Page 290 of Under Her Skin

BLAINE

She smells like sterile alcohol and mint and it’s driving me crazy. “What made you become a nurse,Delaney?”

“Um, the need for money. Nursing school was a shorter program and the need for nurses had me knowing I’d get a job as soon as I graduated,” she answers as she looks at the menu. “Do you think the chicken-fried steak is goodhere?”

“I have no clue. You should ask our waitress, Patsy,” I say as I look over her shoulder at the menu. Her hair smells like apples, and I take a deep breath. “Man, I love thatshampoo.”

She makes a little huffing sound as if I’m bothering her, and I know it’s not in the way she’s trying to make me think. When our hands had touched, hers had trembled. That only happens when you find the other person attractive. Her body is telling me more than sherealizes.

“The picture on the menu looks good, so I’m going to go for it,” she says, then hands me the menu. “You seem to be looking at mine instead of yours, so here yougo.”

“I’ll have what you’re having. It does soundgood.”

“Me too,” Mr. Green says. “Thanks for inviting me. This place is pretty nice and the prices are reasonable. I think I might bring Mrs. Green here fordinner.”

“That’s so nice,” Delaney says as she smiles at him. “How long have you beenmarried?”

“Thirty-seven years. We’ve got three grown kids and five grandkids. Life didn’t start out too great for me. I was nineteen and in prison when I met my wife. She came into the prison on a missionary project with her church. I fell in love with her the minute I sawher.”

“Aww,” Delaney says, then looks at me. “Did you knowthat?”

I shake my head. “I’ve never taken the time to ask.” My eyes move to Mr. Green, the man who’s been my driver since the very beginning. “I’m sorry about that. It’s just that I thought of employees as just another part of business. I made sure to keep emotions out of every aspect ofit.”

“You won’t ever hear me complaining, Mr. Vanderbilt. I know many drivers who get caught up in the personal affairs of their employers. I’ve never had to worry about that withyou.”

“Well, nevertheless, I am sorry and I hope you know you can talk to me about anything you need. I know I’ve never been approachable in the past, but I’m changing that. If you have something, you let meknow.”

Patsy comes back to the table with a smile on her face. “Here are your drinks and what can I get you all toeat?”

“We’ve made it super easy for you. And take note, this is the last order you will ever have to take if you take me up on my offer, Patsy,” I tell her. “We’re all having the chicken-friedsteak.”

“You did make that easy,” she says, then turns toleave.

“Hurry back,” I say. “I can’t wait to askyou.”

She nods as she leaves, and I find it hard to believe she’s not excited in the least. Delaney looks at me and says, “I can see you’re not getting her calm demeanor, areyou?”

“Not at all,” I say as I watch her walking slowly to turn the order in. “If I was her, I’d be jumping around with the want to hear what the offer is. She seems somewhatdistracted.”

“She’s having a hard time believing you can offer her anything that will actually help her. Her daughter is dying, Blaine. The only thing you can give her to make her happy or excited is to take the cancer away from her babygirl.”

“Oh,” I say, as I can’t comprehend what she must feel like. I lost my parents, but to face the loss of a child would be devastating. “I can see I shouldn’t expect much of a reaction. And you knowwhat?”

She shakes her head as she looks into my eyes. “What?”

“That’s okay. I’m not doing this to get great reactions out of anyone. I’m doing this to help. That’s all. I don’t need to get a damn thing out of this. I just need to help where I can. Thanks for explaining that to me, Delaney. You really are aGodsend.”

Her eyes cut away, and I take her hand under the table. When she looks back at me, she has glassy eyes. “I’m not anything likethat.”

Pulling her hand up, I kiss the top of it. “Yes, youare.”

My attention is taken as Patsy pulls up a chair and sits at the end of the table. “Okay, tell me what you have, Mr.Vanderbilt.”

I don’t really want to let Delaney’s hand go, but I do as I turn my full attention to this woman who is having to live and work. Meanwhile her daughter might be living her last days or needing her more than she ever has since she was ababy.

My soul fills with something it has never experienced before. I don’t even know what the hell to call it. Maybe empathy. I don’t know. I just know it kind ofhurts.

“Patsy, I want you to know I have no idea how hard things are for you right now. I do know that I can’t fix anything for you or your daughter. I can, however, give you time to be with her. I can give you the money you need. I can give you a job that will pay you until you can come do it. I’m offering you a job at the headquarters of my company. The position is as a consultant. The salary is six figures and it comes with immediate insurance benefits. I will personally pay the co-pays. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Just be there for your daughter during the time she needs you the most.” I take my wallet, pull out three thousand dollars, and place it on the table in front of her. “This is your first bonus. If you take my offer, you’ll be paid every Friday, starting this coming Friday. Do you need a minute todecide?”