Honor immediately went after her. “You’re still so sick. I’m sorry.”
“She’s a little better,” Hogan said. “But she’s lousy in the mornings.”
Jason said, “Antibiotics are an amazing thing.”
“I don’t know,” Honor mused. “Could be your brother’s good nursing skills that are doing the trick.”
“Maybe.” Arching a brow, Jason grinned at Hogan. “Colt’s on his way.” He nodded at Hogan’s lap. “You, ah, might want to get on some pants. Denim maybe. Something sturdy.”
“Shut the hell up.” But he went down the hall, taking deep breaths with each step, and found his pants. Behave, he told his dick. Now, with the house full, it should be easier to do.
On his way to the bathroom, he heard Violet say, “You guys, this isn’t—”
“Any of our business,” Honor happily finished for her.
Hogan could almost see Honor smiling. Such a caring person, and not a snide bone in her body.
He wondered if she woke up grouchy. Didn’t seem likely; Honor was always a sweetheart.
In rapid order, Hogan dressed, brushed his teeth and finger-combed his hair. He would have liked to shave, but he’d just made it back to the small living room when Colt arrived.
For his son, nothing seemed amiss.
Jason had coffee going and Honor pulled a bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies from her tote.
They gathered in the kitchen. Hogan saw to it that Violet took her medicine, and to everyone else’s amusement, she let him. It didn’t occur to him that it might seem uncommon for him to feel her head for fever, or to suggest ibuprofen. At least, it didn’t until he realized they were all gawking.
Honor quickly said, “The cookies aren’t really homemade. All I do is bake them, but Colt likes them.”
“I do,” Colt agreed, putting three on his plate and then serving Violet.
She smiled at Colt, thanked him and said, “I’m not dying, people. I don’t have to be coddled.”
Except that she’d wanted to be coddled last night—by him.
“I can help again today,” Colt offered. “I’m cutting grass this morning, but then I’m free.”
“You don’t mind? You don’t have a date or something else you’d rather be doing?”
“The date was last night—sort of. She hung out at the diner with some of our friends. I got to visit on breaks, and I’ll see her Monday at school. You’ll be well soon, so it’s not a problem.” He grinned. “You’ve slipped me enough free refills and always give me double orders of fries. I’m glad to pay it back a little.”
That was news to Hogan. So Violet had been pampering his son? Nice.
Violet turned to Hogan. “You can fill out a time card for him?”
Hogan and Colt protested at the same time.
She held up a hand. “For once, you two look alike.” She frowned at Colt. “You are the nicest young man ever, but you can’t work for free. I wouldn’t want you to, and I won’t let you. And you,” she said to Hogan, “shouldn’t let him.”
Jason laughed. “Well, he is saving up for college, so...be gracious, Colt, and thank the lady.”
“Thank you.”
As the cookies and coffee were consumed, Hogan stewed. Yes, his son was saving for college—because his college fund had been robbed, wasted. And he, Hogan, had been blind to it, never once suspecting. It still made him ill. God, he’d been such a fool.
Violet’s bare foot thumped his calf under the table.
He looked up and saw her glowering at him. “What?”
Rolling her eyes, coughing briefly, she said, “Your brother asked you a question.”
“Oh.” He gave his attention to Jason. “What was it?”
“I asked if you wanted us to stay with Violet so you could go home and do whatever for a while.”
“And I,” Violet said, “told him I didn’t need a babysitter.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Hogan agreed. He stood. “And yes, I’ll be heading home now.” He waited until the others caught his not-so-subtle hint and abandoned their chairs.
“I need to get started on a new gazebo today,” Jason said.
Honor hooked her arm through her husband’s. “And I have to be at the salon in an hour.”
Glad to get them on their way, Hogan nodded. “I’ll walk you guys out.”
“You’re leaving now, too?”
Violet looked small and vulnerable and as far from “sweet” as a woman could get. “We’ll talk first,” he promised her. “Then I’ll go.”
“Honor, thank you for the cookies. Jason, thank you for the coffee. And, Colt, thank you for helping out at the diner.”
Colt slung his arm around her. “Thank you for the temporary job.” He gave her a squeeze, said, “Let me know if you need anything, all right?” and followed his uncle out.
Hogan gave her a long look. “I’ll be right back.”
After a few minutes spent chatting with Jason and Honor, Hogan watched them drive away. He turned to his son. “So, how’s everything going?”
“What do you mean?”
“New girl? Odd jobs? School?”
“Everything’s great, Dad. No worries.” He rattled the keys to his old pickup in his hand, anxious to be on his way.
Hogan settled against the fender. “You like the girl?”
The slow smile reminded him way too much of himself, and his uncle. “Yeah. She’s shy, but really nice.”
“Pretty, too, I noticed.”
Colt gave one nod. “Definitely pretty.”
“Working at the diner won’t put a crimp in things?” Colt carried a lot of AP classes, worked nights and weekends cutting grass and doing yard work, plus odds and ends jobs for neighbors, and still fit in time for girls and his friends.
“No, it’ll be fine.”
He didn’t often feel uncomfortable with his son, but over a touchy subject like college, he couldn’t help but frown. “I’m setting up another college fund—”
“It’s fine.” Colt opened the truck door in a rush. “I should get going. I’ve got five lawns to finish up before the diner opens.”
“Five?”
“They’re the size of postage stamps, Dad. Won’t take me long.”
Clearly Colt didn’t want to talk about it, either. Hogan let out a long breath. “I’ll see you at noon?”
“Probably quarter till. I’ll help you open.” He put the key in the ignition, but didn’t start it. “What’ll happen tomorrow?”
Hogan shook his head. “She’ll insist on coming in. She’s still got five days of meds to take, and she’s still running on empty, but there’s no way I can stop her.”
“I guess not.” Colt gave it some thought. “Tell the others to step up as much as they can.”
“Good