9. Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Nellie
“ O h, I don’t know, Ida,” I said, pushing the wheelchair around the corner. The woman who reminded me of my grandmother looked up at me over her shoulder, grinning when we pulled up outside the game room. “I’m not really looking to date anyone.”
“Come on, sweet girl. Just let me set you up with my grandson. I promise, you’ll hit it off.” For a woman in her nineties, she was persistent. Her hands shook, and she wiggled her eyebrows.
I laughed loudly. “I’ll think about it. Okay?”
Women like Ida were the reason I volunteered at Shady Grove. It was a way for me to spend a few hours each week hanging out with people who had experienced a lot of life. I loved listening to their stories, and at least twice a week, I was telling somebody I wouldn’t marry their grandson.
“I’ll convince you,” Ida giggled. “Now, are you going to play me at checkers today?” I nodded.
“We can play anything you want.” I left her at the table and grabbed the game. Ida told me a long story about her grandson while I set black and red chips on the patterned board. Something about him starting his own business. She called him a landscaping contractor, but it sounded more like he was just mowing lawns.
“Me first,” she said as soon as I had the last piece in place. I laughed, throwing my head back. She picked up a red chip and moved it to a new square. “Your turn.”
So impatient.
I took my turn moving a piece forward while she mirrored it with a smirk on her face. A laugh rolled from me when Ida jumped my first piece, stealing one of my black chips from the board and setting it in front of her. “And we’re off,” she said, celebrating herself early. “You know, my grandson loves to play games.”
“That’s what you were saying.” It wasn’t really worth telling her I wasn’t interested again. She was going to talk about him anyways, and no matter what she said, I wasn’t going to go out on a date with her apparently very charming and doubtfully as handsome as she described grandson.
Ida nodded, not caring that I was only faking interest. “And he thinks you’re a total babe ,” she gushed.
“Does he now?” The voice behind me was low and calm, followed by a dry chuckle. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. I gasped, spinning around, but not before Ida’s eyes widened. I caught her giving him a once-over from the corner of my eye.
“What the hell are you doing here, Ronan?” I jumped up out of the chair, lowering my voice. “How did you know I was here?”
He smirked, and it was like a magnet for old ladies’ eyes. They all turned and stared, suddenly providing a large audience for our uncomfortable interaction. At least it was uncomfortable for me. “I have my ways,” he said, winking.
“You can’t be here,” I grumbled, turning away from him and sitting back down. Ida looked appalled, as if she hadn’t spent the last half an hour trying to convince me her grandson and I were a match made in Heaven. Now, she was eyeing me like Ronan and I just got engaged. “Is it my turn?”
Ida scrunched her brow, but I ignored it, picking up one of the black chips and moving it into a space I knew immediately was a bad move. For a moment, she forgot about the man standing behind me long enough to pick up her own piece and jump two of mine. She danced happily in her seat.
“You walked right into that one,” she said, rocking her head side to side and giggling.
Ronan chuckled, and it felt almost like he was standing closer to me. I could practically feel each breath he took. “She’s right, you know,” he agreed, and Ida grinned.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” she said, perking up in her wheelchair and tucking a wispy strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m Ida. And you are?” She fluttered her lashes, and Ronan chuckled, stepping around me and offering her his hand.
“I’m Ronan Moretti. Nellie is an old friend of mine.” He looked at me from the corner of his eye when I groaned.
Ida took his hand, blushing when he gave hers a light shake. “It’s absolutely lovely to meet you,” she said. “Nellie hasn’t ever told me about you. I’d remember it if she did.”
“That’s because we’re not really friends,” I said, attempting to ignore him by taking my turn.
Ida swatted at me, trying to appear playful, but she watched me closely, as if she was concerned I was going to cheat. When she was satisfied I wasn’t going to, she looked over my shoulder and, judging by the way she turned instantly bashful, Ronan was still standing there, probably with the same smug look on his face and posture that told everyone he was in charge whether you knew who he was or not.
“Don’t be rude,” she hissed.
Ronan rounded the table, leaning over the half-played game I no longer had any chance of winning. “Yeah, sugar. Don’t be rude.”
I gasped, quickly scanning the room to find an excuse to get out of the situation. When I didn’t find one, I sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” I said, and when Ronan lifted his brows, my stomach flipped.
“Nellie is right, though. We’re not really friends.” My jaw dropped. Was Ronan Moretti admitting I was right? “We’re more like business partners.”
I choked on my breath, sputtering and coughing. “No, we’re not,” I said.
“Well, not yet.” Ronan looked amused—he was having more fun with this exchange than I was, and Ida appeared to be on his side.
“Not now, Ronan.” I shot him a warning glance, earning a laugh in return. He smacked his hand against the table and stood up straight while Ida’s gaze bounced back and forth between us. She clapped gleefully.
