“Yeah,” said Dillon.“Strain.”He puckered up anddropped a minty-smelling kiss on her cheek. “’Night, Mom.”
“’Night, honey…”
Josh hustled him back upstairs.
Riley waited till Josh came back down to ask about the duffel bag and the dog bowls and such that he’d brought when he returned from Lenore’s.
He gave her an easy shrug. “Well, I figure Roger and I will be staying here with you for a while—at least a week or two.”
“You do, huh?”
“Absolutely. You’re going to need help until you’re able to get up and down the stairs and handle the day-to-day stuff on your own.” Before she could muster an admittedly weak argument that she could manage just fine, he started in about this knee crutch he would get for her. “I saw it online. It’s hands-free. Great for going up and downstairs. You’re going to love it. It will make it possible for you to get back to work sooner, given that the Statesman only has that one ancient elevator. Think about it. It’s going to make all the difference during your recovery.”
She listened to him going on about the damn crutch and, well, he really was amazing, and she wanted him to stay. With him here, everything seemed manageable.
She kept thinking she ought to call Annette, ask her to come stay for a bit. But Annette was already stuck running the hotel solo for the time being. She deserved to have a life of her own when the day’s work was done.
However, letting Josh move in even temporarily seemed unwise. She was already far too gone on him for her own emotional safety. Having him here all the time, watching him being competent and wonderful… Could her poor heart withstand that?
Probably not.
But he made her life so much easier. And right now, she needed things to be easier because everything was hard. Just going to the bathroom presented a major logistical challenge.
However, if she let him stay, she could definitely lose her poor heart to him. She could fall so deep she would never get over him.
Maybe she should look into hiring a home health aide for a few weeks…
He was watching her from the far side of the coffee table. “You don’t want to impose on Annette. She’s got enough going on right now.”
Great. Now he could read her mind. She was in such big trouble here…
He went on, “And you don’t need to hire some stranger. Not when you’ve got Roger and me right here willing to help.”
At the sound of his name, Roger jumped up from the floor and went to stand beside Josh. The dog wagged his tail and looked up at Josh as though to say,You know I’ve got your back, buddy. Whatever you need, I’m on it.
The truth was, she didn’t want Josh to go. She had to be realistic. She needed him right here to help her out for a while. Tonight would have been nothing short of impossible without him. And he was willing to be here.
It wouldn’t be forever. Just a few weeks, until she was back on her feet again.
“All right,” she said. “I shouldn’t take advantage of you, but—”
“Yes, you should.”
“Well, you did offer.”
“That’s right, I did.”
“So, then…”
“Say it, Riley.”
And she did. “Stay, Josh. Help me out, please.”
* * *
Josh carried her up the stairs with Roger following along behind.
In her room, he set her on the bed, then went back down to get the walker.
