May Flowers

by Mari Carr

  The doctor approached them, looking at her. “Are you Linda Flowers’s daughter?”

  May nodded. “Is she okay?”

  “She had a gallbladder attack. A rather nasty one, I’m afraid. Does she have a history of gallstones?”

  May nodded. “Yes. She had a pretty nasty attack the year my father passed away. They discussed removing it, but because it was only her first time suffering from gallstones and she’d been under stress due to dad’s passing, the doctor just prescribed medicine.”

  “I’m going to recommend that we take the gallbladder out. The procedure is called a cholecystectomy and it’s a pretty noninvasive surgery. We’d like to keep her overnight and perform the procedure first thing in the morning.”

  “Wow. That’s fast.”

  Lochlan didn’t like how pale May had gone. He put his arm around her shoulders, tucking her close on the off chance she passed out.

  She jerked at his touch, clearly not expecting it. She looked up at him and, once again, he noticed her struggling to pull herself together.

  “May,” he murmured.

  “It’s fine. I’m okay.” Her voice belied a strength he simply didn’t see in her face.

  The doctor gestured toward a woman sitting in a nearby office. “There’s some paperwork we need filled out, and we’ll need your insurance information. Ms. Hartman can help you with that, and then I’ll take you back so you can see your mother. She was asking for you.”

  May gave him a forced smile that didn’t reach her pretty blue eyes. “I’ll try to make this quick, Lochlan. I—”

  He cupped her face in his palms and tried to give her a comforting smile. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”

  The two of them held each other’s gazes for just a moment, and then she walked to the business office, sitting across from Ms. Hartman.

  “May is your new PA, right? The one who took Sally’s place?” Sean asked.

  Lochlan nodded. “Yeah.”

  “She’s the one with the niece who stopped talking?” Sean was married to Lauren. Obviously, she’d told Sean about his call asking for help for Jenny.

  “May’s brother and his wife were killed in a car accident. May and her mother took in the girls. May gave up her bedroom to them. She sleeps on the couch.”

  “Wow. She seems pretty young to take all that on.”

  Lochlan couldn’t argue that. “She is. She’s amazing though. She stepped into Sally’s shoes at work and never missed a beat. It’s like she’s always been there.”

  “I have to admit, I would have expected you to hire someone older after Sally.”

  “Sally hired her.”

  Sean grinned. “Then that makes sense. Damn if I don’t love that woman even more now.”

  Lochlan frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Seems to me Sally’s parting gift to you was a potential girlfriend.”

  Lochlan snorted. “No. Sally was perfectly aware of my feelings regarding long-term relationships.”

  “She was aware of them, but did she agree with them?”

  Sean’s reply took Lochlan aback. There’s no way in hell his former administrative assistant would have taken such a risk, would have played with Lochlan’s business and May’s feelings that way.

  Of course, the woman had told him on more than one occasion she wouldn’t let him make the same mistake she had, remaining married to her job rather than seeking out the real thing. But that was just talk. Or…

  He was pretty sure that was just talk.

  Lochlan had tried to call Sally a few weeks ago to see how her cruise to Mexico had gone. The voice mail message told him she’d booked another cruise, a longer one around the Mediterranean, and that she’d be out of reach for four more weeks.

  Clearly he’d paid her too damn much. The woman was living it up in retirement.

  He was also starting to suspect she was avoiding his calls on purpose.

  When Lochlan walked over and sat down in the waiting room, Sean dropped down next to him.

  “You don’t have to hang around, Sean. We could be a while.”

  “Okay. I think I might head back over to May’s apartment. The door was unlocked when I got there, and I was so worried about getting her mom help that I didn’t have time to look for a key to lock up. I’ll go back now and do the estimate on the repairs. The damage was pretty substantial.”

  “Can you take a look at the rest of the apartment as well? See what else needs to be done to make it safe for May and the girls. I only had a quick glance the other night, but I spotted some issues.”

  Sean nodded. “Yeah. So did I. I’m not crazy about the fact there’s no security in the building.”

  Lochlan sighed. “I know.”

  “That’s not a part of the city where you want to live without a secured entrance.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir. Truth of the matter is, I only just learned where she lived a few nights ago. She also walks to and from work, can’t afford a car.”

  “That’s not good. Don’t you put in some pretty late nights?”

  Lochlan nodded. From now on, he would drive May home on those nights. “Yeah. I’m afraid I had blinders on in regards to her personal life. It’s a lame excuse, but she’s only been with me a couple of months and she’s damn good at putting on a happy face, even when things suck.”

  “Only a couple of months, huh?” Sean was grinning widely at him.

  “What’s that look for?”

  “The Collins curse took you down fast.”

  Lochlan shook his head. “Don’t start. It’s not like that. She’s my assistant and she’s going through a rough patch. I’m trying to help out. That’s all.”

  “Mmmhmm,” Sean hummed. “I’ll send May an estimate in the morning.”

  “No. Send it to me.”

  Sean laughed as he stood. “You got it.”

  “It’s not the curse,” Lochlan said as his uncle walked away, laughing even harder.

