11 #2
“When I first came to live with her, I couldn’t believe the food.” A genuine smile showed not only on his mouth, but in his
eyes. “There was always something cooking or something sweet on the counter. Addie would ask me what I’d like to eat, and
I never knew what to tell her. Everything she made was great.”
“I’m not much of a cook.” Once she said it, she glanced at him, feeling a little defensive. “I mean . . . Addie definitely
has a talent.”
“She does, and even better, she enjoys it.”
“I can read a recipe.”
Unlike her, Kam didn’t seem to think anything of it. “Same. I don’t do too badly, but food always tastes better when someone
else cooks it.”
Glad that she wouldn’t be compared to Addie, Glory tried to relax. “Putt-Putt golf sounds fun. I wish I were able to join
you.”
Lifting his gaze from his food, he took in her left arm, carefully held to her side, then the bruising on her face. “I wish
you could, too, but you have a lot of healing to do before you’ll be up for something like that.”
The look in his eyes conveyed more than his casual response. “I’m okay on my own, you know. If there are things you need to do, don’t feel like you have to arrange for someone else to be here with me.”
“Ha! It’s all I can do to keep them away.”
Given the enthusiasm from everyone when they visited, that might be true. “I’m not used to so much attention. It’s overwhelming.”
And exhausting. Being the center of attention didn’t suit her. She wanted to groan without anyone hearing it, wanted to get
off the couch without others seeing her struggle. She wanted to be herself, not someone who endlessly garnered pity.
Kam set aside his fork. “So you want some time alone?”
Not from him, but she could see that he’d taken it that way. Damn, she was butchering this. “I’m going to be blunt.”
“Sure, let’s try that.”
Her frown snapped into place and with the stitches still in her forehead and cheek, she imagined it looked as angry as it
felt. “You say that like I’ve kept things from you.”
“You’re hedging around about something. Just spit it out.”
Fine. “I like having you here. I want you here.”
Kam started to relax.
“As long as it’s convenient.”
He stiffened right up again. “For me or you?”
No man could be that obtuse. “I don’t want you to feel obligated.
” And I don’t want to feel like a nuisance.
Cue pity party. Maybe if she slept better, she’d handle him better, too—if anyone could handle Kam.
It didn’t seem likely. He had a streak of honor that would always guide him. Admirable, as long as that wasn’t what
kept him with her. “You have a life away from me; I know that. Work at the shop, a family who adores you—”
“Tanner might object to that description.”
“And your volunteer time with kids in the youth program. Plus, you still help out with the tree farm.” Addie and Tanner depended on him. The at-risk kids needed him. She did not want to hog all his time. It made her feel needy and selfish, when she’d been well on her way to changing her life.
If he lived with her—permanently, without that perfectly good apartment going to waste—she might feel differently. He’d kept
the apartment, though, and now he was stuck here with her.
Firming her chin, she tried to sit a little straighter, to look less like a wounded victim. “I can get around on my own now.”
His brows leveled over his eyes. “Sure, from the couch to the table.”
“So I’m a little sore, big deal. You wouldn’t let that slow you down. Neither would Tanner, and I’m guessing Addie would forge
on no matter what. Callie was hurt and she still went out to feed her chickens. Remember that?”
With a distinct lack of humor, the corner of his mouth lifted. “Do you remember that Callie didn’t have broken ribs and a
torn rotator cuff?”
No, but she’d fallen from her attic, and she’d been bruised almost as badly as Glory was now. “Hurt is hurt,” she said, refusing
to give up her point.
“There’s hurt and then there’s injured. Besides, if you think Tanner and I wouldn’t be pampering Addie, you haven’t paid attention.”
Maybe it was from being cooped up, but Glory felt like throwing her fork at him. “Callie and I would dote on her, too. That’s
not what I’m saying, and you know it.”
Kam rubbed a hand over his face. “Actually, yeah, I get it. You want to normalize your life as much as you can.”
Recognizing that he did understand took away some of her starch. She relaxed her spine again, shifting to get as comfortable as she could in the hard chair. “I have weeks to go yet before my ribs are healed. The idea of nonstop visitors is daunting.”
He nodded in acceptance. “Want me to talk to them?”
“We could do that together.” With a moderated inhale, she prepped herself for the next battle. “I want PB back here. For good.”
“Babe—”
“Don’t babe me, Kam. She’s my dog. My dog-ter.” Yes, she liked that term. “You know the longer she’s with Addie, Tanner, and Callie,
the more attached she’ll be to them.”
