Chapter 13

Derek helped carry the finished Native American pieces to the art gallery. There was one day left to his brother's wedding and he had yet to find a way to break the wedding up. Tophyr kept telling him it would work out, but he wasn't sure. Not since her father had been hospitalized after a heart attack. She had checked out on him.

Even though it had only been the night before, Tophyr's entire mood had changed. They had woken up in her room that morning. She didn't say anything about sleeping with him. She just jumped up and got in the shower. He got in after she did. When he stepped out, there was a change of clothes for him. She was loading her pieces into separate totes.

He didn't even realize the Hursts owned a car. He was pleasantly surprised when Tophyr led him down to the parking garage. She popped the trunk to a Mercedes-Benz and started loading the totes. They hadn't said a word, except goodbye to Percy who had been curled on the couch with Penelope.

The music was low in the car as Tophyr took the backstreets of the city. When she drove across town to SoHo, he knew why she had taken the car. She pulled up to the back door of the gallery. Someone had obviously been watching for her as three people came out to help unload the pieces.

Nothing had been said as she helped hang the portraits. Derek stood out of the way as the curator and Tophyr talked about where the wolf should hang. It was the best out of the entire collection and the curator knew it. He apparently said something Tophyr agreed with because she was nodding her head.

"So all the proceeds will go to whatever charity I wish, correct?" he heard her ask as they came back over to where he was standing.

"Yes. You just have to make a decision. I understand your father is in the hospital," the curator said.

Tophyr nodded. "I'm going to do some research and I will get back to you in the next twenty-four hours."

"Sounds good. I will hear from you to tomorrow." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Derek was slightly stunned as Tophyr grabbed his arm, but then he realized she was shaking. He didn't say a word as they got back in the car. This time he was driving. She leaned against the door and stared out the window. He was concerned but he knew better than to question her.

He headed back to the Upper East Side and took a right. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Tophyr look up and around at their settings. He pulled into the parking garage of the hospital that her father had been taken to. He waited as she got out

before he locked the doors and took her hand.

Jim Hurst was on the fifth floor cardiac ward. When they arrived, the entire family had congregated in the hallway. Derek was surprised that his family was there as well, including Caroline. Dayton came over to them and hugged both of them.

"We didn't know where you had gone to last night. Then Jim was on the news this morning and we knew exactly where you had gone. We came over as soon as we could. How are you doing, Tophyr?" he asked.

Tophyr looked up. "I'm good. Thanks, Dayton."

"I can't imagine the pain you're feeling."

"Day," Derek warned quietly.

Dayton had the decency to look contrite. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Tophyr shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Excuse me." She let go of Derek's hand and went to her father's room.

Derek looked at him brother. "Whose idea was it to come to the hospital?"

Dayton looked confused. "It was Caroline's. She said we should go see how one of our most distinguished guests was doing."

"Dayton, Jim Hurst's heart attack was on the ten o'clock news last night. How did you not find out about it until this morning?"

"We were out with friends last night. We came in and went straight to bed. What are you getting at, Der?"

"I just don't think Caroline is the right one for you."

Dayton stared at his little brother in shock. "You're telling me this now? One day before my wedding?"

"I'm sorry, Day. I've been thinking about this for a little bit. I just never had the guts to say it to your face, not with everything going on with Dad."

"Then why bring it up now?" Derek didn't answer as he looked over his brother's shoulder to the woman he brought to the hospital. She was talking to her family. Dayton followed his gaze. "Ah. She's made you bolder, hasn't she?"

"That she has. She's made me want to paint again."

Dayton smiled happily. "Good for you, brother. You were always an excellent artist."

"She's having a showing at a gallery in SoHo. I'm trying to get as many people to

come to it as possible. She's got talent. I want her to see what everyone else sees."

"What everyone else sees is completely different, Der. Are you sure you don't want her to know what you see?"

Derek was shocked into silence. His brother had seen through him. Not many people could do that. Loud voices caused the brothers to turn around to see who it concerned. It concerned them as Caroline and Tophyr got into it.

"You know what? I wouldn't come to your wedding even if my life depended on it," Tophyr hissed.

Caroline didn't have the decency to hide her disgust. "Why? Because you know it will be the best social event of the year?"

"Is that what you think? I don't think so honey. No one will think that. Not after Alex gets married in the spring. Your wedding will only be a stepping stone compared to his."

"You're just mad because I found someone better than your older brother."

"Oh, no, honey, I'm not. If you had married Alex, you would have been divorced by now. All you wanted him for was his money. When he said no, you dumped him and found someone "better." Guess what? I won't let Dayton marry you because I know what you're like and what you will do to get what you want."

"Tophyr." Lucille's voice was nothing compared to her angry daughter's.

As Derek looked around, he noticed none of the others in the family were saying a word. Britani and Lily looked smug, like they were proud of their sister. Percy and Alain were standing to side just waiting for something to happen. Alex looked slightly embarrassed but he wasn't going to step in the middle of this. Lucille was the only one who looked down right offended.

Caroline took one step forward and Tophyr stepped into her space. "Get in my face and you'll see why they say the Hurst family is the toughest family in all of the Upper East Side." The other woman thought better of it. "That's what I thought. Now you better tell Dayton the real reason why you're marrying him or I will."

"I think you already made it clear, Tophyr. Thank you," Dayton said. He turned to his brother and looked at him intently. "Did you know about this?"

"I didn't know until recently. Caroline was dating Alex a few years ago. He said all she wanted was money because her father will end up losing everything in the next few years. She wanted to "support" him." He made the quotations with his fingers.

Dayton turned back to his fiancé. "Is all this true?"

Caroline's face turned red. "What? No! I would never do that."

"Tell him the truth, Caroline," Alex said. When she gave him an annoyed look, he turned to Dayton. "She stole from me, Dayton." At that remark, everyone looked at him. "She stayed the night one time. I got up the next morning to get in the shower. When I got out, she was gone and so was the money in my wallet."

"How much was it?" Lucille asked.

"Not much but it was enough for me not to trust her anymore. If she can do it to me, she can do it to you."

Dayton looked at everyone. Finally his eyes settled on Tophyr. He walked up to her and hugged her tightly. "Don't hurt my brother. He's in love with you."

Tophyr was shaken when he kissed the side of her head and stepped back. She didn't even hear Caroline call to him as she followed him to the elevator. Alex came over and hugged her. He was probably the proudest of them all.

"I'm really proud of you, Tophyr. You stood up for this family."

"Yeah. All this is bothering me. Tell Dad I had to go."

"Okay, sweetie," their mother said.

Derek followed Tophyr out to the car. She wasn't going to talk to him. It was going to kill him even more. When they stopped at the car, she turned to look at him.

"Maybe you should go find your brother. He's going to need you more than me."

She didn't leave time for argument as she got in the car and left.