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Steph lifted her chin. “I’m fine, Cal. It’s no trouble. I live here rent-free, and it’s the least I can do for my own grandpa.”
“I understand.” He reached for her hand. “It’s okay for someone to help. I mean, you help other people all the time. Why are you so stubborn about allowing someone to help you?”
Her breath released, and she looked away from him. “It’s not about that. I …” Finally, she looked at him again. “I want Pops to feel happy. He’s lost so much, and his body isn’t cooperating either.”
“And no one else can help you with him?”
She bit her lip. “I like you, Cal, I really do, but you can’t keep paying for stuff and not let me pay you back.”
He wasn’t sure what she meant. “You don’t have to repay me. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t.”
“You say that now.” Her blue eyes met his straight on. “But that will change. People always want something in the end.”
Cal tugged her hand and drew her farther away from Pops. “What are you talking about? Your friends? Your former boyfriends?”
She blinked, but didn’t answer.
“Was it a man who said you owed him?”
Her eyes filled with tears then, and he felt like he’d been slammed in the chest with a barbell.
“I think my problem is that I always see the good in people, or try to see the good in them, and some people just aren’t good.”
Cal threaded their fingers together. “It can be hard to stomach, that’s for sure. My job is literally to find out a person’s misdeeds. That makes it hard to have faith in people sometimes.”
Steph nodded.
“What happened, Bee?”
She wiped at her cheeks. “Now’s not the time.” She shrugged and gave him a smile that was far from convincing. “Thanks for being here. I’m sorry to melt down on you. I’m really bad at accepting another person’s help, like you said.”
She stepped back, but he kept ahold of her hand. “That’s not a terrible fault.”
Her smile turned watery.
“Come here.” He pulled her into his arms. At this moment, he didn’t care if Pops was only a few yards away. Maybe he’d notice, and maybe he wouldn’t.
Steph seemed to melt against him, but her breathing was calm, and he hoped that meant the tears had passed.
“I’m not getting any younger,” Pops said without turning.
Did he have eyes in the back of his head?
Steph pulled away; her mouth turned up in a smile. “Back to work, mister.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Her smile grew, and she squeezed his arm and headed to the fence.
Cal watched her for a second, happy she seemed better, but not happy with whatever had made her mistrust help. Was it a former boyfriend? Or just an all-around jerk? Someone in her family?
STEPH WASN’T SURE WHY SHE’D made such a big deal about Cal buying lunch. He was being a good sport helping out with the fence, and doing everything else. It was great of him, sure, but also made her feel like it was too much. Too good to be true. Cal popped back into her life after ten years, and suddenly they were in a relationship?
Well, nothing had been defined yet, but she liked him more with every minute she spent with him. And if his story was true—which she had no reason not to believe—he was available. Their connection to their past was certainly a strong bond, but they were both adults now, had lived a lot more life, and their flirtation wasn’t harmless.
But she didn’t want her heart to become involved so quickly, like it had with other men she’d dated.
Was this just her thing? Steph always became wrapped up in a guy too soon, too fast, and then things would crash and burn. So many times she’d let her hopes rise, and each and every time, they’d been dashed.
