I scrunch up my nose at her and give her a quick hug before rushing toward my daddy’s bed. “You scared me so bad,” I tell him, wrapping his frail body up in a gentle hug.
“I’m fine, kiddo,” my dad chuckles into my hair, and the vibration of his voice warms me up.
I take a step back and examine him for myself. I don’t see any visible signs of injury. I take hold of his hand and scowl at him. “I’m mad at you, Daddy. Everyone knows you should always shut the power off.”
Mom chuckles from the other side of the hospital bed. “Nothing can keep this man down. Don’t you worry,” she says to me, but I know her. I know she had her own moment of sheer panic over her husband. Mom likes to act like she’s got it all together, but I know she’d be a mess without Daddy. Our whole family would.
“Lexi’s on her way,” I tell my parents. “I called her from the car. She should be here any minute.”
“Oh, boy,” Dad groans because he knows my sister is gonna chew him out.
Mere seconds later, Alexia barrels through the hospital door, her wild hair whipping out all around her worried face. Cannon is hot on her heels.
“What the hell, Daddy?” she wails as she grabs his hand. “What happened to you?” She presses kisses to his knuckles.
I jump in and recount the story of our father’s electrocution and fall, just the way Eli told it to me.
Lexi’s gaze goes narrow and she eyeballs my boss questioningly. I know exactly what she’s thinking. I feel the smile on my lips when I offer her the explanation she’s looking for. “Eli was there when it happened. His sneaky ass has been coming to Cowersville—behind my back—for I-don’t-even-know-how-long, helping Dad prepare the repair shop. If he hadn’t been there today, I don’t want to imagine what might have happened to our stubborn father.”
My sister’s eyes widen at Eli. She blinks. Then, she launches herself into his arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much,” she sobs.
It takes him by surprise but after a few seconds, he awkwardly pats her back. “Um, you’re welcome.” When he extricates himself from Lexi’s hold, Cannon steps in and gives him a solid handshake. I see the look of mutual respect that passes between the brothers.
From the bed, Dad rolls his eyes. “I don’t understand why you’re all making a big deal about this. I’m as healthy as an ox, and I just can’t wait to get back to work. Another week or so, and we’ll be rolling out the Welcome mat.”
“About that,” Eli says, and I whip my head around to meet him. He’s been standing beside me, keeping a respectable distance but I just want his arms around me. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Mr. Robson, but I’ll be making arrangements to get a general contractor to finish up the shop repairs.” When he says that, a look passes between him and Cannon. The brothers nod at each other. “You can still roll out that Welcome mat in the near future, but you'll be taking it easy until then.” There’s finality in his tone. He leaves no room for argument.
Dad grunts from his bed and Mama claps in excitement.
Me?
I melt into a puddle of goo on the sticky tile floor.
This man may be my boss, but now he’s spending time with my family, being kind and generous to my parents.
Where is the angry, jaded man I met a few weeks ago? This one…he’s thoughtful, compassionate, heroic. It makes me all hot and tingly.
I slide my hand into his and give a squeeze. Silently, I’m listing out all the ways I’m going to thank him once I get him alone and naked again.
44 Eli
Does it smell right?” I ask as my mother sniffs the air.
She stares thoughtfully into the skillet. “I’d say we need a tiny bit more turmeric.”
Following her orders, I grab a spoon and the plastic bottle of the powdery vibrant yellow spice. “About this much?” I ask after I shake a healthy amount into the spoon.
“Yes.” Ma nods. “That should be enough.”
I dump the turmeric into the pot of sizzling onions and give it a little stir. She leans in and sniffs the rich fragrance then gives an approving hum. We toss in a bunch of other ingredients including some more spices, some chicken cubes, coconut milk and crushed tomatoes. The aroma fills the house and Ma grins contentedly.
“What next?” I ask anxiously.
She washes her hands and leans against the counter. “Now, we wait. We let it all simmer together for a while.”
Today, I took a stab at a chicken curry recipe I found online. When things took a turn for the worse, I sent out an SOS call to my mom and she was here in a flash to help me rescue dinner.
“Better?” I ask when she sniffs the air again.
“I think so.” She twists her lips to the side. “The thing with chicken curry is, there’s a fifty percent chance that it will turn out edible and there’s a fifty percent chance that it’ll wipe you all out for the next three days with a wicked case of food poisoning. I guess we’ll have to watch and see.” At my terrified expression, she slaps me with a kitchen towel. “Just kidding. Lighten up.”
Jessa spent the past two days with her parents and I swear I’ve been going crazy without her. I’ve already gotten used to curling my body around hers at night, falling asleep with her nestled in my arms. And I didn’t like the feeling of the cold sheets against my skin the past few nights.
“Why the sudden interest in chicken curry?” Ma asks, her tone not all that innocent. Maternal instincts on point as always, she smells that something is up.
I shrug and try to act casual. “Just…uh…was in the mood for something spicy tonight.”
“Is
