CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lee dropped the guitars off in his room, then went to the spare bedroom where Charli had taken Rori. The other ladies were gathered there too, and they were all trying to convince Rori to take some of the furniture in the room.
“You’re sure you don’t need it?” Rori bit her lip as she looked at Charli, who sat on the daybed.
“Yep. Layla had this in her room for when friends would stay over, and then Amelia used it after Blake and I got married and they moved in. However, when the girls moved to their room up here, we got them each a new bed. This daybed is extra, and really, it’s just taking up space. As you can see, we have an actual bedroom set in here already. We don’t need this.”
“You’d be doing Charli a favor,” Janessa said. “If you agreed to take it.”
Rori glanced around at them, clearly reluctant to accept his sister’s generosity, and Lee wished he understood why. Was she too proud to accept it? He didn’t think so. She’d never come across as prideful. It was possible she was ashamed of needing help.
“If you’re sure,” Rori finally said. “I guess I’ll take the bed.”
“Perfect!” Charli exclaimed with a smile. “I’ll have Blake and Lee bring it to your place tomorrow.”
Rori looked over at Lee when Charli said his name. He smiled at her and nodded, letting her know that he was on board with what his sister was planning for him the next day. He was glad that he wouldn’t have to show up unannounced at her door with the bed.
Though he would have done it, if necessary, this way was definitely better.
He waited to see if Charli would offer anything else, but she didn’t. Instead, they all left the room and headed back downstairs. The others, including the kids, were in the kitchen, indulging in more brownies and cookies.
As they joined them, Lee saw Rori stifle a yawn, so he wasn’t surprised when she said, “I think I need to go. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I’m tired, so I’m sure you must be too,” he said. “You didn’t need to go in to work for the regular time.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “But my alarm went off, so I got up.”
“Well, we won’t come by too early tomorrow. Would one o’clock work?”
“Yep. That would be fine.”
Rori made the rounds, thanking people for the evening and giving the kids hugs when they approached her with their arms stretched out.
When she was done, Lee walked out of the house with her. Standing on the sidewalk beside her car, she said, “Thanks for inviting me to join you for tonight. I really enjoyed myself.”
“I’m glad.” He hesitated. “Hopefully Jackson didn’t make you too uncomfortable.”
“He didn’t, though the interaction with him was a bit weird. He knows nothing about me, so I’m not sure why he’d ask me out.”
“Jackson probably assumed that if you were a friend of our family’s that you were a decent person.” He cleared his throat. “Did you want to go out with him? You could have accepted.”
“No. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but I have no interest in dating him.”
His relief at hearing that just reinforced that his emotions were getting more and more involved in Rori. And it didn’t help that she seemed to look to him for reassurance, especially when hanging out with his family.
Logically, he told himself that was because he was the one she knew best in that group. But he enjoyed being a place of security and safety for Rori, even though it stoked the feelings that were growing in his heart.
“He won’t bother you any further about this,” Lee said.
He didn’t think Jackson would set himself up for more rejection, given that Rori had given him a decisive no. But regardless, Lee was going to have a little chat with him.
When she lifted a hand to hide another yawn, Lee said, “You’d better go so you don’t fall asleep on the drive home.”
“Yeah. I’m definitely ready for a solid night of sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Lee remained on the sidewalk, watching as Rori’s car drove away. He should have asked her to text him when she made it home. The drive was short enough that she shouldn’t fall asleep, but when it came to her, he worried. Probably more than he should.
He was pretty sure that there were precious few people who worried about her. Certainly, her mother wasn’t among them. And from the sounds of things, neither were her father or siblings.
So he would worry about her, even if she was oblivious to his concern.
Jay and Misha had left earlier with their kids, but the others were still around. Not for long, however. One by one, each headed out, leaving just the inhabitants of the house behind.
“Blake has a small table and chairs from his apartment that he’d be willing to part with,” Charli said as Lee settled on a stool at the island counter. “I didn’t mention it to Rori because I was sure she’d refuse.”
“You’re probably right about that,” Lee said. “I haven’t seen inside her apartment, but I think it’s pretty small. If it turns out she doesn’t have room for it, we can always bring it back.”
“I’m going to get a few other things together. Bedding and such. It’s a good excuse to get rid of some things that we haven’t been using.”
Lee was grateful for the generosity of his sister, and he was sure Rori would be as well.
As he thought back over the evening and the time he’d spent with his family and with Rori, Lee pondered if he really needed to know about his past.
The details of his past didn’t matter to his family.
Would the knowledge make him happier?
Would it give him more peace?
At that moment, he really wasn’t sure that it would.
