by Lori Ryan
Lina butted up next to Phoebe and smiled.
“In the new facility,” Felicity continued, “along with an active garden, we’ll be putting up a small, fenced in playscape for the grandchildren to play on. That way the caregivers won’t feel rushed, they can bring their entire family and spend more time with mom and dad, or aunt and uncle, whomever it is they’re caring for. They can visit but still be able to see their kids playing. We see all kinds of people taking care of others here in Canyon Creek.” Felicity turned to Lina and winked.
Phoebe studied the grounds a bit longer as Felicity continued to talk.
“We’re also building a small bird sanctuary and waterfall for sensory stimulation. We’re hoping the new facility will be a state-of-the-art personal care home. I’m working closely with some top medical people in the world of Alzheimer’s. And we’re fortunate to have Dr. Aaron Sumner here—that’s Becca’s uncle.”
“Who?” Phoebe squinted.
“Aaron,” Lina said, “he’s Jake’s brother. He’s a physician who used to live in Chicago.”
Phoebe shook her head. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I’m afraid I forget sometimes about Becca’s new extended family. It was just the four of us for so long.”
“Becca has no shortage of family here in Colorado that’s for sure.” Felicity smiled. “Are you intending to stay?”
“Oh, no.” Phoebe shook her head. “I’d just never heard of a personal care home and Lina was kind enough to bring us here. We’re actually returning to California this weekend.”
“Oh, okay. Well, if your plans change, we’d love to have Steven. Our new facility is equipped to house six residents. So far we’ve accepted three. Dr. Sumner, Becca’s uncle, found a wonderful geriatrician through his tele-med program at the medical facility.”
“A what?” Lina and Phoebe asked in unison.
Felicity laughed. “A geriatrician is a doctor who specializes in the care of patients over the age of sixty-five. I like to say pediatricians care for young children, geriatricians take care of the older kids.” She laughed and the enthusiasm she exuded for her job was overwhelming. “Anyway, I’ve probably bored you with all kinds of medical talk.”
“No, not at all,” Phoebe said. “It’s been very enlightening, thank you. I hope I can find something like this in California.”
“What city do you live in?”
“We live in San Francisco now, but Jake’s job has him in Sacramento for most of the year. Honestly, I’m not sure how all of this will work out.”
Lina could almost hear the fear in the woman’s voice. Was she afraid Jake would take Becca away from her?
“I’m sure wherever Becca is, you and Steven won’t be far away,” Lina said, trying to give the woman some comfort.
“It’s getting a little cooler now,” Felicity said, “let’s go back inside.”
“I have to admit,” Phoebe said, stepping up onto the porch, “I’ve seen a marked improvement in Steven since we’ve been in Colorado.”
Felicity smiled. “Oh, that’s wonderful news, Phoebe. I’m sure you and Becca are so happy.”
Phoebe smiled pensively. “I don’t know what’s harder,” she said, just before they stepped inside.
“What’s that?” Felicity asked.
“Losing Jenni suddenly or losing Steven little by little.”
Lina heard a hiccup of a sob and had to swallow down her own tears. She moved to embrace Phoebe.
“Neither is easy, Phoebe.” Felicity said, standing next to the older woman. “And no one should ever be asked to do both like you have.”
The three women stood quietly, Lina wishing she could do more for Phoebe, a woman who’d lost so much in such a short amount of time.
“Well,” Phoebe said, pulling back and wiping at her eyes, “that was embarrassing.”
“Nonsense,” Felicity said, waving her off. She reached in her pocket for a package of tissues and handed Phoebe one.
“Thank you, Felicity,” Phoebe said, dabbing under her eyes. “And thank you, Lina.” She turned and stared at Lina, her eyes still red-rimmed and half filled with tears.
“Anytime, Phoebe,” Lina said.
“I’m sure I look like a mess,” Phoebe laughed lightly, rubbing under her eyes with the tissue.
