“If that’s not a problem,” her mother said stiffly. “We’d love to have her.”
“Sure. That would be great. We’ll have to work something out.”
Her father handed her Zoe’s small suitcase and kissed Elissa’s cheek. “You know we love you, Elissa, don’t you? You understand things happened?”
Meaning what? They were allowed to be pissed she’d left but she wasn’t supposed to care that they’d stopped looking?
“Of course.” She forced herself to smile.
“Good.”
She could tell he thought everything was fine now, but she knew differently and from the way her mother avoided her gaze, she, too, understood that all was not well.
“We won’t keep you,” her father said. “Let’s talk soon.”
“Sure.”
She and Zoe waved while her parents drove away, then she led her daughter into the apartment.
“All right,” she said with a smile. “Start at the beginning and tell me everything you did.”
Zoe threw her arms around her. “I missed you, Mommy, but I had really, really big fun.”
“Did you? Tell me.”
“First, we went shopping. Grandma said I could pick out new sheets for my bed there. So we got pink sheets with princesses on them. Then we went home and we made cookies. Then in the afternoon…”
Zoe kept talking, but Elissa found it difficult to concentrate. She kept thinking about the fight she’d had with her mother and wondering if they would ever come to terms. She also kept remembering her time with Walker and wishing he were with her now.
While she loved Zoe with all her heart, for the first time in a long time, she felt lonely and out of place.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LORI JOHNSTON WAS everything Reid didn’t like in a woman. Disapproving, plain and completely uninterested in him. She glanced around the sports bar with the same lack of enthusiasm she’d shown at being introduced to him.
“We should go into my office,” he said over the yells of the afternoon crowd in for a Mariners game, then took her total lack of response as agreement.
Once there, he motioned for her to take the seat opposite his desk while he settled on a corner. Not so much to look down on her, he told himself, as to, well, maintain control of the interview process.
She adjusted her glasses before handing him a copy of her résumé. “The agency recommended me for this assignment because I’ve had a lot of experience with difficult patients. I’ve been doing private duty nursing for two years. Before that I was on the orthopedic ward. I’ve worked with several heart patients recently. I believe those are the two issues your grandmother will be facing—recovery from both a heart attack and a broken hip?”
She spoke the way she looked, sensibly and with nothing wasted on the frivolous, which made him uncomfortable.
“I could put the game on here,” he said, jerking his head toward the TV in the corner. “The Mariners are tied.”
She blinked at him. “I don’t follow sports.”
Why was he not surprised? “So you don’t know who I am.”
“Should I?”
Ouch. “Sure. I’m a famous major league pitcher.”
“Then why do you work in a bar?”
“I blew out my shoulder.”
“Given the effort and daily stress necessary in that line of work, I’m not surprised. The body has limits, Mr. Buchanan. No matter how much we would like that reality to be different, it simply will not change.”
She reminded him of every teacher he’d never liked, all self-righteous and…and…priggy, he thought with no idea of where the word had come from.
She wore a long-sleeved shirt tucked into a boring skirt that fell well below her knees. Her shoes were ugly, she didn’t wear jewelry or makeup and if she narrowed her eyes at him any more, she was going to go cross-eyed. Her only redeeming feature—thick reddish-gold hair that she’d pulled back into a horrible braid—was wasted on her.
He wanted to tell her she wouldn’t do, except she was the most qualified applicant he’d met and from her work history, the most likely to be able to handle Gloria’s day shift.
“The agency said you want three nurses working eight-hour shifts,” she said. “We get paid a twelve-hour shift, regardless of the hours we work, so you’re really wasting money.”
“You haven’t met my grandmother,” he told her. “Eight hours is going to be difficult enough.”
“I see. Is the family close?”
“No.”
“Perhaps if you’d spent more time with her before her heart attack, she would have been easier to deal with.”
“What makes you think I didn’t?”
She smiled coolly. “With your very impressive baseball career, I’m sure you were on the road a lot.”
She was being sarcastic. Her tone gave nothing away, but he knew it down to his bones.
“Gloria isn’t like other grandmothers,” he said. “She runs an empire.”
“Perhaps, Mr. Buchanan, but everyone gets lonely. Especially the elderly. Many of them are in the position of having friends and loved ones gone. Does your grandmother have any contemporaries?”
“You mean friends?”
“Yes. People her own age with whom she has close attachments.”
He wanted to tell her he wasn’t a moron, but to what end? She wouldn’t believe him. “I don’t know.”
“I see.”
There were miles of disapproval in her voice.
“Are your parents still alive?” she asked.
“Ah, no.”
“So your grandmother has no friends you know about and she lost at least one of her children. Do you know what it does to a parent to outlive a child?”
He slid off the desk and stepped around it. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I’m sure you haven’t done anything at all.”
“Hey, I’m not the bad guy here. If you don’t want the job, just say so.”
“I am interested in the job, Mr. Buchanan. I suspect your grandmother needs me.”
That made him smile. “If you’re thinking you’re going to rescue her from her uncaring relatives, you’re in for a shock, lady.”
Lori did not look convinced.
