As She Fades(52)

“You settling in okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes, thank you. I hear you’re stuck with him all year,” I said, nudging my brother as we began to walk out to his truck. Anything to make this seem less awkward. It was only so for me, though. I was the one having wild naughty dreams about him.

“Or he’s stuck with me,” Slate replied.

“More like I’m stuck with him,” Knox said, making Slate chuckle.

I wasn’t going to ask about their frat house life. Some things a sister did not need to know.

“How’s your uncle?” I asked Slate, changing the subject to something I was actually concerned about.

“Hanging in there. He’s in pain, though,” Slate said.

“Tell him hello for me. Or maybe you could give me his mailing address and I could send him a letter. I had hoped I’d get by to see him at least one more time before he went back home. I had promised him some of Momma’s apple pie my next visit.”

Glancing over at Slate, I noticed he had a confused frown on his face. Was I not supposed to tell him I took his uncle food?

“You visited Uncle D?” he asked, slowing down.

I had assumed his uncle would have told him. I hoped I wasn’t telling him something Uncle D didn’t want him to know. “Yes,” I finally replied with caution.

Knox began to laugh, and Slate looked at him, then back at me.

“The sneaky bastard. That’s where the lemon pound cake came from.”

Knox continued to laugh.

“I took him some pound cake that Momma sent and went to visit him two days after the dinner you came to. You’d mentioned him and I figured he could use some company and something good to eat. I hope that’s okay.”

I wasn’t sure why it wouldn’t be okay. Slate had read to me and brought my family coffee and muffins often. I appreciated him doing that and wanted to do something in return.





CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

SLATE

THE OLD MAN had spent time with Vale. No wonder he was so curious about her and concerned about how she was doing. But he didn’t tell me. I wasn’t sure why he wanted to keep that a secret, but I’d call him out on it at the next visit. Might even take him a lemon pound cake to do it.

“I’m sure you made his day with your visits. He just didn’t tell me about them, so I was surprised. Guess he wanted to keep you to himself.”

Vale smiled at that comment, and damn, that smile was something else. Her eyes lit up when her smile was real. It was hard to look away from her when she was like that.

“I’ll be going up to visit him next weekend. You’re always welcome to come along.” I said the words before thinking about them. Her smile made my brain short out, apparently.

“I’d like that. I could go by my parents’ and get him that apple pie.”

Knox wasn’t laughing anymore, and I knew why. I really should have thought before I spoke. “You could come, too, Knox,” I added.

He shot me a look that made it obvious he was thinking about my intentions. He wasn’t so sure about me at the moment. But my uncle was dying, so I could tell he was trying to keep an open mind.

“I might do that,” he finally replied.

When we got to his truck, I was relieved. I had made the conversation awkward all because her smile got to me. Also the fact she’d been visiting Uncle D and because she truly worried about the old man. Had nothing to do with getting near me. Her blond nurse, Everly, had started acting like she cared about Uncle D and showing up in his room only when I was there, to flirt with me. I saw through that shit easy enough. It had gotten to the point I tried not to visit Knox and his family when Everly was on duty. Her flirting was obvious and annoying.

I didn’t like her using my sick uncle to get to me.

Vale was different.

And she was not my speed. She was good and kind. I had to let this fascination with her go. But first I was taking her to see Uncle D. Because … well, because she fucking smiled and made me a little crazy.

“I’ll get in the back,” Vale said when I opened the passenger side of Knox’s truck.

“I’m the tag-along—I’ll get in back,” I argued.

She shook her head and began climbing in back. Her ass in those jeans was a little more than distracting.

“Nope. I’m smallest and there’s not a lot of room back here,” she said, then thankfully sat that butt in the seat and out of my face.

“She’s stubborn. No reason to argue,” Knox told me as he got inside.

“Let’s go get some pancakes at the Pancake Haven. We talked about the place enough this summer. Need to show Vale what all the fuss is about,” Knox said.

I agreed. I missed the strawberry and cream pancakes.

“Breakfast for dinner. I like it,” Vale said from the backseat.

“I know. You’re always the reason Mom pulls out the biscuits and gravy for dinner,” Knox told her with affection in his voice.

I’d witnessed him stay in a constant state of fear and worry this summer when she’d been in a coma. He had watched her breathe … as though if he stopped watching, she might not take another breath. He said they’d been really close, and he told me stories of their childhood. Things that made him laugh, and it was good to see him smile at those times.