“Oh. Okay. Do you know that he has a heart issue?”
“Yes, he told me that would be your main concern. I talked to Trish, my nurse practitioner, and she said she knows about his condition and can handle the issue at hand, the meds and all that. But, if I wanted to hire a specialist, she would understand and work with them since his case is a little more advanced than a textbook heart defect. I’ve already looked into it, but Trish is more than qualified since she mostly works with adults with Down syndrome and autism who do suffer from heart issues.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I’ve done my homework, Ms. Soledad, and I truly believe that we are what is best for Rodney.”
“You don’t know him.”
“True, not like you, and I know that. But I feel this would be great for him.”
She swallowed hard as she dropped her head, staring at her feet. “I don’t have the money for this, and if I get in there and you tell me it will cost more than what I’m paying now for Riverdale, I might cut you right there. Rodney is excited, and he thinks he’s already in.”
“He is. If he wanted to move in today, I would help. But I promise you, there will be no additional cost to you or him. He will work to pay his way. It gives the residents a purpose, and I know Rodney wants that. He hates how much you do for him and feels he doesn’t do anything for you.”
“He loves me, and that’s enough,” she said quickly, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t trust people, especially when it comes to Rodney, but I’m trusting you, Mr. Way.”
He paused for a moment, and soon she was uneasy. Why was he pausing? “I appreciate that, and I promise I won’t do anything to hurt your brother—or you, for that matter. I will stay true to my word. He will live here for free, and he can work for anything else he wants.”
“Why?” she asked then, a tear rolling down her face. “Why are you doing this? You don’t know us from Adam.”
He chuckled a bit, and she didn’t understand. She had applied for plenty of grants and scholarships for Rodney to get into other private facilities and got nothing, which was why he was in Riverdale. It was the only home the state would pay for. But now, after three years, this came along? It all just seemed too good to be true.
“Because Rodney reminds me of my brother. And the moment I met him, I knew he was special, and no, not in a creepy ‘I want your brother’ way, but in a genuine, ‘I have to help this guy be happy’ way. There are good people out there, Ms. Soledad. Even if they wear a hard shell that no one can get through, they’re good people.”
His words hit a little too close to home, but she wouldn’t let him know that. “Well then, let’s hope everything you just said is the truth.”
“It is.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“And I look forward to hearing your verdict when we meet, which I’m sure will be a very interesting meeting.”
Her brows pulled together. “Why do you say that?”
His voice got deeper, if that was even possible, as her eyes met the poster of Johansson once more. Why did she keep doing that, and what the hell was wrong with this guy’s voice? “Because you don’t trust me, even after this conversation, despite the fact that you say you do. So I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun the moment we meet face-to-face.”
“Do you have a frog in your throat or something?”
He laughed, a real laugh. “No, why?”
“Your voice keeps getting deeper, and it’s weird. Stop being weird.”
“I apologize, Ms. Soledad.” And why did his voice sound like utter sex there?
“Are you flirting with me?” Lord, why did she ask that!
He was still laughing. “For someone who doesn’t trust me, you sure do move fast.”
Her brows shot up as she glared at Johansson’s poster. “Fast? I’m just setting ground rules here, Mr. Way. And the first one is, you can’t flirt with me.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Sure. I think I’m done here.”
“Are you?” he asked, laughter in his voice, and her heart skipped a beat. Yup, she’d need to get her ducks in a row before she met this guy. He was trouble, he cared about adults with disabilities, and he had a sexy voice. She bet Chrissie was right; he was probably all sexy and shit too. Yeah, Brie wouldn’t make it. She was too horny and too emotionally fucked up.
“Stay away from me,” she blurted out, and he laughed harder.
“That’s gonna be hard.”
“No, uh, okay, bye.” Hanging up, she let her head drop. “I’m an idiot.”
“I would like to think you’re not, but explain to me why that applies today.”
Looking up, she saw her best friend and smiled. Mekena, like always, looked classically beautiful, covered head to toe in modest clothing. She was always so cute, while Brie tiptoed on the line between vagrant and dressed to the nines. There was no middle ground for her. At that moment, she was wearing jeans and a big Assassins sweatshirt. No one would see her but the team, and she just hadn’t had it in her to get ready that morning.
“I just accused the guy that owns the little community that we’re looking into for Rodney of flirting with me, and then I told him to stay away from me.”
Mekena blinked and then almost fell over laughing. “What is wrong with you? You’re more awkward than me!”
Covering her face, Brie shook her head. “I don’t know. He has this deep, sexy voice, and it keeps getting deeper each time he talks. And then he has this laugh, and, yeah, I’m dumb and need to get laid.”
Mekena choked. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not. You’re already texting Markus about it.”
Slowly tucking her phone into her pocket, Mekena shook her head. “Never.”
“Yeah, you’re a horrible best friend.”
Mekena grinned. “Technically, this is a one-sided best friendship. I’m sure Avery would kill me if I gave her title away.”
Brie rolled her eyes at the mention of Mekena’s other best friend, who lived in Florida. Mekena and Avery had been friends since college, which was only like two years ago, but still. “You can have more than one best friend, you weirdo.”
“Oh, I’ll have to talk to Avery about that.” Mekena was extremely sweet and loyal. While Brie appreciated that, it kind of annoyed her. But then she felt pathetic. Why did she need a best friend? She had Rodney. She didn’t need anyone else. “But I do love you.”
