She shook her head. “You?”
He kissed her, his lips clinging just long enough to make her breath hitch. “No.”
She rested her chin on his chest, her eyes traveling slowly over his face. He didn’t mind. Looking at her made this real. He kept thinking he was going to wake up, alone and frantic, in his bed.
“I saw your note,” Tandy said, interrupting his thoughts.
“Note?” he repeated, smoothing her hair back.
“Pearl. And Georgia.” She watched him closely. “I don’t want to pry.”
He shook his head. “I know.”
“Can I ask when she’ll be here?”
“You can ask me anything,” he whispered, holding her chin until she looked at him. “Okay?”
She nodded. “How much longer does she have in the rehabilitation facility?”
“A couple more weeks to go. She thinks she’ll be done at the sixty-day mark.” He sighed. “She’s planning on heading straight here.”
Tandy frowned. “She is?”
He nodded. He didn’t like it either. He was just figuring his baby girl out. Now he was supposed to hand her over? Georgia hadn’t said much beyond her expected release date and a few que
stions about Pearl. Namely, if she was okay. Click had done his best to assure her they were getting along.
“But... She can’t just take her, can she?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m going to talk to Kevin Glenn tomorrow, see what my options are. I know I haven’t had her long, but... I’m having a hell of a hard time imagining her not being here.”
She nodded, a deep furrow settling in between her brows. “And Georgia. Is she...is she a good person? I mean, I don’t mean to sound uncharitable, but is she what’s best for Pearl?”
Tandy was saying what he’d been thinking. “I can’t say. I knew her from the circuit.” He glanced at her. “She wasn’t interested in settling down.”
“So you knew her well?” she asked, her tone tight.
Shame pressed in on him. “No. I didn’t. But I saw her in action.”
Tandy was staring at his chest.
He knew what she was thinking. “I left you and headed to Lynnie’s. I stopped at a bar on the circuit, and she was there. I don’t remember much else, Tandy. I can’t change what happened. I’m sure as hell not proud of it—”
“Some good came from it.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “You got Pearl.”
He nodded, his arms tightening around her. “I did.” He cleared his throat. “Now I have to find a way to keep her.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tandy and Pearl made blueberry muffins for breakfast. Pearl had bright blue fingertips by the time they were done and the kitchen was a mess, but Click’s laughter made it all worth it. When they were done with the pile of dishes, they dressed to go into town.
Click dropped her off for her doctor’s checkup and drove out to pick Miss Francis up. By the time he was back, Tandy was done.
“A clean bill of health,” she said, sliding into the back seat by Pearl’s car seat.
“That’s wonderful news, Tandy,” Miss Francis said. “Click was telling me all about it. Stitches and a flattened house?” She tsk-tsked before going on. “Sounds like having your neighbor around sure came in handy.”
“Thank God for her dog,” Click said.