Then I would get to call Mase afterward and tell him about my lessons.
Lila Kate woke up from her nap and cried out, and I moved from the stairs where I was dusting to call for Harlow, but she was already coming running around the corner with a grin on her face. She kept a baby-monitor device on her whenever she wasn’t with Lila Kate. I’d forgotten about that.
“She let me finish the cookies I was making for Grant,” Harlow said, as she passed me on the stairs. “When they cool, why don’t you take a break and have cookies and milk with me?”
Harlow always asked me things like this. She didn’t ignore me the way my other clients did, and she didn’t look down her nose when she spoke to me. Instead, she acted like I was her partner. She appreciated my help, even though she was paying me to do it.
“I would like that, and thanks for asking, but I have to meet someone tonight. I need to finish up and get home to clean up before I go,” I wished I didn’t have to decline the offer. I had skipped breakfast and was hungry.
Harlow beamed at me. “Well, I can fix that. You have milk and cookies with me, and I’ll give you a lift home. You’ll be back much sooner with a ride. And don’t tell me no. You turned me down last week, and my brother called to make sure I gave you a ride. I explained that you wouldn’t let me, and he blamed me. So from now on, I’m driving you. No arguments.” She turned and hurried after Lila Kate, who was now crying louder since she’d heard Harlow’s voice.
It took me a moment to steady myself. I pressed my hands to my warm cheeks and wished I hadn’t blushed. Mase had called to see if she was driving me home. He was thinking about me aside from when I called him. The crazy grin that was stuck to my face every time I thought of Mase was back.
When I had started dusting the steps again, Harlow reappeared at the top of them holding a wide-eyed, smiling Lila Kate. She was happy now that she had her mommy. The little girl could light up a room.
“Lila Kate is expecting you for cookies and milk, too. So you can’t turn her down. No one is allowed to tell her no. Just ask her daddy,” Harlow said, starting down the steps. “Let’s go enjoy our break,”
I wasn’t going to argue. It would be rude, and, well, if Mase wanted her to give me a lift so badly that he was calling to bug her, I wasn’t telling her no. Besides, I really was hungry.
The Carters’ kitchen reminded me of something from a sitcom. It was warm and lived-in, but no expense had been spared. Harlow placed Lila Kate in her swing, which sat looking out the bay window into the backyard. “You swing and watch the birds, and I’ll get your bottle ready,” she told her daughter, as if the baby understood what she was saying. Then she turned to me. “I can make you coffee if you prefer it. I can’t drink coffee unless it’s decaf, and then I can only have a little. But I do have it here. Grant drinks it.”
Milk sounded just fine to me. “I like milk,” I replied. “Can I help you?”
“Just sit down and take a breather. You’ve been working for hours nonstop. You should take lunch breaks.”
I wasn’t supposed to take breaks longer than fifteen minutes every two hours with the agency. And I had found out that most of the people I cleaned for didn’t like to see me take a break. If they were home, then they wanted me to work until I was done. So I did.
The Carters’ house was different in many ways. That was one of them. It was also my favorite because I got to watch a happy, normal family. It wasn’t something I had seen before. The way Harlow adored her daughter made me smile, but there was always a pang in my chest for what I didn’t have. For what my mother chose never to give me. Love.
Grant Carter was breathtaking when he held his daughter. Or even when he saw her from across a room. His entire face was full of love and complete devotion. There was no question in anyone’s mind that he would protect his little girl at all costs. I had caught myself wondering more than once if my real father would have been that way. Did he even know about me?
I shook off the thought again and focused on the Carters. I wouldn’t think about my family or my past. It would only lead me to a depressed state. I worked hard not to spend time dwelling on those things.
This house was a home. It was a happy, safe place. Even though it was one of the smaller houses I cleaned, it was still the one I looked forward to every week.
Harlow placed a glass of milk and a plate with two big chocolate chip cookies in front of me. “Here you go,” she said, and placed the same thing in front of the seat across from me. “I’ll try to sneak a little before Lila Kate remembers it’s time to eat. Her bottle will be ready in a few minutes anyway. It needs to warm up.” She sat down.
“These smell delicious,” I told her, hoping that was a good excuse for devouring them. I was even hungrier than I’d thought, and the smell was going to make it hard to take little, delicate bites.
“They should be. It’s my grandmother’s recipe. She made the best cookies,” Harlow replied. “Grant loves them.”
As I’d predicted, I ended up eating the first one in three bites. Harlow was grinning as she watched me. She was also chewing away happily, so that made it less embarrassing. But these cookies were seriously yummy.
“Have you spoken with my brother since he went back to Texas?” Harlow asked, surprising me.
I nodded, wondering if I should give her more information. Did Mase want her knowing that he and I were talking? She might think it was about something else and get the wrong idea. I felt comfortable with Harlow, but telling her that I had dyslexia was another thing. How would I explain how I had made it this far not being able to read and write without getting into the other details of my past?
“He seems . . . concerned about you. Mase is the protective sort, but I can’t remember him being quite so concerned about someone who wasn’t family. Until you.” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Oh, no. She was getting the wrong idea. If I didn’t explain this to her, she would say something to Mase, and I didn’t want that. He had been so helpful, and I owed him this. Besides, it wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Astor had told me that several times. He’d even had me repeat after him, “I am not less than. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I am a smart, capable person.”
Remembering those words, I put the second cookie back on the little china plate. I met Harlow’s curious gaze. “I call Mase after my lessons with Dr. Munroe.” I paused for a beat. “I . . . I have dyslexia, and until Mase found Dr. Munroe, I didn’t know why I couldn’t read and write. Words are so difficult for me. Your brother took the first step and found a specialist who pointed me in the right direction. He’s just helping me because he’s a good man.”
Harlow’s gaze stayed on me for several seconds, and I had to drop my eyes to the cookie waiting before me. I didn’t want her to read what I couldn’t hide on my face.
Mase
“It’s a woman,” Major said, as he opened my fridge and grabbed a beer. “I know the signs. You can try to shit me with whatever hogwash you wanna spew, but I’ve been there, dude.”