“Yes, he told me that would be your main concern. I talked to Trish, my nurse practitioner, and she said she knows about his condition and can handle the issue at hand, the meds and all that. But, if I wanted to hire a specialist, she would understand and work with them since his case is a little more advanced than a textbook heart defect. I’ve already looked into it, but Trish is more than qualified since she mostly works with adults with Down syndrome and autism who do suffer from heart issues.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I’ve done my homework, Ms. Soledad, and I truly believe that we are what is best for Rodney.”
“You don’t know him.”
“True, not like you, and I know that. But I feel this would be great for him.”
She swallowed hard as she dropped her head, staring at her feet. “I don’t have the money for this, and if I get in there and you tell me it will cost more than what I’m paying now for Riverdale, I might cut you right there. Rodney is excited, and he thinks he’s already in.”
“He is. If he wanted to move in today, I would help. But I promise you, there will be no additional cost to you or him. He will work to pay his way. It gives the residents a purpose, and I know Rodney wants that. He hates how much you do for him and feels he doesn’t do anything for you.”
“He loves me, and that’s enough,” she said quickly, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t trust people, especially when it comes to Rodney, but I’m trusting you, Mr. Way.”
He paused for a moment, and soon she was uneasy. Why was he pausing? “I appreciate that, and I promise I won’t do anything to hurt your brother—or you, for that matter. I will stay true to my word. He will live here for free, and he can work for anything else he wants.”
“Why?” she asked then, a tear rolling down her face. “Why are you doing this? You don’t know us from Adam.”
He chuckled a bit, and she didn’t understand. She had applied for plenty of grants and scholarships for Rodney to get into other private facilities and got nothing, which was why he was in Riverdale. It was the only home the state would pay for. But now, after three years, this came along? It all just seemed too good to be true.
“Because Rodney reminds me of my brother. And the moment I met him, I knew he was special, and no, not in a creepy ‘I want your brother’ way, but in a genuine, ‘I have to help this guy be happy’ way. There are good people out there, Ms. Soledad. Even if they wear a hard shell that no one can get through, they’re good people.”
His words hit a little too close to home, but she wouldn’t let him know that. “Well then, let’s hope everything you just said is the truth.”
“It is.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“And I look forward to hearing your verdict when we meet, which I’m sure will be a very interesting meeting.”
Her brows pulled together. “Why do you say that?”
His voice got deeper, if that was even possible, as her eyes met the poster of Johansson once more. Why did she keep doing that, and what the hell was wrong with this guy’s voice? “Because you don’t trust me, even after this conversation, despite the fact that you say you do. So I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun the moment we meet face-to-face.”
“Do you have a frog in your throat or something?”
He laughed, a real laugh. “No, why?”
“Your voice keeps getting deeper, and it’s weird. Stop being weird.”
“I apologize, Ms. Soledad.” And why did his voice sound like utter sex there?
“Are you flirting with me?” Lord, why did she ask that!
He was still laughing. “For someone who doesn’t trust me, you sure do move fast.”
Her brows shot up as she glared at Johansson’s poster. “Fast? I’m just setting ground rules here, Mr. Way. And the first one is, you can’t flirt with me.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Sure. I think I’m done here.”
“Are you?” he asked, laughter in his voice, and her heart skipped a beat. Yup, she’d need to get her ducks in a row before she met this guy. He was trouble, he cared about adults with disabilities, and he had a sexy voice. She bet Chrissie was right; he was probably all sexy and shit too. Yeah, Brie wouldn’t make it. She was too horny and too emotionally fucked up.
“Stay away from me,” she blurted out, and he laughed harder.
“That’s gonna be hard.”
“No, uh, okay, bye.” Hanging up, she let her head drop. “I’m an idiot.”
“I would like to think you’re not, but explain to me why that applies today.”
Looking up, she saw her best friend and smiled. Mekena, like always, looked classically beautiful, covered head to toe in modest clothing. She was always so cute, while Brie tiptoed on the line between vagrant and dressed to the nines. There was no middle ground for her. At that moment, she was wearing jeans and a big Assassins sweatshirt. No one would see her but the team, and she just hadn’t had it in her to get ready that morning.
“I just accused the guy that owns the little community that we’re looking into for Rodney of flirting with me, and then I told him to stay away from me.”
Mekena blinked and then almost fell over laughing. “What is wrong with you? You’re more awkward than me!”
Covering her face, Brie shook her head. “I don’t know. He has this deep, sexy voice, and it keeps getting deeper each time he talks. And then he has this laugh, and, yeah, I’m dumb and need to get laid.”
Mekena choked. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not. You’re already texting Markus about it.”
Slowly tucking her phone into her pocket, Mekena shook her head. “Never.”
“Yeah, you’re a horrible best friend.”
Mekena grinned. “Technically, this is a one-sided best friendship. I’m sure Avery would kill me if I gave her title away.”
Brie rolled her eyes at the mention of Mekena’s other best friend, who lived in Florida. Mekena and Avery had been friends since college, which was only like two years ago, but still. “You can have more than one best friend, you weirdo.”
“Oh, I’ll have to talk to Avery about that.” Mekena was extremely sweet and loyal. While Brie appreciated that, it kind of annoyed her. But then she felt pathetic. Why did she need a best friend? She had Rodney. She didn’t need anyone else. “But I do love you.”
