brought it out to the living room. Walking into the kitchen, she said, Hi Lidia, you don’t have to go to all the trouble of making me anything. Walking over to the counter, she reached up into the cupboard for a cup. The coffee was fresh and it was one staple that she couldn’t go without. Holding the cup with both hands, she took a sip and enjoyed the rich flavor.

You just sit at the table; I have some eggs poached for you. Would you like rye toast or whole wheat? Lidia asked her. She had learned long ago that she would never win the argument if she tried, so she resigned herself to having Lidia make her something before she went to work. With a laugh, she looked at Lidia and told her rye would be fine. While she ate her breakfast, Lidia went about doing her work. Every so often, she would hear Lidia comment on how nice a man Brad was and that he should be married by now. She also let it slip that the Brownstone could hold many children. She just smiled at her and on occasion had thought the same thing herself. Finishing up, she cleaned up her dishes and with one more sip of coffee put everything in the dishwasher.

Finding Lidia in the living room, dusting the mantle of the fireplace, Lidia, I’ve got to get to work but before I go, I want to thank you for the great breakfast and I hope you have a good day.

As she left the house, Lidia smiled.

Chapter 2

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The plane was full and he sat down in his seat and tried to relax, knowing that he was in for a long flight. Being in First Class made it easier. The stewardess walked by and asked everyone to make sure they were buckled in. The plane was almost ready for takeoff. He had to fly this way every so often because both of them were needed in different areas at the same time. It was quiet in First Class and he knew that as soon as they got in the air, he would try to get some sleep. Last night had been great. He never thought someone so small could be so energetic. He knew that he needed to get some rest because as soon as he landed in Germany, he would be taken directly to meet Mr. VanStrauteen of VanStrauteen Enterprises. Mr. VanStrauteen had contacted Philip six months ago. He wanted to use Tantum Laboratories for some research. This would be the first time the he would meet him. There were contracts to sign and also to go over the regulation for using the facility. Tantum Laboratories had strict regulations and any company that used their labs had to sign agreement forms. At that time, the top people from VanStrauteen Enterprises who needed access to the lab would need to go through the screening process. The security levels at all of Tantum’s labs were the highest that money could buy. They would need to have three areas of their body scanned; the eyes, thumbprint, and the voice. Once that was finished, they would be put into the security system so they could enter the lab that was assigned to them. Philip made sure that after each business session was finished, the people who had had access to the lab would be deleted from the system after the business with Tantum was concluded.

As he felt the plane start to take off, he tensed and gripped the arms of his seat. Flying wasn’t his favorite past time but if he had to do his job, he had to go through it. Once the plane was up in the air, he would be all right. He just never got used to take off. As the plane evened out, he let go of the armrest and sat back to relax. He pulled out his laptop and went over some of the notes that would be needed during the process for screening. One of the stewardesses walked up to his seat and leaned down to speak to him. She was tall and slim with beautiful brown eyes