Chapter 7
Felix
T he children were…a lot. Loud, excitable, rambunctious little hellions that sometimes gave me sensory overload. I liked kids in general. Was particularly fond of a few in my life. But listening to about thirty of them for most of the day got on my nerves after a while. I didn’t know how Kellan did it, all the while smiling and happy. As though it was the best thing he’d ever done.
I supposed that was why he was the elementary school teacher and I was not.
I thought I’d been mentally prepared. Having a week to settle into working the front desk helped, and Tristan was always around. I’d expected it would be just like having a few dozen of him running around. And it was, but more. Even when the pack of them were “quiet” it wasn’t ever actually quiet.
The guests rarely complained though. Most seemed to think the whole thing was great. I caught more than a few kind smiles and comments. One curmudgeonly older gentleman had demanded a refund, spouting off a rather impressive rant about how his peaceful stay was disturbed by brats. Fortunately, I handed him over to Nic, who let him yell before kicking him out. Without a refund.
That could have been because of the thinly veiled homophobia though.
But mostly it was fine. I had no problem with the software, the guests were polite in general, and though I was busy it wasn’t overwhelming. I was still looking forward to when Charlie and Teague returned. Not only because I could then go back to my quieter, simpler life, but so Charlie would stop messaging me three or four times a day to check on things. It would be cute if it wasn’t annoying, but I made sure none of that seeped through when I responded. He was worried, and it was the least I could do to assuage that.
The thing I wasn’t prepared for—and really, I should have been but sometimes I was stupid—was the way Kellan’s voice captivated me. The dining room was mere steps from the lobby and every time he spoke, I found myself paying attention to whatever lesson he was trying to impart instead of, you know, focusing on the task in front of me. More than once, the phone rang for longer than it should have before I picked up. Or the messaging app that allowed potential guests to ask questions through the Inn’s site would sit there blinking at me for more than ten minutes before I realized I needed to do something. I was entranced with whatever Kellan was saying, be it his positive affirmations or a dissertation about trees. He was utterly enthralling.
I’d always loved the sound of his voice. Something about it, the timber or the inflection, I didn’t know. It was what drew me to him in the first place. That night in the club, it had been loud, but before I ever saw him, I heard him. His voice caught my attention, and that’s why I’d sought him out. When I saw the package that voice came with? I made it my mission to take him home. Luckily for me, he hadn’t been hard to convince.
His voice was why he’d stayed the whole weekend. Back then, I kicked out my conquests the next morning. Nicely, but no one got to stay. Most of the guys I brought home were all too happy to leave once we were done or sneak out in the wee hours. Those who tried to stay got the polite boot. But I didn’t even think of making Kellan leave and even when he’d half-heartedly suggested he go, I’d told him to stay. Just to keep talking to him, to keep listening to him speak. The only reason we parted ways that Sunday evening was because we both had to work the next morning. We’d exchanged numbers and talked about getting together again. Which was also something I never did.
Of course, it was all for naught because the next weekend my life imploded and I didn’t want to see anybody, let alone the hottie with the sultry voice.
I was so lost in the sound of Kellan’s voice and my trip down memory lane, that I didn’t realize two little boys had escaped the dining room and were now peering at me through the window that separated the desk from the lobby. I could only see them from the noses up. They were clearly on the younger side of the plethora of kids who were attending the camp. I reached out and slid the window open, raising both brows.
“Shouldn’t you be in there with everybody else?” I asked, pointing to the dining room.
They both shrugged, and the little blond one sniffed loudly. He tilted his head. “How come you gots a cane? I seen you walking with it but you aren’t old enough.”
I took a breath before I answered, trying to temper my words. At least he didn’t think I was old, right? Kids had a skewed sense of what was old or not, if I remembered correctly. And, if I worded myself right, this was a good opportunity for a lesson.
“Because a few years ago, I had an accident and now my legs don’t work as well as they should. So I use this,” I held up the cane from where it was leaning against the desk, “to help me walk around.”
They both nodded like that made total sense and the one with dreads grinned widely. “My dad got his leg chopped off because of his beeties. But he has a new one now!”
It took a second for me to translate that. Clearly this kid’s father had diabetes, and complications had necessitated an amputation. And now wore a prosthetic.
The blond’s eyes went wide, and his whole face lit up like he’d just solved the world’s problems. “Mr. Felix, you can get new legs!”
I blinked. Opened my mouth and shut it again. What the hell was I supposed to say to that?
“Ryden! Jerome!” A harried looking mother came jogging out of the dining room. “Get back here. You’re not supposed to be bothering Mr. Felix. And you’re missing the lesson.”
“Hi, Mrs. Hannah’s Mom!” The blond said. “We were just telling Mr. Felix he can get new legs like Jer’s dad.”
