Page 20 of See It Through
“Guess I got off easy with the muffin,” I muttered. Caleb might’ve asked me to repeat myself, but my tongue became useless as Hannah Kelly sauntered over to our table.
She stopped beside her brother, bumping his arm with her hip. “You’re out late, old man.”
He kicked an empty chair out. “Take a load off and tell me what you did to that guy.”
She spun the chair around and straddled it backward, her arms resting on the back. “Who, Mark? All I did was doubt he could sing the national anthem while hopping on one foot. He chose to prove me wrong.”
Caleb shook his head. “And did he?”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on. Do you think he knows the words to the national anthem even in the best circumstances?” She glanced at me. “Some company you’re keeping, by the way.”
“Be nice,” Caleb drawled. “Rem and I had a long talk and settled what we needed to settle. We’re cool.”
She wasn’t facing me, but I didn’t miss the rigidness in her shoulders and press of her fingertips against her arm. Hannah Kelly wasn’t anywhere near my good side, and from the looks of it, she wasn’t too happy her brother had crossed that line with me.
“That’s a choice,” she bit out.
“Yep. You could make the same one.” Caleb was relaxed as ever but kept a watchful eye on his sister. He’d always been protective of his family. But then, he had a good one worth protecting.
“Really think I’ll pass,” she chirped.
“Han…”
“Well, thanks for telling me about your night, Cay, but I have plans.” She did some trick with her legs, rotating her whole body so she was sitting with her back to the table, poised to make hay.
“Oh yeah? What might that be?” Caleb challenged.
The quiet little waitress, Alice, appeared from nowhere with a basket filled with chicken wings and handed them off to Hannah before hurrying away. Hannah lifted the basket up like a prize.
“Tonight’s plans: this basket of wings and a round of pool before I walk myself home and tuck myself into bed.” She hopped up, cradling her wings like a little baby, and ruffled Caleb’s hair with her free hand. “See you around, Cay.”
“Be good, Han,” he called after her.
She waved as she walked away, singing out, “Always am!”
Caleb shook his head and looked at me with pity. “Think that’s going to take some work.”
“You tell no lies,” I agreed.
After a moment, his expression grew serious, thoughtful. “How long are you planning on sticking around?”
I tapped my head. “A while. I don’t have an exact timeframe. I can't risk getting hurt again, and I need to give my brain time to heal.”
“Mmm.” He tossed back a couple fries. “It might be too physical, but if you’re at loose ends, we can always use help at the ranch. The upside is you’ve done it before, and I won’t have to go through the trouble of training you only for you to leave.”
The idea instantly excited me. But Caleb was right; I wasn’t too sure about my physical limitations. Doing a long day of work outside probably wasn’t my doctors’ idea of resting and healing, yet it was impossible to turn him down outright.
“I’ve missed mending fences with you.” I rubbed the scruff on my chin. “I’d probably need to be on light work…”
He chuckled. “I’m not planning on paying you. Whatever you do it’s strictly volunteer.”
That had me laughing. “All right then. I’ll keep you posted.”
He rapped his knuckles on the table. “You do that. Take it easy on my sister while you’re at it—even if she doesn’t take it easy on you.”
I glanced at Hannah. She was in the back of the bar, eating a chicken wing with abandon, a pool cue tucked under her arm. I shifted uncomfortably. This woman had taken on my burdens all alone—whether she recognized them as such or not. It wasn’t fair or right.
“You don’t have to ask. I wouldn’t dream of hurting Hannah.”