Chapter 19

___________________

Alex

AFTER BEING PUT ON hold too many times than I cared to think about and then getting the runaround even more once I finally did speak to someone, I decided to forgo trying to get any help from the VA for housing for William. He didn’t have the time to wait to see what he qualified for. By that time, he more than likely wouldn’t be around. I did stand firm when it came to his medical care and got the ball rolling with that. I was hopeful that wasn’t going to take as long as the housing element of it would. I was eager to see this place I was going to be checking out and was hoping it would work for him.

I was taken off guard when Rose had asked to come. The last thing I wanted was for her to know I was going to be paying for his living expenses. I didn’t want her to question how I’d be able to afford it, and I didn’t need her offering to go running to her daddy for help. So, if the question came up, I would tell her I went through with my original plan and was utilizing his veteran’s benefits.

Something was changing with her, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, maybe I was wrong in judging her so quickly. She seemed genuinely sincere when it came to William, and I knew it wasn’t an act just by the look on her face when I broke the news to her yesterday. She did her best to keep her tears at bay, but I still noticed her eyes clouding up with emotion, and I was starting to warm up to that side of her ever so slightly.

“Alex, have you seen Rose?”

I barely recognized Lucy as she poked her head in my office. The color of her hair was a little lighter and it seemed to have a bit more curls to it.

“I’m here! I’m sorry. I forgot the necklace that goes with this dress, and I had to run back to my aunt’s place to get it.” Rose appeared with Marisa right behind her.

“Oh, thank God!” Lucy exclaimed.

I had no clue what was going on, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.

Marisa shook her head at the two of them and stepped into my office. “Do you care if I hang out in here for a few? Lucy is a bundle of nerves, and I think it’s only going to get worse.”

“That’s fine. What are they doing anyway?” My curiosity got the best of me.

“Lucy has a date tonight, so Rose decided to incorporate Lucy’s makeover into it.” She laughed.

I rolled my eyes and Marisa caught me. “Rose is pretty awesome, you know.”

“You’re entitled to your opinion, even if it’s the wrong one.” I bit back my smile. “So how have you been?” I asked, sensing she hadn’t been herself these past few weeks.

“You know, I’m actually great.” She nodded. “And I owe that to Rose.”

“Rose? What, she’s sending you on an all-expenses-paid trip or something?”

“No!” She laughed. “She…umm. She really helped me out a lot with…” She sighed heavily. “Oh, what the hell, you’re gonna find out soon enough…I’m pregnant.”

“Oh…” I wasn’t sure how to respond. The way she had been moping around for the past few weeks, she seemed anything but happy about it.

“Congratulations.” I posed it more as a question than a statement.

“Thanks. I’m pretty excited about it…now. Rose helped me out a lot yesterday. Believe it or not, but that girl does know how to give some pretty damn good advice.” She stared straight ahead, deep in thought, and smiled. “Funny how Lucy and Rose are just finding new love, and so am I, just in a different way.” She ran her hand down her belly and smiled.

My ears perked up. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me to hear that Rose may possibly have a boyfriend, but I decided to pry a little deeper. I started out with Lucy, so it didn’t seem so obvious. “Who’s this guy Lucy is going on a date with?”

“The FedEx guy. Rose set that one up. And Rose—”

“Alex, as much as it pains me to ask this, I must. Since all the other men have left for the day…we need your opinion.” Rose barged into my office just as Marisa was about to spill her guts.

I stared at her blankly.

“Come on, Lucy!” Rose demanded, taking a step into my office with Lucy reluctantly following behind her.

“Rose!” Lucy complained.

“Shush…we need a man’s opinion.” Rose looked my way.

“About what?” I furrowed my brows and got a good look at Lucy. She had made a complete transformation, from the hair, the makeup, and the dress. I had to admit she looked pretty hot.

“Wow, you look really nice.”

Lucy blushed and looked away.

“You do!” Marisa chimed in.

“Okay, so we’re all in agreement that she looks nice, but take a look at the shoes,” Rose requested.

My eyes shifted to Lucy’s feet. On one of them she had on a flat slip-on sandal. The other was the massive heels Rose always wore. “Alex, this is where we need your opinion,” Rose directed.

“With what?”

“Rose, I—” Lucy began to grumble, and Rose held up her hand to halt her.

“Strictly from a guy’s perspective, if you were going on a date…would you rather see her wearing these shoes?” Rose enthusiastically pointed to the foot with the heels. “Or these?” She turned up her nose when she pointed to the flat sandal.

Lucy looked at me, pleading with her eyes to pick the flat one. “Well, umm…don’t you think Lucy should wear the ones she’s most comfortable in?” I tried my best to be diplomatic.

“That’s not what I asked…please answer the question in the manner it was posed to you.” Rose continued with her quest.

I tried to hold back my smile. She was kind of cute when she was being a wiseass, which was most of the time. “My opinion as a guy would be…that one.” I pointed to the foot that was wearing the heel.

“Ha! I told you!” Rose shouted in triumph.

“That’s because Alex is tall. Declan is only a few inches taller than me, and I’m not going to show up in these shoes I can hardly even walk in and be three inches taller than him.”

Rose scratched her head, appearing to be deep in thought. “Okay, I guess you’re right. I forgot he’s not very tall. The last thing you want to do is give him a complex by towering over him.”

Marisa shook her head and laughed. “What time is Romeo coming to pick you up?” she asked.

“He should be here in five minutes,” Lucy replied.

“Oh shoot! Come on then! I have to finish your makeup, then we have to do the after picture for the makeover piece.”

“I’m out of here.” Marisa laughed.

“Rose,” I called as she made her exit.

“Yeah.” She turned around and flung her hair to one side. It was a habit of hers that I normally found annoying and almost rehearsed, but at that moment I found it rather sexy and unplanned as she set her deep brown eyes upon me.

“Can you be ready to go by six?”

“No problem.”

I gave her a curt nod and lowered my eyes to her ass as she turned around and walked out of my office. I threw my head back on the chair and raked my hand through my hair, angry at my eyes for betraying me like that. But it was just a natural reaction any guy would’ve had if given the opportunity. It had nothing to do with the tight dress she was wearing that hugged every curve of her killer body or that I was tolerating her a little more each day ever since she had shown an interest in helping William. And most of all, it had nothing to do with the fact I was finding her more and more attractive inside and out, every time we were together.