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“Oh, I gave her a little bit of trouble here and there, including telling her she needed to take a backseat with work because her health was more important,” I said with a shrug, taking another sip. “She, uh, wasn’t too happy about that one. I kinda thought for a minute there she was going to rear up and snap my head right off my neck.”
Sheila cocked her head and then shook it. “If Ms. Perkins wanted you out, she would have happily thrown you out. That woman was only with Lighthouse for a couple of months and went through more than a handful of people, not including the girl who got thrown out for stealing.”
I scowled at the reminder. “Stealing from sick people, that’s low.”
“I guess she thought Ms. Perkins wouldn’t notice,” Sheila said with a roll of her eyes.
“Doesn’t matter if she would or wouldn’t notice, though anyone working for Sophia should know that woman doesn’t miss shit,” I said with a snort. “And it doesn’t matter if she’s rich enough to afford someone coming in every day and stealing something. We’re supposed to be here to care for people, not take their shit.”
“Huh, not like you to get worked up,” Sheila said, and alarm bells went off in my head as I could see she was paying close attention to me.
“I have a temper, you know that,” I countered, wondering how I would manage to get out from under her radar.
“Heaven knows you do,” Sheila said with a chuckle. “But you don’t normally let things get to you.”
“Well, you know, not getting the best sleep makes it harder sometimes,” I said, flashing a smile and hoping it was enough to assuage her suspicions. “But you and I both know if I thought I wasn’t alert enough to do my job or in control, I would have said something by now.”
Sheila nodded but continued to watch me. “That’s right. Now, how about you do me a favor and stay right there? I’ll go deal with Ms. Perkins’ afternoon treatment and checkup.”
“What? Why?” I asked, hoping my alarm didn’t come through my voice.
“Because you and I need to have a little talk, and I think you need to get more of that coffee into your system before you do anything today,” Sheila told me in a tone that brooked no opposition.
“Sheila,” I whined.
“Absolutely not. You stay in that seat and drink your coffee,” she said, setting her cup aside.
“Sophia’s gonna ask questions, and she’s going to get on my ass later for not being up to doing my job,” I countered, raising a brow. “Do you really wanna make my job harder?”
“I’m pretty sure you can take on a sick old woman you’ve already taken on when she was feeling better,” Sheila said, pointing at me. “Now you stay in that seat, got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I muttered, heaving a sigh.
I waited until she left the room and slumped back in my seat. Sheila’s footsteps were soft but still echoed down the hall as she mounted the staircase to the second floor. No matter what Sheila said, I knew full well Sophia would give me trouble when I spoke to her later. The woman couldn’t decide if she wanted to tip fully into the danger zone or sit just above it and prepare to get better, but sick as hell or not, she was still Sophia.
With a sigh, I got up and cleared the chair where I’d dumped things, extracting my laptop before putting my bag into the closet along with my coat. I took the computer back to my chair, opened it, and continued sipping my coffee. It didn’t feel like the coffee was doing much for me as I stared at the screen as it connected with the service we used for our caregiving.
It honestly seemed like most of the things I did weren’t doing much for me. I couldn’t sleep to save my life, and while I wasn’t exactly not hungry, I didn’t eat with any enthusiasm either.
I kept telling myself it was just a funk, and it would pass. I had been in funks before, and they didn’t tend to linger very long. And I knew it wasn’t just because of Sophia, although seeing her grow weaker wasn’t exactly helping my state of mind. It was heart-wrenching to see a woman as strong and defiant as Sophia reduced to a soft voice and barely able to move without pain or nausea.
I felt the air shift and then heard the front door close. I perked up at the sound, hoping it meant Sheila had simply forgotten about her newfound mission and was going to leave me in peace. That was until I realized I’d seen her coat in the closet, and there was no way she would leave without it. And since Sheila hadn’t warned me of anyone coming, and I didn’t hear anyone announce themselves, that left only one person who it could be.
Rubbing my face, I hoped he wouldn’t come into the kitchen and let me sit and wake up in peace. I hadn’t seen him in over a week and didn’t look forward to seeing him again. It was impossible to look him in the face without fighting the conflicting feelings of wanting to punch and kiss him. Although lately, it seemed the former was far more tempting than the latter.
“Hello?” I heard Sheila call, and then her tone shifted. “Oh, Mr. Perkins, I didn’t realize you were coming home so soon.”
“There’s only so much whining and unnecessary demanding someone can take in a day,” Shane told her, his voice low, rich, and full of charm. It made me want to throw my coffee mug at his head. “I smell coffee, is there by chance any left?”
“I’ll have to make you another pot,” Sheila said. “As it’s just about empty.”
“That’s really not necessary,” Shane said, but I heard Sheila’s quick footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Oh, I know how to make a decent pot. Don’t you worry about it. You’ve been busy enough. You don’t have to worry about your coffee.”
“Last I checked, you’ve been quite busy yourself.”
“Yes, caretaking. Now let me take care of you.”
