I step back, taking a deep breath.
“Um…”
I step forward, poking him in the chest. ‘And do not act all snotty with me either. You did something I asked you not to do.”
“Oh my gosh, he’s serious,” Hope interrupts, her voice low, disbelieving.
That’s when I notice the entire room is silent. Uncomfortably so.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I warn her, desperation leaking into my voice.
“But you give people advice on relationships?” she asks for clarification.
“Yes,” I whine, wishing she would forget what she heard.
Her nose scrunches up. “Is that wise?”
Why did she have to say it like she was worried for me, or rather, for other people? “What do you mean by that?”
Nervously, she fiddles with her hair, twirling it around her finger. “Well, when you gave Maddox advice about the girl who wouldn’t stop stalking him, he slept with her sister. Who ended up being married, need I remind you. He nearly got arrested for defending himself.”
I roll my eyes. “I told him to do something that puts her off him. Not like it would be hard with all his faults. I didn’t know he would sleep with her sister.”
“And that time you told Madison—”
“I didn’t know all the facts,” I rush out, my voice rising. “How was I meant to know the guy had a twitch? She said he was winking at her a lot.”
“You told her to make a grand gesture, and not only did she fall on her face when she wore the heels you made her wear, but he was gay.”
“Maybe we should look—” Clayton starts.
I point my index finger in his face. “Shut it.”
“I’m just saying that maybe—”
“You’ve said enough,” I growl, before pleading with Hope, hoping to reach her soft heart. “Will you please keep this between us?”
A cunning expression flashes across her face. “What’s in it for me?”
“Are you serious? We’re family. Isn’t that enough?”
“Deadly,” she declares. “I had to do your chores for a week when you covered for me over the whole Harry thing.”
I laugh, remembering the time I caught her kissing a boy. Her dad was walking around the corner, and to keep quiet, I made her take my chores.
“Fine,” I tell her, thinking of something she might want. I groan at the thought, but I know it’s something she’d come up with anyway. “I’ll give Maddox a key so he can sleep at mine and not bother you.”
She grins in triumph, pumping her fist into the air. “Deal.”
“Who is Maddox?” Clayton asks, and for a moment, he sounds angry, but I blink, believing I imagined it.
Laughing erupts around the room, and I freeze, forgetting for a moment that we aren’t alone.
A woman stands beside the bed, her tall, willowy frame elegant in her white blouse and black trousers. She screams sophistication.
Her thick, light brown hair is pulled back tight into a bobble at the back of her neck. She’s beautiful.
And from the familiar facial features, I’m guessing this is Clayton’s sister.
She watches on in amusement, a twinkle in her eye.
“What?” I check my teeth, making sure nothing is stuck there.
“Told you she was great,” Weston gloats.
I bounce on the balls of my feet. “Awe, you said I was great?” Pride fills me, but then something nags at me. “Wait, why am I great?”
“Nothing,” his daughter replies, her lips still twitching. “I’m Mia, Clayton’s sister.”
“Hayden,” I mumble when she shares a moment with her brother, leaving me out of the silent communication going on.
“No, Mia, just no,” he affirms.
“Am I missing something?”
“Just ignore Mia. She thinks she’s clever.”
“Um, okay,” I drawl out.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need Clayton and Mia to come with me to sign in their father and fill in the paperwork. We can also go over the care plan while we settle Mr Cross in,” Tracey announces.
“Lead the way,” Clayton replies.
“Dad, we’ll be back as soon as we’ve filled everything out.”
“Go, I’ll be fine,” he promises.
She leans down, kissing him on the cheek before following Clayton and Tracey out.
“You really give advice?” Hope asks once they’re gone.
“Yes, now drop it.”
“I just can’t picture it.”
“Don’t you have other stuff to do?”
“Yes, I’m going. See you at dinner,” she informs me, dropping Weston’s chart in the slot at the end of the bed.
Once she’s gone, I look at the boxes stacked in the corner. The rooms here are a good size compared to other care homes. One half is basically set up like a hospital room, only a little homier. It has a bed that reclines, a sink, two chairs and a few cabinets. And the access to the bathroom is in the corner. On the other side, it has two comfy recliners, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, chest of drawers, and a T.V. unit that can be wheeled around the room. There are also a few shelves and wall hooks for personal effects and pictures.
However, even with the large space, it doesn’t seem big enough to unpack what’s in those boxes.
“So, I’d ask you what you’re in for, but I already know. What I don’t know is what you’ve done to your leg. You didn’t try to do the Floss again, did you?”
He laughs. “I’ve missed your smart mouth, young lady.”
“I knew you liked me.”
“I fell while going to the loo. Fractured two bones.”
I scrunch my nose up. “If anyone asks, you were riding a motorcycle around town. Sounds cooler.”
His face gets some colour back. “I like that reason better.”
“Me too, but, Weston, is that a reason to be here though? You could afford a nurse.”
He pats the side of the bed, so I walk over and sit down on the edge, near his good leg.
“I’m old and I’m dying.”
“Morbid,” I comment, yet a sadness hits me. He’s a good person, was a good boss. He doesn’t deserve this.
His chuckle turns into a wheezing cough, so I lean over, pulling the tray with water on towards me. I hand him the glass, giving him a moment to gather himself.
“I didn’t… I didn’t want to be at home. They watched my wife, their mother, die there. I don’t want them to go through that again. I don’t want them changing their routines to look after an old man. Clayton, he was always going to take over, but his career was taking off, then the…” He closes his eyes, his face scrunched up like a memory is causing him physical pain. I want to ask more about Clayton, but I can tell now isn’t the time. “He wasn’t ready. And Mia, she just got partner at the accountancy firm she works at. She has a husband. I can’t ask them to put their lives on hold for me. I’ll be gone soon, and they will need their work to fall back on, especially Clayton.”
I squeeze his knee, finding it hard not to become emotional. What he’s doing is selfless. Even in his last moments, he is looking out for his children.