The woman looked stunned for all of three seconds before she composed herself. Then, she gave the boys a soft smile. “It’s very cool that Jerome’s dad has a prosthetic leg that lets him walk around, right? But that only works for some people. Mr. Felix has ways to walk around, so he doesn’t need new legs. What he does need is to be left alone so he can do his job. And what you need is to get back to your group.”
She was clearly used to dealing with children. With a somewhat apologetic-looking smile she herded the two boys away, both of them waving to me until they disappeared through the door.
All I could do was stare after them and blink. Because seriously, what the fuck? Kids said the weirdest shit.
It took me a bit to get my brain back on track. I checked the phone, the online reservation system, and the messaging app, but there was nothing new. Charlie did a hell of a lot more during the day to day, but that wasn’t my responsibility while I was here. And without anything to occupy my brain, my thoughts twisted back to those first few weeks after my injury. When the doctors had speculated that amputation might be necessary. And to the months after that when I’d wished they’d gone that route instead of saving my legs. I scrubbed my hands over my face, trying to get rid of those memories.
“You okay?” Kellan’s voice was soft, concerned, and I dropped my hands quickly and had to fight not to let my expression contort into a scowl. We were supposed to be acting civil.
“Yep.”
Kellan wasn’t convinced. He stared at me, studying my face, and I was about to snap when he leaned a little closer. His scent, something woodsy, filled my senses and I nearly choked with how good he smelled. Fuck.
“Are you sure? Trish told me what happened with Ryden and Jerome.”
It took a second. Trish must be “Mrs. Hannah’s Mom.” Half of me was pissed she tattled, the other half understanding that Kellan, as the lead of the program, needed to be made aware. I let out a breath slowly, and when I inhaled again, I did it through my mouth so that I didn’t take in any more of his scent.
“Yeah. It wasn’t a big deal. They were just being curious kids.”
“If you’re sure.” Kellan lifted a hand, as though he wanted to reach out and touch, but he dropped it to the window frame a second later. “But tomorrow’s lesson in kindness is going to be about not bothering people about obvious physical differences.”
“Don’t.” The word was out of my mouth before I realized it. Kellan’s brow lifted, and why was that hot? No, I wasn’t going to let him and his pretty face get to me. I cleared my throat. “It’s better to ask questions than stare. Staring is rude.”
Kellan considered that, cocking his head so that one strand of pink hair fell across his eye. He batted it away. The color suited him. When I first met him, he hadn’t had any wild colors in his hair. Nor as many visible tattoos. I wondered how many he had now, where they were…if any were hidden in fun places.
“Perhaps then a lesson about how everyone is different, and asking polite questions is okay as long as the person they’re asking wants to share,” he mused, clearly talking to himself. But my gaze was drawn to the way he pursed his lips in thought.
“I’ve got work to do,” I snapped. I hadn’t meant to, but I couldn’t even take it back, because Kellan immediately straightened and stepped back, his face becoming impassive.
“Right, of course.” He strode away, his long legs eating up the carpet.
Dammit all to hell.
I sighed and shut the window, cutting myself off from everyone else again. I was good at that. And it was clearly better if I stayed shut off. Because I couldn’t be trusted to interact like a polite human being.
Four more days. I just had to make it through four more days. Then the camp would be over, and my job here would be done. I could go back to my solitude of the shop and not have to deal with pretty teachers and inquisitive children.
W hen my alarm went off the next morning, I knew I was in trouble before I even opened my eyes. I’d slept like shit, both because I couldn’t get my mind to shut off and because I couldn’t find a comfortable position. It had stormed all night, and I didn’t care what anyone said, the weather fucked with my joints. Rain always made my legs achy. But this was a whole other level.
I hurt.
It was bad enough that, had it been a regular day, with my regular tasks, I would have popped a Percocet that I hated taking and told Ma she was on shop duty for the whole day. I would have spent some time in the hot tub trying to ease the pain, or in the bath filled with ice if that hadn’t worked. I might have even taken a gummy just to take the edge off.
But it wasn’t a regular day and I was expected at the Inn within the hour. I gritted my teeth and forced myself out of bed and into my chair. I hoped that 800 milligrams of ibuprofen and a hot shower would ease the pain enough for me to get on with things. But every movement was a struggle and there was no way I could walk today. I didn’t care about wheeling myself around, much, because I had days like that all the time. But it wasn’t a day I could drive. That always rankled, when I was trapped, and once again I thought about refusing to get my SUV adapted. It was just such a hassle and with too many steps and too much time that I’d rejected it repeatedly. Most of the time, I could drive without issue, and I wasn’t even sure I would get approved for the assistive devices.
I managed the shower and the pill, even managed to get dressed, but as I was sitting there waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in, I knew it was a no go. Not if I wanted to be at the Inn on time. I knew the staff could get by for a few hours without me, or even the whole day, but I was committed to helping. Charlie had entrusted that task to me. And if I could just get there, it would be fine. That’s why I had a wheelchair in the first place. So on days like this my mobility wasn’t as impacted.
