It's All Relative (17 page)

Cursing internally, he removed his hand and shut off the water. No, he couldn’t. While it was true, no one would know what he was doing but him…
he
would still know, and he’d feel slightly even more ill every time he looked at her. And besides, knowing him, he’d start doing it every morning. Then every evening. Then he’d be doing it all the goddamn time…and he wasn’t sixteen anymore.

Once he was finished getting ready for the day, Kai decided to surprise his grandmother with a decent breakfast since he had the time. A part of him wished he could surprise Jessie with a nice breakfast, too, but he couldn’t really show up at her house unannounced yet. Not with her having roommates. Especially roommates who had been checking him out on
that
night. They might have been a little tipsy, but they’d probably watched the two of them making out on the dance floor.

As Kai hopped on his Honda, a surge of disgust
and
desire cropped up. Jessie had been so damn hot that night. Aggressive, passionate, lustful. As he started the bike, he wondered if that was what being in a relationship with her would be like. She’d definitely been drunk the night they’d been together, but that intensity had to still be there, buried under the surface somewhere. Revving his engine, the warmth of the machine warming his thighs, Kai let himself wonder if he could stoke that desire in her while she was completely sober. His body started stiffening at the thought, and he cursed again. He seriously had to stop that; he could not walk around town with a never-ending hard-on because he was thinking about her. Squealing out of the garage, he let the feeling of flying across the pavement clear his mind.

As he headed to a bakery that he’d spotted on the way home yesterday, Kai shifted his thoughts to Jessie’s roommates. He really hadn’t been paying too much attention to them at the club—Jessie had absorbed all of his focus—but he seemed to recall there being two of them. One with dark hair, one with red hair…if he was remembering it correctly. He also knew they were protective of Jessie, since they’d hurriedly swept her out of his room almost immediately after they’d…

But Jessie swore they didn’t remember what he looked like. And if they truly didn’t then officially meeting them should be okay. Jessie seemed reluctant, though. She hadn’t said it, but he got the feeling she would prefer it if Kai never met her roommates. Maybe she was just nervous, worried that they would piece things together once they saw him again. Or maybe Jessie was embarrassed to be seen with him.

Kai laughed into his helmet as he pulled into the parking lot of the bright and cheery shop. No, while he might affect Jessie in strange ways, he was pretty sure he didn’t embarrass her. He frowned. Well, what they’d done probably embarrassed her. It embarrassed him too. People always preached about being careful about sleeping with strangers for pregnancy and STD reasons, but no one ever mentioned that the world was microscopic, and fate was one cruel bitch. No one had
ever
warned Kai that the hot girl shoving her hand down his pants and her tongue down his throat, might be a family member.

Twenty minutes later Kai was walking into the hospital. He’d called Gran yesterday at work, and she was getting out sometime today. Her fractured hip would need a lot of rest, but she looked good. All her tests were showing that she was healing well, so they were letting her go back to her life. Knowing his gran, she would be knee-deep in potting soil by the afternoon. Tough old broad.

The nurses gave him wide smiles as he entered. Ever thankful for the wonderful care his grandmother was receiving, Kai had brought a box of donuts for them. They gave him swift hugs and told him she was awake if he wanted to surprise her. After a kiss on the cheek by a sprightly nurse named Susan, who eyed him like she was mapping out his future in her head, Kai ducked into his grandmother’s room.

She was propped up in her bed, reading glasses nearly falling off her nose as her gnarled hands clicked and clacked the knitting needles Kai had brought for her. Her aged hands flew over patterns they had obviously repeated so many times, she could probably do them in her sleep. The result of all the miraculous, repetitious movement was a blanket flowing down the side of her bed in a myriad of bright colors. A little amazed at how a seemingly chaotic series of events could result in something so beautiful, Kai smiled as he watched the progression.

The older woman beamed at him when she noticed his entrance. “Kai, dear, I’m so glad you came by.”

