“My fault, I’m afraid.” Allison said. “We were discussing something he felt strongly about, and he got carried away. I’m sorry, I’ll see that he gets some rest.”

“We mustn’t let this happen again,” the nurse said. “Call me if he becomes agitated.”

Allison leaned over the bed as the nurse left. “You heard the lady,” she said. “No more talking. You need to rest. I should be still and let you take a nap before Brianna gets back.” She found his hand again. “Thank you for helping me understand the problems. It helps, at least, to know what’s going on.”

“Then you know why I need you to get away from this mess, legally and physically, before you get sucked into it. These are ugly people. If they won’t take no for an answer, they could even threaten you or Brianna to get to me.”

“Hush. Close your eyes and rest.” She squeezed his hand and released it. “I’m going to the nurses’ station to see if I can talk them out of some coffee. When I come back, I want to find you asleep—or at least making a good show of it.”

“Call that damned lawyer,” he said as she walked out the door.

Allison pretended not to hear him.

She took her time, getting coffee and chatting with the nurse on duty. When she walked back into the room with her cup, Burke was sleeping peacefully, his vitals stable.

She sank onto the chair beside his bed, still taking in what he’d told her and trying to make sense of it all. Was he really in danger? Was she? Should she jump in and try to help him or keep her distance and protect her own interests?

What would Kate have done?

But why even wonder? Something told Allison that Kate had never faced this kind of choice.

Needing a distraction, she finished her coffee, picked up the magazine she’d abandoned earlier, and leafed through the pages. But the slick ads and celebrity faces blurred in her vision. It was as if someone had pulled the plug, draining every drop of energy and emotion from her body.

What if Burke was being overly cautious? What if Garrett was right, and the Edgeway Group was offering a legitimate bailout of the theater?

That was the last thought that filtered through her weary mind before her head drooped, and she fell into a doze.

* * *

“Hi, Daddy!” Brianna’s cheerful voice shattered the silence in the room. Allison woke with a jerk that was like being dropped off a twenty-foot ladder. Burke was awake, too, stirring in the bed. A glance at the monitors showed that his vitals were still good.

He gave his daughter a smile. “Hello, sweetheart. How was lunch?”

“Scrumptious. You know how much I love the Chateau.”

“Did Garrett come back into the hospital with you, Brianna?” she asked.