A piece of rice stuck in his throat and he washed it down with a drink. “Only one generation. My grandparents moved here from West Virginia to find work. Even so, that side of the family is only a few hours away. Every few years, they’ll arrange a big family reunion in the mountains.”
Roxie started whimpering, and Rachel’s forehead wrinkled. She set her plate aside and reached down to pet Roxie. As long as she did that, Roxie remained quiet.
Aaron put his plate aside and slid to the floor. “Finish eating before yours gets cold. I’ll sit with Roxie.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“No one said I had to.” He winked, then moved his gaze to Roxie. “It’s not often I get to spend time with dogs anymore.”
She hesitated but accepted his gesture. “This food is great. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“My stomach let me know.” He ran a hand slowly down Roxie’s back. “I tend to skip lunch if I get busy, then overdo it at dinner.”
Her hand slipped upward into the air. “Guilty, although I did try eating today but got sidetracked. By the time I got back to my salad, it was a soggy mess.”
“When I first moved out on my own, I was determined to show my parents I could make wise decisions, from the big financial ones to small ones like not eating pizza every day.” Roxie stretched a leg and let it fall into his lap. He chuckled and patted her paw. “I went to the store and bought all the makings of a good salad and packed a huge one for my lunch. Only, I poured the dressing on in the morning. Man, did I get a nasty surprise when lunchtime came around.”
She tossed her hair behind her with a smirk. “Rookie error.”
“Do I at least get points for eating it? I wasn’t about to let my hard-earned money go to waste.”
“Absolutely.”
The sparkle in her eyes sent waves of foreign emotions through him, and he sought distraction. “Can I take Roxie’s cone off? If we’re here watching her, it won’t harm anything.”
Her eyes widened a sliver. “I never thought about that. Sure. Anything to make her more comfortable.”
They fell into an easy silence. Rachel finished eating, then moved beside him on the floor. He grabbed his food, and instead of sitting on the sofa again, he stayed on the floor. His food was cold, but it had been worth the small sacrifice, and he polished off the remaining bites.
“Have you changed her bandage yet?”
“Not yet. I figured I’d do it right before bed.”
He didn’t miss the hint of a cringe. “If you’d like, I can do it before I leave.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. Roxie’s my responsibility.”
“Again, you didn’t ask. I offered.” Not thinking, he laid a hand on hers. “I’ve been through this. A little open flesh won’t faze me.”
“According to Dr. Scott, it’s not so little.” Her face turned a sickly shade of gray. “He said I could bring her in, and they’ll take care of it for me, but I’d feel guilty.”
Aware of his hand on hers, he removed it. “You’re not one to accept help, are you?”
She answered the rhetorical question with a head shake. “My parents raised us with a philosophy if you can do it yourself, you do it.”
“Surely they understand everybody needs help at times.”
“They do, and they also freely offer help before it’s even needed.” She pressed her lips together. Her shoulders rose and fell in a sheepish shrug. “Sometimes, I wonder if I use that as an excuse for my independence.”
He trained his gaze on her and held eye contact. “How so?”
“When Josh and I were engaged, I let him make all the major decisions, even when it took him forever. Getting a dog was the only issue I pushed.” Her eyes lowered to Roxie, and she smiled before a shadow cast over her expression. “I became dependent on him, and it made the breakup that much worse. Once I recovered, I promised myself I’d never be dependent on anyone, especially a man, again.”
The admission, though short, packed a powerful punch to his gut. He didn’t know Josh, but he didn’t like him. “Healthy relationships of any kind require a certain level of dependence, don’t you think?”
In a subtle movement, she leaned away from him. “I’m not sure.”
Maybe he should drop the subject, but he’d put an idea out there first. For reasons he didn’t understand, he wanted her to know he was a friend, and therefore, willing to help when needed. No strings attached. “Would you be friends with a person you couldn’t trust?”
