Hopelessly Perfect (Perfectly Imperfect Love Series Book 2)

by S. E. Rose

  “Green.”

  “I’ll be red.”

  We start the game and play three rounds.

  Just as we are finishing our tie-breaker game, Brix walks in.

  Ash picks up the double green and wins the game. “Yes!” he says, clapping his hands and placing his piece at the end of the board game.

  “Nice job,” I say and give him a fist bump.

  “Candyland, huh?” Brix asks.

  Ash gives me a panicked look.

  “It’s my favorite,” I reply, giving Ash a wink. He visibly relaxes.

  “Mine, too,” Brix says.

  “Really?” Ash asks.

  “Really.”

  “That’s cool. I mean, it’s a good game,” Ash says. I grin at Brix. He’s great with kids. I’ve watched him for the last few days. He has a way with children. He gets them. It’s not something most adults can do.

  “Can I play?” Brix asks.

  “Sure,” I say to him, scooting over so he can join us on the bed.

  He picks the blue character, and we play another round. Ash wins both times.

  “You’re good at this game,” Brix says as he stands up. “Can I check your heart?”

  Ash nods and lets Brix examine him. “You’re doing really good, Ash. I know this all sucks, but you got this, OK?”

  Ash nods.

  I know the next few weeks are going to get worse. It’s a tough road he has ahead of him. It’s funny the things you remember from your childhood. Like, why do I remember eating a PB&J sandwich at my grandparents’ house, but I don’t remember a hundred other times when I ate it at home? Or why do I recall one time of playing hopscotch with a friend on the playground but not the umpteen million other times we played on the swings?

  I do remember a lot of my time here at the hospital. It wasn’t fun. Ash has been a trooper so far. He’s only cried a few times, but each time it has cut me to the bone. I wish I could trade places with him. I’d do it all again if I could stop him from hurting.

  Brixton

  I hurry through my day. My mind keeps coming back to Ashton and Lanie. It doesn’t help that I have to pass Ash’s room at least two dozen times throughout the day. Each time, I peek inside to see Lanie playing a game with him.

  The last time I pop my head in and ask to speak with her.

  “We should probably figure out some sort of tutoring situation for Ashton. I don’t want him to fall behind in school,” I say as I glance past him to see that Ash is watching something on Lanie’s phone.

  “I agree. I can ask Di. She teaches at his school, and I think he would be in her class. I mean, when he goes back.” She glances back into Ash’s room.

  “Great. Set it up. She can come by and get him started on some stuff. You know, you’re really good with him,” I add motioning to Ash.

  She smiles. “I guess I’ve always been good with kids—part of being the oldest sibling of five. But, a few years ago, I got certified as a foster parent.”

  “Really?” I ask, surprised by her admission.

  She nods. “A client of mine was going through a tough time, and I offered to have her son come stay with me for a few weeks. They lived in our town. The court agreed to it, but only if I got certified.”

  “You did all that for a client?”

  “She was in a really hard place. I knew her from school. Her parents had both died and she was all alone. She got caught up with drugs and . . . well, she ended up in court. Judge Maloney asked me if I’d represent her pro bono. I did, and her son, Josh, is now ten and doing great. She’s also doing great. She got put in a special program and is now getting her college degree to become a social worker.”

  “Wow! That’s great!”

  She frowns. “It’s not the norm, but I’m glad it worked out in that case.”

  “Well, I should get back to work, and I should let you get back to having fun with Ash.”

  “I’ll see you later,” she says as she turns and walks back into Ash’s room.

  I watch her ass sway as she walks. Damn, my mind has tunnel vision when it comes to that woman.

