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“I know it’s not a common thing for guys to do, but my therapist recommended it after my dad died. I was only eleven, but I was in a bad place, and to be honest, judging by the look on your face today, there’s a good chance you could get depressed as time goes on.”
Smart-ass, nurse, therapist...is there anything you don’t do?
“I mean it, Graham. Ignore me if you want, but I took her advice and it helped me a ton. I’d write about good things that happened to me and things I was thankful for. Not only did it pass time, but it gave me other things to think about and focus on. I still missed my dad, but my perspective improved.”
Seems weird to me. Like writing to myself. What’s the point if the thoughts are already in my head?
“You’d be surprised how different it comes out when you put it on paper. And you could write to someone else if that makes it less weird. Hell, you could write to me.” She paused as soon as the words left her mouth, frowning a little. A journal was extremely personal. Not only that, but Graham was the last person who would ever write his feelings and share them with her. She wasn’t even sure he acknowledged them to himself.
She thought quickly, hoping to spin it in a different way. Because the man really did need something to do when he was here alone. Without a way to pass the time, she could see him doing something foolish like home improvement projects or taking a drive. “When I’m at work and you’re bored out of your mind, just write me a note and tell me what you’d rather be doing in that moment. Tell me places you want to go and things on your bucket list. If you don’t have one, make one. You’ve got nothing but time.”
He cocked an eyebrow and started typing.
You want me to sit here and write to you about all the things I want to do but can’t? THAT’S depressing.
“It is if you want to think about it like that,” she said, unable to hide the irritation seeping through her tone.
Graham just looked at her, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. She was so patient with her patients at work, but evidently that didn’t transfer to the home health sector.
“Look, all I’m saying is it might help to spend some time every day focusing on what’s good. What’s the first thing you’ll do when the cast comes off? The first place you’ll go for a beer? Where do you want to climb first when you’re able to again?”
His gaze locked on hers for a second and he held up a single finger, asking her to wait as he went back to his phone screen.
Easy. I’ll want to climb Eldo and have a beer at the Blue Lion. And because I’ll never forgive myself for getting hurt when things were just getting good between us, the first thing I’ll want to do when the cast comes off is you.
Claire sucked in a breath when she read that last line. Heat flared beneath her skin and she looked up to find his eyes on her. She took in his intense brown eyes and the lock of thick hair falling across his forehead. Holy hell, he was hotter than Clark Kent. Heart pounding, she swallowed.
“I look forward to it.”
10
Claire slept in Graham’s bed again.
He enjoyed having her beside him more than he should have.
Don’t get used to it.
While she was in the shower, Gertrude tugged her pillow off the bed. Which, for a six-pound dog, was quite a feat. Graham let it happen because at first, he couldn’t figure out what Gertie was doing, and by the time he did he found it incredibly amusing.
He’d prefer two human women fighting over him but he’d take what he could get.
After breakfast, coffee, and meds, Claire scowled at Gertie as she tossed the pillow back on the bed, then settled beside him with the remote.
“What are we watching?”
He shrugged. He’d watched more TV yesterday than he had the last three months, and he was already over it.
She picked some Netflix Original he’d never heard of, and just when he started to get into it his phone rang.
It was his dad.
Claire glanced at his vibrating phone. “Want me to talk to him?”
Graham shook his head and declined the call. Thinking quickly, he sent a follow-up text.
Sorry, a little loud where I am so I can’t talk. Everything OK?
It wasn’t a complete lie. Claire had the volume up pretty loud...
