He assured the part of his brain that suspected he was becoming weak that he was simply doing the right thing, that as soon as he got out of that hospital and away from her sad eyes and gorgeous face, he would be fine. He had no interest in a relationship with Lula or anyone. This was purely a situational thing. He was being a good friend.
Still, something shifted in his chest when he saw her sitting so small and alone on the sofa, dwarfed in one of her ridiculous sweaters. Her head was resting on the armrest, looking entirely lost.
“Hey,” he said softly, offering her the tea. He shook the bag of cinnamon rolls. “I brought sustenance.”
A flash of relief flashed across her features and she perked up. “Oh thank god, I’m so hungry.” She sat forward and took the tea and bag from him so quickly he chuckled. He settled back into his spot next to her.
She opened the bag and let out a sensual moan that made his groin twitch. “Oh my god,” she breathed. “Cinnamon rolls?” She looked up at him with wide eyes. “How did you know these were my favorite?”
“I didn’t,” he answered easily, taking a sip of his coffee, “but they are my favorite and this might sound crazy, but your perfume reminds me of them. I’ve been craving them all night.”
She let out a little giggle and reached into the bag. “That doesn’t sound crazy at all. That’s why I wear it; I can’t get enough of that smell.”
He watched her tear a piece of the roll off and pop it in her mouth. “For the record,” he said quietly, reaching across to swipe at the frosting on her lip, “neither can I.”
She blushed and he had to fight a mighty urge to kiss her. “Thank you, Dom, for everything,” she said softly, “I don’t know what I would have done ...”
“It was worth it,” he said with a grin, “if it finally got you to use my first name.”
She gave him a lopsided grin that made her dimple appear. “Well, I figure you’ve earned it today.”
He felt his heart give one big thud and he smiled back widely before he took the other roll from the bag.
They ate their cinnamon rolls together in silence for a few minutes and Dom had to endure the unbearably sexy sight of Lula licking the frosting from her fingers when she was finished.
He was almost relieved when the nurse arrived.
Lula jumped to her feet. “How is she?”
The nurse looked tired but much more positive than before. “She’s finally stable. It took a long time, but her vitals are normal and she is resting comfortably.”
Lula let out a rush of air in relief. “Oh, I’m so glad. Can I see her?”
The nurse smiled softly. “Of course, she won’t be responsive due to the sedation. But you can stay with her as long as you like.”
Lula grabbed her hand. “Thank you so much, really, thank you for everything.”
The nurse clasped her hands over hers. “You are very welcome, dear.”
Before she could turn around to ask Dom to come with her, he had collected all their things and was ready to follow her down the hall.
To his relief, she didn’t say anything or object, she smiled and nodded for him to follow her.
Her grandmother was asleep when they entered the darkened room. The only noise was the beeps and hisses of the medical equipment keeping her alive. Tubes ran in and out of her body and she appeared small and frail.
Lula rushed forward and took her hand. “Oh, Nan,” she whispered as her tears started to fall. She brushed the hair from her cheek.
Dom pulled a chair up behind her so she could sit close.
She sunk into it but never let go of her grandmother’s hand. “I love you so much, Nana, more than you can ever know.” She pressed her lips to the aged hand and started singing so softly he could barely hear it. It was some sort of lullaby that shimmered softly about the room casting a warm spell over everything. He sank into his own chair a few feet away, just listening as her voice surrounded him.
She did this for hours; sang her grandmother songs and reminded her over and over how much she loved her. It was beautiful and tender and heartbreaking. Dom didn’t make a sound, he just quietly witnessed the deep depths of a love between granddaughter and grandmother. It was beautiful.
Near midnight Lula turned her chair slightly so that she was facing Dom, still clutching her nana’s hand. “She is the only family I have left.”
Sensing that Lula needed to talk, he leaned forward and waited for her to continue. He was happy to be her ear.
“I don’t know ...” She trailed off and blinked away a few tears. “I don’t know what I’ll do if she doesn’t get better.”
He rubbed his hands together, fighting off the urge to wrap her up in his arms and nodded for her to continue. He knew how loss affected a person. He was intimately familiar with what she was feeling.
“She was an opera singer when she was younger,” she went on. “Beautiful, talented. Traveled all around the world.” She looked down at her hand nestled with her grandmother’s. “She’s the reason I read so much; she opened the world for me, and I guess ... I guess I wanted more.”
She smiled sadly and met his eyes for just a moment. “She always said that my mother and I trumped all of the amazing things she had done, that she would have given everything up a thousand times if it meant having us.”
He grinned. “She sounds remarkable,” he said softly, making her smile.
“She is.”
Her eyes slid from his and she was quiet for a moment. “She’s been sick for two years now. Dementia.”
He cringed. Dementia was a son of a bitch. His urge to pull her into his arms increased tenfold, but he held off. She needed to be near her grandmother more than she needed him manhandling her.
“Nan has always been my rock,” she went on. “Especially after my mom died of breast cancer. I was twelve. She was the anchor I needed when I was drifting.”
