Karen Rock - Someone Like You

“No. I promised Beth I’d stop by and see the boys. You have fun, though.”

He grabbed his cane and wobbled to his feet. “You have fun, too. While we’re alive, we should make every day count. In the end, that’s what matters.”

Exactly. Tomorrow she’d redouble her efforts to get her business off the ground. Prove that she was taking herself seriously, believing in herself, even if others weren’t.

“Okay, Gramps. I’ll see you in a few days.”

To her surprise, he pulled his cell from his pocket. “Why don’t I phone you on the text?”

A snort escaped her. “Gramps, you text on the phone.”

“Huh?” He fiddled with his hearing aids.

She kissed him, and they strolled out to the hall together. “Why don’t I call you, okay?”

He patted her shoulder. “Sounds good, honey. And keep your chin up. You’re going to work this out.”

She nodded, feeling more certain. “I know. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” He hugged her, then strolled down the hall lined with photos of residents taken at a variety of events. One even showed them in togas. Who knew the assisted-living facility was party central?

The key to business success was finding an unfulfilled need and supplying it to an untapped market like this.

Brett was wrong. She wasn’t just a thinker. She was a doer. As Gramps said, success might be right around the corner.

Now she just needed to turn it.

* * *

“KAYLEIGH?”

She stopped in the hallway and whirled at the familiar voice. Behind her stood MaryAnne, her pink scrubs clashing brilliantly with her scarlet hair.

“MaryAnne, hi. Happy Fourth. Sorry that you have to work.” She glanced down at her buzzing phone.

“Wait for me, okay?” MaryAnne said, ducking into the nurses’ station.

Kayleigh scanned her screen. A text from Gramps read, I’m toning you. That’s phoning you on my text. xo.

She chuckled and typed, xo X infinity.

MaryAnne hung her stethoscope on a peg in the nurses’ station then rejoined her, carrying her purse. “Actually, I swapped shifts so I could be home for our family barbecue. Are you leaving?”

Kayleigh smiled. “I think Gramps has a date.”

MaryAnne leaned in. “He’s quite the catch around here.”

“Well, I’m glad he’s happy,” Kayleigh said as they waited for the elevator.

The elevator chimed and they stepped inside.

“So what are your plans for today?” MaryAnne rummaged through her purse, pulled out hand sanitizer and squirted some into her palms. The astringent smell filled the enclosed space and made Kayleigh sneeze.

“I’m stopping in to see my sister-in-law and nephews before heading home. Nothing much.”

“Why don’t you come home with me? We’re having a family party.” Her eyes slid toward Kayleigh. “And Niall will be there. We could pick up your family and bring them.”

The elevator door opened on the ground floor and Kayleigh stepped out, stunned at the unexpected invitation, her head feeling light at the thought of seeing Niall again.

“I wouldn’t want to impose. Plus, I don’t know if Niall mentioned it, but our lunch meeting didn’t go very well.” She could only imagine Niall’s reaction to her being there. Then again, it was an opportunity to see him and make her case. Change his mind. Was this the corner she needed to turn?

MaryAnne pushed open the glass double doors, and they plunged into the bright, midafternoon sun. “Sorry, Kayleigh. Niall’s a tough nut to crack these days, but I wouldn’t give up. As for imposing on a Walsh family barbecue? Please. We’ll have loads of food and not enough people to eat it. Plus, we have a pool for the boys. Even better, you’d be doing me a favor. Niall is so uncomfortable at parties. You could talk to him, keep him busy.”

“Well—” Kayleigh considered. If there was a more perfect opportunity for her to approach Niall again, she couldn’t imagine it. And as Gramps had said, failure was giving up right before you succeeded. Here was her chance, and she’d be a fool not to take it. And she couldn’t deny that she looked forward to seeing him again. Hoped she’d find her old friend this time instead of the stranger in the restaurant. “Okay. I’ll call Beth. Ask if she wants to come and to have the boys ready. They love to swim.”

MaryAnne beamed and pulled out her car keys as they crossed the cracked asphalt parking lot, the heat so strong it wove clear ribbons in the air. Kayleigh took off her overshirt, glad she’d worn a tank top with her shorts. It’d been a sticky bus ride from her apartment.

“Good. And I know Niall will be glad to see you, even if he wasn’t on his best behavior. I can tell he enjoyed your lunch.”

Kayleigh stopped for a moment, then hurried to catch up. She thought he wanted nothing more to do with her. “How? He wasn’t willing to help when I shared some ideas with him.” Had he said something to MaryAnne? Did he want to see her again? Her heart thumped at the possibility.

MaryAnne flicked a glance her way before they stopped in front of a blue sedan. “Because he has a Five Leaves matchbook by his computer, and all of your messages are saved on his answering machine. Usually he deletes them, especially mine, but yours he keeps. When I dropped off his laundry, I snooped a little before he kicked me out.”

“Huh.” Kayleigh mulled over what that might mean. Was he thinking about her start-up? Had he decided to help? Deep down she knew that they’d succeed at anything. He just needed to remember how great they used to be together. How they could be again if he’d give them a chance.

Her pulse raced. There was only one way to find out. Although, if he got on board, she didn’t need another Brett telling her what was best for her. She needed her old friend. Partnering with someone who considered his feelings ahead of hers would be repeating history.

She’d come too far to go backward again.

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