Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
“ D on’t look at me like that,” Estelle scolded her father, though she knew her tone lacked the snap it needed to be effective. Sighing, she stood from the bed and began fussing with his covers. “There’s nothing going on,” she insisted, but her father’s eyes began to crinkle on the edges and she knew he didn’t believe a word of it.
Funny how she could basically read the conversation on his face. It was something she’d miss about him, how his emotions were so easy to understand.
Tears stung her eyes and Estelle turned quickly away, but her father’s frail hand landed on her arm. Raising her eyebrows in an effort to hide her own emotions, Estelle turned back.
“H-he…he’s…good.”
She blinked multiple times and nodded. “He is.”
Her father’s bent finger shook at her. “For you.”
Estelle’s head hung, and she shook it before looking back at her father, praying he couldn’t see the heartbreak in her face. She’d spent so many years watching everyone else find love, and the one man that had piqued Estelle’s interest was finally back in town. Now. When her life was falling apart. At the exact point in time when she couldn’t do anything about it.
It seemed that fate was laughing at her, poking fun at Estelle’s expense. Or maybe this was some huge cosmic test about her loyalties. Was God trying to see if she would drop her responsibilities and run for it? If she stayed would He save her father and her brother?
Because that was the funny thing. Estelle was fully aware that in the end she would lose her father. She’d already lost the brother she knew, and because of the timing, she knew she was going to lose Crew as well.
No matter how much he weaseled his way in her business and helped her, no matter how much she wished otherwise, there simply weren't enough hours in the day to take care of her family and date Crew.
He was everything she’d ever wanted…and she couldn’t have him.
“You know I can’t date anyone,” she rasped, finally addressing her father’s comment. “I’m needed here.” Her father’s head began to shake, but Estelle pulled back. “Someday,” she said with a forced smile. “But not now. There simply isn’t time.”
Turning, she walked toward the door, determined not to speak about it any more. The more she let the thought linger, the more it hurt. She had already doomed herself to more tears by agreeing to make Layla’s birthday cake. There was no need to make it worse. Maybe she’d simply be an aunt and never a mother. That wouldn’t be so bad, right?
The harsh prick in her heart said otherwise, but Estelle ignored it, keeping her back straight. Crew and Layla were bound to be gone by now. It would be safe to get breakfast. “I’ll get your smoothie and be back in a few minutes.”
Opening her father’s bedroom door, Estelle marched out and came to a skidding halt as Crew stood from the couch, looking like an avenging angel as he rose to his full height.
“I…” Estelle’s jaw worked, but no words came out. “Where’s Layla?” she finally ma naged to whisper.
Crew gave her a tired smile. “I had Harper take her home. She apparently loves your dad, and it bothered her to see him in pain.”
Estelle nodded jerkily. “Then why are you here?”
His eyebrows rose. “I’m here to help. We had a deal, remember?”
“I know but—” Estelle snapped her mouth shut when he began walking her way. She could feel him as he came toward her. His overwhelming presence sent her senses into a tailspin, and she couldn’t keep her head out of the clouds.
Her eyes wanted to close and take in the warmth and soothing cologne he wore. She wanted his arms around her, not just to hold her up from the trauma of the episode with her father, but simply to hold her.
But she kept her eyes open, refusing to give into the desires. She couldn’t do it because it would only bring more pain, and her body was getting too good at handling pain. She couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of consequences there would be once everything she was burying came back out.
“I already told you,” he said with a teasing grin. “I’m selfish.” One eyebrow rose high. “Plus, I really like cake, and I want to make a good one for Layla.”
Estelle searched his face, looking for something, anything, that would indicate his real reason for being here. She secretly hoped it was because he wanted to spend time with her, but why would any man be that desperate? The cake thing made more sense, but it still seemed a high price to pay for something so small.
Crew stepped closer, bringing them within inches of each other.
Estelle’s breath caught at the look in his eyes. There was an intensity that hadn’t been there before, and it answered questions she was too afraid to ask.
“I’m also selfish for more than cake,” he said in a low tone. His hand slowly reached across the space between them and grasped the tip of Estelle’s fingers.
Fire, hot and sweet, shot up her arm, sending a shudder through her body that she had no hope of containing .
One side of Crew’s mouth twitched up. “I was too stupid to take my chance before, Estelle,” he murmured, slowly pulling her hand toward him until her fingers were comfortably resting in his. “I know your life is complicated right now, but this is our shot. I’m here. I can help, and along the way, we can test this…pull…between us.”
Estelle’s brain wasn’t functioning. No words formed at all, and she didn’t dare open her mouth, afraid something wild and brave would come out without her consent. “I don’t know if I can give you what you want,” she stammered, each word feeling like a sharp knife on her tongue. It was like hammering nails in her coffin. Her response would probably drive him away. No guy wanted to stick around and play third fiddle to an injured brother and dying father.
Instead of backing off like Estelle expected, Crew’s smile grew, and his free hand came up to cup her cheek. “While I don’t agree,” he said slowly, “I’m also not going to push.” His thumb ran along her cheekbone. “I know you feel this. But I’m also aware you’re already at your limit. So all you need to understand is that I’m here. I’m here to help lighten your load, I’m here to get your help with a little girl’s birthday cake and I’m here to get to know you. And I’ll stick around however long it takes for those things to happen.”
He leaned in until they were nose to nose, and suddenly, Estelle couldn’t breathe. She was completely enveloped in everything Crew, and her mind couldn’t remember why she’d been in the process of telling him no.
