the water.” Sydney pushed through the extra-wide wooden door. “Gram, look who’s here.”
For someone who’d been all vertigo-ed and limp a few minutes ago, the woman popped to attention like Sydney had announced the Pope had arrived. Escorted by the Queen of England.
“I’m so tickled to have a visitor.” She patted the purple Ravens ski cap pulled down to her eyebrows. Gram got chilled very easily these days. “If you’d let me know you were coming, Alex, I would’ve put on my hat with the fancy pink puffball on top.”
“Maybe I should step back out until you do. Seeing as how I’m a die-hard Steelers fan.”
Hand fluttering at her mouth, Daisy said in a shocked tone, “Did my granddaughter know that before you proposed?”
“Oh yeah.” He cocked one hip and fisted a hand on it. Winked obnoxiously. “Guess that tells you just how impressive I am that she could overlook it.” Then Alex handed her a gift bag.
“You didn’t have to bring me a present.” Her delighted smile said otherwise.
“Of course I did. Sick people need presents to get better. It’s a universally known fact.”
Sydney knew that her gram didn’t like to use the arm with the IV in it. So she hurried forward to help with the bag. The first thing she pulled out was a coffee mug stuffed with daisies. The mug was painted with a unicorn leaping over a rainbow.
“It seemed safe to assume that someone with your name would have an affinity for the flower.”
Daisy sniffed the flowers deeply. “They’re my favorite.”
“The unicorn’s so that you have a little magic in your day. That ought to help kick cancer’s butt.”
“I love it.”
Sydney loved that he’d put such thought into the gifts. How many men could nail whimsy like that? Next, she pulled out a box of saltines and a bottle of ginger ale.
“I figure it’s like bringing diapers to new parents. These are necessities for chemo patients, right?”
“Yes…unless there’s a baggie of weed in there. That would negate the need for the crackers and soda.” She tried to yank at the gift bag’s tissue.
“Gram!” Sydney said sharply. Yes, she was losing patience. Again. Because this was the third time they’d gone round on this subject. “Alex is not your drug mule.”
“If he wants to ingratiate himself with your family, he could be…”
“You agreed to see how this first round goes. Then we’ll investigate getting you a medical marijuana card.”
“Sydney, you get some water. I’ll check my pockets and see if there’s anything more…recreational to cheer up your grandmother.”
Daisy laughed uproariously. Over her bent head, Alex mouthed don’t worry.
Oh, Sydney had plenty to worry about. Because every single additional thing she discovered about Alex, every layer that got peeled back, revealed him to be a truly remarkable man.
Suddenly? This engagement didn’t feel so fake. He was doing more than his part. There’d be no forgetting about Alex. No handing back that paper clip ring, tossing off a wave, and jaunting out of town without a second thought.
What was she supposed to do about these very real feelings for him?
Chapter Twelve
Alex cut across the frost-spiked lawn between the cottages and the main building. Because man, this property was big. And he was wrung out.
Yeah, Amelia would yell at him for damaging the ‘tender shoots’ or some such nonsense. But the grass had gone to hell after seven years of no real maintenance. How would she be able to tell what he’d walked across versus everyone and everything else that had tramped across this property?
Okay, she’d know.
She always knew. His sister was the freaking Dr. Dolittle of plants. But that was a problem for future Alex to deal with.
Present Alex had pried up the warped floorboards from the leaking pipe…after replacing said pipe…walked them out to the furthest outbuilding to look for replacement boards, cut them, then circled back to the cottages to check on the shower regrouting.
And it wasn’t even lunch yet.
Lots of forward progress, sure. All good. But he wanted a break. And if he was too much of a freaking taskmaster to give himself one, then yeah, he’d shave off twenty steps by cutting across the damn croquet lawn.
“Alex,” a big voice boomed. It was James, rounding the side porch, with Brody in tow.
A reprieve!
Alex didn’t care why they were here. Just that it meant he had an excuse to not do anything.
“Hey there,” he called out, arm upraised in greeting. “What brings you two out here on a Saturday?”
James hooked a thumb at his student.