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Although how he could knock points off for her not being able to copy the design or write a complete sentence was a bit unfair in Carly’s mind. Her mother’s hands shook so badly that of course her design had looked nothing like the one she’d been asked to recreate.
Then again, her mother’s scores on that part of the test hadn’t changed from her previous test. It had been recall items that had further dropped her score.
If they’d tested her on the day her mother had met Stone, her score would have been higher.
With how she’d been today, no wonder he’d recommended Carly do something different.
Parkinson’s disease and dementia were such frustrating diseases individually. Together they were heartbreaking and Carly’s heart was doing just that.
“Not hungry?” Stone asked when Carly didn’t eat and failed to answer his question. “Maybe I should have checked with you to make sure you liked Greek food.”
She glanced at the numerous take-away trays he’d unloaded from the bag he’d been carrying when he’d knocked on her door about ten minutes before. She’d been sitting with her sleeping mother, going through insurance claims, stressing about money, and fighting heavy eyelids.
“Greek food is great,” she assured him, flexing her neck from side to side and grateful the stretching of muscles eased the spasm some. “Thank you for bringing dinner. I’m just not that hungry. Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he replied, studying her. “I’m worried about you. You need to eat more.”
His comment caught Carly off guard. Stone was worried about her? How long had it been since someone had been worried about her?
Not fair, she quickly corrected herself. Her mother had worried about her, still did when she was herself. Joyce worried about her, too.
She was worried about herself.
Or maybe she was just too tired to think clearly.
Either way, she smiled and was determined that she was going to keep smiling for at least the next thirty minutes. After that, she’d ask Stone to leave so she could work, then get a little sleep before starting her early morning hospital shift.
She’d thought about asking him not to come over, but hadn’t. How could she when it was the first time she’d have seen him after they’d made love? He wouldn’t have understood if she’d refused to let him come over.
Besides she had to eat and Stone fed her. At the rate her finances were going, without him she might reach the point of not being able to feed herself.
“I appreciate you bringing this.” She waved her hand toward the feast he’d spread out on her dining table.
“I’m still learning what you like and, until I’m sure, I want you to have options.”
“Options are good, but I can pretty much eat anything,” she assured him.
“That’s not what I said,” he corrected, his eyes full of a tenderness that somehow fit as much as the mischievous twinkle she often saw there.
As crazy as her day had been, as crazy as her night would be, she was glad he had come back after last night.
“I want to bring things you like,” he continued. “Not things you can tolerate without complaining.”
She laughed a little and took a bite of the food he’d put in front of her. A charbroiled chicken that had been marinated with a Greek dressing. “Mission accomplished. This is delicious.”
It was. Too bad her stomach was so twisted that putting in food just made more knots.
“That’s better.” He reached out, touched her cheek, then traced his fingertip over her still upturned lips. “I like seeing you smile.”
He probably thought her the most boring, miserable person he’d ever met. She was the most boring person, but not miserable. Not usually. As tired as she was, she was grateful for another day with her mother, for the hope that tomorrow would be a better day, for the hope that the medicine she’d spent her last dime on would work miracles and she’d get her mother back.
She was grateful for the night before with Stone, for his having made her feel so alive, so aware of her body.
The waiting insurance claims called to her. Ugh. She couldn’t lose herself with Stone tonight. Not if she wanted to pay Joyce. Not paying her wasn’t an option. She couldn’t risk Joyce not coming back and she didn’t expect her to work for free.
“Sorry.” She truly was because, despite the fact that she didn’t have time for this, she recognized how good Stone was to her, that he was making an effort. She really did appreciate his doing so. “I’m not the best company tonight.” Or ever. “It really has been a long day.”
They all were.
