Maid to Fit (20 page)

Ronnie sat down on the sofa next to her, rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed
his hands over his face. Normally he was so together. She often found herself jealous
of his ability to organize and run things with what seemed like no effort. But the
man before her now appeared stressed, which was wholly uncharacteristic of the Ronnie
she’d come to know.

“I’ve got to do something. Buck has been staying with Rusty since we got out of the
service. I feel like I am holding Rusty back from traveling or doing other things
with his life because Buck is staying with him. I’ve tried to convince the landlord
at my apartment building to let me keep Buck there, with no luck. I get why the landlord
keeps saying no but…” He shrugged. “I don’t know the area that well but most places
I’ve looked at won’t accept pets. Maybe I need to consider giving him to a family
who can provide him with a permanent home. Rusty’s out of town visiting his family
for the holidays and I can stay at his place with Buck, but what happens when Rusty
comes back? I can’t expect him to keep my dog forever. I’ve got to do something.”

Could she possibly let Sergeant Buck stay here, in her home? He was the only dog she’d
ever felt remotely comfortable around, but she always knew he’d eventually go home.
If he lived here, there would be times when she’d have to be here with him
alone
. Could she do that?

“Look, Addie’s out of school for winter break. If it would help you, Buck can stay
here until after the holidays. That would at least give you some time to find another
apartment or find him a permanent home,” she offered.

“Are you sure you can handle that? I would hate to think of you passing out every
few minutes only to wake up, see him lying there half-asleep, and then pass out again.”
He grinned.

She had forgotten just how good Ronnie looked when he teased her. His blue eyes sparkled.
He took her breath away.

“You said that you outrank him so I should only pass out at your feet, remember? So
I think I’ll be okay for a couple of weeks,” she said. “I do have a favor to ask in
return, though.”

He ran one rough finger across her lips and then looked into her eyes. “Whatever you
need.”

The simple feel of his hands on her skin unleashed a raging inferno deep within her.
She closed her eyes, both to bask in the warm glow he created with his touch and to
try to collect herself. She should feel foolish at her reaction to him but she had
stopped caring about what she should and shouldn’t feel, or think, or do where he
was concerned.

“Open your eyes, Kayla. Tell me what you need from me,” he said quietly, his mouth
close to her ear.

Forcing her eyes open, she willed him to kiss her, but he didn’t. After a few moments,
she finally choked out, “Coach Addie’s team, at least through the state competition.
It means the world to her.”

“I have school some nights, so you might have to fill in for half of the practice
on those nights,” he said, continuing to drink her in with his eyes.

“Okay,” she breathed.

“Anything else you need?” he asked, inching his mouth closer to hers.

“Yes, Buck! You get to stay here with me! Ain’t that great?” Addie said, startling
both Kayla and Ronnie.

Ronnie turned and frowned at Addie, who smiled sweetly. “Sorry, Ronnie, but old people
making out…I can’t deal with that. I think I threw up a little in my mouth.”

“I imagine it would be much like the thought of you dating Tyler,” he replied sarcastically,
standing up.

“So now that finding a place for Sergeant Buck to crash has been covered, can you
stay for lunch or dinner?” Addie asked him.

“What is it that you want me to make for dinner, Addie?” he asked in resignation.

Watching the two of them interact was very telling. They were obviously comfortable
around each other. He wasn’t really a parental figure but he was a respected adult.
Kayla could understand how he knew things about her daughter that she didn’t.

“Chicken bake stuff?” Addie asked.

“Okay, but I don’t work here anymore, as your mother so elegantly pointed out, so
you have to help,” he said to Addie with a smile. “Why don’t you start with thawing
out two big chicken breasts and making sure there is either frozen or fresh broccoli?”

Addie headed back toward the kitchen with Buck and Ronnie following behind her. Kayla
headed into the kitchen as well and watched Ronnie pull out dishes while Addie pulled
out food. A few minutes later, Addie put water in one bowl and, after digging through
a cabinet and finding a sealed baggie containing dog food, dumped some of the kibble
into another one.

