Double? “No, that’s not right,” she said distractedly.
“Please, Merrily. I can’t get along by myself, and it’s a big house, lots of room, beautiful area. Did I say that you’re the only one I trust?”
At the moment she couldn’t do anything but gape at his handsome face. This beautiful man wanted her to move in with him, at least temporarily. He didn’t have to just disappear out of her life, after all. He trusted her.
“I know it’s asking a lot,” he said, squeezing her hand, “but Carlos says that because of the nursing shortage you can probably take a leave of absence and come right back here to your job when you’re ready.”
Her job was the least of it, actually. She could get another job. Nurses could pretty much write their own tickets these days, which was why Royce was going to have a difficult time finding someone with really good skills to take care of him. No, the job was the not the problem. The problems, plural, were her brothers. Jody would hit the roof if she told him she was moving out even temporarily, and the other two would lay on foot-deep guilt trips. They’d never taken care of themselves a day in their lives. Maybe it was about time they did.
Why shouldn’t she do this if she wanted to? They were all adults. It might do them some good to start acting like it, including her.
“Look,” Royce went on. “I wouldn’t even mind if you have company over. I mean, if you have a boyfriend or something…”
“No boyfriend,” Merrily murmured, already working out the logistics of it. She had to call her supervisor right away. No one was going to be happy about the short notice, but it couldn’t be helped. Then she had to pack, and it would be best to take everything she might need with her the first time, since any time she returned to the house she’d undoubtedly have to contend with one or all of her brothers. She’d get started tonight while Jody and Kyle slept and Lane was out with his friends.
“Maybe there’s someone else then?” she dimly heard Royce ask.
“Hmm? No, not really.”
He squeezed her hand again, and this time heat burned in her chest, creeping up her throat to her face. Professional, she reminded herself. This was purely professional. Nevertheless, her heart was beating like a big bass drum.
“Can you do it?” he asked, gazing at her with those blue, blue eyes.
Could she? Oh, yes. She nodded, afraid she might gush if she spoke.
“Will you?”
Merrily took a deep breath, drawing her composure around her.
“Please,” he added softly. “Merrily, I need you.”
Something inside her melted, and she said the only thing that she’d even thought of saying. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Jody demanded.
“It’s a job,” Merrily repeated for the third time, shoving toiletries into the small suitcase open on her bed. Since her announcement at breakfast all three of her brothers had been in a lather.
“You already have a job at the hospital!” Lane exclaimed.
“I’ve taken a leave,” she said, returning to the dresser for her hairbrush.
“You can’t move out of here!” Lane protested.
“It’s only temporary.”
“Who’s gonna take care of us in the meantime?” Kyle wanted to know.
Merrily stuffed her nightgown into the bag on top of everything else and closed the lid. “You’ll just have to take care of yourselves.”
“You’re not going,” Jody insisted angrily. “Mom and Dad—”
“—are off seeing America,” Merrily finished for him, straightening, “and even if they weren’t, I’d still be taking this job.”
“I forbid it!”
“Forbid away, but I’m an adult, Jody, and I’ll do as I please.”
“But you can’t,” Lane whined.
“Why not? You do.”
“That’s different.”
She gaped at him, though why she was surprised was beyond her. “It’s not different, Lane. It’s not at all different, and it’s time the three of you came to grips with that fact.”
Jody wagged a finger in her face. “You are my responsibility.”
“Oh, shut up. I’m twenty-six years old. I’m no one’s responsibility but my own, and if you want to be responsible for something, get a life and be responsible for that.” She grabbed the suitcase by the handle and hauled it off the bed while Jody stood there with his mouth open. For a moment she waited in the hopes that at least one of them would show a glimmer of understanding, but only seconds went by before she realized the folly of that. Taking a deep breath, she moved toward the door. She had hauled the rest of her things out to the car last night, leaving only those things she’d needed to dress this morning and the gown she’d slept in.
“Who’s gonna do my shirts?” Lane wanted to know.
“Take ’em to a laundry,” she suggested blandly.
“Who’s gonna cook?” Kyle groused.
“There are ten thousand restaurants in San Antonio,” Merrily said with a sigh.
“I wanna know who this guy you’re moving in with is,” Jody suddenly demanded.
That finally brought her to a halt. She glanced over her shoulder. “This ‘guy’ took a fall down a flight of stairs, dislocated his shoulder and broke his arm. He has compound fractures of the leg, not to mention torn ligaments, a concussion and various contusions. He is helpless and alone, and he offered me twice what I’m making at the hospital.”
Only Kyle had the nerve to block her path, whimpering, “But we already need you.”
She leveled a disgusted look at him and said drolly, “You may be helpless, Kyle, but at least you’re not alone.”
“I am not helpless,” he said, lifting his chin. “I have a college education.”
Merrily rolled her eyes. “So do I.” She began moving toward the door again. “I suggest you hire a housekeeper, but first get your lazy, college-educated butt out of my way.”
To her surprise he hopped aside. Without so much as a backward glance, she carried the suitcase through the door and out of the house. To freedom.
Chapter Four
“You’ll follow us?” Royce asked through the rear window of the SUV, knowing perfectly well that was the arrangement they’d made.
Merrily nodded and waved as she walked toward the employee parking lot, his paperwork tucked neatly beneath one arm. He rolled up the rear window and put his back to it, his injured leg propped on the seat. As the vehicle moved away, Royce put his head back and closed his eyes, disgusted with himself on several levels.
For one thing, just riding in a wheelchair down to meet Dale, who had retrieved his SUV from the house in order to pick him up in comfort, had his heart pounding as if he’d hopped down from the third floor on his one good leg all by himself. For another, he’d just robbed the hospital of a very fine nurse, and he knew that he’d done it for reasons that went far beyond the obvious medical need. The very idea of having Merrily Gage under his own roof, alone with him for weeks, had conjured the sort of dreams that disturbed a