Chapter Two #3
“Please don’t go, Kira.” Gesturing at Owen, who had followed me from the hallway and now leaned against the door frame, frowning, Charles said, “He gets it from his father’s side. The Grant men are a suspicious, hard-headed lot.”
“I’m not welcome here, Charles,” I said. “It’s best if I leave. But don’t worry. I’ll be back tomorrow. And I’ll drive you to your doctor’s appointment on Monday like I promised.”
“Waste of time, if you ask me. I’m fit as a fiddle. What does a doctor know anyway?”
Charles’s grumbling got me smiling again. “We’ve talked about this, Charles. You can’t skip your appointments.”
“Marion always took me,” he said, fiddling with a button on his cardigan.
“I know.” I gave his forearm a gentle squeeze. “But now I get to take you. And we can finish that crossword while we wait.”
“I’d like you to read me another chapter of your thesis as well.”
“I haven’t made any changes since I last read it to you,” I said, chuckling.
“I know. But I like the sound of your voice when I drink my tea. And you know I give the best advice. We also need to practise your chess game. Needs work.”
Charles had been trying all summer to teach me chess, a game he and Marion had apparently played at least weekly throughout their marriage.
So far, the strategy had escaped me, and I couldn’t say I enjoyed it, but it made Charles happy.
He kept reminding me that every master was once a beginner, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever move beyond the novice stage.
“I look forward to it.” With a final squeeze of his arm, I stood to leave.
“Kira, wait.” Owen’s voice was right behind me as I opened the front door. I stepped onto the porch, and he followed, closing the door gently behind him. “Kira.”
I whirled toward him. “What? Going to accuse me of something else?”
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I snorted, crossing my arms. “Same.”
“I mean, I didn’t expect it would be you.”
“You said that already.”
“Ugh. I’m not explaining this well.” He scrubbed his face and looked into the distance for a moment. “I spent two months hearing Granddad talk about you every time we spoke on the phone, and my mind built you into this villain who was taking advantage of him—”
“Still not explaining it well.”
“And then you opened the door, and it was you, and I was so disappointed—”
“Wow.”
“Not disappointed to see you! Disappointed that you were the one scamming him—”
“I am not scamming your grandfather!” I yelled.
“I know! I know that now! I can see how much you care for him. But it’s been two months since we met and I couldn’t stop…then it was you who opened the door.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked away, his expression strained.
“Couldn’t stop what? What does that even mean?”
“Fuck. I’m terrible at this,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry, Kira. I should have realized that Granddad wouldn’t have someone to care for him with Gran gone.
He didn’t say he needed help when I asked, and now I realize it’s because you’ve been there for him.
And I haven’t. He seems weaker than when I last saw him.
More vulnerable. I didn’t realize…thank you.
” His eyes slid back to mine, filled with regret.
We stared at each other, the silence heavy between us. I couldn’t bring myself to say I forgave him—the pain of his accusations still lingered in my chest—but I inclined my head in an acknowledgement of his efforts. I appreciated it when people could admit they had been wrong.
He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a low chuckle, although there was little humour in it. “Jace says I tend to assume the worst when it comes to people. That I’m cynical and jaded and I need to work on that. Guess it’s true. Please, will you come back inside?”
I found my voice at last. “Not tonight. It’s getting late.”
“Granddad will never forgive me if he thinks I’ve hurt you. And I…I don’t like the idea of us ending the evening like this, either.”
I offered him a small smile. “Tell Charles there are no hard feelings on my part,” I said, realizing that was mostly true. Now I just felt exhausted and wanted to be alone. “You gave an excellent apology…eventually.”
Owen huffed, and we shared hesitant smiles before I continued. “I’m just tired tonight. It’s been a long day.” Months. Years, really.
His eyes narrowed. “You mentioned someone had hurt you. Need me to run interference again?”
I smiled at the memory. “Thank you, but no. That someone is long gone from my life.”
He studied me, his gaze so much like his grandfather’s. Both men saw more than I wanted to reveal. “Okay. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” I said with a small shrug, half watching a moth flit around the porch light.
“If you’re looking after Granddad, who’s looking after you?”
My gaze flew to his, but I was saved from answering by the sound of a car door slamming. A tall man walked quickly across the street toward us.
“Kira?” he called out, surprise evident in his voice, and I froze in horror. I knew that voice even if I couldn’t see his face in the gathering dark.
The rat bastard had returned.
Fuck.