the garden center, where I’m completely out of my depth. In between, I am caring for my mom, who constantly tries to assure me she doesn’t need any help, plus keeping an eye on Caitlin, who hates me and doesn’t want me around at all.”
She clamped her mouth shut, horribly aware she was rambling, spilling out way too much information.
“Okay,” he finally answered.
She stared at him. “That’s all you have to say? Okay?”
“What else do you want me to say? We shouldn’t have kissed. I get it. And you’re right. This...attraction between us is pretty inconvenient, all the way around. We can go back to being friends, if that’s what you want.”
“Okay. Great. I guess that’s settled. No more moonlit walks for us, then.”
“Too bad.”
She wasn’t sure if she’d really heard him say the low words or if it had just been the wind blowing in from the ocean.
“Good night. Thanks for walking me home safely.”
“You’re welcome.” He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth, a gentle kiss that friends would give. Though she was wildly tempted to wrap her arms around him again and shift her head, she forced herself to give a polite smile instead.
“I’ll be in touch about the social media campaign for the pancake breakfast.”
He groaned softly, which made her smile, then gave a wave and headed back down the hill.
16
JULIET
Henry fell asleep about fifteen minutes into the program they were watching together, which she didn’t find surprising. He put in long days and worked hard to make his landscaping business a success, often on a job site from before dawn, when it was cooler and the winds weren’t as bad, until after dark.
His work ethic and dedication to his clients were some of the things she admired most about him.
She paused the show and let him sleep, enjoying the quiet peace she found in his presence. Otis went to his crate to sleep and Felicity took his place on her lap. She petted the cat, watching Henry and wishing desperately that things between them could be different.
If only she had never been diagnosed, would she let the age difference between them bother her so much? Probably not.
She was unlikely to age as gracefully as other women. While she considered herself extraordinarily lucky that her multiple sclerosis was mild, the symptoms under control, she knew she couldn’t continue to roll the dice successfully forever. The odds were good—or bad, as the case may be—that she would eventually start showing more effects. She would likely begin to have balance issues, vision problems, tremors. Eventually she might lose the ability to walk.
How could she burden him with that? Who knew? In five years, she could be using a wheelchair all the time.
Henry released a heavy breath in his sleep, his features twitching. What did he dream about? she wondered. Something wonderful, she hoped.
She pressed a hand to her chest, to the ache there. Okay. She loved him. Here, alone in the darkness, she could admit it to herself. Somehow over the past few years as their friendship had deepened, her feelings had begun to grow. He was her best friend and so very much more.
As if sensing the distress she could not show, Felicity licked her hand with a little meow that made her want to cry all over again, her green eyes sympathetic.
Unfortunately, the tiny sound from her cat was enough to wake up Henry. His eyes flickered, then opened. He looked confused, as if he didn’t quite know where he was. Then his gaze landed on her and she saw awareness come back.
He scrubbed at his face, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “I think I fell asleep.”
She mustered a smile, hoping he didn’t see any evidence of her emotions on her features. “Only for a moment. You looked as if you needed it. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on you. Not the other way around.”
“I was perfectly fine. The animals kept me company. I did turn off the show, so we can save it to watch another day.”
“Thanks for that, anyway.” He rose. “It’s late. I was supposed to be helping you to bed.”
Juliet tried to ignore the heat that flared through her at his words and the image they conjured. For heaven’s sake. She had a broken hip. The last thing she should be thinking about was Henry Cragun taking her to bed in the non-sleeping kind of way, something that would never happen.