They weren’t particularly friendly. She’d only seen him a few times since they moved in, but if he was willing to help right now, she didn’t care.
“Hi, Mr. Sanchez. I’m sorry to—”
“What is it?”
“I need to borrow your car or ask if you could drive my father and me to the hospital.”
“I just made coffee.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s early. But it’s an emergency and—”
“All right.” He sighed. “I’ll take you.”
“Thank you.” She grabbed the man’s arm in a thankful gesture.
He sidled closer. His eyes turned dark. His stare dipped and lingered. “I’m happy to help you. Let me pull the car around.”
“Actually, I need help lifting him off the floor. Can you…”
He set his coffee on a table near the door. “Show me where he is.”
With a bobbing nod of relief, she rushed back across the courtyard, making a vague mental note to grab a coat to protect her from the stiff wind. Suddenly, she realized the cold had hardened her nipples.
Normally, she would have been embarrassed. She had been at the art gallery. Beck had been too polite to stare…but she had a feeling he’d noticed. Seth, on the other hand, would probably have given her a knowing smile, maybe “accidentally” brushed his hand against them. He seemed like the sort of guy who would seek forgiveness way before he asked for permission.
Not that it mattered now. Nothing did except her dad.
As she reached the door to her apartment, she flung it open. “Dad!”
Please be alive. Please be conscious. Please hold on.
“Here,” he managed to choke.
She turned to find Mr. Sanchez behind her, his stare raking her. Was he really staring at her butt at a time like this?
“Follow me.” She directed him to the bathroom.
Her landlord wasn’t a terribly tall guy, but he was bulky, maybe had even been brawny once. He’d still have a much better chance of getting her dad off the floor and into his car.
Mr. Sanchez recoiled. “Ugh. You didn’t tell me he’d be half-naked. Don’t you have any pants, old man?”
“He was worried about relieving himself, not going to a fashion show,” she snapped.
The guy flipped her a surprised glance. “Uh, yeah. Okay. Where am I taking him?”
“The VA.”
Her landlord didn’t look thrilled but he lifted her dad to his feet and propped him up with the walker while Heavenly fetched him a robe and slippers. It would cover the essentials.
Within a few minutes, she helped her father to the curb. Mr. Sanchez waited inside, revving the engine, until she eased her father into the front seat and folded up his walker. As soon as she chucked it into the backseat and climbed in behind her dad, her landlord sped off.
They reached the hospital blessedly fast since rush hour was still relatively thin. They took him back surprisingly quickly. As soon as Heavenly filled out a few forms and talked to one of the nurses, she had nothing to do but wait. She found the bathroom, finally relieved herself, put on her bra, then went to find Mr. Sanchez.
In the waiting area, he lounged out, ankles crossed and hand clasped over his bloated belly, staring at the morning news he couldn’t hear because the sound had been muted in favor of closed captioning. He looked up when she entered, stare intent.
They were alone.
Heavenly sank gingerly to the chair beside him. He made her more than a little nervous. “Thank you for bringing us here. You don’t have to wait around. It will be hours before—”
“What’s he got?”
“A rare autoimmune disease.” She didn’t go into details. He already seemed bored by the short answer.
“Huh.” He shrugged. “So that’s why he doesn’t work and you do?”
She nodded, though she didn’t see why he cared as long as she paid the rent. “Yes. Look, I’m sorry to have disturbed you so early in the morning. But I really, really appreciate your help. I’m so grateful.”
He sat up, leaned across the thin wooden arm separating their chairs, and raised a brow. “How grateful?”
Heavenly shrank back, putting some distance between them. She knew where this conversation was going. “More than you know. And I can give you fifty dollars for your trouble.”
It almost killed her to part with what little reserve she’d tucked away in the sofa cushion back home after last night’s shifts. But it was damn cheaper than an ambulance. She prayed Mr. Sanchez took it.
“Fifty bucks?” He scoffed. “Keep it. If it will help you, chica…”
“That’s generous. Thank you again.” Maybe she’d figure out how to get a taxi back home. Every warning instinct she possessed told her to steer clear of this man.
“I can be very generous.” He edged closer, skimming his knuckles across her cheek.
She shuddered. It wasn’t the first time a man had touched her face—Beck and Seth both had—but it was the first time she’d been afraid.
“Mr. Sanchez…” With her back already plastered to the chair that was flush with the wall, she really didn’t have anywhere to escape except to her feet.
When she would have leapt up, he grabbed her shoulder and held her down. “Extremely generous, in fact. You ever have trouble paying the rent? I can let it slide for a month or two.” He grinned.
“Really?” Was he kidding? That would be a godsend. “You’d do that?”
“Absolutely, chica. For you, yes. All you have to do is swing by and spend some…quality time with me.”
Heavenly narrowed her eyes. Was she understanding him correctly? “Doing what?”
He gave her an ambivalent shrug she didn’t believe for a second. “You know… You’re a pretty thing. You’d look fine in my bed.”
“I’m a virgin,” she blurted, shaking her head.
His smile widened. “Even better. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a cherry pie, and I’ll bet I’ve never had one as sweet as yours.”
She gasped and recoiled, mentally berating herself for thinking this man might have the decency to respect her innocence. “I, um…have a boyfriend.”
It wasn’t totally untrue.
