Page 161 of My Temptation (Kingston Lane)

We sit and drink our coffee in silence. He watches the morning news, and I read the paper.

A nurse puts her head around the door. “Good morning, Henley. Morning, Bernard.”

“Good morning, Alison.” I smile. “Nice day outside.”

“Is it?” Dad grumbles as his eyes flick out the window to the park below. “Doesn’t look that good to me.”

“Can’t wait to see it,” Alison replies as she puts the towels onto the end of his bed. “Have a good day.” She disappears down the hall.

Twenty minutes later, I turn the shower on. “Come on, Bernard. Shower time.”

“Why do you always want me to have a shower, for Christ’s sake?” he snaps as he walks into the bathroom.

I smile as I readjust the temperature of the water. “Come on, clothes off.”

He exhales heavily as if I’m the biggest inconvenience in the world and drops his boxer shorts and steps under the hot water.

I hold out the shampoo bottle. “Wash your hair.”

“I just washed it ten minutes ago.”

“I know, but it got dirty again.”

He frowns as he stares at me. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” I squirt the shampoo into his hand. “Wash your hair.” I put his hand up to his head, and he begins to wash his hair. Once he’s doing an action, his body goes onto autopilot, and he remembers how to do it.

“Tell me about your family,” I suggest to him.

He breaks into a broad smile as he stands under the water. The only time he’s really happy is when he talks about Mom and me. “My wife is beautiful. A pain in my ass, but beautiful. She’ll be here to collect me soon.”

“Yes. She will.” I smile. “How did you know that you were going to marry her?”

He keeps washing his hair as he thinks. “It wasn’t so much that I knew I wanted to marry her.”

I frown. “What was it, then?”

“I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her, couldn’t imagine not waking up with her beside me.”

My heart twists as I stare at him. “You love her?”

“Very much.”

I smile softly.

“And my son . . .” He smiles proudly.

“Tell me about him.”

“His name is Henley, and he’s the love of my life.”

His silhouette blurs. “You’re the love of his life too.”

“He’ll be home from preschool soon. Then him and his mom are going to come and get me and take me home.”

“That sounds nice.” I help him rinse the shampoo out of his hair.

I only wish it were true.

---