“Here ya go, Sergeant Buck,” Addie crooned, placing the bowls on the floor near a
cabinet as though she’d done it a million times before.

Kayla had missed this just as much as she’d missed Ronnie—family time. His kind of
support was incredible and made her want him all the more. With him working side by
side with her daughter, Kayla couldn’t keep her eyes off him. He moved with confidence
and ease. His broad shoulders and wide back bunched and rolled as he moved around
the kitchen.

Addie began sautéing the chicken in a pan with her back to where Kayla sat at the
table. Ronnie glanced over his shoulder to ensure Addie was preoccupied and then walked
over to Kayla. Leaning down close to her, he whispered, “I think you should help,
too, since you don’t pay for my
services
anymore.”

She smiled and joined the preparation. Dinner was filled with laughter, talking and
good food, and Kayla found herself disappointed when Ronnie left not long after it
was over. A small part of her sensed that he was waiting for her to say something,
she just wasn’t sure what. Even though Addie was apparently fully aware that there
was something between Kayla and Ronnie, family time wasn’t the opportunity for discussing
the romantic issues that still lay between them.

* * *

Ronnie set up a time for the kids to meet at the high school gym to practice at least
every other day. Kayla went with Addie and watched Ronnie’s interaction with the kids.
He had a natural ease with them and they responded with equal parts respect and awe.
Watching him with the team prompted her to call the principal and ask if there were
any positions available that would allow Ronnie to work with the kids at the school.

She was also getting used to Sergeant Buck being at the house. He had slept on the
floor of Addie’s room the first night. The second night she’d heard him whining at
Addie’s door and after lying awake for an hour worrying about him she’d finally pulled
on her big-girl panties, hooked him to his leash and taken him outside.

When he came back in he made a beeline for her room, where he settled down on the
rug at the end of her bed. Amazingly, that now seemed to be his preferred place to
sleep. He had also taken to following her around the house. Slowly, she was adjusting
to him always being a step behind her.

Sergeant Buck had also chosen his preferred seat in the car, which happened to be
right next to her in the front passenger seat, forcing Addie to ride in the back.
It was no less than Addie deserved for offering to keep the dog in the first place.
By midweek, Kayla found she was the one feeding and watering Buck and walking him,
as well. By the end of the week, she felt at ease, even when the dog insisted on sitting
right next to her at all times.

Addie had taken to trying to talk Ronnie into coming over for dinner every night.
Her obvious attempts at playing matchmaker were sweet but embarrassing. Kayla could
feel that there was something left unsaid between her and Ronnie but she wasn’t sure
what or how to approach it. With Addie on break from school, and no time to get Ronnie
alone, it was even harder to bring up the subject.

That didn’t stop him from using his normal arsenal of sexy weapons to stir her blood,
from brushing up against her to leaning in as close as possible, to watching her instead
of the movie that Addie had picked out. By the end of practice on Friday she was crazy
for him. She decided she would catch him afterward and ask him if she could just call
him later…to talk.

When he finally called an end to practice, she winced when Addie approached her before
she could make it over to where he stood.

“Mom, I was wondering if I could spend the night with Kaitlyn tonight, but I also
know it would be your first time alone with Sergeant Buck,” Addie said hesitantly.
“I could see if Ronnie can take him back over to his friend’s house for the night.”

“If you go to Kaitlyn’s house, who will take Buck outside when he needs to use the
restroom? Who will feed and water him and walk him in the morning?” Kayla asked sarcastically.

“Sorry, Mom, but he likes you better. It’s not my fault! Dogs pick their owners. Please?
Can I go?” Addie replied.

“She’s right, dogs do pick their owners,” Ronnie said from behind her just as Buck
rubbed against her leg and then sat down right next to her. Ronnie handed her the
dog’s leash.

“I suppose. You’ll need to call me tomorrow before you head home since I am going
over to see Grandma in the morning and may not be back yet,” she replied.

Addie hugged her and headed out of the gym arm in arm with Kaitlyn, with Chase and
another boy following behind them.