  Lochlan pulled out his phone and texted Yvonne. She’d arrived at the apartment building just as the girls were getting off the bus. They were grabbing a plate of cheese fries at the pub—Yvonne’s idea of a healthy after-school snack—then heading up to the dorm. He promised her they’d get there as soon as they could, but Yvonne assured him there was no need to rush. Apparently, Chloe and Pop Pop had started talking about contemporary recess games, and he was giving her a rundown of how to play Red Rover.

  Lochlan chuckled as he tucked his cell back in his jacket pocket. May had finished up in the office and gone back to see her mom. He chewed over Sean’s concerns about the lack of security in May’s building and came to a decision regarding tonight. One she wasn’t going to agree to easily.

  May had only been with her mother for half an hour when she returned to the waiting room.

  “That was quick.” Lochlan stood up. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. They’d given her something for the pain and it was making her sleepy. Apparently, she’s been dealing with the gallstones for a few days but didn’t want to worry me. I’m starting to think her distraction in the kitchen was a result of how badly she was hurting.”

  Lochlan took her hand again as they headed for the exit. He got a sense of her wanting to tug it back, so he tightened his grip.

  “How long will she be in the hospital?” he asked as they got into the car.

  “It depends on how the procedure goes. If all goes well, she could be home by tomorrow night. If not, it’ll be a few days and a longer recovery.”

  Lochlan pulled out of the hospital parking lot, wondering how long it would take before May realized he was heading in the wrong direction. It spoke to her level of distraction that he was nearly back to her apartment before she remembered the girls.

  “Wait!” she called out. “We have to go to the pub for Chloe and Jenny.”

  “We are. We’re hitting your place first.”

  “Why?”

  “So that
you can pack an overnight bag for you and the girls. You’re all staying at my place tonight.”

  May shook her head adamantly. “No.”

  Lochlan parallel parked on the street outside her building and turned the car off. Twisting to face her, he laid out all the reasons why he wasn’t taking no for an answer. “I don’t want you and the girls spending another night in that smoky apartment. There’s no security on the front door, and to be honest, your neighborhood sucks.”

  “None of that is going to change by tomorrow, so I’m not sure what difference one night will make.”

  May had a point, but he wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable. She was walking a razor’s edge, barely keeping it together, and he didn’t want her to be alone tonight. Didn’t want her to have to paint on a happy face for the girls. He was going to help her put them to bed in one of his guest rooms, and then he was going to offer her a shoulder to cry on.

  May needed a good cry. It looked like she was long overdue.

  “It’s just one night, May. I have a big condo—three bedrooms and they all have their own bathrooms. Plenty of room for you and the girls.”

  “This is completely inappropriate. Lochlan, you have to understand that. You’re my boss, and I can’t…”

  “Can’t what?”

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  “I’m not inviting you to my bed. I’m simply offering you a bed.”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “I know you didn’t, but I think it needs to be clarified anyway. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, and I can tell you’re not sleeping well on that couch. You’re working overtime to keep your family afloat, and I respect that. But you don’t have to do everything alone, May. There’s no shame in asking people for help.”

  She leaned back in the car seat, her gaze fixed straight ahead. “I need to do this on my own.”

  “Why?”

  “We aren’t your responsibility. This isn’t your problem to fix. It’s mine. I can’t start leaning on you because it wouldn’t be fair to you. You barely know me.”

  “I don’t think you have to know someone a long time to take their measure. I’m actually a very good judge of character.”

  She started to shake her head.

  “Turn it around the other way. You’ve only known me a couple of months as well. Do you think you know me?”

  5

  May faced him. Time to lay the cards on the table. It was the only way. “Yeah. I think I have a pretty good idea of who you are. You’re a nice man from a wonderful family. You’re a cutthroat businessman. All of that is fine. It’s the other part that’s problematic.”

  “What other part?”

  “You are a born protector, Lochlan. You would have been a knight in the Middle Ages. You were a normal, demanding boss right up until you walked into my crappy apartment the other night. Then, boom. The chain mail went on and now you’re stepping in to save the day. I’m not a damsel in distress. I know my life is pretty shitty right now, but you know what? It’s my life. My shit. I’ll deal with it.”

  Lochlan grinned. “You’ve got it wrong.”

  She shook her head. She’d nailed it and she knew it.

  “I’m a warrior. I wouldn’t have been a knight all those centuries ago. I would have been a Viking. And Vikings conquer.”

  “So you’re trying to conquer me?” She meant the words as a joke, but she realized once they were out, they had a completely different meaning.

  “I think I might be.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “May, in the last six months, you’ve dealt with at least half a dozen big things that would have reduced most people to a fetal position in the corner for a few years or so. You don’t cry. You don’t rage or shake your fist at the world. You just keep pushing it all down.”

  “That’s how I deal with things. I can’t fall apart. I have too many people depending on me. I mean, what happens if I let all of that go, and then I can’t pull it together again?”

  “And that’s the part I’m feeling the need to conquer. I wish I could explain why, but I can’t. Which means you’re going upstairs and packing those overnight bags.”

  She breathed out an annoyed laugh. “You’re going to have to let me win some of these arguments.”