“You look beautiful,” Lina said, squeezing Phoebe’s arm. And she did. Becca looked a lot like Jake, but in that vulnerable moment, Lina saw a lot of Phoebe in her too.
The back door swung open. “Grammy!” Becca shouted. “Dr. Kayleigh’s here and she brought the puppies.”
They all turned and watched as Becca bounced on her toes, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
“Come look,” she said, nearly out of breath. “Maybe I can get one?”
Phoebe quirked a brow. “I think your father already said no, little lady.”
Becca went still, her eyes filling with tears. “Are you and Grandpa going to leave me, Grammy?”
Everyone stood silent and Lina swallowed down a lump in her throat. This girl had lost so much. She had to be just as frightened as Phoebe was at all the change that might come.
“No, sweetheart.” Phoebe fell to her knees in front of the little girl. “Why would you ask that?”
Becca sniffled. “I heard Jakey talking to Uncle Ben last night and he said he doesn’t know where he wants to live. I want to live where you live, Grammy.” Phoebe wrapped her arms tightly around Becca’s small body.
Lina fought back her own tears, again.
“Sweetheart,” Phoebe said, pushing Becca back and brushing her dark curly hair from her face. “Listen to me, okay?”
Becca nodded, her face red and tear-stained.
“I’m not leaving you. Grandpa isn’t leaving you.”
“But he’s sick.” Becca hiccupped. “I heard you say it.”
“He is.” Phoebe nodded.
Lina noticed that Phoebe didn’t lie to her granddaughter. Probably because she knew how smart the girl was.
“But we’re going to make sure he has the care he needs, okay?” Phoebe nodded, eyes raised in question to the little girl.
Becca wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “Okay.”
Phoebe kissed her forehead and stood, taking Becca’s hand in hers. “Come on, let’s look at those puppies. Who knows, maybe we can change your father’s mind.” She smiled down at her granddaughter.
“I don’t know,” Becca said. “Aunt Sally said he’s as stubborn as….”
“As stubborn as what, sweetie?” Phoebe asked.
Becca glanced up at her. “As stubborn as,” she repeated, stressing the last word and staring at her grandmother in confusion.
“I think Sally may have meant a stubborn a-s-s,” Felicity said.
“That spells ass,” Becca said. “That’s a bad word, Ms. Felicity. You owe me a dollar.”
“Becca,” Phoebe warned.
“What?” She stared up at the woman, hands in the air. “I didn’t say the word, Grammy.”
Phoebe tilted her head. “You most certainly did.”
“But, I was just saying the word she spelled.”
Phoebe quirked a brow.
Becca turned to Felicity. “I guess you don’t owe me a dollar.”
“I think you may owe a dollar to the swear jar now, little lady,” Phoebe said, laughing.
“What?” Becca practically shrieked.
“Come on, silly willy. Let’s go see Grandpa.”
“And the puppies?” Becca said hopefully.
Phoebe laughed. “And the puppies.”
“I love you, Grammy.”
“I love you more.” Phoebe tweaked Becca’s nose.
Lina knew how special her relationship was with her own grandmother. She could only imagine the bond these two had. She hoped Jake would never separate them. As much as she’d fantasized that he might stay in Canyon Creek, he’d never want Phoebe and Steven to be far away from their last remaining relative. Not when they seemed to need her so much.
&
nbsp; “Give me a smooch, Grammy.” Becca puckered her lips.
Lina smiled as Phoebe leaned down and gave her granddaughter a kiss on the lips. Pulling back with a loud “Mewh,” like Becca always had with Lina.
“Let’s go, fudge face,” Phoebe said, tugging Becca behind her.
“Grammy.” She giggled. “It’s supposed to be animal parts. Like, monkey toes or frog guts.”
“Or armadillo arms?” Phoebe said.
“Yes!” Becca exclaimed with a hand in the air. “Like Cam’s stuffed animal.”
“Who?” Phoebe asked as they began to move inside toward the puppies.
