legs.
“Yes, ma’am.” His obedience confirmed there was a way to go in his recovery, when he was too tired to try anything on with her, but obviously even just showering had taken an effort. She appreciated the sentiment and looked forward to making up for lost time.
Mia dodged an attempt to kiss her as she plumped his pillows and fixed the sheets around him. “We can’t afford for any more of us to get sick. Naomi and I are both run ragged between here, The Dog, and nipping home for stuff we need.”
“I know. I appreciate it. You know, I could get used to having someone looking after me.”
“The sooner you’re back on your feet, the better for us all.” Being so intimate with him when he was naked and vulnerable had her tied in knots. Each time she fed or bathed him, he stole another piece of her heart. Every day she spent with him was a step closer to a broken heart.
Chapter Eight
“I’m surprised you don’t just move in.” Forty-eight hours later, Rory wandered into the kitchen, past where Mia sat at his table, and went straight to the fridge.
“What makes you say that?” She screwed up her nose as he gulped orange juice from the carton. He had a point. The phone calls from her mother checking in on her every five minutes were getting beyond a joke.
“You know as well as I do Caleb’s fine. You two are milking it so you can spend more time together.” He wiped his mouth and helped himself to a slice of the toast she’d buttered for Caleb.
Too stunned to move, she let him snaffle a second piece. “Wh-what?”
“Mia, I’ve known from the minute you clapped eyes on each other you were both smitten. I don’t know what all the secrecy is in aid of.” He added a banana to his breakfast on the go, with his appetite apparently fully restored.
With no forthcoming lecture or judgement coming from her brother, she didn’t bother to deny it. “It’s nothing serious. You heard him, he’s selling up and moving on, remember.” Saying it aloud actually physically hurt. She doubled over as pains shot through her abdomen.
“If that happens, I’ll strip naked and dance through the pub.” He reached for the last piece of toast.
This time she did slap his hand away. “Eww! I hope you’re right. For the sake of public decency, if nothing else.”
“Honestly, Mia. Anyone with eyes can see how he feels about you.”
“And you’re okay with that?” Rory’s reaction was part of the reason they’d kept this secret. She’d expected if he'd found out to be locked away in a tower somewhere, guarded by slavering beasts, with Caleb’s body parts dispatched to the four corners of the earth.
Rory fixed her with his serious older brother stare. “It has fuck all to do with me, Mia. But, for the record, I think Caleb’s a decent guy.”
This blessing of sorts showed how much she’d misjudged her brother’s attitude towards her. All this time she’d thought his presence too stifling in her life. She could see now that it had been nothing more than him looking out for his little sis while their parents had concentrated on their careers and social standing.
“What about Mum and Dad? They’ll go mental if they find out about Caleb, when they’re still pushing Robbie at me.” Their lofty dreams for a wealthy son-in-law, with Mia as a kept woman, were a far cry from her ideal. All she wanted was her independence to work where she wanted, and be with a man she loved. Caleb.
“For fuck’s sake, Mia! You’re a grown woman, and as soon as you start acting that way, and making decisions for yourself, the sooner they’ll treat you like one. Mum will keep trying to run your life for as long as you let her. I thought, when you packed in your studies and dumped Robbie, you were finally standing up for yourself. But you’ve fallen back into that baby of the family role, where we all think we have to take care of you. As for Caleb, I’d vouch for him over that pussy Robbie any day of
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