Page 21 of Shattered

“Listen,” she said. “I get this is totally out of left field, and I’ve caught you by surprise. If you need time to think about this, I totally understand. I don’t expect an answer from you now. But I also need to make you aware; Abby, she’s not like other five-year-olds. She’s has a lot of restrictions, both in diet and physical activity. She could die if she gets a cut or a bad bruise. And she needs to stick to a firm routine.”

“What’s wrong with her?” His cobalt gaze filled with worry.

“She has a heart condition. It’s called Patent Foramen Ovale.” Aurora rushed to get the rest of it out before he had a chance to change his mind. It was a lot to ask a total stranger to watch your kid while you worked the night shift, it was even more to ask them to watch your sick kid. “She had surgery a couple of months ago, they did catheterization to help correct it, but she still takes medication to keep her heart at an even keel. She’s better now, and her doctors suggested we move to a drier climate. Living in Washington, she’d been susceptible to bronchitis and pneumonia. Her doctors were worried another bout with both, could be fatal for her.”

Mackenzie pushed off the hallway wall. “I’ll watch her.”

“Really?” Had she heard him correctly? Maybe lady luck was turning her way. She’d play the lottery but didn’t have the extra money to spare nor did she think she’d win.

“Yeah.”

“Do you need to discuss this with anyone?” she probed. It’d been a year since Holly disappeared on Mackenzie, didn’t mean he couldn’t or didn’t have a girlfriend.

His eyes narrowed and a dark scowl flashed across his features. “No longer have to worry about anything of the sort.”

“Oh, okay. Well then, thank you so much!” she said. “I can’t tell you enough, how much I appreciate this. I don’t know what I would’ve done with Abby while I worked.

He ignored her praise, instead got right to the heart of the matter. “Whendo you start work?”

“Next week.”

“Did Keeley tell you about my arrangements here?” he questioned. “Riley and Liam and also my three grandchildren?”

“Yes.”

“Right. Well, we already know Riley likes her, so does Mikey. Liam is still getting used to the idea it’s just the three of us now, so it’ll probably take time with him. She should come over before you start working as well. It’ll give her a chance to get used to being here. I’ll also need to learn about all her medication, and restrictions.”

“She’s on a strict diet. I can supply you with the food for her weekly.”

Mackenzie waved his hand as if her suggest was inconsequential. “Give me a list of what she can and can’t have, and I’ll make sure I’m stocked up on the alternatives.”

“You sure?”

“Wouldn’t’ve said it, if I didn’t mean it,” he said.

Aurora nibbled at her bottom lip. “How much will you charge me a week?”

“We can discuss that later.”

“Later?”

“Yeah, later,” he muttered.

Aurora blinked. She couldn’t believe it was that easy. “Okay.”

Mackenzie rubbed at his chin. “Might be a good idea to bring some of her stuff here. Clothes, toys, and such. It’ll make her feel more comfortable.”

Aurora fought to keep her face expressionless. They didn’t have a lot of extras, and to get what he was suggesting would cost money, and she didn’t have a lot to spare right now. Maybe she could locate a second-hand store in town or the surrounding counties where she could pick up some things that would be within her budget.

“Sure.” It was bad enough not being able to pay him a decent amount of money to watch Abby, but she sure as hell wouldn’t allow him to glimpse deeper into their poverty situation.

Mackenzie excused himself for a minute then returned with a pad and pen. “Now, tell me what she can and can’t eat. I’ll make sure what I have for tonight’s dinner works for her.”

“Tonight? Are you sure?”

“I didn’t stutter, did I?” Mackenzie cocked a brow.

She stared at him for a moment. “Anything high in vitamin K is out for her. She needs to avoid things like spinach, kale, brussels sprouts, and salads. Ohh…she can’t have cranberry juice, either.”

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