Page 53 of Kiss From A Rose

"I used to not like her, but I can see she takes good care of you and the kids," Holden continued.

"She does." Gray let out smoke rings. "She never has a headache and is ready to fuck any which way I want."

"Like I said, you're a lucky son of a bitch." Holden sighed.

"I couldn't move, Malou, not for a while; it was like my feet were stuck to the ground. Holden said I took care of him and the kids, and Gray's response was that I fucked him." I could still feel the humiliation I'd felt then.

"He was drunk, Rose."

"I know, but he thought it, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did. Look, so he likes to tap yourfineass. Can't blame him. If I swung the other way, I'd do you." Malou coughed as she laughed. I patted her back and waited for it to pass. After, she all but collapsed, breathing hard. "I hate being sick, Rose."

"I know, hon."

She looked at me. "It's not going to be long."

Tears filled my eyes. I nodded. What could I say? Don't go, stay? I know you're in pain, but please don't leave me. You're my family, the only person who loves me unconditionally.

Oh, Malou, how will I go on without you?

I knew I couldn't say any of that. It wouldn't be fair, so I smiled wanly. "You rest up and then join us for dinner." Before she could protest, I continued, "Have a few bites of food and meet Jude."

"Okay, Flower Girl. I'll take a short nap."

"You want to get into bed?"

She shook her head, and I helped her stretch out with her feet on the ottoman. I put a blanket on her and watched as she slid into sleep.

I stepped out of her room and found Gray, who was in the lounge, looking at a painting.

"We have this artist's work at home," he murmured when he saw me.

I nodded. "He’s a local artist from Angel Island. I fell in love with his landscapes."

"How's Malou?" he asked.

He looked good in a pair of jeans and a dark blue cashmere sweater that made his eyes bluer. I bought that sweater for him a few Christmases ago.

"She's resting, but I think she'll make it for dinner."

"Rose, I—"

"Miss Rose," someone called out to me, and I turned to greet the young couple who were staying through Christmas Day at the B&B. They were from India, pursuing their master's degree at Georgia Tech. Since they had no family in the United States, they'd decided to come to Angel Island as I'd made it a point to advertise how we celebrated Christmas like a family at the B&B.

"Hi, Dev and Geeta. How was your walk on the beach?"

They were in their early twenties and adorably in love. Dev was a handsome young man and seemed to always want to hold his girlfriend's hand. Geeta was outspoken and full of life. They'd come the previous night and had regaled me with stories about life as immigrants during breakfast. I'd sent them to explore the island and find lunch at Mimi's, a diner that made the best shrimp and grits in the state of Georgia.

"It was so cold." Geeta rubbed her hands together. "But so much fun."

"We saw a whale, Miss Rose," Dev continued excitedly.

Between December and March, North Atlantic right whales (the most endangered whales in the world) could be seen passing through the St. Simons Sound on their way to warmer waters for calving. The Angel Island Fishing Pier was a good place to spot them, and I'd hoped Dev and Geeta would get lucky when I sent them there.

"Then we went to Rusty Nail and had some hot toddy," Geeta informed me. "Because my hands were frozen solid."

They both realized we weren't alone and looked at Gray. He came toward them and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Gray Rutherford, Rose's husband."

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