Page 12 of Bleeding Hearts

“Yep. Hold it steady.” I almost laugh when he bites his lip and concentrates. “And breathe.”

He peeks up at me with a frown. “Shut up.”

Pulling the trigger, I hear the nail pierce the wood. “Not bad. You got this.”

“Why are you building this? She’ll be out of it in a few weeks, a month at most.” He fires three more down the line and smiles. “I mean, I’m not complaining. This is kickass, but it seems like overkill.”

“It’s not. Even when she uses the wheelchair as yard art, she’ll need to use a walker. The ramp will make it easier. Give her the independence she craves.” I lay another board across the base. “Unless you want to carry her in and out of the house each time she needs to go to therapy.”

“No.” He scrunches up his face, making it clear how horrible that sounds. “Ramp it is. Good call.”

This kid is so much like his mother, it’s scary. I’ve learned that while doing yard work. When his aunt saw me, she sent him and his brother out to help. He’s witty with his words, not afraid to say what’s on his mind. But he’s also a hard worker and enjoys learning how to do shit right.

Manual labor doesn’t scare him. The day we replaced the mulch, he never complained about the heat or getting dirty. Was careful of his mother’s plants and took extra care to spread it around, moved her gnomes so they didn’t get buried, and then placed them back exactly where they were before. Well, except for one. He handed that one to Mollie and told her to find a new place for it, then explained this was tradition. He was the traveling gnome and always moved around the garden, never in the same place for long.

Felix helped too, but he was better at organizing. Helped me clean out and organize her garage so we could actually findthings. He was happy to power-wash the drive and sidewalks, getting rid of all the dirt and grime that had built up over the years. Gave all her outdoor decorations a good cleaning, painting a few that needed touched up, and fixing the clock out back he said hasn’t worked in years. He’s quieter, a thinker. Reminding me more of myself.

Today he’s inside cleaning. Making sure his mother will be able to move around freely without bumping into furniture. Finn was more than happy to get out of that when I pulled up with the lumber. After helping me unload, he didn’t go back inside.

Alicia’s SUV pulls into the driveway right as we’re nailing on the final board. Talk about perfect timing. The grin on her face tells me Bethany is lipping off next to her, giving her an earful.

I unplug the nail gun and carry it to the bed of my truck, which is backed up on the other side of the garage. Pulling a handkerchief out of my back pocket, I use it to clean the sweat off my face and hands before going to help Alicia, who’s at the back unloading the wheelchair.

“Let me.”

She lifts her hands and backs up. “Go for it. I’ll take her bags in. I’m guessing you’ll get her.”

With a nod, I lower the wheelchair to the concrete and unfold it. Wheeling it up next to the passenger side, I lock the wheels in place and open the door. “How do you want me to do this?”

“You built me a ramp.” She makes eye contact with me while stating the obvious. “Why?”

“Why?” I place my palms on the warm surface of the roof and lean in, feeling the sun’s heat on my back. “So we could see how far you’d roll when Finn shoved you. Why else would I build you one?”

Her hand pats my cheek playfully. “You’ve been hanging out with the twins too long. You think you’re quite the comedian. What’s the matter? You didn’t think you could carry me that far without hurting your back?”

Smirking, I let my eyes roam over her body. “I didn’t want to say anything, but since you brought it up.”

I cough and rub my stomach where she hits me with her still splinted hand.

“If you say I’ve put on a few pounds, the next place I hit is going to hurt so bad you puke.”

Invading her space again, I grip the vehicle’s frame, so I don’t touch her. “Just the opposite. I think you’ve lost weight, and it wasn’t as if you had a lot to spare. I built the ramp, so you didn’t have to rely on others to help you get in and out of the house. This way you can come outside and watch me run naked at midnight, like all the other ladies do.”

“Thank you.” She directs her gaze to where her sons are both standing, observing us. “We better get going or they’ll think something’s up.”

Reaching in, I scoop her into my arms, her right arm sliding around my neck, and lift her with ease. I do my best to not let the sweet vanilla scent emitting off her distract me. Once she settles in the chair, I step up behind her and unlock the wheels, then start pushing her. “Let’s test out how well Finn did using the nail gun. Either we’ll make it inside without incident or the boards will slip, and we’ll need to go back to the hospital.”

“You are full of jokes today.” She peers over my shoulder and frowns. “Why is your sister crying? I know it’s not because of my homecoming. Maybe you better let me test it solo while you go see what that’s about.”

My eyes land on Cora sitting on the front porch, holding her phone tightly in her hand. Her face is blotchy and there’s a pile of tissues next to her.

“What the frack? It looks like she’s been sitting there for a while. It can’t be too important, or she’d have come and gotten me.” I look back at Bethany, torn. “You sure?”

Being more observant than me, Bethany nods. “I’m going to take a stab in the dark here. But she’s not wearing her engagement ring, and I’ve seen tears like that before. I didn’t realize they were having issues.”

“Neither did I,” I grumble, my mood turning sour. “Excuse me.”

Don’t ask me why I lean down and place a kiss on her lips, but I do, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

---