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, leaning forward even more. “I didn’t know you lost your mother.” He knew the pain of losing a parent. It was the deepest, blackest sort. A pain he wouldn’t wish for anyone.
She was quiet for a moment before she took a steadying breath. “I was lucky I had her for the time I did. She was gorgeous. Kind. The best mother I could have asked for. A singer like Nan, but she preferred jazz.” She smiled as she remembered. It was a beautiful smile.
“They used to fight over that. Nan would say jazz was not music and Mom would say opera was a dead art.”
He chuckled. “Explains your love of jazz,” he told her, “and your talent.”
“Mine?” She shook her head, “No, God, I’m nothing compared to them. I can carry a tune, but I just don’t have that ... that thing they had.”
He was tempted to point out just how wrong she was, how she had every person at Mo’s wrapped around her finger and on the edge of their seats. She very much had that thing. She had it in spades.
“Besides, my passion has always been for teaching. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” She looked up at him. “You know what I mean. I feel like you feel the same way.”
He grinned at her. “I do. I would be lost without it.”
She smiled back. It was small but it warmed him in ways he’d rather not think about.
“Thank you,” she said softly, “for being here. For letting me ramble.”
“You’re very welcome, Lu,” he answered and he meant it.
Chapter 11
Lula
Lula smiled when she woke up in the early morning light to see that Dom had stayed with her. He had fallen asleep on his chair at a comically painful angle, his mouth open, lightly snoring. It was aggravatingly adorable. She had a blanket that she vaguely remembered him pulling around her as she was falling asleep. The fuzzy memory made her smile.
She very much wanted to let him sleep but knew he needed to get to school. With a sigh, she unwound herself from her cocoon, padded toward him, and gently woke him up with a nudge. “Good morning, Dom,” she said soft
ly.
He blinked his eyes open and the smile that formed when he saw her made her heart stop completely. “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered back. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” She tried but failed to hide her blush. “Really, thank you so much.”
“And Nan?” he stretched his long limbs out with a yawn.
“Same,” she tried to ignore how the muscles in his arms flexed as he stretched. “Stable, so that’s good.”
He caught her staring and just grinned at her. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Lula wanted to disappear. “I thought you might want to head home so you can get ready for work,” she said stupidly.
“I can stay if you need me to.” He was so earnest it made her chest hurt.
“Thank you,” she answered. The thought was lovely, but she needed time to process what was happening with Nan without being distracted by his strong hands and tempting lips. It could not be normal for a human to look this good after a night in a hospital chair. “But I think I can do this from here. Really, you’ve been amazing.”
A flash of what she thought might be disappointment moved across his face but he settled into a smile. “I’m absolutely positive that you can,” he stood up, and nodded toward Nan. “Will you please keep me posted?”
She nodded.
“And will you please make sure you eat?”
She smiled. “If you tell me where you found those cinnamon rolls.”
“I can do better than that,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder, “I’ll walk you there.”
“Deal,” she answered with a grin and slipped her converse on.
He walked her to the small kiosk, made sure she ordered food and tea, and watched her while she called in absent to work for the day. He even made her text Amy so someone else would know where she was and what was going on. She’d be lying if she said his concern didn’t touch her deeply.
He had been stalwart by her side the entire night, an infinite comfort. And she didn’t think there would ever be a way to thank him for it. It was difficult to watch him leave, but she felt much stronger having had him there.
As she was watching him walk to his car from the window, Amy called, pulling her back into the reality she needed to inhabit.
“Lu,” she breathed, “how’s Nan? How are you? Is there anything I can do?”
Lula smiled into the phone, grateful for her friend, and recounted the events.
“I’m coming up right after school, okay? Give Nan a hug and kiss from me.”
“Okay, thank you, Ames, I will,” she answered.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
When she returned to Nan’s room, she listened calmly as the nurses and doctors came in on their early rounds and discussed Nan’s status and outlook.
She was stable. She was strong. Only time would tell. It felt strangely paralyzing.
Lula had a mounting list of things she needed to do, starting with making sure Nan’s will and documents were in order. She knew they existed but had no idea how old they were or where exactly they could be found. It was a frightening responsibility but she felt focused and prepared.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket around noon.
DOM: Any news?
Lula’s heart thudded when she saw his text and she traced her thumb over his name before typing a response.
LULA: She is stable, doc says it’s a waiting game now.
DOM: That’s good news. How are you? Have you eaten?
Another text appeared before she could respond.
DOM: Real food, something other than cinnamon rolls.
She chuckled.
LULA: Cinnamon rolls ARE real food. Don’t be a foodist.
DOM: I was thinking a sandwich, a hamburger ... maybe some protein.
LULA: Ooh, hamburger. Okay, I’ll go down and eat some NCR food.
DOM: NCR?
LULA: Non-Cinnamon Roll.
DOM: Promise?
LULA: Promise. Now get back to work, Mr. Adams.
DOM: Keep me updated?