  I spend the last hour of my day going over patient charts and checking on two critically ill patients. I manage to get home at a decent hour for once, and I force myself to clean and do laundry, two tasks that I loathe. My mind keeps wandering back to playing Candyland with Ash and Lanie. I’ve played games with many patients over the years, but there’s something special about Ash. He’s an old soul, wise beyond his years for seven. I enjoy his company. He’s a sweet kid, but he’s also silly. I momentarily wonder if I’ll have a kid of my own someday. I haven’t really thought about that before. I push the thought aside and continue with my work. If I’m being honest with myself, part of me just wants to go to sleep so I can get back to the hospital to see Ash and Lanie again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lanie

  “Hey,” Di says from the doorway of Ash’s hospital room. She has a giant bag draped over her shoulder.

  “Ash, this is my sister, Miss Di.”

  “Hi,” he says cautiously as he sizes her up before turning to me. “What’s your sister doing here?”

  I smile at him. “Well, she teaches at the elementary school in Banneker. She’s going to tutor you while you are here so that you don’t fall behind.”

  Ash groans, and I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face. Even in the midst of all of his medical issues, he’s still just a kid.

  Di sits down in the chair next to his bed. “Don’t worry, we are going to make this fun, I promise.”

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” he says as he rolls over and buries his head in his pillow.

  “Well, I’m glad to see your treatments haven’t killed your desire to learn,” I say as I look over at my sister.

  She grins at me. “Oh, well. I guess I’ll just take this tablet back home. I was going to show you this cool video game, but—”

  Ash rolls over. “A video game?”

  Di nods. “Yeah. There’s this cool video game that I like to play. Most of my students play it when we have free time or indoor recess.”

  Ash’s eyes get big. “Really? They can play video games at school?”

  “Yep. It’s a cool school. I think you’ll like it there.”

  “I don’t like school,” he responds, crossing his arms in defiance.

  Di turns the tablet around, and Ash’s eyes get even wider as he sees a very cool game on the screen. Di explains the game and plays it once. Ash sits closer to her and examines the game.

  “Can I try it?” he asks tentatively.

  “Sure,” she says as she hands the tablet to him. It only takes him a few minutes to become completely engrossed.

  “Well, I have to head out, but maybe I can stop by tomorrow. I can show you a few other games you might like.”

  “Uh, yeah.” Ash barely looks up from the tablet. I bite my lip to keep from laughing.

  “I’m gonna walk Di out. I’ll be back.” I look over at Ash, but he just nods and keeps playing. I shake my head as I follow Di toward the elevator.

  “He’s a good kid,” she states.

  “Yep.”

  “He just started treatment, right?”

  “A little over a week ago,” I remind her.

  My phone buzzes, and I look down to see a call from Larry at my office. “I gotta take this. I’ll see you later.”

  “See ya,” Di says, craning her neck to see who is calling me. She rolls her eyes when she sees my phone screen. “Take another week off!” She yells as the elevator doors close.

  “Hello,” I answer while rolling my eyes.

  “Hey, how’s your time off going?” Larry asks.

  “Fine. How are my cases?”

  “Good. Everything is good. Listen, I know I said a week, but I was just checking your leave hours and you have so much leave. You should take a few weeks. Enjoy yourself.”

  “Are you firing me?” I ask, raising my voice.

  “No
. Heck no. You’re one of my best attorneys. I just don’t want you to get burnt out and leave the firm. I’ve had that happen before.”

  “Larry, firms don’t just give lawyers weeks off. That’s not how this works.”

  Larry sighs. “Truthfully, I’m worried about you, Lanie. That’s all.”

  “I’m fine. Can I at least do some case prep at home? I need to work on discovery for a trial that I have next month. I don’t want anyone else doing it.”

  “Fine, come by and get your files and work from home, but I don’t want you in court except to drop off things and I don’t want you in the office for at least two more weeks.”

  I groan. “Fine.” I agree begrudgingly.

  “Good. I’ll see you soon.” He hangs up, and I stare down at the phone in shock. I can’t believe he just told me to take some more time off. That’s completely un-lawyer-like of him. I know Larry is walking a very fine line between being my mentor and my boss. I care about our firm, and he needs to put the firm first. That’s what I do.

  I lean against the wall and close my eyes, letting out a deep breath.

