by Jenny Hale
“Try it,” Max said, nodding toward the tacos on Nick’s plate.
With his eyes still fluttering to Abbey and a smile, he picked one up and gingerly took a bite, his eyebrows raising as he chewed and swallowed. “It’s very good,” he said.
The band continued to play as they ate, the wait staff whooping and whistling to the music off and on. Nick’s gaze hadn’t been still all night, and Abbey wondered if he’d ever had a night like this.
When they’d finished and the bill was left on the table, Abbey snatched it up. “This is on me,” she said with a smile, pulling out her wallet. Nick didn’t protest, but he did shake his head just slightly with a grin.
As they said goodbye to Alma and walked into the cold of winter, Nick put his arm lightly around Abbey to draw himself closer, surprising her. “I had a great time at dinner,” he said.
“I’m glad,” she said.
Max fell asleep in the backseat, and besides his breathing and the hum of the Mercedes, there wasn’t another sound between them.
“Thank you,” she said as Nick opened her car door once they were parked outside her apartment.
“Thank you for what? You bought me dinner.” He smiled, and it was clear that he was teasing.
He leaned toward the backseat to get Max. Was he going to try to carry him inside? Abbey watched as he reached in, positioned his hands under Max’s arms, and lifted him with ease out of the car.
“I can get him,” she said, trying to keep her emotions in check. Max, still asleep, wrapped his arms around Nick’s neck. Abbey understood the gesture completely. Watching his careful and gentle way with her son made her want to wrap her own arms around his neck.
“I’ll take him upstairs for you,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” she said.
As they walked up the steps to her apartment, Abbey watched the slow, caring way Nick walked with Max. Max’s head was turned to the side, his cheek on Nick’s shoulder, and with every step Nick stopped to look down at him as if he were worried he’d wake him, as though he wasn’t aware of how perfectly he could manage the task.
Abbey slid the key in the lock just as Max opened his eyes. “Hi,” she smiled at him. “We’re home.”
Nick set him down inside the front door.
“Is Nick coming in?” Max asked, his voice groggy.
She looked at Nick. “I’m sure he’d like to go home,” she said, worried she’d already taken too much of his time.
The curiosity she’d seen in Nick’s face was replaced by seriousness. What was he thinking about? It was the kind of look that made her want to put her hand on his face and reassure him like she did with Max. “I suppose I should go,” he said, but the tone in his voice sounded as if he might have thought otherwise.
“Thank you for a wonderful night,” she said.
And with a kiss on the cheek, he was gone.
Chapter Twelve
Abbey had been at Nick’s all day. She’d ordered the bar for his ballroom, and she was dying to show him what she’d picked out, but he hadn’t shown up. It was unusual since he normally found her to at least to say hello. She decided to walk down to his office and see if he was there.
When she got to the office, the door was shut which she hadn’t seen before. She knocked. No answer. Was he not at home? She pulled out her phone and texted: Hi, Nick. Where are you? Are you at the house?
She’d waited just long enough to think that he wasn’t going to respond when a text came through: Was that you knocking? If so, open the door. I’m in my office.
She opened the door and walked in to find Nick hunched over his desk. He looked up, and his eyes had dark circles under them, his face tired looking, his lips set in a straight line.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” he said, looking exhausted. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer the door. I didn’t know it was you and I’ve told Richard not to disturb me.”
“Oh. I’m sorry… How are you?” She couldn’t help the question. He seemed so worn out. Was he wearing the same shirt from yesterday? Had he slept at all?
“Busy.” His voice was soft but direct.
He looked nothing like the man she’d seen at the restaurant last night. Even his face seemed different, his features wracked with tension.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m struggling with something and I need to focus.”
She walked over to his side of the desk and turned his chair on its swivel until he was facing her. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong,” he said quietly, “is that I have committed to doing this job for my father. It’s important to me that I do it. You and Max have become a distraction—albeit, a very nice distraction—but my work is suffering. I am not in a position to take care of people, and I feel I’ve been selfish in spending time with you. I don’t want to give you false hope that I have time to devote to anything other than my work.”
“False hope?”
“Of being someone in your life who is more than what I can offer.”
“You didn’t give me false hope,” she said. “But I thought perhaps having a distraction was good for you. Last night you seemed… happy.”
“When Sarah and I split, I had to decide where my focus needed to be. I’m good at what I do, and all my concentration needs to be on that,” he said and she could almost swear he had sadness in his eyes.
“I understand,” she said, trying not to visualize his face as he’d carried Max up the stairs last night, but it was coming into her mind despite her efforts. “I’ll let myself out. Text me if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” he said with a small smile and then looked back down at his computer.
Without another word, Abbey turned and left the office, the clink of the latch as she shut the door echoing in the empty hallway.
* * *
“I’ve fallen, Abbey,” Caroline’s voice poured through the receiver on her phone. Abbey was relieved that Caroline had listened to her when she’d said to be sure to have her phone on her at all times. Caroline had complained that she didn’t know how to even work the “darn thing,” she’d called it, but Nick had gotten it for her, and Abbey had insisted she learn how to use it. Now, when it mattered, she could get help.
