Page 16 of Hiding Rose
I was flustered by his question. I rubbed my temple and couldn’t come up with an answer. I stood and picked up my crutches. “I’m tired and not thinking clearly. Maybe you should go,” I said as I sat on my bed. I laid the crutches down and swung my legs over the pillows, being careful of the left one as I situated myself.
He kicked the chair back and stalked to the bed, sitting by my knees. “I wasn’t trying to upset you, Rose. I wanted your insight into what you thought was more important. In my opinion, without kids I don’t have a job.”
I rested my hand under my cheek. “I don’t understand.”
“We are kids before we become adults. It’s my job to teach kids early on how to eat food that’s good for them, but also tastes amazing. It’s my job to teach them to try new foods and keep their palate open to new experiences.”
“Hmmm, you’re right. I never considered kid’s palates as canvases before, but I guess in a way they are.”
He rested his hand on my leg and rubbed it up and down carefully, but when I grimaced he stopped. “Did I hurt you?”
I closed my eyes when I swallowed. “The nerves are still a bit aggravated.”
“Enough said,” he promised. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
I opened my eyes and gazed into his. “What you said earlier at the bar,” I started and he cocked his head. “About Kate knowing me before I got here.”
“Oh. It was only a thought. You don’t have to explain anything,” he said, smiling and taking my other hand. “I wasn’t trying to pry into your life.”
“I know, but I talked to Kate tonight and she thinks since we’ll be working together I should tell you the truth. If you did a search on Kate the truth would probably pop up anyway, so I’d rather you hear it from me.”
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Only if you want to. I’m not going to go Googling anyone.”
I sighed. He was giving me a way out, but I knew I couldn’t accept it. Telling him was the smart, and right, thing to do. Pretending to be someone else can be exhausting when you’re working closely with someone, and I would be working with him a lot.
“I used to work for Kate’s law firm in Snowberry. I was her secretary. Kate, Winifred, and I became good friends when my mother was a victim of a bad car accident. Winifred paid for my mother’s care at home, and Kate gave me the time off I needed to take care of her. She also took the other driver to court and helped get my parents a large settlement.”
He squeezed the hand he still held. “Thanks for telling me. I can see the history you have with them when you’re together, but I didn’t want to stick my nose in where it didn’t belong. How’s your mother now?”
I smiled, thankful he asked me about my mother and not about what brought me here. “She’s healed and living in Miami with my dad. The accident left her with arthritis in several of her joints and she couldn’t handle the cold of Snowberry any longer. They plan to come here sometime in the next few months.”
“Good to hear. I’ll look forward to meeting them. I can’t wait to tell them I got their daughter to eat fish, twice. Who knows, by the time they get here, you might like all kinds of seafood.”
I laughed softly and rolled my eyes. “You’re gloating. What happened to you didn’t have to be right?”
He laughed and leaned down, kissing my cheek. “I don’t have to be right, but I’ll still enjoy telling them about my accomplishments.” He winked and I blushed, my cheek warm on my hand. “Now then, I appear to be boring you to death, since your eyes keep closing. I’ll clean up and let you get some rest. We can talk shop once you’ve got replacements for the center and you’re squared away in your office. Okay?”
I took his hand, the smile lazy on my face. “I didn’t think about having my own office. Do you have an office?”
He stroked my hair a few times as my eyes grew heavy. “I do, it’s between the grill and the ovens. Sleep now, I’ll let myself out.”
He kissed my cheek again, then my forehead where his lips lingered. I wanted to stay awake and keep talking to him, but the medication and good food were too much for me. I snuggled down under the blanket he put over me and heard him clanking around in the kitchen, but nothing more once the darkness claimed me.