This time, it was his mouth he rubbed, but still when he dropped his hand, real humor showed in the tilt of his mouth. “Dog-ter,
huh?”
“Yes. My dog-daughter.” Glory had so much love to give—love she wanted to lavish on others. Kam wasn’t ready for that yet,
so PB was it. Well, and Callie. But that was different. Usually, Callie tried to take care of her—as much as Kam did. With
PB, she’d love her and care for her . . . and baby her. Instinctively, she rested her hand over her abdomen. “I want her established
here and that’s that.”
“I get your point. PB will probably bond with the pets, too.”
Very true. Blu the dog and Percy the cat would become PB’s friends, and then she’d lose the dog for good. “It’s not right
to leave her there.”
“Fine, I’ll work on it.” Getting cagey, he pointed at her. “But only if you’re okay with me staying, because you’re in no
shape to be constantly bending down to attach a leash when she needs to go out.”
“No problem.” She wanted him to stay—and seriously, she couldn’t imagine trying to bend like that. Feeling like she’d won
that round, Glory smiled at him. “I told you I wanted you to stay—but only if you want to.”
“I want to.”
Because she still needed so much help. “What about your work with the kids?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. You’re right that it’s important—to them and to me—so I’ll fit it in.”
“You promise? It would mean a lot to me if you could. I never want to interfere with that.”
Some strange expression overcame him. Like a mix of tenderness and admiration. “First, you could never interfere. Second,
as long as I know you’re not overdoing it, I’ll make sure I keep up with them.”
After that sweet comment, Glory felt like tallying up another win for herself. “And your apartment?”
“It’s not going anywhere.”
Such an unsatisfying reply. Did that mean he wanted to eventually get back to it, or just that he still had time to decide.
Payments were due the first week of each month and she hated to see him spending his hard-earned money on a place he wasn’t
using.
At the same time, she didn’t want him to give up his plans just because she’d been caught off guard. “So . . .” She forked
up another bite of succulent pork, buying herself some time as she ate. “Pretty sure this is going to tick you off.”
“Now what?” He sent her a long-suffering look. “So we’re clear, I don’t expect you to tiptoe around about things.” He, too,
went back to eating. “If you’ve got something on your mind, I want to hear it.”
She finished a few bites first. No reason to waste Addie’s delicious meal. While she did that, she reevaluated.
“Dragging out the suspense, huh?”
“No, it’s just . . . I’m bored.” That was it in a nutshell; a way to get to her pertinent point.
His brows lifted. “I imagine so.”
“Your apartment is empty.”
The unnecessary reminder tightened his jaw. “I know, but it doesn’t matter.”
That did it. No longer under control, all the words just rushed out. “It matters to me because I’m the one keeping you from it. You’re here playing nurse, and housekeeper, and personal servant, which,” she added
with a somewhat snide and suggestive laugh, “is one hell of a fabulous fantasy, so you know. All the other women would love
it, believe me. But it shouldn’t be all about me, not when you’re so incredible and you’re missing out on so much. You had
plans, Kam. Good plans, even though I know Addie would disagree. But that should be between you and her, and instead, I’m
messing up everything.”
“You’ve been fantasizing about me?”
Throwing her fork became a real possibility. “That’s all you heard?”
The curve of his mouth wasn’t all that friendly or amused. “I’m flattered, so yeah, that part stuck with me. It was more interesting
than the rest of that nonsense you’re spewing.”
Nonsense! She’s just opened her heart to him, and he dared to act put out?
He sat back in his chair and waved a hand at her. “You’re dying to tell me, so what does my incredibleness have to do with
my apartment?”
Since the wreck, it seemed her emotions had boarded a roller coaster and hadn’t gotten off yet. It was enough to make a woman
dizzy. One minute, she wanted to tell him she loved him, the next, she wanted to confess that they’d be tied together, and
right now, she wanted to tell him to go away.
Except that she didn’t really want to be alone. She wanted some peace and quiet, yes, but she wanted it with Kam.
Dreaded tears burned her eyes. “You’re doing all the giving, I’m doing all the taking, and I don’t like it.”
“You just said you liked it enough to fantasize over it.”
At least glaring at him didn’t hurt.
Hitching his shoulder, he said, “Fine. We’ll move past the fantasizing part since we can’t do anything about it yet. Plan
to revisit that topic when you’re healed, though.”
No other man could be so outrageous. To get it said, Glory waited until he put a big bite in his mouth, then rattled off the
words she’d rehearsed in her head. “I’m buying some things for your apartment. Fun things. Things that will look great.” She