  He got out of the car, walked around and met her on the curb. Lochlan grabbed her hand, and this time, she let him. “I never let anyone win, but that’s not to say I can’t be beaten.”

  “That’s good information to have.”

  They passed Sean on the stairs. “Hey, I was just about to text you. Found a key to the front door. I was going to drop it off at the pub, but since you’re here…” Sean dropped the loose key in May’s hand. “I’ll work up an estimate on the kitchen and send it to you in a couple of days.”

  “Thanks for everything, Sean,” May said.

  Lochlan hung out in the living room as May went back to the girls’ bedroom to gather up pajamas, toothbrushes and clothing for school the next day. She tried to grab everything she could quickly, her mind still whirling over potential arguments against doing this. Something other than “it’s a mistake.”

  Nothing came to her. Probably because the place still smelled of smoke and she was relieved not to have to spend the night there. Her eyes were itchy and her throat sore from sleeping in the living room. At least the girls and her mom had fared better, having the benefit of doors they could close.

  She returned to the living room to find Lochlan standing in front of an old picture hanging on the wall.

  “Your family?” he asked.

  May nodded, swallowing heavily. Not a day went by where she didn’t miss her dad and her brother, Jeff, both of them taken away far too young. She knew her mother had been deeply affected by their deaths, her mind no longer as steady as it once was. Mom was easily distracted these days.

  May’s grief was compounded by the fact she felt as though she was failing with Jeff’s little girls. They’d been ripped away from a lovely little house in a small town in West Virginia, away from their friends, and dropped down in this shithole in the middle of Baltimore with her.

  No wonder Jenny didn’t speak anymore. There wasn’t anything good to say.

  Lochlan didn’t ask anything else about the picture, and she was grateful. The last three days had officially kicked her ass. She was out of steam, hanging on by a thread.

  “Ready to go?”

  She nodded, allowing him to take her hand yet again as they locked up and descended the stairs. May considered pulling it away, but the past few months with him had taught her he wouldn’t let go even if she tried.

  Lochlan took what he wanted, but she really needed him to stop holding her hand. Every single touch, every kind word, every sexy look was doing things to her she couldn’t let them do.

  She was completely, ridiculously attracted to her boss. And while he was simply offering help and kindness at a time when she needed it, it was translating to something much different to her heart. It was compounding her feelings for him, taking her from mere crush to genuine infatuation.

  They rode to the pub in silence. Exhaustion and stress were pressing down on her, making it hard for her to think about much of anything.

  When they arrived, Lochlan took her in through the pub side this time. She’d caught a glimpse of the bar through the large open connection between it and the restaurant the night of the fire, but she hadn’t really looked. The place was great, so warm and welcoming. Though it was only a Thursday night, there were quite a few people there, drinking and talking quietly.

  A handsome bartender was chatting with an older gentleman as the two of them watched baseball on the large-screen TV hanging behind the counter.

  “The girls are upstairs in the apartment. We can head there in a second. Right now, I’d like to introduce you to some people.”

  “More family?” she asked with a grin.

  He chuckled at her joke, adding to it. “I’m
pretty sure there are a few people in Baltimore I’m not related to. I just haven’t met them yet.” Lochlan guided her to the two men she’d just been looking at. “Pop Pop. Padraig. I’d like you to meet May.”

  “Ah,” Lochlan’s grandfather said as he turned toward them. May liked him the second she saw his sweet smile and twinkling eyes. “The new assistant. I was wondering when you were going to make it into the pub.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr.…” she paused, realizing she didn’t know his last name.

  “The last name is Collins, but you’re going to call me Pat.”

  May laughed lightly. “I’m starting to see where Lochlan gets his demanding nature.”

  Padraig lifted the empty glass he was washing in a mock cheers. “She’s already got your number, I see.”

  “Those two pretty little girls currently watching SpongeBob upstairs wouldn’t happen to belong to you, would they?”

  May nodded. “My nieces. I hope they weren’t too much trouble.”

  “Och.” Pat waved off her concerns with a knobby hand that had her wondering how old he was. “’Twas nice to have some kids around here again. My grandchildren seem to be in no hurry to give me any great-grandkids.”

  “Take it easy there, Pop Pop,” Padraig warned. “You know the K word causes Lochlan to break out in hives.”

  “K word?” May asked.

  Lochlan didn’t seem to want to reply, but he didn’t have to.

  Padraig was happy to explain. “Kids. Lochlan has sworn off the institution of marriage and fatherhood forever.”

  May wished that information didn’t bother her so much. It wasn’t like she could act on her feelings for Lochlan. That would be the height of stupidity. However, that didn’t mean she thought he’d made a smart decision. “That’s a shame,” she said to Lochlan. “I think you’d be a great dad.”

  “I’m a workaholic,” he muttered. “You know that.”

  “Yes, but you don’t have to be,” she murmured back. “You have very capable employees working for you who are able to shoulder more responsibilities if you wanted to get out and have a social life, maybe settle down and start a family.”

  May had no idea where this argument was coming from. It certainly wasn’t her battle to wage. She didn’t have a horse in the race.