by Elks, Carrie
Nate gently pulled her forward and plumped a pillow up behind her, then helped her scoot back a bit until she was fully sitting up. “I had to do this for Riley when she was in the hospital having her tonsils removed,” he told her as he moved his hands from her arms. Her exposed skin felt suddenly cold.
Ally knew she needed to stop reading too much into things. It was obvious that she felt something toward Nate, but even more obvious that it was all mixed up in her father’s leaving and the sudden loss of the café. In spite of their frequent spats, there was a connection between Nate and Riley that made Ally’s heart ache. It made her feel wistful and achy and a little bit envious.
Whatever weird kind of daddy complex she was feeling needed to take a hike right now.
“I need to work,” she told him, trying to push all those crazy feelings out of her brain. “I have a mortgage to pay. Bills. And we both know I’m not owed any more paid time off.”
“You’ll be paid your full wages while you’re off,” Nate told her, his voice firm. “Boss’ orders.”
“I can’t accept your charity,” she told him, shaking her head. “I’ve always paid my own way.”
“You think this is charity?” Nate asked. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s all business. First of all, you’d have every right to sue me, as Riley’s guardian, for lost wages which would cost me a hell of a lot of money in lawyer’s fees. And secondly, what do you think it would do for business if everybody heard you were on unpaid sick leave? You think Lorne would send any more of his surf buddies my way? Or that Frank would put fliers up next to his register to tempt his customers? How about Deenie at the bookshop? She’s your best friend’s mother-in-law, right? I’m pretty sure she’d run me out of town if she thought you were being treated badly.”
“So you’re not doing it out of kindness?”
Nate blinked a couple of times. “No, not at all.”
“You clearly don’t know him if you think he does anything out of kindness,” Riley said from behind her magazine. There was no malice in her voice. “Just let him pay.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be taking some of it out of Riley’s allowance. Since she’s the one responsible for all of this.” He shot his daughter a look that she had no chance of seeing behind the magazine.
“I get an allowance?” Riley retorted. “Could have fooled me. You stopped it after I got arrested in Seattle.”
Ally laughed. She couldn’t help it. The two of them were so damn cute. They reminded her so much of the good times she’d had with her dad. And yes, there had been good times. Nate shook his head and started to laugh, too, the corners of his eyes wrinkling up in the most devastating way.
“It’s not funny,” Riley said, pulling the magazine down. Her lips were twitching like crazy. “Okay, it kinda is,” she said, finally letting her smile shine through. “But it’s true, Dad. I have no money at all.”
“You could take some of my shifts,” Ally suggested. “If you wanted to contribute, too.”
“But I have school.”
“Not on the weekends,” Nate said, raising his eyebrows at Ally. “I like it. It’s natural justice. You incapacitated one of my employees, so now you have to take her place.”
“Come on, let’s not get hasty,” Riley said, looking from Ally to her dad. “I can’t make coffee to save my life. I’ll be more of a liability than help. Plus, I have a lot of homework to do. You don’t want me failing any classes.”
“Do it,” Ally urged. “One day you’ll look back at this time and realize it was one of the best parts of your life. You’ll get to spend time with your dad, you’ll meet new people. And some of the others go surfing after the shop closes on Saturdays. Who knows, you might even want to go, too.”
She could sense Nate’s stare. Could almost see it from the corner of her eye. But she didn’t dare turn her head to see what his expression was.
“Visiting hours are almost up,” the nurse called out from the doorway. Ally turned to look at her, shocked. She hadn’t even heard the door open.
“We should go,” Nate told her. “Let you get some rest.” He stood up and stretched his arms, the action lifting his t-shirt high enough for her to get the tiniest glimpse of toned abs. He tucked it back in again, ruining the view completely. “Come on, Ri.” He leaned down and squeezed Ally’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his breath warm against her skin.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah. We’re your designated transport home. The doctor’s going to call me once you’ve been discharged.”
He was? Okay, then. If she wasn’t certain to look like a complete fool trying to navigate herself out of the hospital with her leg in a cast and her body relying on crutches, she might have looked forward to that.
10
Nate pulled his dark blue Lexus into the lot behind Ally’s condo building, taking a right so he could park as close as possible to the entranceway. It was a small complex, four white stone buildings clustered around a central grassy area. It was shabby, too, with paint peeling off the exterior, and black graffiti scribbled on the signs that warned residents not to play ball games there.
“Okay,” he said, when he’d pulled up beside the curb. “Stay there. I’ll run around and help you out.”
Ally nodded, but didn’t say a word. She’d been quiet ever since he and Riley had arrived at the hospital to pick her up that afternoon. The doctor had warned that she’d be in more pain today than yesterday since they’d taken her off the intravenous painkillers. Every now and then, he’d see her grind her teeth together as if to try and wait the pain out.
Grabbing the crutches the hospital had provided her from his trunk, he walked around and opened her door. Riley was hovering behind him, as though she wanted to help but had no idea what to do.
“Ri,” he said, giving her a smile. “Can you hold these while I help Ally get out?”
