Indivisible (Steel Talons Motorcycle Club Book 3) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Evelyn Glass
worried about your father and still came to see me. I’m not going to take you away from him, Susan. Now, I’ll stay with you for a while, and we can both keep your father company.” His words were final, and Susan wasn’t going to argue. At least she wouldn’t feel torn between the two of them.
She held her breath as Jim quietly pushed the door to the room open, and she winced as she heard her father’s labored breathing as he rested uneasily. She glanced at Jim’s face, and somehow, it brought her comfort that the older man’s condition disturbed him. He told her in a soft voice, “I lost my father suddenly. It was such a blow, but I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”
Her breath hitched, and she couldn’t respond. They stepped into the room, and Susan gently closed the door behind them. She made Jim take a seat and placed the tree next to him, assuring the drip wasn’t compromised. Then, she stepped up to the side of her father’s bed, taking his hand. The orderlies had placed him on his side after his wounds had been cared for, and he jerked at her touch.
“He’s so sensitive,” she whispered, staring at the haunted, hollow face. “I just wish the rest of my family cared enough to be here.”
“Some people are just too selfish to know what they have until it’s gone,” Jim spoke under his breath. He was right, and Susan shivered at the thought of her mother and sister not saying goodbye. He added, “You’re not that person, Susan. You’re here when he needs you.”
She should have been here all along; but, he was right again. She dug through his bag of toiletries, finding his brush and running it through his sparse, thin hair. “He used to brush my hair when I was young,” she mused, remembering getting out of the shower and bringing the comb or brush to him. She would sit on the stool in the kitchen—where he would be sipping a cocktail and cooking—and he would spend a good twenty minutes brushing it until she had goosebumps from the pleasure.
***
Jim said nothing as he watched Susan, her face filled with misery and her tone full of love and loss. He understood; her father was still here, but in her eyes, the man she knew was already gone. Unfortunately, it was true. From the time—not long ago—Jim had met the man to now, he was probably a good forty pounds lighter.
He scrubbed his hand over his face, feeling the stubble and wishing he’d at least showered to get rid of the rancid smell on him. He also wished he’d brushed his teeth before she kissed him because his breath was atrocious. However, none of that mattered in the face of something much more important, and he found that his pain and weakness had subsided. Standing, he moved to the other side of the bed and gazed across at Susan. “I have a room in my house, which was supposed to be a nursery someday, and I have some savings I’m not using. How would you feel about making him comfortable and hiring a full time nurse so that he has the care he needs while you still manage the rest of your life?”
Susan’s eyes jerked up to his face, and he couldn’t read her expression. “I can’t ask that of you, Jim. You have a life, too, and that savings is yours.”
He nodded. “Yes, it’s mine—to do with as I please. It’s not like I think I’ll be paying for the help for another three years. I want you and your father to be comfortable, and I know you don’t feel he’s being monitored closely enough here.” Jim put his hand on hers, where she’d laid it over her father’s bony wrist. “Let me do this for you.”
Her lower lip trembled, and her voice came out barely a whisper. “What if he goes, and I’m not there?”
Jim felt the weight of her words and wanted to cry with her. Taking a deep breath so his voice wouldn’t shake, he told her, “We’ll have a paging system in place. If it looks like something is going to happen, the nurse
She held her breath as Jim quietly pushed the door to the room open, and she winced as she heard her father’s labored breathing as he rested uneasily. She glanced at Jim’s face, and somehow, it brought her comfort that the older man’s condition disturbed him. He told her in a soft voice, “I lost my father suddenly. It was such a blow, but I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”
Her breath hitched, and she couldn’t respond. They stepped into the room, and Susan gently closed the door behind them. She made Jim take a seat and placed the tree next to him, assuring the drip wasn’t compromised. Then, she stepped up to the side of her father’s bed, taking his hand. The orderlies had placed him on his side after his wounds had been cared for, and he jerked at her touch.
“He’s so sensitive,” she whispered, staring at the haunted, hollow face. “I just wish the rest of my family cared enough to be here.”
“Some people are just too selfish to know what they have until it’s gone,” Jim spoke under his breath. He was right, and Susan shivered at the thought of her mother and sister not saying goodbye. He added, “You’re not that person, Susan. You’re here when he needs you.”
She should have been here all along; but, he was right again. She dug through his bag of toiletries, finding his brush and running it through his sparse, thin hair. “He used to brush my hair when I was young,” she mused, remembering getting out of the shower and bringing the comb or brush to him. She would sit on the stool in the kitchen—where he would be sipping a cocktail and cooking—and he would spend a good twenty minutes brushing it until she had goosebumps from the pleasure.
***
Jim said nothing as he watched Susan, her face filled with misery and her tone full of love and loss. He understood; her father was still here, but in her eyes, the man she knew was already gone. Unfortunately, it was true. From the time—not long ago—Jim had met the man to now, he was probably a good forty pounds lighter.
He scrubbed his hand over his face, feeling the stubble and wishing he’d at least showered to get rid of the rancid smell on him. He also wished he’d brushed his teeth before she kissed him because his breath was atrocious. However, none of that mattered in the face of something much more important, and he found that his pain and weakness had subsided. Standing, he moved to the other side of the bed and gazed across at Susan. “I have a room in my house, which was supposed to be a nursery someday, and I have some savings I’m not using. How would you feel about making him comfortable and hiring a full time nurse so that he has the care he needs while you still manage the rest of your life?”
Susan’s eyes jerked up to his face, and he couldn’t read her expression. “I can’t ask that of you, Jim. You have a life, too, and that savings is yours.”
He nodded. “Yes, it’s mine—to do with as I please. It’s not like I think I’ll be paying for the help for another three years. I want you and your father to be comfortable, and I know you don’t feel he’s being monitored closely enough here.” Jim put his hand on hers, where she’d laid it over her father’s bony wrist. “Let me do this for you.”
Her lower lip trembled, and her voice came out barely a whisper. “What if he goes, and I’m not there?”
Jim felt the weight of her words and wanted to cry with her. Taking a deep breath so his voice wouldn’t shake, he told her, “We’ll have a paging system in place. If it looks like something is going to happen, the nurse
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