Page 62 of Candy

“I will pay that. Don’t bill Mike. That’s the last thing he needs right now. He’s already stressed about how he can get a place for him and Harley.”

“Good thing he has you, and no, I am not billing you. This is about family.”

“Thank you.”

I hugged her goodbye and went inside to find Harley beside Mike as they watched the cartoon. My heart sighed in contentment at the sight. I slipped into the kitchen and began washing the bowl Mike had set in there.

He startled me when he put his hands on either side of me, and the scruff of his beard rubbed against the side of my neck. “What else did your sister say?”

“Not too much.”

“Did she ask you why in the hell I was here?”

“No, not at all.”

“You’re lying,” he replied as he backed up, and I turned to grab a hand towel.

“No, I’m not. Why do you think my family would care?”

He gave me a pointed look. “Because it’s me.”

“And your son,” I reminded him. “Don’t worry about my family. I can take care of them, but I don’t think any of them will bother you or me.”

I walked to the end of the counter and pulled open a drawer, digging around for a key I knew I had in there. “Here is a key to the house. You are free to come and go as you please.”

He stared at the key. “Are you sure you want us to stay here, Candy? I appreciate it all, but this is asking a lot of you.”

“Mike, I would not have asked you to come here if I did not want you here.”

“Okay, but if you want us to leave, for any reason, you just say so. There will be no hard feelings.”

“I will be sure to do that. In the meantime, you can use the house as if it were your own. You will be sharing a bathroom with Harley at the end of the hall, but the laundry is in there if you need to do some, and the kitchen is available to you anytime you need something.”

He cupped the side of my cheek. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

I peered over his shoulder and then stepped forward. “You could slip into my bed later tonight and repay me there.”

His chuckle was husky. “If only I could take you right now.”

“Yes, I do agree with that.”

He leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss over my lips. “Thanks for earlier too.”

“You’re welcome.”

A little later, I called Wes Young and explained what was going on. He said he would be happy to see Harley and planned to be at his parents’ house the next evening. Wes said he’d let his parents know we’d be there for dinner.

“Would it be okay for Mike to be there, too?”

“Of course, he’s Harley’s father. I need his permission to even talk to his son. Unless you have guardianship.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Hey, does Mike have any other family?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, you might want to talk to Mike about making you a guardian in case something happens to him—unless you don’t want to do that. If not you, someone else.”

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