  “You OK?” Brix’s voice breaks through my near meltdown.

  “I . . . don’t know.”

  I open my eyes to see Brix’s concerned face looking at mine. “I’m fine. I . . . my boss wants me to take off some more time.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  I shake my head. “Not in lawyer land.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. You work hard, Lanie. He clearly thinks you need to rest.”

  I fidget with my phone. “That’s just it. I don’t want to rest. I hate doing nothing. It’s why I work so much. Sitting around just . . . I don’t like it.”

  “OK, so don’t sit around. Ash could use your company.”

  “I know. I guess I’ll hang out here. I’m going to do some work from home, too.”

  “Good. See? No big deal.”

  I sigh. “I guess.”

  Brix grabs my arm and squeezes, and I look back up at him. “It’ll be OK, Lanie.”

  I nod. “I hope so.”

  “I know so.”

  “You’re awfully sure of yourself,” I say as I turn to head back to Ash’s room.

  “I just have a feeling, that’s all. I’ll see you at your parents’ house?”

  “Sure,” I reply, remembering that tomorrow is Saturday.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brixton

  “She likes you,” Di says matter-of-factly as we sit at the kitchen table. It’s a little chilly outside, but the Moores have outdoor heaters that keep their deck and gazebo warm year-round. Plus, it’s sunny out, so there are plenty of people outside enjoying the weather.

  “You think?”

  Di laughs. “Dude, I shared a womb with her. You think I don’t know when she likes a guy?”

  “Valid point.”

  “She’s just . . . Lanie. She has to be in control all the time. Letting loose and following her desires is not in her DNA. I mean, she was always the serious one, but after cancer, ten times worse. She got all A’s, was valedictorian of our class, played three sports, went to college and law school on a full scholarship, and got the exact job she wanted, working at a mid-size firm that let her practice in her hometown. She controls everything. I mean, have you seen her house?”

  I start laughing and nodding.

  “Then you know. Her OCD is strong, and her ability to over-analyze is even stronger.”

  “Do you think she has it in her to let go?”

  Di grins. “Yes.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “I feel there’s a story there.”

  “There have only been a few times that I’ve seen Lanie truly let go. But I promise you, it is possible for that woman to let her freak flag fly.”

  “You aren’t going to share those stories?”

  Di looks around and lowers her voice. “Fine. One time, we almost got arrested for skinny-dipping in the Reflecting Pool.”

  My eyebrows shoot up. “As in the one in front of the Lincoln Memorial?”

  Di laughs and nods. “We went there with some friends, and they dared us to do it. So, we did. I was shocked Lanie did it, but it was truth or dare and the truth was to say who she had a crush on, so skinny-dipping it was. A cop shined his light on us, and we took off running naked through the woods. Luckily, our friends caught up with us and tossed us our clothes. We saw a few cops walking around after, and they asked us if we’d seen two girls. We lied and said we’d seen two naked girls running toward the Vietnam Memorial.”

  “Well, that’s one way to stay out of trouble.”

  “What can I say? We aren’t always perfect. Lanie mostly is, though.”

  “Yes, she certainly is,” I agree as I watch her through the window. She and Kent both have kids in their hands and are running around letting them pretend to be airplanes. She’s laughing, and her blonde hair is whipping around in the wind. She looks purely intoxicating.

  I keep my eyes fixed on her as she finishes playing with the kids and goes to join her sister Kylie at the table on the deck. Di suggests that we go outside and join them.

  I grab some more blankets from the giant basket of them that Mrs. Moore keeps by the sliding door in the family room.

  I love their house. It’s as though every aspect of it was designed to bring people together. From the oversized furniture that beckons you to lounge on it and watch a movie, to the insanely comfortable outside furniture that creates several more spaces for gathering, the whole house just screams ‘come hang out with people.’ They are also amazing at hosting people, aside from that weird sex-in-the-laundry room thing that I’m still blushing about every time I see Mrs. Moore, but I can’t help but feel at home here. I hope someday that I will have a home like this. Hell, I hope I can have a home that’s not my one-room studio apartment.

