Chapter 1 #3
“Axel has spent the most time with her. I’ve only talked to her a few times, but we seem to be all right.
She accuses me of having a terrible bedside manner, and I tease her.
I worry about her heart all the time. She’s lucky that I went with them when they went to her house to close it up.
To think that one of the staff had told her not to waste their time by coming in bothers me on so many levels.
” He said it would him as well, and he’d not been there when she had her first heart attack.
“It wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Knowing the signs is what saved her life.
Then getting her to the hospital when we did that was the real lifesaver for her.
She’s doing well now, making sure she’s eating right and doing her breathing.
She was under a great deal of stress. I don’t know that she’s not still, but she seems to be handling it better than before. I think it scared her as well.”
“Sure it did. I know it would have me as well.” Penrod smiled at him. “You got it bad, big brother. I’d ask her out now if you want to be able to do it this summer.”
“I think that I will.” He got up and sat back down. “If I asked her out, what will you think of me poaching on your woman?” They both laughed, and Kahana felt better about asking.
He really didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but the need to take her out on a date seemed imperative to him. Kahana wondered if his brother Axel had felt the same way when he met Mac. They fell in love so quickly, yet it seemed like they’d been together forever.
He got up to find Debra and found her in the kitchen with his mom and Mac.
They all three stared at him like he didn’t belong there, and he nearly left them to whatever they were doing.
He started to back away when his mom called him in.
Going into the kitchen with the women, he nodded at Debra after getting a hug from his mom.
“We were just discussing Debra and her heart issues. She was wondering if she was in the wrong profession to be having heart issues.” He immediately went into doctor mode and told her of her stress levels and what she had to do to make sure she didn’t have any.
Commenting on her eating habits, as well as her going all day on very little to drink, wouldn’t help her at all if she were trying to relieve some of her stress.
“See? I told you that he’d know you could do it.
So long as you’re careful. You’ve been given a chance, and you don’t want to mess that up by having another heart attack when there isn’t anyone around to save you. You were so very lucky this time.”
“I was. And I still am.” He told her that he’d be there for her whenever she had any questions.
“All right. What are you doing next Friday night? I have this ball for the local attorneys to go to, and I need someone to go with me to keep me calm.” He told her how he’d come in to ask her if she was busy anyway.
“Then good. If you don’t mind that we go out in black tie, then you can be my date. ”
“I’d love it. And you don’t need me to keep you calm, Debra.
You’re doing a good job of that all on your own.
So long as you remember what you’ve been taught, you’ll be fine.
” She said that she didn’t feel fine when her breathing got out of control.
“Just breathe, and if you have to, find a nice quiet place to sit. Don’t overthink things, and you should be fine. ”
“But you’ll still go with me, right? I mean, since you know that I can do this, you’ll still go with me, right?
” He said it would be his pleasure. “Good. I need you there. I could have asked Penrod, who asked me out for this weekend, but I want you there for some reason. Maybe because you’re a doctor, I don’t know. But I’m glad that you’ll be there.”
He didn’t like to think that he was going only because she might need him as her doctor, but he was going to take what he could get.
At least she didn’t ask one of the others to take her, and he was happy with that.
As soon as the kitchen was cleaned up, Mom and Mac left them in the kitchen.
He had so much to say to her that he didn’t know where to begin.
“I came to find you to ask you out.” She told him she was sorry that she’d asked first. “I’m not. I’m glad you did. I would have fumbled it all up, and my mom would think she raised an idiot. And don’t get me started on what Mac would say. She’d cut me no slack at all.”
“She is a bit intense.” He thought that was an understatement but didn’t comment.
Debra sat down on one of the many stools that were around the breakfast bar in the kitchen.
“Do you really think that I’m going to be all right?
I don’t mean just at the ball thing that I’m required to go to.
I mean, in general, am I going to be all right? ”
“You’re young and healthy, always two things that help out in any illness.
But you’re not giving up because you’ve had two heart attacks.
Some people would. If you take care of yourself and make sure that you’re doing what we tell you, you’ll live another seventy or more years.
” He sat down when she offered him a place beside her.
“Worrying won’t help either. You have enough stress as it is without adding to it.
This thing with Phil? You should just let Axel handle it for you.
He’s good at what he does, as I’m sure you are.
And if it gets to be too much, tell him.
He’ll know enough to stop where he is and help you out. ”
“I don’t want to be pampered all my life, but I feel like that’s what I’m doing to myself.” He shook his head and told her that she was getting used to something new. “That’s true. I find myself reading labels on things before I put them into my cart.”
“Good. More people should do that, too.” They talked about the ball a little bit, and he was glad that he’d asked her what sort of tie it really was.
She told him how she was wearing a formal gown and that if he had one, a tux would be great.
“I just so happen to have one. Mom had us all buy one when we started going out more. She said you’d never know when you had a need for one, and she’s right. But then she usually is.”
“I like your family. They get along so well. I’ve never gotten along with mine.
My grandda only left me the firm because I was the only one who was an attorney.
He didn’t care all that much that I was a woman, too.
I’m hoping that Axel can get Phil to return all the things that he stole from me in a timely manner.
I have no place to live as of tomorrow. Nor do I have a job to go to.
” He told her that there was a condo in his area that was open.
“I have nothing to put in it. I’m about as broke as I’ve ever been in college with student loans out the ass. ”
“I can help you out. And don’t say no until you hear me out.
Axel is going to be able to get everything back for you, and you can pay me back then.
Axel is that good.” She said she really didn’t know how long that was going to be.
“I’m fine with helping you. In fact, it would be my pleasure to help you out.
I feel like a knight in shining armor right now. ”
They talked about what she would need, and he told her that he had a spare bed that he wasn’t using, as he was looking for a house too.
She told him that she’d had her heart set on a house as well, but with all this going on with Phil, she didn’t know how long that was going to take either.
Things were up in the air until she could get the money and the firm back from Phil.
“He’s always been a person who messed things up.
If things were perfectly laid out and he agreed with them, he’d find some way to mess it up so that it’s all fucked.
He’s been like that my entire life.” She did her breathing again, and he took her hand into his.
“That’s nice. I needed that. Thank you.”
“Again, it’s my pleasure. You’re very easy to talk to.
And I’m glad that I got to know you. How about I take you over to the condo now, and you can have a look around?
It’s right on the way to your home, where you’re staying.
” She told him that she only had one more night in the place before they were going to come in and clean it up for the next person.
“That’s fast. I guess there is a lot of that going around. Housing is so short around here.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to find a small rental until things are taken care of, and that’s not going to happen. I do want to see the condo if you have time. I could surely use some good news.” They got up to leave, and Penrod gave him a thumbs-up. Kahana did feel good about taking her home.