Riley nodded and took the crutches from his grasp, standing back to give him some room. He scooted down next to Ally. “I’m going to help you swing your legs out first,” he told her.
“I think I can do it.” She frowned, trying to lift her cast-covered ankle. She winced and fell back in her seat, muttering something he couldn’t quite hear.
“Let me.” He gently slid his arms beneath her legs and lifted them an inch or two from the seat. She was wearing a pair of cut-off baggy sweats, and one of them rode up as he twisted her, leaving his palm holding her warm, tan thigh. He could feel the softness of her skin contrasted against the suppleness of her muscles. Taking a deep breath in, he pulled her until her feet were over the lip of the car and resting on the sidewalk.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “A bit embarrassed, but fine.”
“There’s no need to be embarrassed.” He looked into her eyes, so close to his. “I’m going to help you up, after that you can take over. Can you put your hands on my shoulders?”
She reached out and did as instructed. Then Nate wrapped his palms around her waist. “Lean forward. Put your weight on me.”
He slowly began to lift her upright, taking care not to cause any more pain to her leg. She was light in spite of all the muscles she’d developed from running. When she was finally up, he inclined his head at Riley, who slid the crutches under Ally’s arms. Still holding her, he took a step back, encouraging her to put her weight on them.
Ally began to shake. “Don’t let go.”
“I won’t. Not until you’re ready.”
“They made me practice with them this morning, but it was easier then.”
“It always is. Okay, I’m going to take another step back. Try to move forward. I promise I’ll keep hold of you.”
She nodded, her face tight with concentration. He could feel her transfer her weight from him to the crutches, then watched as she shunted them forward. Inhaling sharply, she gritted her teeth together and lifted her body until she was moving toward him.
“You did it.” Nate gave he
r what he hoped was an encouraging nod. “You want to try without me holding you?”
“Not really, but I’ll do it anyway.”
He released his hold on her waist and stepped to the side, only an arm’s reach away if something went wrong. Ally balanced on her good foot, holding the one in the cast a couple of inches from the ground. Within seconds, she was moving forward, Nate and Riley right behind her as she made her way to the building.
Riley ran ahead to open the door. Ally maneuvered herself inside until her foot was on the tiled floor. “I think I’ve got the hang of this. Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Riley said. “Unless your unit’s on this floor.” She was pointing to a sign in front of the elevator.
Out of order.
Ally’s face turned pale. She looked over at the stairwell, swallowing hard as her eyes scanned up it.
“I’m on the fifth floor.” Her voice was so quiet he had to lean in to hear her.
“Is there another way to get there?” he asked. “Can you use an elevator in one of the other buildings?”
“They’re not connected. I guess I’m going to have to try the stairs.”
“We can help you up there,” Riley said. “Can’t we, Dad?” she asked eagerly.
They both turned to look at Nate. “Yeah, we can help you up. But what happens when you need to come down again?”
Riley frowned and looked up at her dad. “You’ve got a point. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Is there a superintendent around here?” Nate asked Ally.
“Yeah. Let me call him and find out what’s going on.” She tried to pull her arm out of her crutch to grab her bag, but the effort made her fall to the side. Nate reached out to steady her, then kept his arm around her waist as she made the call.
“Mr. Stephens, it’s Ally from 509. I see the elevator isn’t working. Do you know how long it will be until it’s fixed?”
Even though he was close, Nate couldn’t hear the reply. He got the gist of it though, from the way Ally’s breath caught in her throat.
“Two weeks? Where’s the part coming from? Mars?”
“Two weeks?” Riley mouthed at him. Nate shrugged at her.
“And there’s nothing you can do until then?” Ally asked, pausing for his reply. “No, I understand that it’s an old elevator. Thanks, anyway.” She disconnected and looked up at Nate and Riley. “There’s nothing I can do. I’m going to have to learn to use the stairs on these things,” she told them, sliding her phone back into her pocket.
“The chances of you making it up five flights of stairs without breaking another bone is pretty slim,” Nate told her.
“Well, unless I’m going to camp out in the lobby I don’t think I have a choice.”
“Dad,” Riley said, tugging at his arm. “We don’t have any stairs. Apart from the ones that lead up to the front door, and they’re wide.”
Riley’s face was bright with excitement. Nate knew exactly what she was trying to say, but he needed to think it through for a moment. It was one thing helping Ally up to her apartment, but having her at home with them, living in their house, sleeping in one of their bedrooms? Well, that was something completely different.
The thought of it made his skin heat up.
And yet what choice was there? He couldn’t leave her here stranded. Not when it was their fault she was in this situation in the first place. Even if it hadn’t been their fault, she was still an employee. And he took care of his staff, always.
“You can come home with us,” he said, not wanting to think it through any more. He could handle it, couldn’t he? He was a grown-up and he had self-control. Yes, she was pretty, and yes, in another lifetime he might have been attracted to her, but right now she was just somebody in need.
Somebody he could help.
And that was all there was to it.
* * *
“I’m sorry? What?” Ally lifted her head to look at him. For a second she stared at him with her mouth wide open.