With a sigh, I grabbed my phone, mentally running through my options. Did I call Nic and tell her I would be late? I probably should but then I realized out of everyone there, Oak probably had the most flexibility. He could run over and pick me up, and my chair would fit into the back of his SUV. We’d smoothed things between us quickly and easily the day of my outburst, both of us apologizing, and he was always saying to let him know if I needed help.
I still hated asking, but I did need help, so I placed the call. He answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Felix! You okay?” His voice was mostly bright and cheery, but there was a hint of worry that I hated hearing.
“Yeah.” I blew out a breath and adjusted my left leg. It was always giving me problems, but I was able to ease some of the pain. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…I can’t drive today.”
“What d’you…oh. Okay. Do you need to take the day off?” The sympathy was hard to hear, even after all this time, but at least I knew it was genuine coming from Oak.
“No. It’s not that bad.” It was, but I wasn’t going to admit it. “Just can’t drive. So I was hoping you could pick me and the chair up.”
There. That sounded normal and not resentful at all. Go me.
“Oh!” Oak muttered something, maybe to Law, and then he was back. “Yeah. I’ll take care of it. Hang tight.”
“Thanks. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
I hung up, staring at the phone. Well, that sucked. But it was done. I leaned up on my right hip so I could slip my phone in my pocket, and then wheeled myself through the house. I was glad I didn’t have to worry about breakfast or lunch while I was working at the Inn. Dana insisted on feeding everybody. It was a thing. So all I had to do was show up and I could have coffee perfection along with breakfast, which included Regan’s outstanding confections. Truth be told, I was getting a little spoiled. It would be hard to go back to my coffee and peanut butter toast when the week was over.
But that was the only thing I was going to miss.
It was already hot by the time I made it onto the porch. This time of year, it hit the high 70s and low 80s early. I wasn’t one for heat, but I did appreciate it more than the frigid winters. I made sure the door was locked and then wheeled my way to the side of the porch and the ramp Teague had built when I bought the place. It was even ADA compliant in width and slope, because Teague never did anything by halves. I parked myself near the driveway, ready and waiting, so that Oak wasn’t away from the Inn for too long.
Not ten minutes later, I heard the rumble of an engine coming up the drive. He’d made good time but I wasn’t going to chastise him for speeding. We all did it. Okay, I would poke a little fun at him, because really, he was usually overly cautious when driving. Which was something I admired about him. I opened my mouth, ready to tease, when the car that came into view was very much not Oak’s SUV.
It was Kellan’s sedan.
What the fuck?
He parked and didn’t shut off the engine, before popping open his door. I couldn’t control my mouth.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Kellan, for his part, barely batted an eye. “Oak called and said you needed a ride today, and since I was heading that way, and would only have to make a short detour, it made sense for me to stop and get you. But I’m guessing, by your expression, that he did not tell you any of this.”
I had to forcibly unclench my jaw. “He did not.”
Kellan nodded. “Well, that’s rude of him.”
That got my back up too, because the kid was a sweetheart and never rude and I didn’t appreciate Kellan’s tone. “He was just trying to make it easiest on everyone.”
Kellan hummed, walking closer. “Or he had an ulterior motive.”
“The fuck?”
Kellan ignored me, stopping three feet in front of me. “Well I’m happy to be your chariot of the day, if you’re okay with it. We don’t even have to talk. I have a great playlist.”
I squinted at him. “Will my chair fit in your trunk?”
“Trust me, the back end is plenty roomy. It’ll fit.” Then he waggled his eyebrows and I knew damn well he meant it as innuendo. My lips quirked of their own volition, which made him smile, and I tamped it all down quickly. I would not let him see that he amused me.
I reached down deep for that civility I was supposed to be utilizing. “Then thanks, I appreciate it.”
Kellan’s expression softened. “Tell me what you need me to do.”
I was already wheeling to the passenger side. I pulled open the door, flipped up my footrests, braced myself, and stood. Kellan was right there, having arrived when I wasn’t looking, and he didn’t hover, but he was poised to help. I kept the grunts that wanted to escape locked behind my teeth as I turned and lowered myself into the seat. Then I used my hands to lift my legs inside, because I was already too tired to move them on their own. I let out a slow breath.
“Pull the cushion off, and then you just lift the seat to fold it. Right.” He did as I instructed then pushed the chair to the back. I didn’t bother to turn around and watch him try to fit it in the trunk. But only a minute later, the trunk lid slammed down and he was jogging up the side of the car. I had to lean to grab my door, but I pulled it shut by the time Kellan folded himself into the driver’s seat.
“Thanks,” I said softly, meaning it. But then it felt too real and I just couldn’t handle it. I put on a haughty air. “To the Inn, Jeeves.”
Christ, but Kellan’s belly laugh was fucking rewarding.