The next day, Charli decided to go with him, Will, and Blake when they took the stuff to Rori’s. Janessa had agreed to babysit, so the kids remained at the house, even though the girls had wanted to tag along.
Will took his car, so they didn’t need to take car seats out of the truck. Lee hitched a ride with him while Blake and Charli went in their truck.
“This isn’t the greatest neighborhood,” Charli remarked as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building a short time later.
It wasn’t, but he had a feeling that it was what had fallen within Rori’s budget.
“I’ll go let her know we’re here,” Lee said, then headed toward the building. “Be right back.”
He wasn’t thrilled when he discovered he could walk right into the building without Rori having to let him in. Given the neighborhood, the building should have better security.
It was a bit dingy, and the carpet looked worn. The aroma of food hung in the air, but it wasn’t terribly enticing. He jogged down the stairs to the lower level.
When he found the door with the number Rori had given him, he rapped on it. It swung open almost immediately to reveal Rori. She wore a pair of jeans and an oversize T-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“Good afternoon.” Lee gave her a quick salute. “Delivery for Miss Rori.”
Rori’s smile grew. “Good afternoon.”
“Are you ready for us?”
“I am.”
“Great. I’ll let the others know.”
Back at the truck, Lee found that Blake and Will had the daybed out of the truck.
“I’ll wait out here,” Charli said. “To make sure no one walks off with the other stuff.”
“We won’t be long,” Blake told her.
While Blake carried the mattress, Lee and Will carried the frame, which was more bulky than heavy.
Rori stood in the hallway, and when she saw them, she stepped back into her apartment, holding the door open.
As soon as Lee stepped in, he glanced around, taking in the small space. She had been right about Carisa’s laundry room being almost as big as her apartment.
“Where do you want the bed?” Lee asked.
“Against this wall, please.” She gestured to the wall on the opposite side of the apartment from the small kitchen.
There was no air mattress in sight, so he assumed she’d taken it down already. He and Will quickly set the frame into position while Blake propped the mattress up against the wall, then returned to the truck.
“I’ll be right back,” Will said.
Lee stayed in the apartment with Rori, and the two of them set the mattress on the frame.
He tried not to look around too obviously, but he could see that the linoleum—there was no carpet—was worn, and the walls didn’t look like they’d been painted before Rori had moved in.
Two windows looked out on the street, but he’d only be able to see someone’s lower half as they walked by on the sidewalk. The windows also didn’t look like they had the best insulation value, so he had a feeling she’d be cold in the winter.
There was nothing else in the apartment. No dresser. No table and no chairs. Nothing.
It didn’t feel like a home, and he really wanted Rori to have a home. It felt wrong that she didn’t. Hopefully, the things Charli was giving her would help right that.
“Thanks so much for bringing this over,” Rori said as she gripped the wrought iron frame of the daybed.
“Well, Charli insisted on throwing in a few more things. Hope that’s okay.”
Rori’s brows rose. “Like what?”
“I’m not sure what all she stuck in.”
A knock on the door had him moving in that direction. He pulled it open to see Charli holding a chair. Blake and Will stood behind her carrying the table with the second chair lying on top of it. He moved aside so that they could carry it all into the apartment.
“Where should we put it?” Charli asked.
Lee glanced at Rori, who was staring at them with wide eyes. “A table?”
“Yep,” Charli said. “This was Blake’s, and we’re not using it since he moved in with me.”
After the table and chairs were in place, Will and Blake left again. Lee stayed, hoping that Charli wouldn’t make any comments on the condition of the place. He didn’t think she would, but he really didn’t want Rori to feel bad about not being able to afford anything better.
“I brought some bedding, since I wasn’t sure you’d have any for a twin bed.”
“Oh. Yeah. I only have double bed sheets.”
Charli smiled. “Perfect. Then you can use the stuff I brought.”
Lee went to the door when the guys rapped on it again. This time, they came in carrying a chest of drawers.
“Where are the other bags?” Charli asked as she plucked a black garbage bag from the top of it.
“In the drawers,” Will said as he and Blake put the dresser down where Rori pointed.
Charli went over to it and began pulling out bags. When Rori joined her, Charli showed her what she’d brought.
Lee wouldn’t be surprised if his sister continued to bring things for Rori. Especially now that she’d gotten a look at the apartment.
Already, the place looked cozier with the furniture in it. Hopefully Rori would be able to make it a home for herself.
He just prayed it would be a safe place for her. The windows at street level made him nervous, especially when he didn’t see coverings on them. Anyone could look in.
“Do you have anything to cover the windows?” Charli asked, as if reading his mind.
