Page 2 of Summer Heat
Kinsley fumbled for the keys in her purse, handing them to me. I unlocked her door and grabbed the car seat from the back. I was familiar with how these things worked because of my niece and nephew.
Once it was secured, I stepped back while Kinsley helped Maya into her seat and secured the belt.
Once the door was closed, I asked, "Is there anything else you need?"
She looked one last time at the place that had been her home. "That's everything."
I opened the passenger side door for her and shut it behind her. I wanted to get her out of here. I didn't want her upset about the state of her home when nothing could be salvaged. Everything was waterlogged, and it would be months before she could think of moving back in. And that was if her landlord remediated the place properly.
I threw the truck into Drive and pulled away from the curb. "You can stay at my place for as long as you need to."
Her lips pursed. "I don't want to intrude."
My jaw worked. "You're helping me with the renovation of my house. If you're living there, it will be easier for you to help."
"Are you sure?"
I glanced over at her, seeing the crease between her eyebrows and the way she played with the strap of her purse. "I'm positive."
"Can I pick my bedroom?" Maya asked from the back seat, her slightly babyish voice never failing to make my heart clench.
"Of course you can," I said at the same time her mother said, "You can sleep with me."
I waved my hand. "I have plenty of empty bedrooms. If she's used to her own room, she can have one."
I'd inherited my grandmother's house, which was a mansion on Captiva, the island just off Sanibel. I was renovating it in my spare time. I wanted to do it justice, preserving the old with the new.
I didn't have any design experience, so I'd asked Kinsley to help with the renovation. She'd been so busy with her daughter and the issues at her rental that we hadn't made as much progress as I would have liked.
I hated that she was dealing with this issue, but maybe this would be better for my focus on the house, and she and Maya would be in a better living situation.
I crossed over the bridge between the islands. Then I pulled into the driveway to my house, waiting for the gate to open. I turned off the engine. "Let's get you settled."
Kinsley helped Maya out of her seat, setting her on the ground before she ran for the door. I followed, unlocking it, then pushed it open. Maya ran upstairs, presumably to pick out her bedroom.
I left Kinsley in the foyer. I felt better now that they were in my house and not staying in some hotel somewhere. I pulled her bags out of the bed of the truck and set them on the ground.
"I appreciate you letting us stay here for a few days. I can talk to the insurance company and see if they can set us up in a hotel room somewhere."
I had a feeling that option was only available to a homeowner, not a renter. "Don't worry about it. You can stay here as long as you need."
There was only one school for both islands, so it wouldn't make a difference for Maya.
Kinsley chewed on her lip. "I don't want to impose."
I raised a brow. "I live here alone, and it's a huge house. Besides, I need to get this house renovated. Maybe now that you're living here, you can help."
Her face fell. "I haven't been helping out as much as I should have been. I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for. You're a single mother who has a dick for a landlord."
Kinsley's eyes widened in surprise, and then she shook her head, her lips curving into a smile.
At least I'd succeeded in taking her mind off the horrible reality that most of her things had been destroyed.
"Mommy, Mommy," Maya chanted as she ran down the stairs, then grabbed Kinsley's hand, tugging her back up the stairs.
Kinsley gave me a sheepish grin over her shoulder.
