Something of a Storm (All in Good Time Book 1) by Brooke St. James Page A
Authors: Brooke St. James
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head and trying to hand it back to him. "I can't."
He pushed my hand away. "This isn't for the medical stuff. It's just to help out a little since you haven't been working. I want you to get the bills over to me when they come in, and I'll make sure they get paid."
I shook my head, but was unable to say the words to deny him, because I couldn't speak past the bubble that had formed in my throat. A silent tear fell onto my cheek, and I used the back of my hand to quickly wipe at it before he could see.
"I really can't—" I said, trying to sound composed.
He wrapped an arm around me in a comforting gesture. "Mom said you'd probably refuse, but I promised her I wouldn't let you."
I was so overwhelmed that I just rested my face on his shoulder. I wiped at my cheeks again and took a deep breath. "I don't know what your mom told you, but I'm fine," I said, not looking at him when I spoke.
He had an arm around my shoulder and gave me a little rub. "I was looking for something to spend some money on, and she said she thought you could use a little, that's all. She did me a favor." He patted my shoulder again. "If I don't give it to you, I'll end up wasting it. Please save me from that."
I let out a laugh. "That's not true and we both know it." I sat up and looked at him, holding out the check for him to take back. "Listen, I can't do this. It's really sweet for you to offer, but I already feel terrible about taking that food from your mom today. You guys really can't just come over here and give me things. I don’t even know you."
After a few long seconds of silence, he said, "Don't you think it's good for one human to help another human if it's within his means?"
I didn't respond.
"Don't you think it would make me feel good to use a tiny piece of what I have to help someone?"
I shrugged and he nodded.
"It would make me feel good," he said. "And if you don't let me do it, you're taking that pleasure from me."
I looked up at him, and he smiled. "So, now that you see it's for selfish reasons that I help you, maybe you can do me a favor and just take this without arguing."
I let my hand fall to my lap cautiously, and regarded him with a skeptical expression. "Did you somehow just turn this around where I'll feel bad if I don't take this money?"
He smiled. "I hope so."
I stared at his smile wondering if there had ever in the history of the universe been a more beautiful one created. I doubted it.
"It's really not that much," he said gesturing to it. "It's just enough to help out a little bit while you recover. What I'm really concerned with is making sure you agree to send me the bills when they start to roll in. That's the real reason I came. Mom said you had several trips to the hospital. She told me about it and I decided I'd love to help."
I thought about all the scans and tests I had—the ones that had done me no good. I couldn't imagine how much those bills were going to be. I sighed and shook my head. "I can't," I said.
"You really can," he said, smiling and nodding. "Remember what I said about stealing my pleasure if you don't let me do this?"
"You're impossible!" I said.
He looked at the ceiling as if he was relieved. "I'm so glad we established that. You're a smart girl for figuring it out this early." He shifted to sit on the edge of the couch and extended a hand for me to shake. "So, it's a deal?"
I shook his hand reluctantly, and just like that, he stood up. "Okay, so I'll give you a call in the next few days to check on you and see how things are doing," he said.
Before I knew it, Zack was gone and I was left holding a check—a check for five thousand dollars.
Chapter 12
I was sleeping when Lexi got off work so I didn't tell her about Zack's visit till the next morning. It was the nature of the illness I was experiencing to make it seem like I was in a dream-like state most of the time, and when I woke up and thought about him coming by and leaving that check, I couldn't really
He pushed my hand away. "This isn't for the medical stuff. It's just to help out a little since you haven't been working. I want you to get the bills over to me when they come in, and I'll make sure they get paid."
I shook my head, but was unable to say the words to deny him, because I couldn't speak past the bubble that had formed in my throat. A silent tear fell onto my cheek, and I used the back of my hand to quickly wipe at it before he could see.
"I really can't—" I said, trying to sound composed.
He wrapped an arm around me in a comforting gesture. "Mom said you'd probably refuse, but I promised her I wouldn't let you."
I was so overwhelmed that I just rested my face on his shoulder. I wiped at my cheeks again and took a deep breath. "I don't know what your mom told you, but I'm fine," I said, not looking at him when I spoke.
He had an arm around my shoulder and gave me a little rub. "I was looking for something to spend some money on, and she said she thought you could use a little, that's all. She did me a favor." He patted my shoulder again. "If I don't give it to you, I'll end up wasting it. Please save me from that."
I let out a laugh. "That's not true and we both know it." I sat up and looked at him, holding out the check for him to take back. "Listen, I can't do this. It's really sweet for you to offer, but I already feel terrible about taking that food from your mom today. You guys really can't just come over here and give me things. I don’t even know you."
After a few long seconds of silence, he said, "Don't you think it's good for one human to help another human if it's within his means?"
I didn't respond.
"Don't you think it would make me feel good to use a tiny piece of what I have to help someone?"
I shrugged and he nodded.
"It would make me feel good," he said. "And if you don't let me do it, you're taking that pleasure from me."
I looked up at him, and he smiled. "So, now that you see it's for selfish reasons that I help you, maybe you can do me a favor and just take this without arguing."
I let my hand fall to my lap cautiously, and regarded him with a skeptical expression. "Did you somehow just turn this around where I'll feel bad if I don't take this money?"
He smiled. "I hope so."
I stared at his smile wondering if there had ever in the history of the universe been a more beautiful one created. I doubted it.
"It's really not that much," he said gesturing to it. "It's just enough to help out a little bit while you recover. What I'm really concerned with is making sure you agree to send me the bills when they start to roll in. That's the real reason I came. Mom said you had several trips to the hospital. She told me about it and I decided I'd love to help."
I thought about all the scans and tests I had—the ones that had done me no good. I couldn't imagine how much those bills were going to be. I sighed and shook my head. "I can't," I said.
"You really can," he said, smiling and nodding. "Remember what I said about stealing my pleasure if you don't let me do this?"
"You're impossible!" I said.
He looked at the ceiling as if he was relieved. "I'm so glad we established that. You're a smart girl for figuring it out this early." He shifted to sit on the edge of the couch and extended a hand for me to shake. "So, it's a deal?"
I shook his hand reluctantly, and just like that, he stood up. "Okay, so I'll give you a call in the next few days to check on you and see how things are doing," he said.
Before I knew it, Zack was gone and I was left holding a check—a check for five thousand dollars.
Chapter 12
I was sleeping when Lexi got off work so I didn't tell her about Zack's visit till the next morning. It was the nature of the illness I was experiencing to make it seem like I was in a dream-like state most of the time, and when I woke up and thought about him coming by and leaving that check, I couldn't really
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