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“If you’re calling me manipulative, then I’m prepared to take offense.”
“I’m not!” Ellie obviously didn’t recognize Lexi was teasing. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself in for. I don’t think we could afford to pay you,” she added in a softer voice, regret soft in her eyes.
“That’s okay,” Lexi whispered back. “I don’t think I’m legally allowed to be paid.”
“You’d really do it?”
“If you’ll have me.”
A noise made them turn to see Jackson, one hand on the kitchen door, the look of pain and gray wash on his face from before having eased.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, his gaze shifting between his sister and herself.
Ellie slipped off the stool and smiled at Lexi before pivoting to face her brother. “You’re better?”
“Better enough. What’s going on here?”
Ellie grinned. “Brace yourself, brother. I think we’ve found an answer to one of our prayers.”
His gaze settled on Lexi, though he spoke to his sister. “What’s that?”
“Lexi is going to come here and look after Mom.”
* * *
He blinked,trying to make sense of things, the headache still thudding away inside, although it had eased considerably thanks to a brief nap. But he hadn’t been able to rest. His mind kept spinning out of control, thinking, thinking, thinking. But closing his eyes for a few moments had helped ward off the worst of things. Even if he hated lying in bed like a child. He had no intention of ever succumbing to another migraine. Funny how the headaches had increased in recent years.
“Did you hear me?” his sister demanded. Her voice was still a little too loud.
“Are you really feeling better?” Lexi asked, her eyes concerned, her voice far more soothing.
But he didn’t want to find her appealing. He couldn’t do anything about it. He had to kill any attraction. “I don’t need your fussing.”
Lexi’s eyes widened, as his sister gasped. “Jackson!”
He closed his eyes. “Sorry.”
“Lexi came here to offer her help in looking after Mom,” his sister snapped. “But I wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to walk away. How rude.”
He glanced at Lexi again. Her face was sober, her eyes watching him carefully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
A beat passed. Two. Then she nodded. “It’s okay. I truly don’t want to be putting myself in the way here, but after our conversation yesterday, I felt convicted to offer my services to help look after your mum. But if you don’t want me to that’s totally okay.” She offered a small smile. “And I genuinely mean that. I have no wish to cause any problems.”
He had the feeling she really did mean it. Which made a nice change from all the offense that had been flying around earlier. And all the people he knew who never said what they meant. “We can’t afford to pay you.”
“And I can’t legally be paid on my current visa, so that works out well.”
He frowned, and even that movement wrinkled more pain. “Are you saying you’d work for free?” That didn’t make sense. Nobody did that.
“Yes.”
Huh. Apparently some people did.
“But only if your mum is happy to have me.”
He liked how she said the word mom. He liked so many things about this woman. But having her here wasn’t good for his peace of mind. Ugh. Who was he kidding? He hadn’t had a peace-filled mind for years. Not since he’d come to understand what the weight of responsibility for the ranch meant.
“We should take you in to meet her,” Ellie said, as if the decision had already been made.