She would be, though. A few minutes in Gloria’s company and she’d come begging to apologize for what she’d said and assumed. He found himself looking forward to that.
“The job is yours if you want it,” he said.
“Thank you. I require regular meals, which means time to eat them. I am happy to do so in the company of your grandmother. I have low blood sugar and can’t go long periods without eating.”
“Not a problem. Do you bring your own food or would you prefer that we provide it?”
“I bring my own. I would also like to meet the other nurses you’ve hired.”
Reid had a feeling she wasn’t going to approve of anything about Sandy Larson.
“No problem.” He gave her the start date.
“Excellent.” She stood and held out her hand. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Buchanan. I’ll go back to the agency and fill out the paperwork. I’m looking forward to meeting your grandmother.”
“Me, too,” he said smugly. “Me, too.”
WALKER LOADED the last box in his SUV while Elissa hovered nearby and shifted nervously from foot to foot.
“I don’t like this,” she said. “I’m just not comfortable. What if something happens?”
When it had become obvious that her inventory and supplies wouldn’t fit in her small car, he’d insisted she use his.
“But it’s so expensive,” she’d protested.
He’d pointed out that’s why he had insurance. Necessity had forced her to agree, but he could tell she didn’t like it.
“I’ll be extra careful,” she promised.
He put an arm around her. “You don’t have to be. Relax. This is going to be a good weekend for you.”
“Maybe. I hope so.”
She drew in a breath. “No, you’re right. It’s going to be great. If only it weren’t so early.”
He glanced at his watch. It was barely after six, but Elissa had to get to the craft fair in time to set up.
“What if no one buys my stuff?” she asked in a panic again. “What if I sit there for three days and don’t sell anything? I can’t do this.”
He had a feeling once she came uncorked she was never going to recover so he did the only thing he could think of to silence her. He kissed her.
She stiffened, then melted into him. Her arms came around him and he felt the familiar heat and need that were always lurking when he was near Elissa.
Between her work schedule, his work schedule and her frantic efforts to build enough inventory for the craft fair, they hadn’t seen much of each other in the past week, so there hadn’t been a repeat of their previous weekend.
He missed having her in bed, but knew it was probably for the best to let things cool off.
She drew back and stared at him. “Wow. That’s better than coffee. I’m totally awake now.”
“But are you more calm?”
“In some ways, yes. In others, not so much.”
She smiled as she spoke and he found himself leaning toward her. As always, everything about her drew him to her, even though he knew it was not a place he should go. So he wasn’t disappointed when a familiar low sports car pulled into the driveway.
Reid got out of his Corvette and walked toward them.
“Do you know what time it is?” he asked by way of greeting. “Do you know how late I was up last night?”
Elissa glanced between the two of them. “Hi, Reid. What are you doing here?”
“Helping,” he said, then stretched, before slapping Walker on the back. “You owe me.”
“Put it on my tab.”
“I don’t understand,” Elissa said.
“You can’t set up alone,” Walker told her. “You can barely handle one table and there are four. I’m staying here with Zoe until she and Mrs. Ford wake up. Then I’ll bring them along to the fair. In the meantime, Reid is going to help you set up.”
“No.” She took a step back. “I couldn’t.”
“Sure you can,” Reid said easily. “It’s not like I have anyone waiting for me at home.”
Walker raised his eyebrows. “A slow night?”
“I guess. I haven’t been in the mood lately. I met the most annoying woman a couple of days ago and she’s put me off my game.”
“Not possible,” Walker said with a grin.
“It is.” Reid looked and sounded both bitter and unhappy. “She didn’t know who I was and she sure as hell wasn’t pretty. She actually said that the reason Gloria is so difficult is because I don’t spend enough time with her.”
“Gloria’s problems started long before we were born.”
“I know, but she went on about Gloria needing contact.” He shrugged. “I don’t remember it all. I got bored. She really pissed me off.”
“So what did you do?”
“I hired her to be Gloria’s day nurse.”
Even Elissa chuckled at that. Walker guided her toward the driver’s side of the SUV and insisted she get inside.
“You’ll be fine,” he told her. “I’ll bring the girls later this morning.”
“But…”
He pressed a finger against her mouth. “Go,” he told her.
“I’ll follow you,” Reid said. “Hey, there’s lots of women at these things, right? Maybe I’ll hang around and meet a few of them.”
“Get the taste of the uncooperative one out of your mouth,” Elissa said.
Reid grimaced. “I didn’t kiss her. Why would I want to? So what if she doesn’t appreciate me? She’s not my type. Now that I’ve hired her, I don’t have to have anything to do with her. I’ll never see her again, which is a damn good thing, let me tell you.”
Elissa looked sidelong at Reid. “For a man who’s not interested in this woman, you’re sure talking about her a lot.”
Reid narrowed his gaze. “You remember that I’m helping you, right?”
She grinned. “Oh, yeah.” She rolled down the window and then closed the driver’s door. “See you there,” she told Walker. “And wish me luck.”
“You’re not going to need it, but good luck anyway.”
BY MIDAFTERNOON, Elissa was so happy she thought she might float home. She was doing great. Sales had been brisk from the moment the fair had opened. If this kept up, she would exceed her ambitious hopes for the weekend and be able to put at least three thousand dollars away in the bank.