“Okay then. Later.” He turned to me, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I’ll come by the bakery tonight, and we’ll talk.”
“I’m not working tonight.” And I didn’t want to talk.
Ronan cocked his head to the side, becoming less entertained by our back and forth. I hoped if I kept going, he’d give up, along with the hope of helping me, whatever that entailed. “Tomorrow, then.”
I shrugged, dismissing him but biting back the small smile that tugged at the corner of my lips. I didn’t want Ronan anywhere near me, so why was it so hard not to smile right now? “I should get Ida back to her room,” I said, standing from the table.
“I’ll walk you both,” Ronan said, grabbing onto the handles of Ida’s wheelchair faster than I could get to them. I sighed. It wasn’t worth fighting him. “Which way?” he asked Ida, leaning down while she giggled like a schoolgirl.
On the walk back to her room, Ida didn’t mention her grandson once. As soon as we got to her door, she looked up, first at Ronan and then at me. “I think you should let him take you on a date, Nellie,” she said loudly enough that I felt my cheeks warm with embarrassment. “I think he likes you.”
“What about your grandson?” I asked in a half-laced attempt to turn the suggestion into a joke, even though I knew Ida wasn’t joking.
“Oh, my grandson is great,” Ida cackled, throwing her head back, “but he’s a total loser compared to this hunk!” She pointed at Ronan with her thumb, wiggling her brows.
Ronan shrugged, agreeing with her, and when he smirked, I looked away. “Thanks, Ida, but I really don’t think so.”
“I’m just saying! He’s hot and obviously rich.” Ida was determined, and when she was determined, her voice always got louder. “He can buy you that bakery you’re so worried about losing!”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to say,” Ronan interjected, leaning his shoulder against the wall when Ida opened the door to her room. I took hold of the handles on her chair, pushing her through the doorway. “I can help.”
“I said I don’t need your help.” I thought about slamming the door in his face. We were already the center of attention—it wasn’t like I could draw more stares to us if I tried. “I don’t want it either,” I added, locking eyes with him for a moment.
When Ronan nodded, I thought it was over, but he didn’t budge. He stayed right where he was—shoulder against the door frame and arms crossed over his chest with a stupid smirk across his face. He wasn’t leaving. I groaned.
“What are you still doing here?” I asked when he followed me out of Ida’s room, closing the door behind me. Ronan’s stare was still intense, but it had softened. He looked more like the young boy in the pictures. Someone I used to know.
He fell into step next to me, and when he bumped into me with his elbow, I wasn’t so sure it was unintentional. “I’m going to change your mind.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said, checking my watch. My shift was over, which meant so was my only excuse for avoiding Ronan. “I meant it when I said I wanted to do it on my own. I’ve done everything on my own. This won’t be any different.”
Ronan cringed briefly before the stoic look he wore returned effortlessly to his face. “We’ll see,” he said. He didn’t know how stubborn I could be. “Let me walk you to your car.”
“Fine.” The sun was setting, and I knew Shady Grove wasn’t the safest area of town. “But that doesn’t mean I’m accepting your help.”
His laugh was loud, bouncing off the tile floors and beige hallway walls while we walked out of the front door. The smile on his face replaced the serious look of determination, and familiar butterflies raced toward my stomach. When we got to the lot, the beep of the horn interrupted the silence, causing me to jump as if I hadn’t heard the sound a hundred times.
“Thank you for walking me to my car,” I said, suddenly overcome with a rush of shyness.
“I was glad to.” He grinned, probably thankful for the lack of my usual snark. When I opened the door, Ronan put his hand on it, stopping me from opening it wide enough to climb in but keeping me from closing it at the same time. My breath halted, and I moved my gaze to meet his dark, steel-laced stare. “Nellie, listen. I’m sorry I wasn’t there…for everything. I—”
“Don’t Ronan. Not now.” I blinked back the tears that started to sting my eyes. I wasn’t going to cry, especially not in front of him.
Ronan opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then he closed it. My hands shook, and I clasped them together when he narrowed his eyes. Then, he softened, and all the hardness left his frame. I clamped my hands together harder, scared to let down my guard the same way.
He nodded, lifting his hand and brushing the back of his middle finger over my cheekbone. The world started to spin when he hooked a strand of hair, wrapping it once around the digit before he tucked it behind my ear. If I didn’t leave, the ground was going to come out from under me.
I gulped, slipping away from his grasp and opening the door further. The leather seat felt familiar beneath me, and I leaned back against it, like it would swallow me and take me away from the situation. “Thanks for walking me to my car,” I said before I moved to slam the door shut. Ronan grabbed it, holding it open for just a moment longer.
“I’ll be in touch, Nellie.”