“I like kissing you,” she reveals with a grin.
“I love kissing you.”
Her eyes smolder hot. I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I ache to ask her what her future looks like and if it includes me. I’m also fully aware that this might not be the best time. She has enough to worry about with Amos coming home.
“If we end every date with a kiss like that,” she murmurs, smirking at me, “I might just go on one with you every day.”
It’s not a definitive answer, but it’s one I’ll cling to with hope.
Chapter 27
Nora
He’s here.
He’s finally home.
Mom is holding it together pretty well considering she discovered her dad is alive only a few days ago. Since then, she flew to San Francisco, bailed him out of the memory care center, hired Janey as a full-time nurse, and is standing in front of Grandma’s cottage, hands tightly gripping the handles of Grandpa’s wheelchair.
“Hi, Grandpa,” I say as I approach him.
His brows crinkle. “Goldie?”
I shoot Mom a confused look. She shakes her head.
“That’s my daughter, Daddy. Her name is Nora, remember?” Mom says as she squats beside his wheelchair. “We’re home now.”
Grandpa stares at me as if this doesn’t make sense to him. Then, his attention falls to his daughter and he softens. “Hello, Lovebird. We should make chocolate-covered strawberries for your mother.”
Janey pulls me aside and says, “This has been a lot on him. Some days he’s more lucid than others. The more activity going on, the more confused he gets. He’s healed a lot since his head injury, but we have a long way to go. I think being here will help him, especially once he gets settled in.”
I wish Elias were here, but his dad needed help on an emergency job. An elderly lady’s laundry room caved in from the rain we recently had. They’re trying to get it patched up until a roofer can properly fix it.
“I can smell them,” Grandpa says. “Those strawberries are ripe for picking. Bet they taste swell.”
“There’s some inside in the kitchen,” I assure him. “Want to go on in?”
He closes his eyes and listens. “I bought your grandma those wind chimes a long time ago. Still sound the same.”
Mom rises to her feet, face twisting into one of heartbreak. Tears flood her eyes and she hastily wipes them away. “Let’s get you some strawberries, Daddy.”
The grass makes it difficult to push the wheelchair, but Mom eventually manages to get him to the ramp. Then, it’s smooth sailing into the house. Once inside, Mom gasps.
“Someone’s been busy,” she murmurs. “Oh, sweetie, you’ve done a great job.”
I beam with pride. “It looks just like I remember as a kid.”
She hugs me, thanks me, and then takes Grandpa on a tour of the house. When they reach Grandma’s room, he sighs heavily.
“Lovebird, I’m feeling tired. You mind if I take a nap?”
“Of course not, Daddy. Me and Janey will get you comfortable.”
It takes a bit of a struggle on Mom’s part, but thankfully Janey is skilled in this department. They get him into the bed while I move the wheelchair into the laundry room out of the way. When I pass by the once-aviary-turned-guestroom, Iwonder about the lodging arrangements. I’m sure Grandpa will sleep in the one he shared with Grandma, but I’m unsure where Mom and Janey will sleep.
I wait in the living room, peeking out the window to see if Elias has come back yet. My heart sinks when I see his empty driveway. I’ve spent so much time with him that I miss him being away.
Janey comes to the living room with the rental car keys in hand. “Want to help me with their bags?”
