Page 161 of Pumpkin Spice Promises

Clover listened, her gaze never wavering from mine, she kept her feature void of pity as I continued.

“They’d get careful.” The word came out bitter. “Like suddenly I couldn’t handle stairs. Or they’d ask if I needed help getting into bed when five minutes earlier they were trying to get me into it.”

Clover winced.

“Yeah.” I laughed once. “Exactly, one guy actually told me I was inspiring.”

Her face twisted. “Oh no.”

“While I was half naked.”

“Absolutely not.”

A laugh escaped me despite everything. “That was basically my reaction.”

Clover reached across the island. Her hand stopped before touching mine. She waited. Then placed my hand beneath hers.

“I don’t want Beau to look at me differently.” The admission hurt.

Clover considered it. “I can’t promise what Beau will feel.” That made me look at her. “But I can tell you who he is. Hunter came into our family before we got married.” Her fingers remained around mine. “Beau never treated him like he needed permission to be a man.”

My throat tightened.

“He asks if Hunter needs help when anyone else would. And if Hunter says no, that’s the end of it. Beau doesn’t get weird about the hardware.”

I almost smiled.

“And Beau notices everything.”

I groaned. “You have no idea.”

“No. I do.”

“He noticed I limp.”

Her brows lifted. “When?”

“Last week.”

“And?”

“I almost had a heart attack.”

“Did he ask why?”

“No. He noticed. Asked if I was okay. I got defensive. He backed off.”

Clover’s mouth curved slightly. “Sounds like Beau.”

“He keeps doing that.”

“What?”

“Not pushing.”

“Also Beau.”

I looked toward the kitchen. “Why?”