LULA: Of course.
Giggling happily, she grabbed her purse, kissed Nan, and headed down for a real lunch. She hated to admit it, but after eating a pile of fries and a hamburger, she was starting to feel like a human again. An energy drink helped too.
As soon as the next round of doctor visits were finished, she took an Uber and left for a meeting with the director of Nana’s memory care facility in order to discuss the next steps for her care should she recover. And should she not, she needed to find her documents.
The meeting with the director was long and difficult, but she was assured that Nan would have the best care they could offer her when and if she returned. She left the office feeling absolutely sure that she would and that was a huge relief.
The next part, digging through what was left of Nan’s personal effects was much harder.
She cried at pictures of her mother, the picture of all three of them together the one summer her mother decided they should see the Grand Canyon on a whim. Tears fell at opera programs that highlighted her grandmother’s name, at art Lula had given her in kindergarten, everything filled her with such joy and sadness she thought she might burst.
There really wasn’t much—they’d had to pare her belongings down when she moved into the memory facility, but each item was so incredibly special, selected with hours of care.
In a red accordion file buried in one of the drawers, Lula finally found all the papers she would need. Exhausted and relieved, she decided to take them with her and sort through them at home where she could take her time.
As she finished putting the room back together, her phone buzzed. She smiled to see Amy’s name.
AMY: Dom and I are bringing you your car, where are you?
She nearly cried. It would be so much easier to have her car back. She didn’t deserve these people. She typed through teary eyes.
LULA: OMG, thank you! Miracle Hill Memory Facility.
AMY: Stay put, we’ll be there in 15.
Wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, she waited at the window.
True to their word, they pulled up outside Miracle Hill fifteen minutes later. Dom was in his car, Amy in Lula’s. Amy barely threw it in park, rushed toward her, and flung her arms around her. “Oh, Lu, I’m so sorry! How is she? How are you?” The words came out in one long, breathy sentence.
Lula let her friend hold her; she needed it. “I’m okay,” she told her, letting her squeeze her bones together like a vice. “Nan is stable. I’m going to head back now.”
“I’m so glad,” Amy said, stepping back and holding her hands. “I’ve been so worried all day, I know how much she means to you.”
Lula nodded but her attention was caught by Dom, who had stepped out of his car. He gave her a simple wave and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He looked gorgeous, as usual. She smiled shyly and gave the tiniest wave. Amy’s eyes widened but she didn’t say anything.
“Thank you so much, both of you,” Lula said as he walked over to them. “You didn’t need to do this, but thank you, thank you.”
Amy hugged her again. “That’s what friends do,” she told her. “And yes we did.”
“You can’t be without a car,” Dom added with a shrug. His smile was warm and something else. Tender? It made her heart stutter. She felt slightly traitorous at the brief wish that she was in his arms instead.
“But now you don’t have your car,” she told Amy, trying to focus while the thought of being held by Dom was rattling around in her brain.
Amy simply shrugged. “Well, I’m taking friendwatch tonight. I’ve already taken tomorrow off of school so I can stay with you. You can take me to my car later.”
Lord, she loved this woman. She had been truly dreading a night alone at the hospital. “Really? Okay,” she said, blinking more tears away.
Amy winked at her. “But before we go, I’m going to pop in and use the bathroom real
quick, and then we can go wherever you need.”
She blushed, knowing exactly what Amy was doing.
Dom stepped closer to her once Amy had disappeared inside. His hands were even deeper in his pockets and he looked so boyishly handsome that she wanted to take his face in her hands and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe.
“How are you doing?” he asked, studying her face with steady eyes.
She fidgeted slightly, not knowing what to do with her body. Did she have the right to hug him? What she really wanted to do was just pop up on her tip-toes and kiss him hard on the mouth. “I’m okay,” she finally answered. “Tired. But you must be too.”
He shrugged. “I managed okay.” With a smile, he reached out and touched her face before brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
She instinctively nuzzled into his touch and she felt a flush of embarrassment rise up her neck. Only he was smiling at her, so she whispered, “Thank you for last night, I really can’t ...”
He cut her off with a finger to her lips. “It was my pleasure, really. Thank you for letting me stay with you.”
“Of course,” she said, breathless.
He dropped his hand when Amy reappeared.
“Keep me posted, okay?”
“I will,” she promised and watched as he climbed into his car.
“Hey,” she yelled just before he closed the door, a realization dawning on her. “You didn’t have to come here with Amy.”
He didn’t answer, he just gave her the most heart-stopping smile she had ever seen, a wave, and then disappeared from sight.
“You,” Amy said from beside her, “have so much to tell me.”
Lula, mouth open, didn’t say anything.
“Good thing we have all night,” Amy said and tugged her toward her car.
Chapter 12
Dom
Dom struggled to get anything done that night. All he could think about was Lula at the hospital.
He didn’t like the feeling. He knew she was fine with Amy but he felt strangely jealous. As if he’d been replaced. It was stupid, and silly, and he hated that he cared at all.
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