“We have a spare room, plus everything’s on the same level. And you’ll have the added bonus of having me and Riley there in case you need anything you can’t get.”
“But my things…” Ally shook her head. “I can’t even get up there to pack them.”
“Do you have a friend you can give a list to?” he asked her. “I’d do it, but I’m notoriously bad at packing.”
“He is,” Riley agreed, smiling. “That’s why he always pays the professionals.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Ally said. “My friends Ember and Brooke would do it.” She swallowed hard. “But you don’t even know me, not really. I’m sure I could find somewhere else to stay.”
“Like where?”
She paused for a moment. Ember and Lucas’s house could barely fit the two of them in it. Brooke lived in the small pool house attached to her parent’s estate – no room for more than her and Nick. That left maybe Lorne and his wife, who lived in a one-bed cottage that would be more than cozy if Ally moved in. “Um, I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I’d need to call around.”
“You don’t need to do that. We have plenty of room. You’ll have your own bedroom and bathroom, and all the privacy you need.” He inclined his head at the car she’d climbed out of only minutes before. “Let’s go back to the car and head to our place, and you can ask your friends to pick some clothes up for you.” He helped her slide her arm back onto the crutches. “It’s the best solution.”
* * *
As Nate drove them back to his house her ankle throbbed like crazy. Every now and then, when the car hit a bump in the road, a sharp pulse of pain would shoot up her leg, making her wince in her efforts not to cry out. It didn’t help that her heart was clamoring against her ribs like a crazed animal, either.
Nate pulled the Lexus up to a pair of black gates and hit the remote control that was attached to the dashboard. As they slowly opened, he edged the car in, speeding up as they made it to the driveway.
Like so many of the houses in this part of town, Nate’s home was a sprawling ranch-style building, the low white frontage bigger than the footprint of her condo building. Beyond the palms that had been planted to give the building some shade she could see the yellow sand that led to the azure ocean, which had chosen to be still today.
It looked glorious, and so much easier to navigate than her own building. And yet the idea of spending two weeks there with Nate, and Riley, was making her anxious. Her muscles were urging her to run in spite of the heavy cast on her leg.
Nate turned off the engine and climbed out, walking around the car to help her. With his support, she managed to make her way to the bottom step on crutches. There were only six of them – wide white flagstone stairs that led up to the oak front door – but the thought of trying to get up them made her feel exhausted before she’d even started.
“Why don’t you practice the steps tomorrow?” Nate suggested, as though he could read her mind. “It’s been a long day and you’re looking pretty tired.”
“How’s she going to get up to the house if she doesn’t use her crutches?” Riley asked. Nate pointed at himself with a finger, and she let out a little “oh.”
“Can you take the crutches?” he asked his daughter. Then he turned to Ally. “Are you okay with me lifting you up there?”
Was she okay? No, not really. None of this was okay. Ally felt like one of those fish that jumped out of the sea, flapping uselessly on the sand until somebody put them out of their misery. She was so unused to accepting help from other people. Add to that the crazy attraction she felt toward Nate every time he looked at her and she was pretty much done for.
“That’s fine,” she managed, though it felt anything but.
A second later he was sliding his hand under her thighs, his palm soft as it brushed against her skin. His other arm hooked around her back as he lifted her easily, pulling her body against his chest to keep her steady.
“Put your arm
s around my neck,” he instructed, his voice soft.
She did as she was told, looping her hands around him, feeling the ridges of his shoulder muscles. She tipped her head to look at him, and he was staring right back at her, his gaze intense.
Her stomach contracted. She’d never been this close to him before. She took a deep breath in, but it only made things worse as she inhaled his warm scent.
He carried her carefully, as though she was some kind of precious cargo. And not once was she afraid he might drop her. His hold was strong and sure, comforting, even. She closed her eyes for a second to try and savor the moment. She wanted to commit it to memory – the warmth of his skin beneath her hands, the feel of his chest against her cheek – and maybe that would be enough to get her through the next few days.
“Ally? We’re here. I’m going to put you down now. There are no stairs inside the house.” If he’d thought she was crazy for closing her eyes as he carried her, he gave her no indication.
“Shall we give her the tour?” Riley asked, passing the crutches back to Ally.
“I don’t know. How are you feeling? Do you need some rest?” Nate asked, studying her. “We can show you around later if you prefer?”
She gave him a small smile. “I’m feeling pretty beat. Plus, I think it’s time to take some more painkillers.”
“We can show you to your room, then,” Riley said, grinning. “Or if you prefer you can go in the living room. There’s a TV there, and a footstool. And dad makes a mean batch of popcorn.”
“The living room sounds good.”
She followed them, the sound of her crutches echoing through the hallway as they hit the flagstone floor. As she walked into the vast living room, Nate helped her over to the sofa, gently lowering her until her bottom hit the cushion. Riley slid the footstool she’d talked about beneath Ally’s leg cast. Ally turned to look out of the huge wall of glass that led to the small backyard and the beach beyond. The sun was shining in the sky, the surf calm and gentle. After yesterday’s storm it was a beautiful day. The sort of day she could run down the beach until her lungs couldn’t work any more.
