“Right,” Hix muttered.
I carried on, “But he helps with the staff and other residents who aren’t as functional as he is. The work thing, we tried that in Denver. He got a job bagging groceries and he had another one where he cleaned up and had tasks in the stock room and putting stuff on shelves at a hardware store. But if he gets frustrated or flustered, the results can be a little frightening. And he had a really bad seizure at the hardware store. It freaked out the customers, and even though the owner knew it could happen, it didn’t sit easy with him either. He’d been taught what to do but he felt pretty powerless, and for whatever reason, it wasn’t long before he said he had to let Andy go.”
“Think folks in a small town might have more patience and understanding, babe,” Hix remarked, and I nodded my chin on his chest.
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it, talking to his therapists about it. They get work requests and he’s been given a good deal of time to settle in and get used to the change. Maybe, if something comes in that fits, we can get him set up.”
“I’ll ask around,” he murmured.
I settled back into him. “That’d be sweet. He likes making his own money and he’s social. Stability is good but it’s also good when he has more than the people he sees all the time to talk to.”
“We’ll find something for him. And Shaw wants to go out and get him and take him somewhere to watch Thursday night football. I know that’s your day with him, sweetheart, but Shaw likes him and I think he gets what’s going on and he definitely gets he’s gonna be enlisting in the marines soon so he’s not gonna be around and he’s packing a lot in . . .”
He went on but I wasn’t listening.
I’d closed my eyes to beat back the wet.
“Baby?” Hix called.
“Shaw can have Thursday night,” I whispered.
His hand curled around my arm and held me there. “He’ll be okay with Andy. If he’s gotta keep his eye out for something, you just give him a brief but they’ll be good to—”
“I’m sure Andy will be fine with Shaw.”
Hix was silent a second before he asked, “Then what am I feeling coming from you, sweetheart?”
“I just . . . I just . . .” I moved my hand so when I turned my head to kiss his chest, I’d be able to go in direct. I settled back in on my cheek and gave his middle a squeeze. “I think you’re just feeling me being happy.”
He pulled me closer and his voice was gruff when he replied, “I’ll take that.”
He didn’t take it.
He gave it.
But I didn’t share that.
I whispered wondrously, “This is gonna work, isn’t it?”
Hix answered instantly.
“Yup.”
I shoved my face in his ribcage. “God, I’m gonna cry.”
“Baby—”
“No really, this time I’m gonna cry.”
Hix rolled into me so I was on my back. He was mostly pressed down my side and my face was held in one of his hands.
“You cry, I’m gonna have to take the time to comfort you and this will delay sleep so I’m not gonna have the energy to break in my headboard tomorrow morning during our quickie after the kids go to school.”
I blinked up at him and took in a shuddering breath before I declared, “I’m good.”
“Thought that would do it,” he muttered.
I slapped his arm.
He came in and took my mouth but I could tell his was smiling.
When he was done kissing me gentle, wet and for a long time, he rolled us back to our previous position and held me close.
I said no more because, if Hix was given the opportunity to change my world again, I’d totally lose it and end up bawling and not get headboard sex in the morning.
So instead, cuddling closer, with Hix’s fingers trailing soothingly on my arm, I just fell asleep against my man.
It was after morning pandemonium with Hix’s kids getting ready for school (which, to be fair to Shaw, who was definitely a morning person, after he woke up of course, was entirely Mamie).
It was also after our headboard sex quickie.
So I was letting myself in my side door with bed hair and sex hair after I drove home from Hix’s to get a shower and get ready for work, when I saw something come at me from the side.
Panic assailed me and I jumped back, my phone in my hand (I didn’t get out of my car without my phone in my hand anymore), a scream clogged in my throat, as I saw Hope storming up my drive toward me.
However, her step faltered when she witnessed how she’d surprised me and the determined look on her face melted to something that could actually be read as chagrin.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said when she arrived at me.
“Well, you did,” I snapped.
“I wasn’t . . .” She shook her head. “That wasn’t my intent.”
“Just for your education, after a woman is assaulted in her home, a sneak attack at any time, but mostly at said home, isn’t your best lead in.”
“I’m sorry, Greta.”
God, she actually looked sorry.
This could mean she was sorry.
Or she wanted something.
I braced.
“I just . . . I need to have a word with you,” she told me.
“I can’t imagine why,” I returned.
She stared at me. “You can’t?”
“Hope—”
“You need to step aside,” she stated quickly.
It was me now staring at her.
“It’s the right thing to do and you know it,” she went on.
“For who?” I asked.
Her brows shot together making her look both perplexed and annoyed. “For my family. For my kids. For Hix.”
“I’m not sure any of that is true anymore,” I shared honestly.
“Yes, because it’s not your family, though you’re trying to make it that way,” she returned.
I drew in a calming breath, deciding arguing with Hope was not the way to carry on my day after it had started so well (I mean headboard sex with Hix?—forget about it) so I also decided to try not to do that.
“You have things to say to Hix and he’s giving you time. Say them to him. Please keep me out of this,” I requested.
“You’ve wormed your way right into it.”
“Hope, I don’t want to get angry—”
“You don’t want to get angry?” she snapped.
“Stop it,” I hissed, leaning into her, and when I did her eyes got big, sharing surprise that stated eloquently Hope didn’t often have people call her on her shit. “Hix says you go all out until you get what you want but you’re an adult now, Hope. You have to learn that life is about getting what you want and it’s also about dealing appropriately when you don’t.”
“He talks about me to you?” she asked.
“Okay,” I stated curtly. “It’s clear you’re in a space where you can’t think of anyone but yourself, but if you manage to pull yourself out of that for a second, first, you’re the mother of his children so that’s gonna happen. Second, you’re his ex-wife so that’s gonna happen. And last, you’ve been pretty active lately in ways that don’t make him real happy so that’s gonna happen.”
“You need to step aside,” she bit out.
“That is not gonna happen,” I shot back.