“I’m on my way. Don’t try to move if you can help it. I’ll be right there.” She was already putting her shoes on. Richard had left them by the front door for her as he always did about a half hour before she left for the day.
It wasn’t her scheduled visit time, but Caroline was in trouble. Abbey could tell by her voice. Caroline was always sure of herself, always in control of every motion, every facial expression, every word. But on the phone just then, she’d sounded quite helpless.
Luckily, she was still at Nick’s, so in mere minutes, Abbey pulled in to the drive at Caroline’s and ran inside. Caroline was on the floor of the kitchen, a mop tilted haphazardly toward her, the very end of it held up by the kitchen chair.
“I was trying to mop a spill,” Caroline said from the floor. Abbey could see the humiliation on her face. Caroline clearly didn’t like losing control. However, she seemed to be following Abbey’s direction to keep still. She wasn’t moving a muscle.
“It’s natural, as we age, to have more difficulty recovering our balance when we start to fall…” Abbey checked Caroline for any sign of injury. She pressed on her ankles, legs. “Does this hurt at all?”
“No. It feels fine. I have a little pain in my hip though.”
Abbey did her very best to keep her face neutral, especially knowing how easily Caroline could read her. She didn’t want Caroline to have any pain in her hips at all. That could mean fracture, and that would be a painful recovery at the least, particularly given her arthritis. She pressed gently but firmly against her hips.
“How does this feel?”
“Fine.”
“How about this side?” She pressed again.
Caroline winced. “A little.”
“How a
bout if I do this?” Abbey put her palm on the top of her hip and pressed downward with her other hand.
“Just a bit.”
Abbey let out a breath. She hadn’t realized she was holding it in until just then. “Well, it seems like you may have just strained it. The pain isn’t indicating anything more, but we’ll still need to get you to a doctor to be sure.” She pulled two kitchen chairs over, scooting one by Caroline’s head and one by her feet. “Can you roll over to your side?” Abbey assisted her by tugging her skirt past her knees where it belonged as Caroline rolled over with a bit of a struggle.
“Thank you for helping me,” Caroline said, now facing away from Abbey.
“It’s perfectly fine. I don’t mind at all. Can you get up to a kneeling position?”
Caroline lifted herself up onto her knees and Abbey scooted the chair toward her. “Hold on to this.” Caroline put her hands on the chair.
“I know this isn’t part of your hours, and you should be with your family,” Caroline said. “I could’ve called Richard…” She put her hands on the chair and attempted to lift herself up, scowling again at the pain in her hip. “But I didn’t trust that he would know what to do…” She stood and leaned on Abbey, locking eyes with her. Caroline’s eyes were so wide, so youthful looking that she wondered right then what she’d been like as a girl.
Caroline’s eyes were also glassy with emotion, Abbey noticed. “I don’t just like you taking care of me,” she said, and Abbey wondered if years of training in keeping her emotions in were paying off. “I like talking to you. I feel like you’re part of the family.” She was quiet, clearly trying to keep herself in check. “Life moves along and we have to move along with it.” She smiled, “The older I get, the more difficult it is to move along with anything.”
“Everything will be okay.” Abbey found herself saying the words to console Caroline, but she didn’t really know if they were true. Caroline would be better off having someone with her all the time in case things like this happened. What would she do in the middle of the night if she fell?
Caroline walked carefully into the living area and lowered herself down on a chair. “I’m sure it will,” she said, but she didn’t look convinced either.
“I should call Richard in a few minutes and tell him you need a ride to the hospital. We have to check that hip.”
“Yes. Absolutely. And you need to get home to your family, but first, let’s have coffee. I feel good enough for coffee.”
Abbey smiled, knowing she was right about being home with her family but she felt bad leaving her all alone again. She was glad for the offer. “Will you be okay?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine. My hip feels better already. When will my test results be available?” Caroline asked, clearly changing the subject. Abbey wondered if she was trying her best to not be a burden on anyone. She’d just fallen yet she was insistent on making coffee and talking about her tests. It was clear she wanted to brush over the fall.
“Monday.” Abbey felt exhausted suddenly and was glad for the coffee. She had to wonder if it was the stress of what had happened in Nick’s office earlier. She hadn’t wanted to think about it, but it kept floating to the front of her mind. While she didn’t want to admit it, their night out had given her false hope. She knew better than to hope for something to happen between them, but she caught herself wishing anyway.
Caroline seemed to notice because she said, “You’re tired.”
“I’m fine,” she lied.
“How is Max? Is he feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.” Abbey got up and made them both a coffee from a pot that Caroline had warming in the kitchen. She added cream and handed one to Caroline who had followed her into the kitchen. “He’s back at school now.”