“Lina’s roommate.” Becca glanced over her shoulder. “Come on, Lina.”
Lina’s gaze moved from Becca to Phoebe, who was staring back at Lina over her shoulder.
“Come on, Lina. We’ll need your help if we’re going to convince Jake.” Phoebe smiled.
“I’m not sure I’m good at convincing Jake of anything.”
“Oh, that’s not what I’ve heard.” Phoebe gave a wink.
Lina’s face heated with embarrassment. What the hell did that mean?
“You’re good for him, and for Becca,” Phoebe said softly. “Come help us find a puppy.”
And just like that, Phoebe and Becca walked away, leaving Lina slack-jawed and at a loss for words. Possibly a first.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jake slipped in the back door of Once Upon a Book, grateful Paula had left the entrance unlocked as he’d asked earlier today. He knew Lina was closing the store tonight and was hoping she might be alone.
He glanced to his left at a small flight of stairs that led to the office. Many of the buildings in downtown Canyon Creek had small spaces above the commercial area, including Elle’s dance studio. She’d turned hers into an efficiency studio, something his brother Emmett said he was very thankful for, for reasons Jake had never asked but could only imagine. Tonight, he was thankful for the room above them too.
Murmured conversation at the front of the store caught his attention and told him Lina wasn’t alone.
Dammit.
He moved through the maze of book shelves, listening to the hum of Lina’s laughter as she spoke to the faceless customer. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh like that. When she’d been angry with him, he’d wanted to see her smile and laugh, to wipe the betrayal from her face.
He wanted to wrap his arms around her and bury his face in her hair, drinking in the scent of her.
The thought was enough to bring on other thoughts, thoughts of burying himself inside her until she gasped with pleasure. He went rock hard at the idea of it.
The sound of the bell over the front door brought him back to the present. Lina was saying goodbye to the customer. Thank God. He prayed that was the last for the night.
He stepped from behind one of the tall shelves and watched her as she twisted the lock on the door.
Turning, her eyes went wide as she spotted him. A small “oh” formed on her lips before they eased into a smile.
He let go of the breath he’d been holding, not entirely sure she’d be happy to see him. Obviously she was.
“Where is Becca?” she asked craning to see behind him
“She’s having some alone time with her grandmothers.” He closed the distance between them, letting the heat build.
“How are Phoebe and Valerie getting along?” She asked.
“Like long-lost sisters, thank goodness.” He knew this transition of sharing Becca could have been a lot worse if Phoebe had been defensive with him and his family. Then again, she’d come looking for him because she needed his help. And truth be told, he needed hers too.
“Come to dinner with me?” Jake asked, walking toward her, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. He wanted to run his hand over her hip and around her waist so he could pull her to him. Somehow, resisting the urge made him want her even more. The woman was making him crazy.
Lina bit her lower lip and looked around the store. “I have to straighten up and take care of the register receipts before I go.”
Jake’s gaze followed hers as he surveyed the area. “The store looks very neat to me.” Had she moved closer to him or was he closing the distance without realizing it?
Lina laughed and he could see her eyes go to the children’s section where books sat out on tables instead of on the shelves where they belonged. “For someone who’s a bona fide control freak, I would have thought you were OCD, too.”
“I am,” he said. “Or I was.”
“Was?” she said, stepping into the area and moving to pick up some of the scattered books. “Until what?”
Jake went to help her, letting her stack the books in his arms. “Until I found out I have a five-year-old daughter. Things become,” he searched for the right word to describe his life now. “Chaotic.”
Lina grinned. “Yeah, kids can put a damper on the neat-freak thing, or so I’ve heard.” She shook her head like she’d ate a bug. “No thanks.”
Jake stared at her in disbelief. Her words had caught him off guard and for some reason, he didn’t want to gloss past her comment. “What do you mean, no thanks?”
Lina bent down on all fours, as she fished books from underneath the low child-sized table. He swallowed back a groan. He’d never seen a finer ass anywhere.
