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“This isn’t good enough,” he said.
Brooks’ shoulders drooped. “I know. But whenever I offer to quit school and get a job, Aunt Effie says over her dead body. She always said we were close to getting a better place. But then she lost her job and had to use her savings to keep us going. Really. Put her in my bed. I’ll take the couch tonight.”
Steele glanced over at Grady. He nodded. It would have to do. For tonight, at least.
Fuck. He’d intended on sleeping on the couch tonight, wanting to ensure she was all right. He guessed the floor would be all right. But he wasn’t sure how Brooks would feel about him sleeping on the floor of his bedroom.
“We should stay,” Steele said. “Make sure she’s okay.”
Brooks gave him an alarmed look. Glancing back and forth between them, he straightened his shoulders. “I have this. I can take care of my aunt.”
“She was pretty out of it,” Grady told him. “Almost like she was drunk.”
Brooks frowned. “Really? The pills aren’t usually that bad.”
“Has she ever drunk any alcohol while taking them?” Grady asked him.
Brooks jerked. “No! She doesn’t even like alcohol. I’ve only seen her take a few sips of Baileys during the holidays. Aunt Effie doesn’t drink or use drugs. She would never abuse drugs either. She hates taking painkillers.”
“Nobody is accusing her of anything, kid,” Steele said gruffly. “Let’s get her resting, yeah? Then we can talk about her care.”
Brooks led them into a large bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a desk with a few books on it, plus a nightstand with a lamp.
Not a typical teenage boys room. He couldn’t even see any dirty socks on the floor.
“I just changed my sheets today,” Brooks said, gathering up some pillows to make them into a U-shape.
“What are you doing?” Grady asked.
“Aunt Effie likes to feel surrounded when she sleeps. And it will stop her rolling around. She’s been known to roll out of bed before.”
Hmm. That wouldn’t be good with her sore back. He wondered if she needed one of those beds with sides on them.
Steele laid her down in the middle of the U-shape, then Grady reached down to tug off her confetti shoes. He needed to get her those light-up shoes. He drew off her shoes, noting that her feet were swollen.
Was that due to poor circulation?
“Her feet are swollen,” he commented to Steele.
“Oh, they often are,” Brooks said. “She likes to sit with them up. They’re not as bad when she’s not on her feet all day like she was at her last job. When they used to get bad, she’d go to the mall and get a foot massage. When we had the money.”
Good to know.
Steele drew the covers over her. And Grady wondered if he’d kiss her good night. But they both sensed Brooks was on edge, so they tucked her in and walked with Brooks out to the living room.
“I need to get her a glass of water. She always gets thirsty in the night.” Brooks rushed to the small kitchenette, giving them another wary glance on his way past.
“He’s not going to be okay with us staying the night,” Grady told Steele.
“I know.”
“I don’t want to leave, though.”
“I know,” Steele repeated with a sigh.
Brooks came back. “Um, well, thanks for bringing her home. You guys aren’t like her last boss. He’d have yelled at her, upset her, then expected her to keep working.”
“Yeah, I’m going to need the name of that jerk.”