  I step outside and sit next to Lanie, who has managed to rest after playing with the neighbor’s kids. Di takes drink orders and yells inside for more margarita pitchers. I chuckle.

  “What? We need some libations out here. I’m beered out,” she says with a wink. I find it funny that Di is a teacher because, outside of her classroom, she is definitely not teacher-like; she’s a total rule-breaker, and it’s entertaining as hell.

  I glance over at Lanie; somewhere in there I know she’s a rulebreaker, too. I just need to peel back all the layers that have been added over the years. I decide then and there to make it my mission to bring out the fun side of Lanie.

  Lanie

  KJ finishes playing with the little girls from next door and walks over to us. Kylie and Di are deep into a debate about the best show to binge-watch on Netflix.

  “Hey, I need to chat with you two,” he says in a hushed voice as he motions to walk around to the side of the garage.

  Brix and I look at each other before following him.

  “What do you think is going on?” Brix asks as he looks back at the others.

  “No idea,” I answer as we turn the corner and come to an abrupt stop.

  “What’s up?” I ask Kent when we are out of earshot of the others.

  KJ fidgets from one foot to the other. I haven’t seen him look this nervous since his first professional ball game.

  “Dude, what’s wrong?” Brix asks, his face growing more serious by the second.

  KJ looks at us. “I . . . I want to ask Tabby to marry me.”

  I squeal. “Really?”

  “Shhhh,” KJ whisper-yells.

  I clamp a hand over my mouth.

  “Congrats, man. You have my approval, and my grandparents will just be thrilled that Tabby’s getting married since they are living in The Handmaid’s Tale and all.”

  I elbow Brix. I met his grandparents once when I helped Tabby bring a new chair over to their house. They are old school, but they were polite.

  “What? It’s true. There’s a reason I spent nearly a decade of my life living abroad; it certainly wasn’t because of my sister.”

 
“Can I get you two to focus for a moment?”

  Our heads whip back around to KJ just as Di walks around the corner.

  KJ groans.

  “What? I’m not invited to this private party?”

  KJ motions for her to come over to us. Di looks at him and then at us.

  I give her a look, and she squeals and starts jumping up and down. “You’re gonna pop the question!?”

  “Shhhh!” we all yell.

  Di covers her mouth with her hand. “My bad,” she says through her fingers.

  “OK, can we focus here for like two seconds?” KJ asks, clearly exasperated.

  We all nod.

  “So, I need to get your opinions. I was going to make a big production at the opening game of the season, but I don’t know if Tabby would like that.”

  Brix shakes his head. “Nope. She’ll just be embarrassed. You should do it with just you and her.”

  “I agree,” I say.

  “I think you should go big,” Di says, and I roll my eyes.

  “Of course you think that. Whoever you marry is going to have to interrupt the State of the Union or the Super Bowl to propose to you.”

  Di slaps my arm. “That’s not true.”

  KJ shakes his head and runs a hand over his face. “Can you two stop fighting over Di’s future proposal and focus on mine?”

  “Who’s proposing?” Kylie’s voice calls out as she rounds the corner of the garage.

  KJ groans and falls back against the siding. “Seriously?” he asks no one in particular as he stares up at the sky.

  “OMG! KJ!? Are you gonna—” I clamp my hand over Kylie’s mouth before she can say another word.

  “KJ needs our advice.”

  Kylie nods her understanding, and I pull my hand away from her mouth.

  “I think you should take her somewhere romantic! Like a vineyard,” Kylie says.

  “What about a hot air balloon?” Di interjects.

  “Who's going on a hot air balloon?” Clark asks as he walks around the garage and stares at all of us.

  “For the love of God, no one ever comes back here,” KJ curses.

  Clark shrugs. “I couldn’t find anyone, and Grandma Tilly was gonna make me clean dishes.”

  Kylie wraps an arm around Clark. “KJ is gonna pop the question.”