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“I-I will,” he said softly, staring at his arm as I moved toward the door. “And…thank you.”
I turned to smile at him, wishing I could go to him and give him the comfort I knew he needed. But I also knew him and knew he would be stiff and probably turn me away. Right now, he needed to pour over everything I told him, and then perhaps afterward, he might accept whatever comfort I could give.
“Anytime,” I said and stepped out into the night, hoping he would take my words to heart.
Which was why, when I showed up the next day and found him sitting in her room on a plush chair, I felt maybe things didn’t always have to stay awful.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Every day, Shane spent at least an hour, if not two, with his mother. Sometimes it was in one or two sittings, and other times it was split up throughout the day and night. Sometimes they said very little, especially when I was around, though I heard their voices drifting down from upstairs when I wasn’t around.
I tried my best to ensure they were left alone whenever Shane was with her, but there were occasions when I had to stop in to check on Sophia.
“How’s she doing?” I asked on one such occasion as I slipped into the room at nearly midnight.
Shane had moved the chair, which had sat at the far end of the bedroom near her chaise, closer to her bed. It still wasn’t right up against her bed, but somehow I thought it was fitting for them.
He looked up from where he sat, the computer in his lap casting his handsome features into an almost eerie glow. “Oh, she was up not that long ago. Berating me for not closing a deal that could have opened up part of the Southwest. Well, at least for manufacturing anyway. We already have a strong foothold when it comes to real estate, which is probably why they tried to make the deal in the first place. After all, I’m sure they think it’s tempting to us to have even more influence down there.”
“As someone who knows absolutely nothing about that sort of thing,” I said, tapping at the systems next to her bed that had taken over monitoring her without my direct interference. “That doesn’t sound very good.”
Shane chuckled, shaking his head. “It was nothing we needed to get ourselves involved in, and she damn well knows it. The whole thing stank to me. They wanted to be bought out, but what they’re asking, the price point they refuse to budge from? No. I’ll make sure a couple of the more interested buyers get the message and are properly scared off.”
“And just what will that get you?” I asked, slightly altering the pain medicine dosage because I knew she could have more and was just being stubborn about it.
“The seller will find no market, no money coming in, and get desperate. Give them about six months, and I’m sure they’ll be more than ready to accept my offer, maybe even one that’s less generous,” Shane said, and I could hear the amusement in his voice.
“How very…mercenary,” I said, turning to raise an eye at him.
Shane rolled his eyes. “These are not small-town businesses. No Mom and Pop to be hurt. These are cutthroat franchise owners who would happily sell their own mother up the river if it meant not losing profit.”
“They sound like lovely people,” I said with a smirk. In his way, he had known exactly what to tell me to take the edge off his bloodthirsty acquisition strategy. I could stomach the idea of him raking people over the coals if they weren’t innocent people caught in the crossfire.
“If you’re gonna be greedy, at least be smart about it,” Shane said with a glee that made me smile.
“It’s nice to see you’ve found some measure of enjoyment,” I told him, patting his hand as I passed.
To my surprise, he twisted his hand and took hold of mine, squeezing it. “Hey…”
I stopped and looked at him, raising my brow. “What’s up?”
“How are you doing?” he asked softly, looking me over.
I smiled again because having him ask after me was enough to warm me. “All things considered, I’m doing pretty good…seriously.”
Which was true. Shane being around more often for his mother had also changed a few things inside me. While I wasn’t exactly getting what I wanted, it was nice to have him around again. And not just around, but acting more like the man I’d come to know slowly over time. It meant I could have him close, and he could have me close, as friends, but still close.
“Good,” he said with another squeeze before turning back to his computer. “Let me know if that changes. You’re allowed to take days off.”
“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” I told him, drawing my hand away and shoving it into my pocket. “But I’m okay. Just remember I’m here for you as much as for her, alright? None of that lone wolf, avoiding your feelings shit.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Shane said with a vague smile, and I left him to it, knowing that would be good enough for now.
More surprising to me was the almost immediate effect Shane’s repeated visits had on Sophia. While I had always known a support network and comfort were a boon to an ailing person, I was amazed at how much of a boon it had been for her health. Within a few days, I found her awake more often. Usually, it was to give me shit or read quietly, but it was more activity than I’d become accustomed to seeing from her.
After a couple of weeks, she was awake almost as much as she was resting, which was a far cry from what she’d been doing before. That did not, however, mean her attitude had improved in the slightest, but I expected nothing less.
“Keep that window open or so help me,” she told me as I’d moved to close it…again.
