Color Blind (BWWM Interracial Billionaire Single Mom Steamy Romance Novel) (20 page)

“
Miss Harris, I do understand your concern. These tests are necessary. I would never order additional testing if it weren’t required to determine exactly what we’re dealing with.”
 

“
So you’re saying that these tests are absolutely necessary? You can’t just look at the ones she did a few months ago?”

“
I’m afraid not. As the condition progresses, it takes its toll on the body. We need to see how much it has affected her bones and joints.
If we don’t do that and don’t treat her condition correctly, it could leave her crippled in a
wheelchair with severe pain—more pain that she’s in right now.”
 

Frustrated, I agreed, “I’ll make sure we have it done.”
 

Out in the warm car, Dale and Nevaeh waited for me. When he saw me walking out of the building, he circled around to pick me up at the front door. The car ride home was silent as I thought about how much everything was really adding up. It also didn’t help the fact that I barely had Nevaeh’s presents bought for Christmas. When we arrived at my house, he carried Nevaeh inside and sat her on the couch.
 

“
Nevaeh, would you like some hot chocolate?”
 

“
Yes, momma, I would! Can I have marshmallows in it?”

I nodded my head indicating that she could as I made my way into the kitchen. As I filled the cup with water, tears began to blur my vision. Dale walked in and noticed my shoulders heaving as I cried silently by the sink.
 

He walked behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, “Hey, it’s going to be okay. We won’t let anything happen.”
 

At my melting point, I broke down. “Let’s go into my bedroom for a minute,” I sat the cup of water on the counter.
 

Once we were inside the bedroom, I shut the door to prevent Nevaeh from overhearing what I was about to say. Dale looked at me with concern in his eyes; this was going to be bad.
 

“
What’s going on?” he asked.

“
I don’t know how to say this to you. I—I’m almost ashamed to admit this to you,” I paused, looking away. The tears began to flow. “I’m just so stressed out. I know that she’s sick and needs medical help, but I can’t afford it. I’ve maxed out my credit card, I have almost no cash, business has picked up
some,
but it’s not been great and I hardly have any of Nevaeh’s presents bought. She was
actually
hoping for a tablet this year. Before she came out of remission with her symptoms, I told her to pray to God and ask Santa to bring it and maybe she’d get it. I don’t even have fifty bucks to go buy one of those small, cheap tablets! And the doctor keeps ordering all this testing….” My voice broke as sobs washed over me.
 

“
Kimberly, it’s not the end of the world. She needs this medical testing and she needs you. She
needs you to be strong for her and show her that everything’s going to be all right. I know that I offered to pay for everything before, and you shot me down, but would you consider it now? Please?”
 

“
I’m sure you mean well, but I can’t just let you pay for everything,” I said, wiping my nose
with
the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
 

“
Listen,
Kimberly, you’re my girlfriend, not some charity case. You and that little girl on the couch out there mean the world to me. I had an idea; don’t interrupt, just hear me out,” he asserted.
 

I nodded my head, still sniffling with my tears as I wiped my cheeks dry.
 

“
I’ve actually put quite a bit of thought into this; it’s something that’s been on my mind for a while now. I realize that you won’t take my money, you’re not that type of person, but what if I was able to get the money to you in a different way?”

Now he had my attention; I was listening.
 

“
What if I didn’t give you the money?” he asked, putting the word give into air quotes as he said it.
“I’d like to hold a fundraiser, and call it the “Nevaeh Fund.” I will personally finance all of her
medical bills and procedures. All money raised from the fund will directly go to help benefit other children with her condition.”
 

He looked into my eyes, trying to gauge my
reaction,
but my face was blank as I tried to process his words.
 

“
Can I be honest with you?” I asked. “No man has ever been this good or kind to us, why are you? Why do you care so much? I mean, I appreciate what you’re proposing, but what’s your motivation to do it?” I asked out of curiosity.
 

“
I’ve never seen someone as pure as you, so genuine. Kimberly, you may not realize this, but you’ve shown me that people with good hearts really do exist. Your love for Nevaeh is something that I wish I would’ve had with my own mother; I want you to have the best in life. Please, let me help you.”
 

“
Let me think about it. I need time.”

Dale’s words replayed through my mind.
How can I not take his help?
This could make a huge difference in my baby’s life; how can I deny her of that? I knew there was no way that I could pay for all of this, it would take years based on my salary. The jig was up. I struggled with the fact that I
might have to swallow my pride and accept his help.
Does that make me a bad mother for taking his money
? And how dare he publicize my need? On the same token, I was so touched that he would go through all of the trouble to organize an event on our behalf. It could also help other families that are in the same financial struggle that I am. I had no choice but to resign myself to the fact that I had no choice but to agree to the fundraiser and accept Dale’s help.
 

