Page 78 of A Dream for Daphne

He went into her arms because if he didn’t she’d swat him.

He wanted her hug anyway, so no hardship on his end.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “You’re walking great.”

“I feel fine. Not much can hurt me now. I’m not going to lie and say that sitting for long periods of time doesn’t make me stiff.”

“You’ve never sat for long periods of time in your life,” he said. He got that from his mother.

“No,” his mother said. “Never.”

“You might get bored being here for a few weeks,” he said.

He’d been surprised that she’d said she was staying that long. Not that he didn’t want her in the house, but it would put a damper on his relationship.

He’d just go stay with Daphne.

“I doubt it,” his mother said. “I’m going to get a rental car on Monday.”

“That will help,” he said. It’s not like he could give her his truck or one of the company trucks. He needed them. He didn’t have a spare car either.

Though he’d thought of it for years. That maybe he should buy a car to drive around when he wasn’t working.

Just another thing that women he’d dated in the past complained about. That they were picked up and dropped off in a work truck.

It’s not that he didn’t keep it clean. He always did, for the most part.

“And I’ll come into the office and get some work done. I know April could use some help. You’ve told me how busy you are.”

“You’ve seen it yourself,” he said. “She’d appreciate the help. You can let me know your thoughts on getting April some help permanently. I worry that I won’t have any work for the person in the winter months. I worry about even April staying busy.”

“She likes being slower for a few months,” his mother said. “It lets her catch up on other things.”

That was good to hear. There was always something for him to do. He still had a lot of clients that he and Mac plowed for.Businesses and homes. He had the McGill Estate now, which was a massive undertaking alone.

“I’m glad she talks to you about that,” he said.

He liked April and all, but she was older and didn’t say much to him in terms of anything other than work. She didn’t speak up if she was under or overworked, though he asked if he thought of it.

Guess he just took it for granted that his mother still had a handle on it.

“She does,” his mother said. “Don’t worry.” They walked to his truck together, him pulling his mother’s suitcase. “She might seem frazzled at times, but I’ll step in and do what I can for her. Do I think she needs help? Maybe next summer consider an intern or college student you can pay. April would like someone to do busy work things more than anything.”

“Good to know,” he said. “Are you hungry? We can stop and get some lunch.”

It was noon now. He knew his mother had been at airports since seven this morning. Her flight was direct, but still three hours, then arriving early and now the almost hour drive home.

“I can wait until we get to your house,” his mother said. She pulled a granola bar out of her large purse. She always had food on her.

“Where’s mine?” he asked, laughing.

She handed it over and he shook his head at her. He’d only been kidding.

“You’re still joking about everything.”

“You’d have me no other way,” he said.

He put her suitcase in the backseat of his four-door truck, the two of them climbing in.

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