Caroline sat down at the table. Abbey noted how controlled her hands were as she held her mug in her delicate fingers. Caroline was so different than Gramps. But then again, her issues were on the inside, eating away at her, and Gramps had to deal with the exterior complications of aging. On an off day he couldn’t even hold a mug. Caroline never complained, she never showed pain, she never let on that anything was bothering her.
The opposite was true for Abbey. When she was upset, she wanted to talk more than she usually did. The problem was that she really couldn’t explain to Caroline how she felt about Nick. She didn’t know where to begin, so instead she was quiet, and Caroline knew she was never quiet. Caroline was watching her, an inquisitive look on her face. It was as if she were waiting for everything to come pouring out.
“How’s the decorating?” she said, as if reading Abbey’s mind.
“Fine,” she lied again.
There was a shift in Caroline’s face—it was small, but she’d caught it. Caroline sensed something. How did she do that? “Has Nick been helpful? Is he getting you what you need?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“He told me that you all went to see Santa Claus last night.”
Abbey nearly choked on her sip of coffee. “He did?”
Caroline nodded. “Mmm hmm.” She took a slow sip of her coffee, her eyes on Abbey. “He enjoyed himself. I called him just as he had gotten home.”
“He made it very clear to me today that he doesn’t plan to allow it anymore. He called me a distraction.”
Caroline’s eyes widened with that comment but then she ironed it out. “Well, that’s to be expected. He’s never had anyone pull him away from his work before. He has to learn how to handle it. It totally took him by surprise. I think he finds you very interesting, and he cares what happens to you.”
Caroline was very perceptive. She’d said Nick enjoyed being with her, but this morning, he’d made his wishes pretty clear. Abbey wished she could talk to him: the man she danced with in the restaurant last night, not the man behind his computer.
She finished her coffee and said her goodbyes to Caroline. Then, she headed home.
* * *
“I wanted to tell you my thoughts about Caroline.” Abbey had turned the car around and gone straight back to Nick’s after seeing his grandmother. Despite Caroline’s insistence that she was fine, Abbey had worried on her way home and decided she needed to talk to Nick. While seeing him sent a wave of happiness through her, she kept it all business. “I think she needs to live with someone.”
“I was thinking the same thing. She called me after you left and told me about her fall. I want to ensure that she’s safe.” He was standing in front of his desk, leaning back on it.
Abbey explained the nature of Caroline’s fall and her concerns that something could happen when she wasn’t there. “She really needs to be careful with that hip.”
He pushed himself off his desk, looking thoughtful. “Would you be interested in moving into the cottage with her? I would, obviously, increase your salary…”
“What about her moving in with you?”
“Abbey, I’m in and out. The staff all have jobs in the house and can’t be at her beck and call. She needs an experienced nurse. She needs you.”
“I have Max. There isn’t enough space for the both of us in her cottage. We’d need more room.”
“You know where there’s a lot more room…” He looked around dramatically.
“Are you saying you’d want me and Max to move in here?”
“We could start on a trial basis—see how it goes…”
“I don’t know…” She sat down in one of the chairs. This wasn’t a decision she could make lightly. There were all kinds of things to think about. How would a move of this scale affect Max? Would he want to move into such a large home? And would she want that for him? She liked doing his homework at the small table in their kitchenette, under the lamplight in the silence of their little apartment. She enjoyed lining up all his various bottles of bubble bath on the tub and playing mad scientist with the different colors with him. Would she be able to do that in one of Nick’s bathrooms?
“I’ll double your salary and we can discuss your hea
lth benefits and retirement plans. I can contribute to those as well. If you work full time for me, we can set all that up.”
He was looking down at her with those blue eyes. She bit her lip, considering. “I really need to speak to Max about this. I don’t want to just uproot him. It would be a big move…”
“Why don’t we try it just through Christmas? It’s only a few weeks. If it works, you and Max can move in permanently. How about that?”
“Max has school for a few more weeks. The bus doesn’t come out here.”
“I’ll send Richard to pick him up. Max can come straight here after school.”
“What about his homework? I’ll be working…”
“You write your hours. You can be on call only, whenever you need to be with Max. We’ll find a way to fit it all in. I really feel strongly about having you in particular for my grandmother. She trusts you.”
“Max doesn’t have any things here. I’ll need to pack all his toys, his books…”
“Richard and the staff can help you pack them. You just tell them what you want to bring and they’ll ensure they arrive.”
“Where will we sleep?”
“I have enough bedrooms. Pick one.”
Abbey chewed on the thought for a moment. She really wasn’t sure at all. She knew she should be there for Caroline’s sake but it was a tough decision when Max was involved. Nick was wonderful with Max. Having him there, even for just some of the time, would be a great thing for her son. But then she’d recently seen how Nick could get when he was working. Would Max disturb him? Did Nick realize what it was like to live with a child in the house?
Max would love the idea, she was sure, and she could get her decorating done. She’d finally be able to relieve her mother of childcare duties. “Okay. Just until Christmas. Then we’ll reevaluate.”
A smile spread across his face, and she had to remind herself not to get her hopes up. She was there to work.