I hated the fact that I needed to accept his offer and how ashamed it made me feel. With all of these emotions coursing through me, I wore myself down as I pondered how accepting his generous offer may affect our relationship as I drifted off to sleep that night. I knew it would make a difference in Nevaeh’s life, and it could make a difference in the lives of other children. But would he still love me, or would I now become a mission to him—someone to fix instead of someone to love? I wanted more than ever to believe nothing would change, or more truthfully that money wouldn’t change our relationship. My heart wants to believe it; now if I can just get my head on board. I held onto that as I finally fell asleep.
 

After a good night’s rest, I mulled it over some more in the morning; it was Christmas Eve.
Staring at the bare tree made me feel even worse, but at least Santa would be coming that night. He would deliver several more presents for my baby girl, though, none of them would contain the tablet that she so desperately wanted. The one she’d been hoping and praying for.
 

“
Dale,” I said when he answered the phone, “I was wondering if you were coming over tonight for dinner?”
 

“
I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Is there any
particular
time I should be there?”
 

“
Oh, I
thought
maybe we’d eat around six o’clock, and maybe we could have some eggnog after dinner.”
 

“
Sounds good to me. Do you need me to bring a dish or pick anything up on my way over?” He knew that I couldn’t leave my little girl to run to the store.
 

“
Actually, yes, if you could pick up an apple pie and some whipped cream, that would be great. I forgot to get dessert when I went shopping for dinner.”

“
I’ll be there in just a bit; I’m wrapping some presents right now and then I’ll head over.”

“
You didn’t have to get us anything for Christmas,” I said, feeling guilty for not having a present for him to open.
 

“
I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. It’s nothing
significant
.”
 

Honesty got the best of me. “Dale, I have to admit something to you. I didn’t have money to get you anything,” I explained as shame swept over me.
 

“
Don’t worry about whether you bought me anything. You’ve already given me the best present in my life: you and that sweet doll face who’s probably wondering when I’ll be there,” he laughed.
“I’m going to jump off of here and get over there as soon as I can.”
 

I had just placed the ham in the oven when Dale knocked on the door. “Come in,” I yelled from the kitchen.
 

“
Momma! It’s Dale!” Nevaeh exclaimed as her eyes widened, staring at the presents in his arms.
 

“
Here, let me help you,” I offered, placing the gifts under the tree.
 

“
I’ll be right back. I have to go back out for the dessert, but I wanted to bring the important stuff inside first.”

We had
an excellent
dinner, and afterward, we sat around sipping hot cocoa and coffee. Nevaeh couldn’t take her eyes off the brightly wrapped presents with big bows on top.
 

“
Momma, could I open my present from Dale? Please, please, please?” she begged.
 

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows, asking if he cared. “Let’s see what he thinks.”
 

“
Oh, go ahead!” he said as he retrieved a gift from under the tree. “Open this one.”

She tore into the package like a pro, after carefully removing the beautiful bow on top of the present. Her jaw dropped when she saw it was a Color Blaster.

Giddy with excitement, she yelled, “Look momma! Look! He got me a Color Blaster!”

“
That’s awesome!” she exclaimed, giving her daughter a high-five.

“
Would you like to open one of your presents tonight?” he asked me.
 

“
If you want me to,” I said, snuggling up to him on the couch.
 

He reached under the tree and pulled out a square-shaped present, neatly wrapped with a ribbon tied around it. “I hope you like it.”

“
I
will
because it’s from you,” I said as I carefully opened my gift.
 

I pulled out a cashmere sweater decorated with
beautiful
sequins. “Dale, this is so
sweet
,” I said as she nestled the sweater against my face.
 

“
Thank you,” he said, kissing my forehead. “I thought maybe you could wear it to the benefit,” he said, hoping that I’d thought about it more and would accept.
 

“
Actually, I was going to talk to you about that.”

He leaned in, waiting to hear my response.
 

“
I think we’ll accept. It’s not something that I’m very proud of, but I thought a lot about it last night and I have to do it for her.”

“
Do what?” Nevaeh asked.
 

“
We’re going to have a benefit on your behalf and any money raised will help you and other children with your condition,” he explained to her.

“
What’s a benefit?”

“
Um, it’s kind of like the
fundraisers
that you have at school,” I explained, trying to relate it to something that she would understand. “You know how your class sold chocolate bars when your teacher was raising money for a class pet that you could all play with?”
 

Nevaeh nodded her head.
 

“
Well, it’s kind of like that, only except the money will help pay for other little boys and girls who have the same thing you do. It will help pay for their testing, medicine and equipment that they might need.”

“
And you’re going to do that for
me
?” Nevaeh asked Dale, shocked that she was so special to him.
 

“
Absolutely! I have to tell you something, Nevaeh,” he knelt down before her. “You and your
mommy mean the world to me. You’re such a big piece of my heart and I want to help you and other children with your condition in any way that I can. Do you
wish
to have a party next week?”
 

“
Next week?” I asked, surprised it would be so soon.
 

“
Yes, I
thought
we’d have a New Year’s Eve benefit. I can advertise on social media sites and have my assistant get in touch with some of our close friends and family. We can have some food catered, order a band and, of course, have our star guest at the party,” he said, turning his glance to Nevaeh.