“Hey,” her mother frowned, her lip quivering.
“Now, I know enough about parents and their kids to know they should never live together past eighteen, and even that’s pushing it. I stayed with my old man after my injury. And then I moved to Montana. I really don’t think you want that to happen with Cassidy.”
“No, but…she’s my baby. I just want to take care of her.”
“Mom…” Cassidy sighed, leaning heavily on her crutches.
She was running out of steam fast, but I knew she would fight resting until her parents were gone just to prove she didn’t need anyone.
“I know you want to take care of me, but how about you do that by bringing me food? I love your cooking, and it would begreat if you could do that for me. But staying here is only going to drive us both crazy.”
Her mother’s chin quivered as she ducked her head. “We do it at Christmas.”
“That’s one night. And you know we would never make it two.”
Finally, she relented. “If that’s what you really want.”
“It is.”
“But Sam has to stay with you. It’s either him or me.”
I smirked at that, but quickly schooled my features when Cassidy glared in my direction. Now was not the time to laugh at her misfortune. Especially since Iwasthat misfortune.
“Fine. He can stay for the week.”
“Two,” her mother argued.
“One, and then we’ll reevaluate.”
Her mother finally gave in, but it took another ten minutes to get her out of the house, and another five for them to leave the driveway.
“Finally,” Cassidy sighed, hobbling over to the couch.
I grabbed her crutches as she lowered herself to the couch, but getting her leg up there was a little more difficult than she imagined in a splint. I waited, knowing she would never allow me to help unless she proved to herself that it was too much of a struggle.
But that backfired on me when she hauled her leg up with both hands and got herself comfortable.
“See? I don’t need you here either,” she mumbled as she closed her eyes.
“Is it really that hard for you to admit you need help?”
“What I need is for everyone to leave me alone.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening as long as Austin is still on the loose.”
Grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch, I draped it over her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Stop treating me like a baby,” she grumbled. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”
I laughed at that. “Yeah, I’d like to see you say that when the meds start wearing off and you have to go to the bathroom.”
“I did it just fine in the hospital,” she snapped.
“You had nurses around you. And how do you plan to get dressed in the morning when you can’t even reach your toes?”
The look on her face could spear a wild boar, but I didn’t back down. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she needed me here, and not just because of Austin.
“Why did you even volunteer to stay?” she snapped.
