serious.
“I’ll get your mom to bed,” Hope said.
“I’ll help,” Paul said. “You’ve already put in a full day.”
“I don’t mind.”
He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for her when she looked at him with those kind eyes and that warm smile. It had been nearly a week since she kissed him, and he’d thought about it at least a thousand times since then. They were leaving on Tuesday to take Marion to the mainland, and he couldn’t wait to have some time alone with Hope to get to know her better.
Despite the guilt Paul felt over being interested in an employee, he had to think his dad would approve of his affection for Hope, especially because of the way she took care of Marion.
“Since you guys have got bedtime covered, we’re going over to our house to do a few things,” Alex said.
“We’ll take bedtime tomorrow,” Jenny said.
“See you in the morning,” Paul said.
Between the two of them, Paul and Hope got Marion changed and ready for bed. Hope cajoled her to take her medicine, and by the time they got her tucked in, Paul was completely worn out. The relaxing night with friends might never have happened.
“I don’t know about you, but I could use another drink,” he said when they returned to the kitchen.
“I wouldn’t say no to that.”
“Beer, wine or more tequila?”
“I’ve consumed my yearly limit of tequila tonight. I’ll have a beer.”
He opened two of them. “Let’s go outside,” he said, gesturing for her to go out ahead of him to the back deck, where the stargazing was at its best.
Chapter 6
Hope and Paul sat on the stairs to enjoy their beers.
“I’m sorry she’s so awful to you,” Paul said. “Alex and I feel terrible about that.”
“Don’t. It goes with the territory. It doesn’t bother me.”
“ How does it not bother you? We love her, and it makes us nuts.”
“I guess I’m just used to it. I’ve worked with dementia patients for years, and I’ve learned not to take their abuse personally. Most of them are lovely people who, in their right minds, would be appalled by their behavior. I try to stay focused on who they were rather than who they are now.”
“I feel guilty because sometimes I forget who she used to be.”
“Tell me what you remember.”
“She loved to cook and fuss over Alex and me and our dad. They were crazy in love, constantly dancing and kissing and whispering to each other. It used to gross us out when we were teenagers.”
Hope laughed. “I’m sure it did.”
“Alex used to tell them to get a room.”
“And isn’t he one to talk these days?”
“I know, right?” Paul laughed. “Such a hypocrite.”
“I think he and Jenny are adorable together.”
“I do, too, even if I could do with a little less PDA.”
“They’re moving out soon.”
“None too soon, if you ask me. I’ve had to learn to sleep with headphones on or hear things that can’t be unheard.”
Hope lost it laughing. “Aww, poor Paul. How do you stand it?”
“I can’t stand it. I’ll be first in line to move them the hell out of here.”
“Anyway, about your mom…”
“Right,” he said, wondering how he’d gotten off on a tangent, with her of all people, about sex. “She ran the business after my dad died. Did all the paperwork, managed the retail store, dealt with the customers. We had a good groove going for a long time, and then she started forgetting stuff, confusing one customer with another, arguing with the college kids in the store. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was up with her until one of the kids took me aside and told me the same thing had happened with her grandmother. She was the first to use the word dementia with me. I felt like I’d been electrocuted or something.”
Overcome by the painful memories, Paul took a drink from his bottle and stared out at the darkness. “I asked David to meet me for a beer. He wasn’t the official Gansett Island doctor yet. He was home recovering
“I’ll get your mom to bed,” Hope said.
“I’ll help,” Paul said. “You’ve already put in a full day.”
“I don’t mind.”
He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for her when she looked at him with those kind eyes and that warm smile. It had been nearly a week since she kissed him, and he’d thought about it at least a thousand times since then. They were leaving on Tuesday to take Marion to the mainland, and he couldn’t wait to have some time alone with Hope to get to know her better.
Despite the guilt Paul felt over being interested in an employee, he had to think his dad would approve of his affection for Hope, especially because of the way she took care of Marion.
“Since you guys have got bedtime covered, we’re going over to our house to do a few things,” Alex said.
“We’ll take bedtime tomorrow,” Jenny said.
“See you in the morning,” Paul said.
Between the two of them, Paul and Hope got Marion changed and ready for bed. Hope cajoled her to take her medicine, and by the time they got her tucked in, Paul was completely worn out. The relaxing night with friends might never have happened.
“I don’t know about you, but I could use another drink,” he said when they returned to the kitchen.
“I wouldn’t say no to that.”
“Beer, wine or more tequila?”
“I’ve consumed my yearly limit of tequila tonight. I’ll have a beer.”
He opened two of them. “Let’s go outside,” he said, gesturing for her to go out ahead of him to the back deck, where the stargazing was at its best.
Chapter 6
Hope and Paul sat on the stairs to enjoy their beers.
“I’m sorry she’s so awful to you,” Paul said. “Alex and I feel terrible about that.”
“Don’t. It goes with the territory. It doesn’t bother me.”
“ How does it not bother you? We love her, and it makes us nuts.”
“I guess I’m just used to it. I’ve worked with dementia patients for years, and I’ve learned not to take their abuse personally. Most of them are lovely people who, in their right minds, would be appalled by their behavior. I try to stay focused on who they were rather than who they are now.”
“I feel guilty because sometimes I forget who she used to be.”
“Tell me what you remember.”
“She loved to cook and fuss over Alex and me and our dad. They were crazy in love, constantly dancing and kissing and whispering to each other. It used to gross us out when we were teenagers.”
Hope laughed. “I’m sure it did.”
“Alex used to tell them to get a room.”
“And isn’t he one to talk these days?”
“I know, right?” Paul laughed. “Such a hypocrite.”
“I think he and Jenny are adorable together.”
“I do, too, even if I could do with a little less PDA.”
“They’re moving out soon.”
“None too soon, if you ask me. I’ve had to learn to sleep with headphones on or hear things that can’t be unheard.”
Hope lost it laughing. “Aww, poor Paul. How do you stand it?”
“I can’t stand it. I’ll be first in line to move them the hell out of here.”
“Anyway, about your mom…”
“Right,” he said, wondering how he’d gotten off on a tangent, with her of all people, about sex. “She ran the business after my dad died. Did all the paperwork, managed the retail store, dealt with the customers. We had a good groove going for a long time, and then she started forgetting stuff, confusing one customer with another, arguing with the college kids in the store. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was up with her until one of the kids took me aside and told me the same thing had happened with her grandmother. She was the first to use the word dementia with me. I felt like I’d been electrocuted or something.”
Overcome by the painful memories, Paul took a drink from his bottle and stared out at the darkness. “I asked David to meet me for a beer. He wasn’t the official Gansett Island doctor yet. He was home recovering
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