pay for two rooms instead of one. If it makes you feel better about receiving help, you can pay me back when you get on your feet. Don’t let the fancy looks of it deter you. It’s surprisingly cheap.”
Amelia worried the hem of her blanket. She didn’t want to need his help. But, truth was, she did.
She didn’t have anyone else to depend on.
Wouldn’t it be safer to receive help from a stranger instead of parents who’d dangle it over her head and then withhold it anyway? Even after she’d humbled herself to begging for Reece’s sake? “Government agencies all declined me because they took into account my parents’ income, since we lived with them.”
Why she said that aloud, she didn’t know. Other than her needing him to know she wasn’t a flake. That she had valid reasons for her financial struggles.
Truthfully, she battled feeling scared to death being on her own and caring for another human being who depended on her for life and everything in it.
Amelia swallowed a good portion of pride along with the growing lump in her throat. She’d made hundreds of soundchoices the past five years. Unfortunately, one wrong choice preceding that determined the course of her life up to this point.
“I ended up a struggling single mother before I was ready because I wrongly trusted a man with everything I had. I don’t know if I can take that kind of risk again.”
The moment locked in silence, Amelia held Ben’s gaze.
What she saw there were eyes corded to a soul that seemed to reach through with a lifeline and beckon her to believe.
You can trust me, Amelia.
Could she?
Even if she were capable of trust again, was he trustworthy? Was Ben Dillinger a man of integrity who stood by his word? Someone she could take at face value?
Or was he, like Reggie, just out to take advantage of her for his own gain? No one helped another person unless it benefited them. Something motivated this man to act like he cared. What was it?
Her head was filled with questions.
Was he acting? Or did he truly care? If the remote possibility existed he did care, why?
No matter. She had to get to that job by next Tuesday.
Chapter Six
“B ad move, Dillinger,” Amelia said early the next morning as she slid her queen diagonally two spaces. “Check. Mate.”
“No way!” Ben leaned forward, studying the chessboard. “You won again?” Not possible. Except for his teammate, Brockton, no one beat him. Ever. But as Ben searched every angle for possible hope for his king, the board echoed its decree:
Check. Mate.
Hands ran overtop his freshly buzzed hair and clamped behind his head, he leaned back and eyed her with healthy respect. “I’ve only seen one other person win that fast. You blow me away.” In more ways than one.
Especially when she smiled with her whole face like that.
Knocks at the door broke the trance that rested over the room. Amelia blinked. Ben scooted back as a doctor entered.
The man, familiar to Ben, approached with an outstretched hand. “I’m Dr. Riviera, an associate of Dr. Callahan.”
Amelia shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure meeting you, too.” The doctor looked from Amelia to Ben and smiled. “I’m sure we’ve met before. You’re a friend of Joel and Amber Montgomery’s, right?”
“Yeah.” Ben nodded, realizing where he’d seen the manbefore. Ben turned to Amelia. “Joel’s my team leader and friend. He recently married and adopted a son,” he explained to her, and faced Riviera again. “You’re Bradley’s oncologist, right?”
“I am. Little guy’s doing fabulous. He’ll probably outlive us all.” Riviera flipped through Amelia’s medical records. “Dr. Callahan is a trauma surgeon and had an unexpected surgical case this morning and asked me to come see you. Your potassium is within normal limits. Everything looks great.”
Amelia’s legs swung over the bed. “I can leave?”
Riviera chuckled at her rapt movement. “I think it’s safe to say
Amelia worried the hem of her blanket. She didn’t want to need his help. But, truth was, she did.
She didn’t have anyone else to depend on.
Wouldn’t it be safer to receive help from a stranger instead of parents who’d dangle it over her head and then withhold it anyway? Even after she’d humbled herself to begging for Reece’s sake? “Government agencies all declined me because they took into account my parents’ income, since we lived with them.”
Why she said that aloud, she didn’t know. Other than her needing him to know she wasn’t a flake. That she had valid reasons for her financial struggles.
Truthfully, she battled feeling scared to death being on her own and caring for another human being who depended on her for life and everything in it.
Amelia swallowed a good portion of pride along with the growing lump in her throat. She’d made hundreds of soundchoices the past five years. Unfortunately, one wrong choice preceding that determined the course of her life up to this point.
“I ended up a struggling single mother before I was ready because I wrongly trusted a man with everything I had. I don’t know if I can take that kind of risk again.”
The moment locked in silence, Amelia held Ben’s gaze.
What she saw there were eyes corded to a soul that seemed to reach through with a lifeline and beckon her to believe.
You can trust me, Amelia.
Could she?
Even if she were capable of trust again, was he trustworthy? Was Ben Dillinger a man of integrity who stood by his word? Someone she could take at face value?
Or was he, like Reggie, just out to take advantage of her for his own gain? No one helped another person unless it benefited them. Something motivated this man to act like he cared. What was it?
Her head was filled with questions.
Was he acting? Or did he truly care? If the remote possibility existed he did care, why?
No matter. She had to get to that job by next Tuesday.
Chapter Six
“B ad move, Dillinger,” Amelia said early the next morning as she slid her queen diagonally two spaces. “Check. Mate.”
“No way!” Ben leaned forward, studying the chessboard. “You won again?” Not possible. Except for his teammate, Brockton, no one beat him. Ever. But as Ben searched every angle for possible hope for his king, the board echoed its decree:
Check. Mate.
Hands ran overtop his freshly buzzed hair and clamped behind his head, he leaned back and eyed her with healthy respect. “I’ve only seen one other person win that fast. You blow me away.” In more ways than one.
Especially when she smiled with her whole face like that.
Knocks at the door broke the trance that rested over the room. Amelia blinked. Ben scooted back as a doctor entered.
The man, familiar to Ben, approached with an outstretched hand. “I’m Dr. Riviera, an associate of Dr. Callahan.”
Amelia shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure meeting you, too.” The doctor looked from Amelia to Ben and smiled. “I’m sure we’ve met before. You’re a friend of Joel and Amber Montgomery’s, right?”
“Yeah.” Ben nodded, realizing where he’d seen the manbefore. Ben turned to Amelia. “Joel’s my team leader and friend. He recently married and adopted a son,” he explained to her, and faced Riviera again. “You’re Bradley’s oncologist, right?”
“I am. Little guy’s doing fabulous. He’ll probably outlive us all.” Riviera flipped through Amelia’s medical records. “Dr. Callahan is a trauma surgeon and had an unexpected surgical case this morning and asked me to come see you. Your potassium is within normal limits. Everything looks great.”
Amelia’s legs swung over the bed. “I can leave?”
Riviera chuckled at her rapt movement. “I think it’s safe to say
Similar Books
