I sighed, hating to remember the mess I’d made yesterday. “I fell while cleaning a window, broke a mirror on the way down, and sliced open my hand.” I didn’t want to give him details. I held up the bandaged hand. “Five stitches. The owner’s brother gave me a ride to the hospital.”
Jimmy winced. “Ouch. You sure you can clean a house today? That’s got to hurt.”
“I’m fine. I’ll be a little slower, but you can bet I won’t be standing on chairs anymore to clean windows,” I joked.
He didn’t grin, just shook his head. “You are one piece of work, Reese Ellis. Come on, let’s get your hot ass to the Car ters’. I also have a number for you to call. Blaire Finlay is a close friend of mine, and she’s interested in hiring a new housecleaner. The one she has now is retiring, and she wants someone young. She’s got a little tike. It was getting hard for their cleaner to handle his messes. Kid’s cute as a button, though.” I took the number he handed me. “Call her. She’s a doll. You’ll love her.”
Another job I was getting without using the agency. This was good. I got to keep all the income from clients I found on my own. “Thanks, Jimmy,” I said, tucking the number into my pocket. “I’ll call her once my hand is better. I don’t want to show up at her house with a bandaged hand.”
Jimmy grinned, and his angel face showed even brighter. “She’s actually Harlow Carter’s sister-in-law, for all intents and purposes.”
That didn’t really make sense. What did he mean, for all intents and purpose? I figured it didn’t matter. Besides, I really liked Mrs. Carter. She was there often when I cleaned, because she had a baby, so I had spoken to her several times. She always tried to get me to stop and have lunch with her. I was sure I’d be happy working for her sister-in-law, too.
“I have to work a fund-raiser benefit tonight at the club. I won’t be done until one in the morning. Wish you’d take a cab home. Especially with that bum hand of yours. After cleaning at the Carters’, you’re going to be tired. And probably hurting.”
We had this discussion every day when he had to work late. He always wanted me to take a cab home, but we lived only eight miles from the club, right outside Rosemary Beach and back a few roads inland. I had walked to school, the library, and the grocery store my entire life. I was used to walking to get to places. If I wanted to go somewhere, I had to walk.
I could probably afford a car now, but I couldn’t pass the written test. I had asked my mother to help me once, and it had been a terrible mistake. She’d made sure I understood that lazy, stupid people shouldn’t drive cars. It was dangerous to everyone else. I had tried twice now to read the study guide for the written test, but it was no use. The words never made sense to me.
Which was how I knew that my mother and my step father and all the kids at school had been right: I was stupid. I had to be. My brain didn’t work the way everyone else’s did. I was twenty-two, and I still went to the library and got picture books and tried to read them.
“I bet Harlow would give you a ride after work, if you’d just ask her. Hell, I’ll ask her. People don’t get any sweeter than Harlow Carter.”
I was not asking her to drive me home. “It’s OK. I’ll think about calling a cab. I promise,” I told him, knowing that I would think about it but wouldn’t do it.
Mase
I hadn’t gone to Harlow’s last night. I’d gone back to the house and cleaned up the glass, then called and explained that I was exhausted. I still had sleep to catch up on. The few hours I’d gotten that morning weren’t enough.
When I’d woken up to silence this morning, I’d felt an odd sense of loss. Which was odd, considering that Reese couldn’t sing for shit. I didn’t plan on seeing the girl again. Even if I didn’t leave on Sunday, I wouldn’t be here when she got here. I had an urge to fix all her problems. Which was stupid. She was doing fine without me. But something about those big eyes . . . and hell, who was I kidding? There wasn’t a part of her body that didn’t scream for attention. And I wanted to give her that attention.
A woman like that should have a man. Made no sense why she didn’t.
I pulled up outside Harlow’s and pushed all thoughts of Reese out of my mind so I could move on from yesterday. Yes, I thought I deserved a motherfucking trophy for not kissing those plump lips, but that was over now.
The front door swung open, and Harlow came running out, grinning like a little girl. In my head, she’d always be my baby sister. I could still see her pigtails and the gap between her two front teeth as she smiled up at me. She’d had freckles on her nose back then, too. She’d needed me for a long time, and I’d taken care of her. But Grant Carter did that now.
“You’re here!” She squealed and threw herself into my arms.
I chuckled at her enthusiasm and held her in my arms as she kissed my cheek. “Sorry I didn’t make it yesterday. Long day,” I said, feeling guilty for not coming by last night.
“It’s OK. I have a full day planned out for us. Lila Kate is sleeping inside, and the housecleaner Grant insisted we need is cleaning upstairs. Which, by the way, don’t get me started on that. He didn’t like that I was cleaning while Lila Kate was sleeping; he thinks I should be sleeping with her and getting more rest. He doesn’t want me cleaning the house.” She rolled her eyes as if he was ridiculous. But I agreed with him. Harlow had a heart condition that had almost taken her from us. The memory of nearly losing her during childbirth was still too raw. Lila Kate had been several days old before Harlow had opened her eyes.
“He’s right,” I replied simply, and Harlow laughed at me.
“Come on in. I have brunch ready. I’ve been watching the Food Network while giving Lila Kate her bottle in the middle of the night, so I’ve been into cooking lately. It started an itch.”
I followed Harlow inside as she chatted happily. Hearing the joy in her voice and seeing the love shining in her eyes made me really like Grant Carter. I wasn’t sure at first, but the dude had won me over. He made my little sister happy. He adored her the way she needed to be adored.
“I’m back inside, Reese. You don’t have to keep an eye on Lila Kate. I have the monitor with me. Thank you!” Harlow called up the stairs.
Just as the name “Reese” was sinking in, I looked upstairs to see those baby-blues staring down at me, all wide and surprised. Well, shit. So much for not seeing her again.
“Reese, this is Mase, my brother. Mase, this is Reese. She’s the best housecleaner in the world. I have Jimmy to thank for pointing her my way.”
I saw her cover her bandaged hand with her good one as she forced a tight, nervous smile. She was working with her hand like that. Dammit. Did she not listen to anything I had said? She was so fucking stubborn. Her stitches had to be burning like a motherfucker.
“She’s pretty dedicated, too, since she’s cleaning your house with five fresh stitches in her palm. Your pain tolerance is really impressive, Reese,” I said.