“Don’t worry. I warned Chase that if he plans on pursuing Addie, he better be a model
citizen. He’s not really a bad kid, and he has good intentions where she’s concerned…from
what I can tell.” They headed out of the gym together, stopping to shut off the lights
and lock up the building.

Now was her chance. “Are you busy this evening?” she asked.

“Just schoolwork…unless you can talk me into doing something else,” he said with his
grin.

“We could order takeout and go back to my house…maybe talk?” she asked, trying desperately
to ignore his grin and the fact that his eyes were watching her mouth. When he didn’t
respond she said, “Ronnie?”

“What are your intentions? Are they honorable? Can I trust you, Kayla?” He leaned
down close enough that she was forced to look in his eyes.

Swallowing loudly, she said, “Yeah, I just thought we should talk….”

“Just talk?” He leaned even closer to her. “If that’s what you want.”

He kept closing the distance between them, and she waited anxiously for him to kiss
her. She missed the feel of his mouth on hers. She could hardly breathe. Then she
felt his large hand close over hers and take the leash from her. He backed away with
yet another grin.

“I’ll take Buck and meet you at the house. Take your time getting the food since he
probably needs one of those trips outside you mentioned earlier.”

She watched as he crossed the parking lot toward his truck with Buck following behind
him. Realizing she was standing stupidly against the door watching him like a stalker,
she forced her eyes away from his backside and headed to her own vehicle. Pulling
into the lot of a local restaurant, she had barely parked when her cell phone rang.

It was the nursing home. Something in her didn’t want to answer it. She’d just been
there this morning and her mother had been fine. Calling now meant that was no longer
the case. A shiver slid down her spine.

“Ms. Clark, this is Mr. Wilkerson. Your mother is being taken by ambulance to the
hospital. One of the orderlies on duty found her unresponsive. Please be careful on
your drive to the hospital and let us know if there is anything you need from us.”

The sick feeling in her gut only increased as she backed out and headed in the direction
of the hospital. Somehow she made it to the emergency room entrance, though she couldn’t
say exactly how. She was told to have a seat in the waiting room. How long she sat
there in shock—somehow
knowing
—she wasn’t sure.

When reality sank in and she finally felt the burn of tears she dug her cell phone
out and called Ronnie. When he answered she simply said, “I’m at the hospital. They
found my mom unresponsive. I
need you
, Ronnie.”

Not long after, he came through the doors of the emergency entrance. She stood up
and he folded her into his arms. He was warm and wonderful. His arms were a comfort
she felt in her heart, which opened up, allowing him in and her tears out. She cried
and held on to him until she heard Ronnie talking to another man.

“Come on, Kayla, we’re going to another room to talk with the doctor,” Ronnie said
against her hair, and then he guided her with his arm around her shoulders.

When they made it into the room, Ronnie sat down on a small sofa, pulled her down
next to him and again put his arm around her shoulders. The doctor sat down in a chair
near the sofa and pulled a box of tissues off a small end table. He handed the box
to Ronnie, who offered it to her. She took a few tissues and then braced for what
she knew was coming.

“Ms. Clark, I’m Dr. Harrison. I evaluated your mother when she was brought in this
evening. I’m sorry to tell you this, but your mother passed away. She was unresponsive
and pronounced deceased upon arrival to the emergency room. All preliminary appearances
point to a stroke. We will make arrangements for transport of your mother’s body in
accordance with her will, which we have on file. Please take all the time you need
in here. I will leave instructions for the funeral home to contact you to begin making
arrangements. I’m sorry for your loss.”

She had known this day was coming ever since her mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,
but it didn’t make hearing the news any easier. Addie had to be told, but how did
you tell a child their only living grandparent was gone, just days before Christmas?
There wasn’t really any other family to notify. Her mother’s sister was in a nursing
home in Oklahoma and too ill to travel for a funeral, and Kayla hadn’t spoken to her
two cousins since she was little. Her father had been an only child. Other than the
members of the church her mother used to attend, she and Addie were it.