Just thinking about that massive number made her light-headed. It meant not having to sweat every grinding noise in her car. It meant a new winter coat for Zoe wasn’t a reason to panic. It meant peace of mind.
She helped a woman choose a pair of earrings for herself and a bracelet for her sister, then counted back the change.
She grabbed her water bottle and took a long drink. She hadn’t eaten all day, but she was just too excited to think about food. She felt as if her life had suddenly taken a turn for the positive. That things were seriously looking up.
She didn’t want to think Walker was responsible, but she couldn’t help giving him a little credit. He’d been good to her and for her. When she thought about what he’d told her about his girlfriend, she had trouble reconciling those actions with the man she knew. She knew he believed what he’d done meant he couldn’t be trusted with the big stuff. That both she and Zoe were at risk. But her gut told her otherwise.
He’d been a kid, she reminded herself. He was talking about something that had happened a long time ago. Sure, what he’d done had been awful, but she could also understand his fear.
“How’s it going?”
She looked up and saw Cal and Penny standing by her booth. “Hi.” She stood and glanced at Penny’s huge belly. “How are you feeling?”
“Awful. The baby’s due any day now. I thought walking around might help.” She put her hand on her stomach. “Walking very, very slowly.”
“You’re doing great,” Cal said, then kissed her cheek. “It will be over soon.”
“Not soon enough.” Penny sighed. “So where’s Zoe?”
“She was here earlier. She’s spending the rest of the day at a friend’s house.”
“Lucky girl. She’s having fun.” Penny rolled her shoulders. “I used to have fun.”
Cal seemed to be hiding a smile. “You will again.”
“I don’t think so. I think I’ll always be this huge.” She glanced down at the jewelry. “I want some new earrings. My clothes are all massive and I deserve something pretty.”
“Pick as many as you’d like,” Cal said.
“Yes, please,” Elissa said with a grin. “I’ll even give you a discount.”
“I don’t think so,” Penny told her. “Friends don’t let friends lose money. We’ll pay retail.”
She pointed to a pair of earrings, then another. Cal collected them and handed them to Elissa who rang up the total.
“Where’s Walker?” Penny asked while Cal counted out the money.
Elissa felt her cheeks flush at the assumption she would know where he was.
“He’s, ah, bringing my neighbor, Mrs. Ford, to the fair. She’s meeting up with some of her friends here and they’re heading off to a movie.”
“Good for them. I want to be like that when I get old,” Penny said. “Assuming I don’t simply pop like a balloon, with all my insides spilling out.”
Cal took the bag Elissa gave him and put his hand on the small of Penny’s back.
“On that happy visual, we’re going to go,” Cal said firmly. “Come on, Penny. Let’s find the car. I’ll take you home and rub your feet.”
“Okay.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Dani said to tell you she’d be by later.”
“Oh, good. Thanks. Feel better, Penny.”
“Not possible. I’m never going to feel be
tter.”
An older woman laughed softly. “I felt the same way with all three of mine,” she said with a sigh. “Of course that was a long time ago. You have a lovely family.”
Elissa opened her mouth to explain they weren’t her family, then she decided to just smile and say, “Thank you.”
WALKER MOVED SLOWLY beside Mrs. Ford.
“I don’t usually bother with this,” she said as she leaned on him and steadied herself with a cane. “I was concerned with the crowd and getting jostled.” She gave him a teasing smile. “I knew if I asked you to protect me, innocent people would be risking life and limb. You’re just so strong.”
“Are you flirting with me?” he asked.
“Maybe a little. Although I know where your real interests lie, don’t I? With our pretty neighbor.”
“Elissa and I are friends,” he said, ignoring what had happened the previous weekend and how much he wanted to be with her again.
“Good friends.” Mrs. Ford sighed. “I used to have friends like that when I was younger. But after eighty, it’s nearly impossible to get a man. Still, I’m happy with my life. Not everyone can say that.”
He kept his left hand on her elbow and offered as much support as he could. It was warm and crowded and he didn’t think this was a good place for a woman well into her nineties. But Mrs. Ford had insisted and arguing with her was like reasoning with a tornado.
“Maybe if you weren’t so closed off emotionally,” she said. “I can certainly understand why it would happen. You’ve seen some horrible things. War has a way of changing a man.”
Honest to God, he didn’t know what to say to her.
“I’m only afraid that you’ll miss a perfectly wonderful opportunity with Elissa. She’s not like other women. You’re not likely to do better.”
“I’m not interested in doing better.”
“Then what’s the problem? You should have had her in bed by now. There’s nothing like a fabulous few days in bed to turn a woman into putty.”
He swore under his breath. “Did you want to do any shopping?” he asked, motioning to the crowded booths on either side of them.
She glanced at a display of kites. “I don’t think so, but you’re very sweet to offer. I know shopping is rarely a man’s first choice as a way to spend his free time. Do you think it’s a traumatic event from your past, or the way your mind works, or do you simply prefer being single?” She glanced at him. “I can’t imagine it’s being single. You strike me as someone who cares about family.”
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