Page 40 of From the Start

“I’m Harper.”

“Shall we go inside and meet the patient?” I ask but I don’t wait for Harper to respond before opening the door and ushering everyone inside.

“I’m not a patient,” Henry says.

“Hi, Henry,” I greet. “This is Carl. He’s a nurse. He’s going to help you get around while your arm recovers.”

Henry glares at Carl. “I’m not disabled.”

“You’re more stubborn than your daughter.”

Henry grunts. “Have you met Harper? She’s the most stubborn daughter in the world.”

I chuckle. “I’ve met her. I know.”

Harper throws her hands in the air. “Can we stop discussing how stubborn I am and move on to how you hired a nurse without letting me know?”

“You hired the nurse?” Henry asks.

I lean close to whisper to him, “I figured you might want a man to help you get to the bathroom and change your clothes.”

“Thank fuck. Carl, I need to use the facilities.”

Carl brings over the wheelchair and helps Henry into it before wheeling him down the hallway.

I wait until the door is closed behind them before facing Harper. “Let it out.”

She doesn’t hesitate. “I cannot believe you.” I start toward the kitchen. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m making us coffee. I assume this is going to take a while.”

Her chest heaves as her cheeks darken in anger. “No, this won’t take a while. You need to leave and take your nurse with you, too. This is worse than paying off the bar tab. You can’t just buy me a nurse.”

I notice the dishes piled up in the sink. “Do you have a dishwasher?”

“Hello! Are you listening to me?”

“Everyone’s listening to you,” Henry shouts from the bathroom. “The entire neighborhood can hear you!”

I open and close drawers.

“What are you doing now?”

“Searching for a dishwasher.”

“You’re going to be searching for a long time since we don’t have one.”

I want to buy her one, but considering how much she’s freaking out about the nurse, I table the thought. I roll up my sleeves before filling the sink with water. I add some dishwasher soap.

“I’m dreaming. This is some crazy dream due to lack of sleep.”

I latch onto the lack of sleep. “This is why I’m trying to help. You can’t do it all.”

“And you can’t buy me a nurse to solve all my problems,” she grits out. “This is why I’m not interested in going out on a date with you. I want a partner who listens to me.”

“Sorry, Slugger, but I’m not sorry. You’re already working yourself to death. I won’t allow someone I care for to hurt herself.”

“And your solution was to buy me a caretaker? This is not you taking care of me. This is you rolling right over my wishes.”