“I’ve been using towels and one of my sheets.”
“That’s good,” Charli said, instead of criticizing or offering anything more.
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t bring Rori some blinds or curtains in the future.
“I plan to get some blinds, but I keep forgetting to buy a tape measure so I can make sure that I get the right size.”
“I have one in my truck,” Blake said. “I’ll be right back.”
When Blake returned with the tape measure, Rori grabbed her phone from the counter next to a laptop. “Let me just open my notes so I can take down the measurements.”
Lee went over to help Blake stretch the tape measure across the windows. He called out each number to Rori.
“Do you want to go to the store now to pick some up?” Charli asked.
Will gave a laugh. “I kind of doubt that Rori really wants to go shopping with all four of us. It’s kind of overkill for a pair of blinds.”
“Maybe. But who’s going to install them for her?”
“I think Lee could handle it,” Blake said. “I’ll leave my toolbox here.”
“I didn’t bring my car,” Lee reminded him. Even though they could use Rori’s, he’d prefer not to put the extra miles on hers or use up her gas.
“You can use mine,” Will offered.
Lee turned to Rori to find her watching them with rounded eyes. “When did you plan to go?”
She chuckled. “Whenever I remembered to pick up a tape measure and measure the windows.”
“So not today,” he said.
She shrugged. “That wasn’t the plan.”
“Plans can change,” Charli chimed in.
Rori smiled at her. “True.”
“But do you want your plans to change?” Lee asked.
“Now that I have the measurements, I might go this afternoon,” Rori said. “But you don’t have to go with me.”
“I know,” Lee assured her. “But I’d like to.”
“Perfect,” Charli announced. “But since I’m not allowed to go shopping with you, I’ll expect pictures.”
“If you want to go, babe,” Blake said, “I can go home to the girls.”
Charli looked tempted, but finally said, “No. You told me you wanted to work out at the gym with Will. I’ll go home.”
Lee wasn’t sure if he believed that this wasn’t a set-up by his siblings. It didn’t seem like it was. However, with his family, one never knew.
“Well, I guess that’s settled,” Lee said, then turned to Rori. “Are you ready to go now?”
“Sure. I just need my purse.”
Once she had it, they all left her apartment, waiting as she locked up. Lee had to bite his tongue so that he didn’t say anything about the lack of security as they left the building.
“Here you go,” Will said, tossing his key fob to Lee. “And there’s no rush to get it back to me. If I need a car, I’ll use Janessa’s.”
Lee led Rori to Will’s car and opened the door for her, then went around to climb behind the wheel. He had to slide the seat back a bit to accommodate the couple of inches of height he had on Will.
“You’re okay going to Walmart?”
“Yep. That’s where I planned to check first to see if they had what I needed.”
The drive took less than ten minutes, and soon he was pulling into an empty spot in the large parking lot. Once inside, he grabbed a cart, and together they made their way to the part of the store where there was an assortment of window coverings.
Lee helped Rori find the correct sizes of a few different styles of blinds. He watched as she debated over which one would work best for the windows in her apartment.
He would normally have given his opinion if he’d been doing this with a family member or close friend, but he didn’t know how much input she might want from him.
“Would you be able to install this?” Rori said, looking up at him.
Lee took the blind she held out, the cheapest of the options, he noticed, and checked over what he could see of how it needed to be installed.
“I should be able to.”
“Then I think I’ll go with these.”
Lee took them without comment and put them in the cart. “Do you need to look at anything else while we’re here?”
She paused for a moment, but then said, “Nope. Just the blinds.”
“Hey there, Lee.”
Lee turned to see Jackson’s mom, Julia, coming towards them, a friendly smile on her face. “Hi, Aunt Julia.”
Though they weren’t technically related, they’d always called Jackson’s parents aunt and uncle.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m doing really well. How are you and Uncle Robert?”
“We’re great. Rob convinced me to go on a cruise with him, so we’ll be leaving in a week for a two week cruise. I’m so excited. It’ll be like our second honeymoon.”
Lee listened as the woman talked about how much she was looking forward to spending time with her husband, the man she clearly loved a great deal. He could understand why Jackson was so desperate for a relationship of his own. The guy no doubt saw how happy his parents were together and wanted that for himself too.
“Are you Rori?” Julia said, turning to her.
Rori looked startled for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. I’m Rori Harlow-Gray.”
“It’s lovely to meet you.” Julia held out her hand. “Jackson was telling me about you this morning. He’s my son.”
“Oh.” Rori’s laugh was clearly nervous. “He seems like a nice man.”
