Chapter 30
“Does starving me come under doctor’s orders, too?”
Gran jerked her eyes from the doily she was crocheting to the pale man smiling at her.
Laying the crochet to the side, she got to her feet, and going over to him, sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Kade’s hand in hers.
“Woke up, did you?”
Kade tried not to flinch as his head reacted to the slight movement.
Gran noticed the tightening of his mouth and started to rise.
“No, it’s okay. I’m just oversensitive. It’s real comforting to have you hold my hand. Reminds me of when I had chicken pox, and you sat for hours on the edge of my bed, holding my hands to keep me from scratching.”
“Didn’t always work,” Gran said drily. “You’ve got a couple old chicken pox scars on your shoulder where you managed to scratch.”
Kade grinned. “Well, it’s really your fault.”
Gran tilted her chin in a familiar way, announcing the person on the receiving end was wading into mighty deep waters.
“Mine?” She asked imperiously.
“Sure. You slathered the pink Calamine lotion all over me but missed those two. Your fault, Gran.”
“Kade, you rascal,” love shining from her eyes, “let me remind you that at the moment you’re at my mercy. If you don’t behave, I’ll see how high this bed can bounce.”
“Uncle,” Kade cried, a twinkle in his eyes. He loved this feisty woman holding his hand. He’d do anything for her. And he had no doubt the love was returned.
“I’m glad it’s just you and me. We need to talk, Gran.”
“Okay. Briefly. As soon as Hope gets here, I’ll leave and fix you some breakfast.”
“Not oatmeal.”
“Sticks to your ribs.”
Kade groaned. “I’m a sick man, Gran. I need eggs, bacon, pancakes, and homemade syrup to feed my battered, healing body.”
“Pshaw. Sick man, my foot. You’ve just got a little bump on your hard head.”
“Tell that to Declan and the Nurse Ratchet you’ve got watching me.”
“Hope’s only left your side when we drove her off with threats.” Gran rose to Hope’s defense.
Kade fell silent, and the smile left his lips, replaced by a serious frown.
“We really don’t know anything about her, Gran. Sure, you know her sister, but that’s not Hope. She’s good with Maddy, I’ll give you that. And she’s taken the load from your shoulders. But don’t you think it strange we aren’t getting any response to our background inquiries? It’s like the teacher side of her is hidden. Why?”
Gran couldn’t meet his gaze. Sure, it was hidden. She’d intercepted the mail, deftly removing the responses telling them no teacher by the name of Hope Jackson had ever taught in their schools. Kade was no dummy, and the list of schools was growing shorter. Sooner or later, he’d stumble on the right one and then . . .”
“Gran. You listening?”
“Of course, I am. I just don’t see your reason for questioning her teaching capabilities. Mandy certainly isn’t needing home schooling yet.”
Kade peered closely at her. “That’s not the issue, and you know it. It’s not like you to be so obtuse.”
“My, we’re pulling out the big words, aren’t we? That rock didn’t do too much damage, now did it?”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“No, I’m not. It just seems we have more important things to discuss than Hope’s background check. She’s here. She’s doing a marvelous job, and I for one, am grateful to have her help. Leave it alone, Kade.”
Kade gave a sigh and carefully brushed a hand across the stubble on his face. He’d just about expended what little energy he had. “Weak as a damned kitten,” he muttered to himself.
“You win, Gran. For now. I’m rarely wrong when I sense something not quite right about a person. And I’m telling you, there’s a story behind Miz Jackson’s past. I don’t care what it is unless,” he gave her a meaningful look, “unless it affects you and the Double K. If I find out she’s been lying to us, she’ll be out on that shapely butt of hers before you can blink.”
Gran felt a chill at Kade’s words. He hated liars. With good reason. And wasn’t that what she and Hope were doing by steering him away from the one school where she’d taught and been dismissed? Granted, it was a lie by omission, and it was a little white lie at that.
She got to her feet, and she was now even more determined to keep Hope’s background from Kade. His slip of ‘shapely butt’ hadn’t gone unnoticed. It would take more time, but she had no doubt Kade was starting to feel something for the special young lady. She vowed to give him that time.
“Enough talk. I’m calling Declan to take over. I’ll be back with a breakfast fit for a king. That suit you?”
“Four eggs?”
“Four eggs?” A voice echoed from the door. Declan peeked around the corner. “No, way. You’re a sick man, Kade.” He turned to Gran. “Oatmeal and dry toast. And,” he grinned with pure devilment, “one slice of toast, not two. Don’t want to stress his delicate constitution.”
“Declan, I swear the minute I’m not hearing bells gonging in my head, I’m beating the hell out of you.”
“Gran,” Declan said with a wounded look. “Did you hear that? After the care and compassion I’ve been giving?”
“Stop it, you two. I declare your bickering makes gongs go off in my head. Declan, you take over here. I’ve got a breakfast to make,” and grateful for the reprieve, Gran huffed out of the room.
“Need up again?” Declan asked.
“Yes. Up, a shower, shave, and dressed. This bed’s sticking to my backside.”
Declan braced Kade and guided him to the bathroom. “Not sure about the shower, Bro. You’re pretty wobbly.”
“Declan, damn it. I need a shower. Now you can take it with me, scrubbing my back, but I’m having one. I’ll sit on the shower seat and use the shower hose. I won’t turn on the shower heads, so there’ll be no spray, and the stitches won’t get wet.”
“Got it all figured out, huh?”
“Yes. And close the door while I use the pot. Unless you need to see how it’s done. If I remember right, I had to show you that, too. Not too many years ago. You thought your belly button was what you held. Peed down your leg more times than I could count.”
“Okay, you win. No more trips down memory lane. You shower, and while you’re eating, I’ll fill you in on something I just discovered. Run the razor over that black mess on your face. But then it’s back to bed. No chair. Bed rest, per doctor’s orders. If you do it without giving me crap, I’ll let you up in the chair this afternoon. Deal?”
Kade mumbled his response.
“I heard that. And it’s not nice to tell someone where they can stick something. Shame on you.”
Kade chuckled. Nothing fazed Declan’s good humor. “Deal. Now just get me to the bathroom. I want dressed though. There’s sweats in the bottom dresser drawer. Grab a shirt from the closet. Oh, yeah, keep Hope out.”
“Gotcha. Shower, shave, dressed, back to bed, food, talk. In that order.”
The bathroom door slamming was Kade’s response.