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Chapter 3
Tess
“Hey, honey. How was your first day of work?” My mother sits on the sofa in the living room with the television on. Not really watching it, but not not watching it either. If she isn’t caring for my stepfather, Sal, that’s where you can find her.
“It was fine, Mom.” I walk behind her and give her a hug from the back. “How is Sal?” I learned fairly quickly when I moved back that asking my mom how she is leads to no good outcome. Which is fair. She’s watching her husband pass away. The fact that she’s functioning at all means she's a badass.
“He’s sleeping right now.”
“I’ll go say hi after I get settled. What do you want for dinner tonight? I can go get one of those salads from Tres Coyotes.”
“That sounds good.” My mother’s voice pretty much constantly maintains an even, pleasant tone these days. Like she’s carrying everything inside so she doesn’t break down.
“Alright. I’ll call in the order and pick it up around six.”
I stop by the hospice bed to check on Sal. He’s sleeping, so I don’t say anything. It’s hard to see him there, unable to move or talk. He has a cancerous brain tumor, and it’s eating away at his motor functions. It’s heartbreaking to see this strong man brought so low. His intelligence and reasoning are still completely there. You can see it in his eyes. But in the last couple weeks, he lost the ability to communicate—no speaking, no writing, no hand signals. Just a pleading look in his eyes for someone to understand him.
Wiping a tear from my eye, I head to my bedroom and get changed into some sweats and a t-shirt. Life is so overwhelming sometimes. I think about finishing the book I’m reading about a woman who talks to cats and partners with them to solve murders. It’s a good story, but instead of reading, I end up lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
You know what would make this better? A kitten. The house is so quiet—too quiet. A kitten would liven everything up. Plus, there’s nothing cuter than a full kitten belly.
I’ve been here for about two weeks, and I’m glad I came when I did. There wasn’t any food in the fridge. It had gotten to the point where Mom couldn’t leave Sal alone, therefore no one could go grocery shopping or run errands.
That’s when I decided to quit school and move back. My education would always be there, but my stepfather wouldn’t.
At least I found a job I enjoy. It’s the one bright spot in this whole terrible situation. Well, my job and Rand. He’s hot, he rescued me, and he makes me feel beautiful. When he came to my office this morning wearing jeans and a navy blue button down, I might have creamed my panties. Damn, his shoulders and biceps know how to stretch the seams of a shirt. He looked so good I had to keep myself from reaching over and unbuttoning until my eyes and hands got to explore his muscled torso.
My eyes drift close, enjoying the fantasy. That’s most likely all it is. He’s probably just being friendly. We barely met a week ago and now we work together. Come to think of it, it’s a bit weird that we haven’t talked about his job yet. On the other hand, it isn’t like we’ve known each other long. Long enough to get in trouble. You know what they say about dating at work, though—don’t do it.
But I’m not sure I could stop myself, or if I would even want to. My life is full of crappy, difficult things right now. Rand feels like a warm blanket on a cold day. Not just his sexy body, though that heats me up just fine. It’s also his kindness and the way I feel safe with him. With everything going on, I could easily become addicted to the sense of strength and caring he brings into my life.
Putting thoughts of Rand aside for the moment, I make the call to Tres Coyotes and order our salad. Normally, I wouldn’t be hyped for a salad, but this place knows how to do it right—chicken, chipotle dressing, black beans, jicama—it’s so good. Plus, we’ve been eating there for years. The salad itself provides some comfort, and at this point I think my mom will take anything she can get.
A few hours later, we’ve finished eating.
“Do you want me to stay with him tonight?” I ask. Sal has a hospice bed on the main floor. We put a twin mattress on the floor next to the bed for one of us to sleep on. He’s bad enough that someone needs to be with him twenty-four seven. One of our priorities is that we don’t want him to die alone.
“No, I got it tonight, honey. You go ahead and get a good night’s sleep. You’ve got another day at your new job tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Mom.” We put the dishes away and I give her a long hug. “Good night.”
???
The next few days at work have a similar pattern. I get to work at nine, Rand comes by to say hi and invite me to lunch, and I accept. I always accept. Once I decided to allow myself the pleasure of his company, I went all in. Just like I’m doing with my job. The work isn’t fancy—mostly rescheduling projects and making sure everything is organized and on time. But it’s interesting to see how big construction projects happen from the inside.
Now, it’s Wednesday. Rand and I are returning from lunch. His hand is on my lower back and it’s sending tingles up my spine. Again. I’m quietly shivering as we wait for the elevator together.
“Tess, I’ve been meaning to ask you.” I look up and notice we’re standing much closer than is appropriate for colleagues. Not that I mind. “Would you like to go to a job site with me tomorrow? I could introduce you to one of the architects.”
“What? Are you serious? Of course I’d love to go with you.” This job keeps getting better and better. If I had to quit school and live at home to help my family, at least some good is coming of it. “I’ll need to approve it with my supervisor.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll get it taken care of.” We enter the elevator and push the buttons for our floors.
“Wow. Thanks, Rand. Is there anything special I need to wear?” If it’s a job site, I don’t want to be tripping over a ridiculous pair of stilettos.
Rand’s eyes grow heavy and heated as he looks me over. “You always look good, fighter. But go ahead and make sure you wear some sneakers tomorrow.”
The doors open on my floor. I’m practically skipping with excitement as I exit the elevator. “See you tomorrow, Rand!” I glance back just before the doors close, his fiery gaze sending a different kind of anticipation shooting through my body. Tomorrow is going to be a good day, indeed.