Gran could be in a body cast, head to foot, pain in every limb and joint, and she’d still smile warmly and say she was glad to see him. Tough…yet sweet, old broad. “Good morning, Grandma.”

She patted a spot beside her on the bed as she set down her needlework and glasses. “You seem tired, sweetheart. How are you holding up?”

Kai frowned. He thought he actually looked better today, having gotten a decent amount of sleep last night; even the slight sickness that Jessie had thought was related to the different altitude had lifted. Immediately switching to a smile, Kai leaned down and kissed the woman’s head before sitting beside her. “I’m great, Gran, don’t worry about me.” He set a muffin down on her side table. It was blueberry, with some sort of crumble on the top; it smelled incredible. Grabbing her hand, he stroked her fingers with his thumb. “You just worry about you.”

Gran dismissed his comment with a swish of her free hand. “Nonsense, nothing to worry about with me. But you…?” Her eyes gave him a penetrating, calculating examination, almost like she was looking for something specific in his expression. He tried to keep a relaxed, pleasant smile on his face. He didn’t want her to see any of the turmoil that had been in his heart lately. “How are you doing…with everything?” she asked, her voice oddly sympathetic.

Kai smiled wider. “Like I said, I’m great. Jessie is taking care of me.” A flush heated his cheeks after he said it, and he hoped Gran couldn’t see it through his skin tone. He shouldn’t react that way to Jessie’s name, but there it was.

Gran didn’t seem to catch his odd reaction. Instead she asked, “How was your first day at work? Do you…like it there?” Her eyes narrowed, and she suddenly seemed very anxious about his answer.

Kai wondered why at first, but then figured that, like his mother, Gran was merely hoping he was adjusting well to his new life, his new career. Frowning as he remembered his boss’s odd reaction to him, Kai shrugged and said, “I think it went okay.” He again altered his expression; he didn’t want his grandmother worrying about him. “I think I’ll like it there.”

She studied his face for a moment more, sighed, then curved her lips into a small smile. She finally seemed to believe Kai was doing okay, and that made him feel better. He
was
doing okay, all things considered.

Patting his thigh, she told him, “That’s good, dear. I wouldn’t want your new job to be…unpleasant for you.”

Kai absentmindedly scratched where a bee had stung his shoulder. “It’s not…”

As Kai started reminiscing about his day, his grandmother brightened. She sat up higher on the bed, and Kai caught a flinch in her face as a twinge of pain went through her. She didn’t comment on it, and Kai didn’t have a chance to ask her about it, because her next question froze his tongue solid. “Did you meet my nurse, Susan? Lovely girl. I tried to set you up with one of her daughters.”

Kai’s eyes widened. The “girl” he’d met in the other room was named Susan. She’d made sure Kai knew it, as she’d excitedly taken a maple bar from him. The nurse had to be his mother’s age, at least, but to Gran, he supposed that was still young. Wow. He hadn’t even been here a week yet, and his grandmother was already trying to fix him up. This could be a problem if he didn’t put a stop to it right away.

Finding his voice, he muttered, “I appreciate the thought, Gran, but I can find my own dates.” True, his last one had ended up being related to him, but at least he’d found her himself.

Gran gave him a look that clearly said she did
not
believe he was capable of such a thing. “Well, no need to worry, she only had boys.” She laughed in short, bubbled bursts. “I tried to throw them Jessica Marie’s way, but she gave me the exact same look you just did.”

Kai forced a smile, but he had to look away. He really didn’t like the idea of Jessie going out with some random guy who Gran had set her up with. Then again, he didn’t particularly like the thought of her going out with anyone. He frowned as he realized she would one day, and he’d have to come to terms with it.

Skin that felt paper-thin reached up to touch his face. Turning his head, he caught his grandmother giving him worried eyes. “You all right, honey?”

