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Crap. He must have heard me crying. I tried to pull up the mental tape of what I’d said to her. I couldn’t remember anything incriminating aside from the tiny emotional breakdown.
“If you’re looking for work, I need someone to watch Harper and look out for Grandad.”
“I thought Kenna watched her, and your Grandad is here, isn’t he?”
“I am going back to nights, so Kenna can’t watch her. And Grandad is getting released… right now in fact. I was just finishing up the paperwork. I have interviews lined up for people next week for live-in help, but I’d rather it not be a stranger?—”
“Live in?” I repeated.
Was Kane asking me to move into his house?
“Yeah, like I said, I’m working nights, and I want Harper to be able to stay at the house and not go to a babysitter. It would just be for the summer, and Harper will be in day camp, so you’d have your days free. Like I said, I might need some help with Grandad, just making sure he takes his medication and maybe giving him rides to his PT. They’re coming to the house at first, but then he’ll have to come back here.”
Kane was offering me a lifeline when I was drowning, but I wasn’t sure what his motivation was. Was it out of pity? Did he feel guilty for our indiscretions?
“Um…”
Kane’s phone vibrated, and he looked down and sighed. “It’s Grandad; he’s giving the nurses a hard time. I have to get back inside.” Kane looked around the parking lot. “Where’s your car?”
“Oh, um, it died again. I walked here.”
“If you wait, I can give you a ride to pick up?—"
“No, that’s okay. I can walk back.”
Kane’s jaw tensed, and I could see that he wasn’t happy with my response. “Fine, but can I pick you up after I get Grandad settled?”
My pulse raced as I stared up into Kane’s eyes.
Say no, I told myself. Every protective instinct in my body was screaming for me to say no.
“Okay,” I agreed.
A whisper of a smile spread across his face before he turned and headed back inside. I tried to wrap my head around what had just transpired. I’d just agreed to live with Kane Kingston. Today had been an emotional roller coaster, and it didn’t look like the ride would be stopping anytime soon.
16
KANE
“Sometimes life feels like a test I didn’t study for.” ~ Miss Dottie
“Can you go and open the front door, Harp?” I asked as I headed to the back of the truck to grab the wheelchair.
“Yes!” Harper grabbed my keys and rushed up to the porch steps as I unfolded the chair and rolled it to the passenger side.
She was still at the age where she loved being a big helper. I knew the eye-rolling was just around the corner, and I planned on cherishing her enthusiasm while it lasted.
“I’m fine. I don’t need that damn chair,” Grandad insisted as I opened the passenger side door.
“It’s doctor’s orders.”
The nurses and PTs at the rehab center had not made a secret about how difficult a patient Grandad was. I didn’t expect him to be any better for me. If anything, he’d probably be even more stubborn.
“I told ya, I don’t need to be in this thing.” He mumbled under his breath as he held onto the armrest and lowered down into the seat.
I pushed him up the temporary ramp I’d installed and waited for him to tell me why I’d built it wrong or how it was a waste of money or wood, but to my surprise, he didn’t comment on it at all. Harp stood proudly, holding the door open for us. Bandit was by her side.
“Thanks, Harp.” I smiled down at her as we passed by.
