“I won’t disagree with you there,” he says. “I think this is a great place to come relax, read, nap. And now you have access to it too.”
I look up at him in surprise. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” He smiles. “Honestly, I haven’t used it much since I moved in. I might more now, with you. But even if I’m not home, you’re welcome to come up here and use the space.”
I take a deep breath and do my best to keep the threatening tears at bay. “This might be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He frowns down at me, but I continue before he can say anything.
“I mean it. You pay attention, and that means a lot.”
He takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. “You mean a lot.”
And, just like that, my heart melts. “Thank you.” I hug him tight, then look around excitedly. “I’m going to get a lot of use out of this. I love my reading chair downstairs, but sometimes I need a change in scenery.”
“Exactly.”
“Thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you take care of the flowers and stuff?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “No, the previous owner hired a company to handle it, and I saw no reason to change it. I don’t have a green thumb.”
“Me neither. Riley can make anything grow beautifully, and Mia has an amazing herb garden, but I am hopeless at gardening.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to tend the garden, just enjoy it.”
I sigh in happiness and lean against him for a long minute, then remember the sad look in his eyes this afternoon and glance up at him.
“Are you willing to tell me what had you upset this afternoon?”
He frowns and seems to struggle with himself for a minute. “Well, I told you that I don’t get along well with my parents.”
“Yes.”
“But I heard from my mom this afternoon. She wanted money. She always wants money.”
“Are your parents still married?” I ask, and turn so I can see him better, holding his hand in mine.
“Yes. Dad used to be a successful Realtor, but his business went to shit about ten years ago, when the market fell.”
I nod, encouraging him to keep talking.
“He started gambling.” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “He blows through any money they get. And Mom is the one that suffers because of it, having to worry about how they’ll pay bills and buy necessities.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” I say softly.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“What do you do when she asks for money?”
“Chase and I used to just give her the money, but he’d get his hands on that too and blow it. Sometimes he comes out ahead, but more often than not, he loses. So Chase and I decided a few years ago that we wouldn’t give her cash, and instead we’d pay the bills she needs help with, or take her to the grocery store.”
“That’s smart.”
“It still pisses me off.”
“Of course it does.”
“You’re the therapist. Why do I feel so fucking guilty?”
I sit up and squarely face him now, still holding his hand. “Do you want me to turn the therapist on? Because I’m happy to do that, but I’m also happy to just listen and let you talk.”
“No, I’d really like to hear someone else’s opinion on this.”
I nod, gathering my thoughts.
“Well, I think it’s good that you set some boundaries on how you’re willing to help her. That’s important.”
“I want her to leave him. But she won’t.”
“That’s not your call to make,” I reply. “And that’s hard for you because you’re used to calling shots, knowing what’s best, and you love her.”
“Pretty much.”
“You and Chase have to be consistent in your boundaries. That’s hard, because she’s your mom, but it will help. There are also places your dad can go for help.”
“He won’t.” He shakes his head in frustration. “We’ve tried. Mom’s pretty docile, and she loves him, so she doesn’t want to rock the boat too much.”
“Well, then I’d say you’re doing pretty much everything you can. You’re helping her, and you’ve offered to help him.”
“It all just pisses me off,” he grumbles, then takes a deep breath. “But thanks for listening.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Would you like to read for a bit?”
I grin and pass him my Kindle. “I’ll never turn you reading to me down. I love your voice.”
He opens the e-reader and begins to read, soothing both of us until I can hardly keep my eyes open. The next thing I know, I’m wrapped in his arms and we’re falling asleep, right here under a skyful of stars.
Chapter Ten
~Mac~
“I think we should start three more tours,” Chase says two weeks later. We’re sitting in my office, going over numbers and business plans for the rest of the year. “Ours are full and booked out three months in advance.”
“I’m good with that. Let’s start looking for employees this week.”
Chase nods, writing notes furiously on his legal pad. I’m a tech geek. All of my notes, my calendar, are all on my phone. Chase likes to keep track of things the old-fashioned way.