Free Lowlander Silverback (Gorilla Shifter Royalty 1) by T. S. Joyce Page A

guessing?”
    “Yes, sir,” he murmured, approaching the bed to shake Mac’s offered hand. It was cold and frail in Kong’s grasp, and he reminded himself to be gentle, like with Layla.
    “Mac,” the man said, gesturing to a chair beside the bed.
    Outside the large picture window, the sun had gone down and the evening was doused in shades of navy. Inside the room, it was sterile and white, and Kong’s work boots squeaked with every step he took toward the chair, but the soft glow of lights over Mac’s bed warmed up the room. That and all the pictures pinned to the wall behind his headboard. Kong studied the ones closest to him and smiled in surprise. They were all of Mac and Layla. Some of them, she didn’t look older than sixteen.
    “My wife and I never had kids,” Mac said with a dreamy look at the photo Kong was staring at. “We tried, but it didn’t happen for us before she got sick. And then Layla came along, and I got my shot at raising one after all. Funny how things work out sometimes.”
    Kong sat down in the chair and relaxed into it. “She told me about her parents leaving.”
    Mac’s lips ticked as he shook his head in disgust. “They weren’t fit in the first place. Layla fell to pieces when they left, but me? I was glad they were gone. At least Layla had a shot of a couple of normal years before she went out on her own. It was late in her life to give her stability, but she took to it. Most kids would’ve acted out, but not her. She was a Steady-Eddie. Responsible beyond what the kids at her school were, but she’d already been on her own a lot by then.” Mac swung his intelligent gaze to Kong. “I’m so proud of that kid I don’t know what to do with myself.”
    Kong grinned and nodded. “She sure loves you.”
    Mac nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “Do you know what she does every morning, first thing?”
    Kong shook his head. He didn’t know nearly enough about Layla.
    “She drives out to the cemetery and waters my late wife’s grave. Gloria has the greenest patch of grass and the cleanest headstone. I used to do it. Every day I visited my wife because I still feel very much married. But when my health went, Layla picked up where I couldn’t. She brings me pictures every time she visits, and my Gloria has different flower arrangements in every one.”
    Kong’s throat tightened as he fell for Layla even more. She was a good one. A genuinely decent person. Perhaps she was the best he’d ever met, and he was saying goodbye in a letter.
    “Can I ask you something?” Kong said softly as he fingered the folded paper in his hands.
    “Sure.”
    “Why didn’t you ever re-marry? Lots of people find someone else after they lose a mate, but you didn’t. Why not?”
    “Because my Gloria was it for me, son. And may you be lucky enough to find a woman like that. I had thirty good years with the love of my life. I lived an entire lifetime with her. Some men only get one big love, Kong. One shot at that kind of happiness. Anyone else would’ve just felt like filler until I died and joined Gloria again.”
    Mac watched him for a long time, but Kong couldn’t speak. Not now when he felt like Layla was that for him. The other females were the filler, and he was choosing them over something real with her.
    “Layla has talked about you over the years,” Mac said quietly. “People don’t affect her like they do you or me. She shut down after her parents left and became protective of her heart. But with you, I saw that spark in her eyes again. It was nice to see her open up about someone other than me. I was hoping she wouldn’t be alone in this world when I go. This morning she said you would leave soon, though.”
    Kong nodded his head, a deep ache unfurling in his chest. “I’ve been called away. I’ll be gone in a week.” He made a single clicking sound behind his teeth and met Mac’s sympathetic gaze. “I’m letting her down.”
    Mac’s eyes rimmed with moisture as he pointed with