Chapter 3 #2
She nodded. “Four stepbrothers. My dad used to say we were like The Brady Bunch, where Carol brought three girls into the marriage and Mike brought three boys. But in our family, my dad brought five girls, and my stepmom had four boys. My older sisters and two of the older brothers were already gone from the house when Dad and Veronica married, but becoming a blended family was still . . . challenging.”
She gave him a stiff smile, and he could almost feel the anxiety radiating off her in waves. But before he could ask her about
the family, she picked up the stack of bowls, carried them to the dishwasher, and opened the door.
He came up behind her and touched her hand. “Don’t worry about it, I got it.”
“You fed me, and you’re not even going to let me help clean up?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty. “At
least let me help pay for supper.”
“Put that away.”
She made a face and stuffed the money back into her pocket. “You’re too generous.” Then she brightened. “I’ll add it to the
cost of the room after I get my car back.”
“Deal.” He patted the pile of linens. “Here are sheets and towels. There are blankets in the closet, along with some other
supplies. Let me give you my number in case you need anything or want a ride somewhere.” He rattled off his number while she
programmed it into her phone. Then his phone dinged with a text. He glanced at the screen and found a message: Hi! This is Kaiah.
She pushed her phone into a back pocket on her jeans and then picked up the pile of linens. “Thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He walked her to the door and opened it. “If you need anything, don’t be shy.”
“I won’t. Good night.”
He waited until she disappeared up the stairs toward the apartment, and then he headed into the bathroom, where Piper sat
on the edge of the tub while it filled with water.
“Miss Kaiah is so nice,” Piper announced as she climbed in. “I really like her.”
Reid soaped up a facecloth and began washing her back. “You two seem to get along well.”
“Uh-huh.” Piper splashed her purple rubber duck in the water. “I hope she lives on top of the garage forever.”
“She’s only staying until her car is fixed, sweetie.” He washed her arms and her neck.
“But I want her to stay forever and ever,” Piper whined. “Why can’t she?”
“Because she has a home and a job.”
Piper’s frown transformed into a bright smile. “I’ll ask her to stay, and she will.” She splashed her duck again. “I wonder
what happened to her dog. Why would someone take George?”
“I don’t know.”
Piper continued to discuss Kaiah for the remainder of her bath. After Reid read his daughter a story and settled her in bed
for the night, he returned to the den, found his laptop, and searched the internet for Kaiah Ross. He quickly found articles
Kaiah had written detailing vacation destinations throughout the United States, along with a few articles about the best cruise
lines and Caribbean resorts. He was swept away by her talent. The pictures she painted with her words were so vivid, he could
see the destinations as if he were already there.
After reading her articles, he was even more curious about Kaiah. He found her Instagram profile and clicked on a few photos
of Kaiah with a golden retriever wearing a happy expression. If dogs could smile, this one had the brightest smile Reid had
ever seen. Surely that had to be George. A few other photos included a good-looking guy with light brown hair.
Could he be the guy who took George? But she didn’t say the culprit was a dude.
The guy could be someone else—perhaps her boyfriend or her husband. But Reid had noticed there weren’t any rings on her left hand. So maybe she wasn’t married. Maybe she was single.
Or maybe it was none of Reid’s business.
Bro, seriously. She’ll be gone in a few days, and you’ll never see her again. Just let it go.
Kaiah drew in a long breath and then released it as she eased into the warm bubble bath. She was grateful she’d remembered
to pack her favorite bubbles. For her, a bath was the best way to relax after a long and stressful day, whether the words
refused to flow as she tried to write, or while grief surged through her veins as she thought of her golden retriever, George.
She missed her best buddy so much. He’d been her constant companion, going out on stories with her, taking daily walks, watching
television with her, and sleeping at her feet at night. In fact, she’d had to sleep with a pillow at the bottom of the bed
ever since her ex had taken George. And that was on top of shattering her heart and her trust.
Now she was stuck in Nowheresville, but at least she had a warm bubble bath and some entertaining neighbors. She was still
smiling after her supper with Reid and his precocious daughter. Piper had her in stitches with her nonstop questions and her
funny anecdotes. It pained Kaiah to know that sweet little girl had lost her mother when she was only two. She knew what it
was like to walk around with a permanent hole in her heart without her mother. Piper and Reid had been through so much. Yet
she could see that Piper and Reid had persevered. She was struck by the love in Reid’s eyes when he looked at his daughter.
He seemed like a good man and a doting father.
She focused on the white ceiling and relaxed. She would somehow enjoy this unexpected detour until she hit the road again.
Once the bathwater cooled, Kaiah dried off and pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. She settled on the sofa and flipped through channels before settling on a Hallmark movie. Her phone rang, and she smiled at her sister’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Kam,” Kaiah sang.
“Last I heard, Mr. TDH was your Uber driver. Did you drive off into the sunset or what?”
Kaiah grinned. “Well, I’m staying in his apartment.”
“What?” Kam exclaimed. “You’re at his place? Kaiah, did you actually go home with him? What are you thinking? I mean, talk about dangerous—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Kaiah held her hand up while interrupting her. “Calm down, Kammie. I’m staying in an apartment on his
property. I’m not staying in his house.” Then she shared how he offered the empty apartment and planned to settle up after her car was ready. “For some
reason I trust him. I met his six-year-old, and she’s adorable. Kam, you’d love her.”
“Oh!” Kam sounded relieved. “It’s not exactly the hotel arrangement I would’ve expected, but I trust your judgment, Ky. So
he’s married.”
“Actually, he’s a widower.”
Her sister clucked her tongue. “Oh no. I’m sorry to hear that. That little girl is younger than we were when we lost Mom.”
“I know.” Glancing around the apartment, Kaiah cleared her throat. She needed to change the subject. “Anyway, this apartment
is perfect. It’s bigger than my place back in New York.”
“For real?”
“And guess what? Mr. TDH is a firefighter too.”
“Woo! A man in a uniform?” Kam exclaimed. “Ky, you’ve got to send me photos of this guy.”
Kaiah laughed and then cupped her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. “It’s been a long day, so I’ll let you go.”
“Okay, but I want photos of Reid in his firefighter uniform. Promise me you’ll send some.” A voice sounded in the background,
and then Kam laughed. “Uh-oh, Devon’s getting jealous. Honey, you have nothing to worry about. You’re the handsomest accountant
I know,” she told him before laughing again. Then all Kaiah could hear were muffled voices that sounded as if Kamryn had covered
the phone with her hand.
She shook her head. She could envision her sister and her husband joking around and pretending to bicker. Those two had the
best relationship. There was a time she’d hoped to find a love like that. But she’d given up on those dreams six months ago
when her last relationship fell apart. That was when she’d accepted that she was better off alone so she could concentrate
on her career without any distractions.
“Okay, I’m back. I told him he has nothing to worry about.” Kaiah could hear the smile in her sister’s voice. “Since I’ll
never get to see my handsome husband in a uniform, you’ll have to get me a photo of Mr. TDH.”
Kaiah rolled her eyes. “I’ll do my best, but I doubt I’ll get to see him in his uniform before I get back on the road.”
“Such a shame,” Kam sang with a dramatic sigh. “Get some rest, Ky. And I want a full report on your fireman after you’re back
on the road.”
“I’m sure there will be nothing to report, Kamryn,” Kaiah told her. “Tell your husband good night for me.”
“Will do. Bye!”
Kaiah disconnected the call and then chuckled to herself. She didn’t know what she’d do without her favorite sister.