With a soft smile, he nodded. “Of course.” Hating what he was about to say, he told her, “I was just wishing that I could be home with you today, to take care of you once you leave here.” While he actually did feel that way, his thoughts had been nowhere near concern for her when she’d asked. Whether or not the sentiment was true, it felt like a lie, and he hated it. His frown returned.

His grandmother tried to forcefully turn his frown into a smile with her finger. “You just go to work and have a good day.” Kai smirked at her gesture and she added, “And if it makes you feel any better, Jessica Marie is going to be with me for most of the day. She works the later shift on Tuesdays.”

Kai’s mood darkened when he realized he wouldn’t be seeing his cousin tonight. How strange that he’d already gotten used to seeing her on a daily basis. And honestly, he’d been looking forward to an unexpected knock on his door this evening from her. Knowing that probably wouldn’t happen bothered him. Maybe he should take her up on her offer of visiting her at work. Another massage sounded really nice.

Gran patted his thigh again. “Now, you don’t fret over me. Jessica Marie is a fabulous caregiver. I swear, sometimes that girl frets more over my happiness than her own.” She sighed. “At least she finally got smart and dumped that boy she was seeing.”

Kai looked up from where he’d been studying the aged woman’s hand in his own. Her skin seemed so frail and fragile in contrast to his. It was almost startling how different their hands looked, one on top of the other.

“Jeremy?” Kai couldn’t hide the contempt in his voice when he said
that
name. He wasn’t sure what had really happened between him and Jessie, but he knew that the man hadn’t been faithful to her. That made him a lowlife in Kai’s book. A very stupid lowlife. Jessie was amazing.

Seeming happy that Kai knew a bit about Jessie’s past, Gran nodded. “Yeah, that one was a piece of work. I never did trust the hoodlum.”

Kai grinned. Something about his grandmother not liking Jessie’s ex made a swarm of happy butterflies lift Kai’s belly. He looked down briefly as his brow bunched together. That was an odd feeling to have.

Confused, Kai made a show of checking the time. “Sorry, Gran, I should go.” He gave her an apologetic smile, but really, he needed to leave, needed to get back on the road and clear his head. He was really looking forward to the long, peaceful drive to work now.

Nodding, his grandmother pulled his body toward her so she could kiss his cheek. “Of course, dear.” After their long hug, she once again gave him an odd, appraising look. “Have a good day at work.”

Kai stood up and gave her a breezy smile. “I will.” Pointing at her with a stern finger, he added, “You take it easy when you get home. No tree climbing or anything.”

She laughed at him, and he leaned down for another quick hug. “I’ll wait at least a week for that, I promise.”

Laughing, he shook his head. “You better.” He indicated the oversized muffin he’d brought for her. “Make sure and eat your breakfast before the nurses steal it. I brought them donuts, but you never know.” He gave her a teasing wink, and she promised that she would.

Kai walked into the hall, then glanced back at the door to see her smiling and shaking her head at him. He silently wished her well for the day, and then silently did the same for himself. Hopefully he could get through the day without being stung. Again.

J
essie was having a long week. After seeing Kai Monday night, life had kept her too busy to see him again for a few days. Well, life and taking care of Grams. Jessie found that she missed talking to him face to face. Missed it in a way that was a little disturbing to her.

Whenever she thought about the moment she’d told him she was falling for him, Jessie mentally cringed. God, what the hell had that been about? She couldn’t fall for Kai. It wasn’t allowed, wasn’t acceptable, and definitely wasn’t a path she could go down. Thank goodness Kai had been asleep and hadn’t heard her. How mortifying if he had.

While getting dressed for her Friday morning shift at the clinic, Jessie thought about the past couple of days. Instead of visiting Kai, she had spent her free time with Grams. Helping her to recover went a long way in helping Jessie move on. Kind of. Grams had a way of bringing up Kai every five minutes. She hadn’t appeared to be testing the waters or anything, but out of concern for her grandson, she mentioned him frequently.