Page 20 of Love Me Back
“I’m sorry you came out here. But I don’t need you.” Grayson turned his chair and wheeled into the kitchen.
His words hurt. I couldn’t lie about that. But I had spent mylifetime not allowing others to know what I was feeling. My face was a mask of indifference as his siblings looked at me with sympathy.
“Excuse me,” Carson said.
“No. Let me talk to him.” I closed my eyes for a moment before securing my metaphorical armor. His dismissal wouldn’t affect me. I was here to do a job, and I would fucking do it.
Really, it was better that he had gotten over his obsession with me. I could push aside my own feelings and be professional. Sure, this wasn’t exactly what my degree was in, but I was smart enough that I knew I could help him keep his muscles strong while he waited for the swelling to go down. It would be that much harder for him to get back on his feet if his muscles atrophied in the weeks we waited to find out if his injury was permanent.
I found Grayson pushed up to the table. Looking around the kitchen, I could see there wasn’t much he could do in there. He could barely reach the appliances from his chair, and for a man like him, it would be a blow to his ego to rely on others.
I understood that.
“Listen, I know it sucks being in that chair—”
“Do you? Do you know what it feels like not being able to move? Not being able to stand up and make a fucking cup of coffee? I can’t even take a fucking piss by myself, Jessie.”
I waited while he ranted at me. Okay, he was right. I didn’t know exactly what he was feeling. But part of my experience in school had been to spend time in multiple different wheelchairs. We strapped ourselves in and learned what we could do and what we couldn’t. Yes, I stood up at the end of the day and walked out. But I could still offer some ideas on how to work around the chair.
“I don’t want you here.”
“Well, too fucking bad,” I said, my hands on my hips as I stared at him. “Your sister already paid me for the month. So, you’re stuck with me until then.”
“You could give it back.”
“Nope. I don’t go back on my word.”
“You agreed to have dinner with me but never did.” His eyes bored into mine. He was right. I had agreed to have dinner with him when I asked if Melissa could stay on the ranch. She hadn’t wanted to stay at the clubhouse at first. He hadn’t pushed, so I hadn’t reminded him about it.
“I didn’t go back on my word. I said I would have dinner with you, but I didn’t say when. Seeing as how neither of us has died yet, there is still time.”
Chapter Eight
Grayson
Watching Jessie move around my kitchen, searching through cabinets, felt right. It felt normal, like she was meant to be there.
Because she is.
“What are you looking for?”
“Coffee.” She opened another cabinet whispering, “Yes,” when she found the mugs. “And cups,” she added, taking two from the shelf and setting them on the counter by the coffeepot.
I could have told her the coffee was in the pantry, but I wanted to hold on to these few minutes. I wanted to imprint this scene on my brain so that when she was gone later, I could watch it over and over when I closed my eyes.
I’d heard the front door close in between the slamming of cabinet doors and knew my siblings had left us alone. It didn’t matter, though. Nothing would change my mind.
Jessie couldn’t stay here.
It wasn’t just about her seeing me at my worst. Completely dependent on everyone around me, unable to do anything for myself but wheel from one room to the other.
It also wasn’t safe.
Someone had taken a shot at me. Tried to kill me. Whether it was a member of the Death Dogs retaliating for Tyson killing the man in town, or whoever was killing women on my ranch, the fact remained: if Jessie stayed here, her life would be at risk.
I loved her too much to let anything happen to her. I loved her enough to let her go as long as she was safe.
It was bad enough I couldn’t get Addie to leave. But she had lived here her whole life. She grew up with us here to protect her, and my brothers would continue to protect her.