Slowly, so slowly she barely registered the movement, Crew brought her hand up and kissed her palm. His breath and lips warm against her sensitive skin.
“I’m here until you can’t stand to be around me any more,” he whispered huskily.
Ah man…his actions were completely backfiring. The temptation to lean forward and kiss her lips instead of her hand was so intense that Crew was nearly bowing under the weight.
But he’d just made a confession that could easily scare Estelle away, so instead of giving in, he chose to act in a way to show her he was trustworthy and straightened, putting a few extra inches between them.
“What do we need to do next?” he asked, acting as if his words hadn’t shocked her into next week.
Estelle blinked several times and shook herself, as if coming out of a daydream. “Umm…my dad’s breakfast?”
“Perfect.” Taking her hand, he led them to the kitchen. “I’ll get the blender. What else do we need?”
For the next several minutes, they worked in tandem, and Crew found a comfortable silence settling between them. Their eyes met, and their shoulders brushed, sparking electricity and heightening his awareness of her. As if he needed any help with that.
Estelle had an elegance about every movement, despite the weariness in her face, that gave her such a feminine essence that Crew was drawn in like a kid to trick or treating.
He could have watched her all day and never tired. Not for the first time, Crew wondered how he’d ever walked away before. He shook his head before he could dwell on it again.
Did it really matter? What had happened, had happened. What was happening now was important, not choices they’d made in the past.
“Ready?” he asked once they’d poured the concoction into the tube.
Estelle glanced at him from under her thick lashes and nodded.
Daring to take her hand once more, Crew walked with her toward her father’s bedroom. She walked close, their hands swinging until they reached the door, only then did she pull back, and Crew didn’t create a fuss. He had time. He had all the time in the world to wait for her to be ready for this. He’d already made more progress than he’d expected. No complaints from him.
He held open the door, waiting for her to walk through before he followed. “Mr. Harrison! Ready for the most delicious nutrients in the world?” Crew called out. He grinned when Mr. Harrison’s mouth twitched.
While Estelle took care of the tubes, Crew helped Mr. Harrison find a comfortable position. It really was a pity to see someone so frail, especially someone with so much to live for.
“Tony?” Mrs. Harrison came through the door only moments later, and Crew could see how Mr. Harrison’s face changed with the arrival of his wife.
A surge of emotion hit Crew in the gut, and he had to swallow a few times to get it to go away. The juxtaposition between his family and this one was so stark it seemed odd they inhabited the same planet.
This. This was what Mason and Harper had and what Crew was hoping to obtain. He didn’t try to stop it when his eyes wandered to Estelle, who was watching her mother fawn over her father with a look that spoke of both peace and sadness.
“The party’s here!” came a shout from the door, and the whole room jerked as Estelle’s younger sister came bursting into the room.
“Aspen,” Estelle sighed. “Do you have to shout?”
Aspen made a face. “Just because you’re quiet doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be.”
A man stepped up behind her, his arm coming around to rest on Aspen’s stomach. Crew had to assume this was the husband. He seemed slightly familiar, but no name came to mind.
Aspen held up two styrofoam containers. “I’ve got chocolate mint and the last of the lemon raspberry. What do you want, Dad?”
“He just had breakfast!” Estelle sputtered.
“Perfect. That means he earned dessert.” Aspen leaned around until she could see her father. “One or two?”
His fingers curled into a shaky two.
“Ha!” Aspen cried, looking triumphantly behind her. “You owe me five bucks.”
The man rolled his eyes and came around, walking toward Crew, holding out his hand. “You must be Crew. I’m Austin, the crazy lady’s husband.”
“Heard that!” Aspen yelled on her way to the kitchen.
“Excuse me,” Estelle said, storming out the door after her sister.
Mrs. Harrison laughed softly and tapped Crew on the arm. “You better stop her, or Tony won’t get his breakfast dessert.”
Mr. Harrison grunted.
“See?” Mrs. Harrison leaned over. Her dark hair and eyes were still beautiful and Crew could see why Mr. Harrison had been drawn to her when they were younger, but Estelle’s darker skin and statuesque figure was definitely from her father’s side. “If I’ve learned anything from my Tony over the years, it’s that we have to live life while we can.” She smiled down at him when his hand twitched on her knee.
Austin raised an eyebrow. “Good luck, man. The Harrison women are a tough bunch.”
Feeling slightly awkward, Crew stood and gave them a nod before slipping from the room.
“Come on, Stelle. It’s dairy! Dairy and eggs and fruit. Are you really going to deny him that?” Aspen’s voice rang through the entire house.
Estelle’s steady tones were harder to understand, but Crew imagined he knew the logical sense she was offering. Personally, he agreed with Aspen. Let the man have his cake.
The sound of the blender said that Aspen wasn’t listening to Estelle, so Crew took the opportunity to step into the kitchen. The stand off of two sisters glaring at each other should have had him running the other way, but instead, Crew snorted, then covered it with a cough, but it was too late. The blender had stopped just in time to catch his sounds of amusement, and both women turned his way .
Clearing his throat and praying he wasn’t blushing, Crew put his hands on his hips. “Want me to take the other one upstairs to Antony?”
Aspen’s face lit up. “That’s perfect! Thanks!”
Estelle threw up her arms, but before she could begin another lecture, Crew stepped in, grabbed the styrofoam container with one hand, Estelle’s hand with the other and tugged her in his wake.
“You’re incorrigible,” she grumbled as he pulled her up the stairs.
Crew grinned back at her. “Thanks,” he said. “You’re pretty cute yourself.” Winking, he faced the stairs and hoped she didn’t stab him in the back before they got to the top.