She pulled up from under the table and stared at his armful of books. “Shelve them,” she said. “I’m hungry.” Before he could answer, she was back under the table, ass in the air.
“So am I. But not for food,” he mumbled, trying to ignore his growing erection. He turned and put a few of the books back on the shelf before turning to ask her what she meant again. He’d always pictured her as such a mothering type of woman.
The way she cared for Becca with such insight and genuine concern, right from the start, had always impressed him. In fact, “caring” was part of her very nature. When she saw someone in town who needed help, she found a way to help them. She mothered everyone around her, it seemed.
He turned to ask her about her comment again but stopped. Heaven help him, she was wiggling her ass as she hummed a song in what should have been an absent-minded gesture. The kind of thing that shouldn’t have had the effect on him that it did.
He crossed to her, kneeling before grabbing her hips and pulling her out from under the table. The move lined her backside up to his groin.
Hell.
“Jake,” she screeched, bolting straight up, nearly clocking him in the face with the back of her head.
“What,” he whispered into her ear.
“I’m working.” She wiggled to get out of his hold.
He wrapped an arm around her chest, holding her tighter as his tongue traced a slow stroke down her neck.
She shivered against him. “We can’t,” she whispered, “we’re in the children’s section.” He noted the fact that she didn’t pull away. Instead she leaned back against him, pressing her body to his. That was fine with him.
It was more than fine. It was perfection.
“Yes, we can,” he said, pressing kisses against her neck.
“The back door is open,” she said, breathy with what sounded like desire.
Despite his arousal, Jake laughed at the double entendre and watched when Lina caught the joke and flushed red through her cheeks. She was gorgeous.
“Come with me.” He stood and held out his hand.
Her eyes were glazed over and half lidded with what he hoped was desire. She placed her small hand in his and he pulled her with him as he stalked toward the back door.
He reached out and clicked the lock, then glanced over his shoulder. “You said something about doing receipts.” His gaze traveled up the stairwell toward the office.
“Jake,” she scolded but her lips curled into a small smile.
That was his cue.
Without waiting for protest, he nearly dragged her up the stairs.
“Jake,” she squealed again but he heard the
laughter in her voice.
He rounded the last landing and smiled in relief when he saw a futon in the corner, across from a very untidy desk. “Perfect,” he said.
“We can’t,” she said, pulling from his hand.
He turned to face her fully. “That’s where you’re wrong.” He took her hand and placed it on his every growing arousal.
Her eyes widened but she didn’t pull away. “Jake,” she said breathlessly, her fingers wrapping around his erection.
“Lina,” he groaned, pressing in to her.
Her gazed scanned the small area as if unsure.
He removed her hand and tugged her toward the futon, falling down and bringing her with him.
She laughed as she fell atop him, her long legs straddling his hips.
His hands ran up her back, sliding into her hair as he brought her lips to his. Pressing in, he seared his mouth to hers, stroking her delicious lips with his tongue.
She laced her fingers around his neck, her own hungry mouth devouring his. “Jake,” she whispered against his lips as she rocked her hips into his.
He reluctantly pulled back, but only long enough to unbutton her shirt and slide it down her shoulders. She wore a light pink bra that looked spectacular against her olive skin. Her breasts were full and plump, and before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and pressed hard kisses to the swells.
She let out a small moan and he thought he might explode right there. He wanted her naked. Now. He wanted, no needed, to be inside her with a kind of urgency he didn’t know was possible.
Reaching behind her, he unhooked her bra and quickly slid it down her arms, dropping it onto the floor.
Her breasts were perfect, the skin covering them the softest he’d ever felt, making him want to glide his hands over them for hours at a time.
“Take off your shoes,” he said.
He was surprised when she obeyed without question.
He wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her off his lap, laying her on her back. Bracing his body above hers, he nuzzled her neck, moving down to her breasts. His mouth devoured her, sucking in a taut nipple, nipping at her skin.
“Oh, God,” she cried out, bucking against him.