Flea
I WAS INNATELY aware of the tension rolling off Grace as we drove north. I knew the shit with her dad was complicated, but I also saw a man desperate to reconnect with his daughter. And Grace would benefit from it as well, but I kept that to myself. She was in pain and I was Team Grace all the way.
I reached over and linked my fingers with hers, lifting her hand to my mouth and kissing it gently. “You okay?”
“I will be when I get my arms around my grandmother.”
I squeezed her hand, keeping hold as I pulled into the parking garage and found a spot. After turning off the car, I faced her. “I’ve got you. You want to leave at any time, we’ll leave.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
We climbed out the car and she waited for me to reach her before wrapping her arms around my waist. “Can I have one bolstering kiss?”
I grinned, leaning down to oblige her.
She broke the kiss with a sigh and smiled up at me. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
We walked into the hospital and I let Grace lead the way, staying close as we were directed to where her grandmother was, and then I hung back, staying in the hall while she stepped into the room.
* * *
Grace
I rushed to my grandmother’s bed as she grinned up at me with glassy eyes. “Well, hi there, Gracie Girl.”
My father and brother were already there, hovering.
“What did you do to yourself?” I demanded.
“Broke my leg. You know, screwing all those sailors.”
She and my granddad had divorced thirty years ago and even though she’d remarried, Grandpa Milt had died ten years ago. She’d been ‘single and ready to mingle’ for a long time, but had yet to settle down.
“Mom!” My dad said with a groan.
I couldn’t stop a giggle. “Someone’s on some good drugs.”
“I could get used to being high,” Grams said.
I grinned. “You look like you’re having a little fun, Grams, but are you nervous about tomorrow?”
“No, Button, I’m good. This is cake.”
I relaxed. She was probably right. It probably was cake.
“You’re gonna need to come stay with me for a few weeks while you heal,” Dad said.
“I’m not leaving my animals, RyRy,” Grams countered. “I’ll be fine.”
“Mom, you cannot stay by yourself,” Dad said, his voice losing some of his patience.
“I can stay with her,” I offered.
“What about work?” Merrick countered.
“Hatch’ll let me take a couple of days off if I need it. And you can check on her when I can’t. It’s not like I have a life, so evenings are free, and all I have to do is take some clothes with me.”
Merrick raised an eyebrow, but lucky for him, he didn’t argue. I’d have to figure out time with Flea during the day. Lunch and stuff.
“What about ballet?” Dad asked.
“How did you know about that?” I snapped, then shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I don’t start PBC for three weeks. Plenty of time to get Grams up and moving.”
“Does anyone give a shit what I think?” Grams demanded.
My grandmother was unusually censored. Normally, she used ‘fuck’ as a noun, adjective, and verb, but today she used ‘shit.’
“Okay, Mom. What do you want?” Dad asked.
“A bottle of Patrón and a man twenty years my junior, but since I can’t have either of those, I’d like some alone-time with my granddaughter.”
I smiled. “It’s settled then.”
Before anyone could argue, a nurse walked in and we were forced to leave the room so she could examine Grandma. We stepped into the hallway and Flea rose to his feet from a chair by the door.
“The nurse kicked us out,” I explained.
“How’s your grandmother?” he asked, holding his arm out for me.
I smiled, sliding against him. “Feisty, so she’ll be fine.”
The nurse walked out of the room with a smile. “She’s sleeping. You’re welcome to stay, but I imagine she’ll be out for a while.”
“I need to pack,” I said.
“Why?” Flea asked.
“I’ll tell you in the car.”
“I’m going to stay with your grandmother tonight, so you kids can head out if you want to,” Dad said.
I nodded. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Me too,” Merrick said.
“Let me find out what time her surgery is,” Dad countered. “There’s no point in you both missing work. In fact, why don’t you just come up after work?”
“I should head to her place and look after the cats,” I suggested. “Maybe I’ll go home and pack, then head back up here. I have keys to her place.”
“Not sure how I feel about you going there alone,” Dad said.
I bristled, but Flea gave me a gentle squeeze and said, “I’ll take her. It’ll give me a chance to check the security.”
My dad glanced in Flea’s direction, then he nodded.
I narrowed my eyes as Dad’s gaze landed on me. He looked away and stared down at his phone.
Goddammit, he doesn’t have an issue with me leaving with Flea. The bastard’s already checked him out.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, and spun on my heel.
Flea had to lengthen his stride to catch up to me. “What the hell was that?”
I stabbed at the elevator button. “My dad did a background check on you.”
“Come again?”
The doors opened, and we stepped inside. “He ran you through his criminal database.”
“He told you that?”
“He didn’t need to. He had absolutely no issue with you taking me up to Grams’s, which means he already checked you out and isn’t concerned.” I stabbed the ground floor button and let out a frustrated grunt. “He had no right.”
“Baby, I don’t care if he checked me out.”
“Well, I do.”
Flea reached for me, lifting my chin. “You don’t think it’s your father’s right to watch out for you?”
“He lost that right.”
Flea sighed. “And you don’t think he’s been living with that for the past ten years?”
“Whose side are you on?” I snapped.
“Yours, Grace. Always yours.”
“Then stop defending him,” I snapped.
He raised his hands in surrender and stepped back.
I bit my lip and stared at the elevator buttons. I felt hurt and angry… and like a total bitch. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
The elevator doors opened, and Flea took my hand and pulled me into the stairwell, away from prying eyes. He cupped my face and leaned down to kiss me gently and I leaned against him, gripping his cut.
“I am always on your side, Grace,” he said after breaking the kiss.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You already apologized, baby, you don’t need to do it again.”
I sighed. “I just realized I’ve blown up all of our plans. I won’t be able to make it Saturday.”
“Unless your dad can stay with your grandmother.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to leave her, Flea.”
“At the risk of sounding like a complete dick, I want to see you on Saturday night, so how are we gonna make that happen, Grace?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Let me just get Grams settled and then we can go from there.” I smiled up at him. “Why does that make you sound like a dick?”
“Because your grandmother’s hurt and I’m bringin’ up somethin’ insignificant.”
God, he was such a good guy.
“Wanting to see me isn’t insignificant, Flea. I feel the same way.” I wrapped my arms around him. “All of this is just really sucky timing.”
“Yeah,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “C’mon, let’s get you packed up.”
I nodded, kissing him one more time, before leading him out of the stairwell and back into the parking garage.