Kai was a gentleman, and he wasn’t going to sleep with a girl purely because he needed the release. Millie respected that, and was immensely proud of him for his choice. Most men his age probably wouldn’t have made the same one. Millie wouldn’t push him into physical love, especially when he wasn’t aware of the upcoming heartache.
Finished with her preparation, Millie sealed the tiny bags she’d made for her grandson. For the hundredth time, she wished Kai would decide that he hated it here and move home. Not because she didn’t want him around—far from it, she immensely enjoyed his company—but because she didn’t want him to get hurt. And Mason admitting who he was to him was going to hurt. Maybe if he went home, maybe if Nate had to look him in the eyes again every day, he’d lose his nerves and never tell him. And that would be for the best.
Millie wasn’t sure about Kai’s mother though. Perhaps Leilani was cruel enough to spill the beans. But then again, regardless of what Millie thought of her, Leilani was a mother, and what mother wanted to cause her son harm? And Millie knew Kai was close to his mother; he talked with her daily. The woman obviously adored her son, no matter who his father was. No, Millie was pretty sure that the push to send Kai to Denver, to his biological father, had come from Nate.
Shuffling back into the kitchen from her greenhouse, Millie caught her granddaughter staring at the numbers on the microwave, seemingly lost in thought. Not wanting to sneak up on the girl, Millie closed the door rougher than necessary. Jessica Marie started and looked over at her. Then she slapped on a smile that was clearly fake. Millie recognized it; she’d seen the forced happiness on her granddaughter several times over the past few weeks. Come to think of it, she’d seen the same pseudo-smile on Kai the last few weeks, too.
While Millie had the overwhelming feeling that Mason was making things uncomfortable at work for his newfound son—a suspicion that Jessica had confirmed when she’d mentioned that Kai didn’t think his boss liked him—Millie had no clue where her granddaughter’s unhappiness stemmed from. With her age and troubled past love life, Millie suspected a boy was the culprit, although she never heard Jessica mention one. No one but Kai, that was.
“The potatoes are almost ready, Grams,” she effortlessly announced.
Millie narrowed her eyes. While the tone was carefree, the tired look in her eyes couldn’t be erased. Jessica was worn, unhappy, and almost always looked to be on the verge of crying lately. Millie constantly wanted to give her a hug and tell her that nothing in life was ever that bad. Things always had a way of working out, she just needed to be patient. She didn’t say those things though. Jessica would only roll her eyes and tell her nothing was wrong.
Patting her shoulder, Millie laid the bags on the counter. “That’s good, dear. I got us some chives.” She handed the small bowl to Jessica and then grabbed a marker and began labeling the small bags for Kai. Boys usually couldn’t tell herbs apart.
In a nearly wistful voice, her granddaughter said, “Are those for Kai?”
Millie looked up to see if her eyes were filled with as much longing as her voice. Since Jessica was looking down into the chive bowl, she couldn’t be sure. “Yes, dear. Eventually I’ll turn that boy into a good cook. Every man should know how to make a decent meal for his woman.”
She smiled warmly at the thought, but Jessica quickly turned her head away so her thick, curly hair covered her expression. She moved to the fridge and began aimlessly looking through it. “I should get you some groceries soon,” Millie heard her mutter into the cool, refrigerated air.
Even though Jessica couldn’t see her, Millie shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, dear. Kai brings me a bundle almost every time he shows up. Since I don’t eat that much anyway, I don’t think I’ll run out of food anytime soon.”
A soft chuckle escaped her as she remembered Kai repeatedly dropping by with a bag or two on his arm. There was a grocery store close to her place, but the thought of him riding with a bag dangling off his arm always brought a smile to Millie’s face.
Jessica looked up from the fridge to stare at Millie, her expression disbelieving. “Kai brings you food?”
Millie nodded, noting the aged weariness in Jessie’s eyes. It was so similar to Kai’s, like they were both suffering from the same malaise. “Constantly, like he’s worried I’ll starve.” Millie laughed again and rolled her eyes. “If the boy had moved here with something more substantial than a motorcycle, he could save himself some time and bring me a month’s supply at a time.”
A small laugh escaped Jessica and her eyes drifted out of focus, thinking. “Yeah, he does love that bike…”