Page 14 of Family Forever
She assumed Dylan to be about six-foot-two, maybe three. He was thick through the shoulders, slim at the waist, and she guessed he had some pretty powerful thighs lying under his khakis. Her cheeks heated at the thought.
His strong-looking jaw stopped chewing and his dark brown gaze zoned in on her. “Are you all right?”
“Fine, why?”
“You kind of have a weird look on your face.”
“I was just thinking about what happened last night. I’m really sorry I ruined your date.”
He smiled. “You didn’t ruin anything.”
Sure I didn’t.
“So, what are your plans after graduation?” he asked before forking another bite of eggs.
“I’ve been accepted at the University of Green Bay, into the accounting program.”
“That’s great, I didn’t know.”
She shrugged. “My grades were pretty good so I received nearly enough scholarship money for the first year.”
“What are you going to do for the rest?”
“I was hoping to get a job this summer.”
“You could work more hours for me once school is out. Between the herd and the fieldwork, I could use more help with the house and the boys. I could offer you a little farm work as well. In addition to the couple of full-time staff, I employ some part-timers.”
“I don’t know much about farming.”
“Neither did I at one time.”
They finished their breakfast and returned to the church to pick up the boys before heading over to the nursing home to visit their grandfather. She followed the boys into the private room where an older gentleman sat in a wheelchair next to the bed. He was watching TV and turned his head toward them as they walked through the doorway.
Dylan reached down and touched the old man’s arm. “Hi Grandpa, how are you today?”
His grandfather offered a lopsided grin, gave a slight nod with a blink, and grunted lightly.
With assistance from Aric, Luke perched on his grandfather’s lap. The old man slowly moved one arm, half wrapping it around the boy, while the other arm stayed stationary off to the side on his lap.
The gentleman’s gaze zoned in on her, and Dylan motioned for her to step forward. “Grandpa, I’d like you to meet Marissa Geyer. Marissa, this is our Grandpa Jacobs.”
The man kept up with the lopsided smile and grunted again.
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. It seemed like the right thing to do. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
His crooked smile reached his eyes. She glanced at Dylan, catching his grateful smile.
The boys took turns telling their grandfather about their busy weeks. After an hour, Dylan instructed her and the boys to load up in his truck and added that he’d catch up with them in a minute.
Once in the truck, Luke realized he’d forgotten the toy tractor he tended to carry around with him. He’d set it on the bedside table when he climbed up on his grandfather’s lap.
Marissa eyed the upset little boy in the backseat. “I’ll go get it for you, Luke. Be right back.”
She slid out of the truck and hustled back into the building, pausing outside the doorway of Mr. Jacobs’s room at the sound of Dylan’s serious tone. Knowing she shouldn’t, she lingered to eavesdrop anyway, as she peeked into the room to see what was going on.
Dylan was on his knees in front of his grandfather’s wheelchair. “You have no idea how much I miss you and wish you could be at home with us.”
His grandfather nodded slowly.