“He is,” Julia said, her smile affectionate. “But he probably shouldn’t have come on as strong as he did. I’m not surprised you turned him down for a date.”
“It had nothing to do with him,” Rori assured Julia. “I’m just… I have…”
Julia reached out and laid her hand on Rori’s arm. “Is there someone else?”
Lee hadn’t expected the question, and he held his breath as he waited for Rori’s answer.
She glanced at him before saying, “Sort of.”
Well, that wasn’t what he’d expected her to say, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Hopeful it might be him, but realistic enough to know it might not be.
“Well, I believe my son deserves to be loved wholeheartedly, so if you didn’t think you could give that to him, I’m glad you turned him down.” Julia looked at Lee. “Especially if your emotions are tangled up in someone else.”
Things had taken an awkward turn, and this was not at all the conversation Lee had thought they’d have as they wandered through Walmart.
“Anyway, I must run. I told Rob I wouldn’t be long.”
Lee bent to kiss her cheek, then watched as she turned to Rori and once against touched her arm. “I hope to see you around. It was lovely meeting you.”
After Rori had echoed the sentiment, they watched as Julia hurried away. They stood in silence for a moment, then Lee cleared his throat. “Well, I guess she doesn’t hold it against you for turning Jackson down.”
Rori looked up at him, a hand pressed to her chest. “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t want an angry mother after me.”
“Julia and Robert are both really nice people, and they dote on their son. However, they’re not oblivious to his faults.”
Lee wanted to ask about her reply to Julia’s question, but he bit his tongue. Instead, he pushed the cart to the registers at the front.
Though he would have liked to offer to pay for the blinds, Lee let Rori take care of it because he suspected the offer wouldn’t be well received. She’d accepted a lot from them already that day, and he had a feeling his offer to pay might tip things over the edge.
When they were back in the car, Lee said, “Anywhere else you need to go?”
“Nope. This has been great. One more thing checked off the list. Several things, actually. Courtesy of you and the others. I’m very thankful.”
“Glad we could help you out.”
Once back at the apartment, they unwrapped the first blind. Lee had hung blinds before, but he’d never call himself a pro. He just hoped that he had everything he needed in Blake’s tool chest.
“It’s a good thing they brought chairs,” Rori said as she brought one over for Lee to stand on.
Lee took it from her and set it against the wall under the window. “And it’s a good thing they’re sturdy.”
“Should we wait until we can get a ladder?” Rori asked, her voice worried.
“Nope. This chair will be fine.”
Thankfully, Blake’s large toolbox was fully stocked, and it didn’t take long to get the first blind installed.
“You did that so fast,” Rori said as he moved the chair over to the other window. “That’s amazing.”
“Does that mean I’m amazing?” Lee asked with a wink.
“Oh, definitely.” Her cheeks pinked a bit as she grinned. “The animals at the clinic tell me that all the time.”
Lee chuckled. “Do they now?”
“They’re all satisfied customers.”
“Even the ones I neuter?”
“Well, they’re usually pretty groggy and have no idea what’s happened. Probably why they still like you after that.”
Lee laughed as he climbed up on the chair by the next window, pressing a hand to the wall to steady his balance. Installing the second one went as smoothly as the first, and all too soon, his reason for being there was gone.
As soon as both blinds were pulled down, blocking people from being able to see inside, Lee felt a bit better about her living arrangements. It didn’t make it more secure, but at least it would keep the wrong people from being able to watch Rori in her home.
The sheets would have done that too, but someone still would have been able to see the lights on inside. These room darkening blinds would keep most of the light in and out.
“Thanks so much,” Rori said. “For everything. This was way more than I expected when I agreed to the bed last night.”
Lee snapped the clasp closed on the toolbox. “Charli occasionally goes overboard. Since you had a need, and she had extra, it was a guarantee that she’d want to help as much as she could.”
Rori hugged her arms across her body. “Still. You didn’t need to do anything.”
Oh, yes, they did. Or maybe it was Lee that needed to do something. But it helped that he could join his need to help her with Charli’s generosity.
“Will I see you at church tomorrow?” Lee asked as he picked up the toolbox.
“Yep. I’m planning to be there.”
Lee wasn’t sure what the afternoon’s plans were, since it was often weather dependent, but he would chat to her about it once he knew.
With great reluctance, Lee said goodbye. At least he’d see her the next day and not have to wait until Monday.
At the thought, Lee gave his head a shake. He was getting far too emotionally involved. It kind of felt like he had slipped at the top of a mountain and was hurtling down the side, unable to stop himself.
But surprisingly, he was far less worried about it than he should have been, given everything that had happened in the past year.