Free Giving It All by Arianna Hart Page A

ridiculous, but, yes, it will. I’ll never forget walking into the house and seeing your father on the kitchen floor. I’d only run to Mary Ellen’s store for some milk. I wasn’t gone half an hour and my whole world changed. I swear, every time I leave him, the entire time I’m gone, I worry I’m gonna come home and find him dead.”
    “Then go ahead and call.” Grant drove a little faster. It was the least he could do for making light of her fears. Just because she hadn’t faced enemy fire didn’t mean his mother didn’t have her own PTSD. It killed him to see her so worried when there was nothing he could do to help. Ellie better fucking answer the landline. If she worried his mother unnecessarily, he’d rip her a new one.
    Stand down, man.
    Okay, maybe his reaction was a little over the top. What did the shrink at the VA hospital call it? Transference? He was mad at himself for worrying his mom when he’d been injured, so he was taking it out on Ellie, who probably was just in the bathroom or something.
    “Hello, dear, it’s Sue. I tried your cell and no one picked up. Oh, I see. You didn’t have to do that. No, no, it’s good for him. In fact, I was going to do that later today. I appreciate your help. Yes, we’ll be home in fifteen minutes or so. Do you need anything?”
    “Everything okay?” he asked once his mom disconnected.
    “Yes, of course. Ellie was doing some of his exercises, and her phone was on the kitchen table so she didn’t feel it vibrate. You were right, I was worried for nothing.”
    “No, I was wrong to foist off your worry. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you to leave him after everything that happened.”
    “You can’t let the fear control you or you’d never leave the house. Isn’t that what you used to say?”
    “I don’t know, was I that pompous? Don’t answer that. What exercises was Ellie doing with Dad?”
    “She was stretching out his bad leg. Stroke patients often have trouble with muscle spasms and the stretches help. I usually do the exercises with him after his nap on days we don’t have PT.”
    “That was nice of her. I’m glad she’s been around to help you out.”
    “Me too. I remember when she was looking for a place to stay after her grandma died. I thought I was doing her a favor by renting her that tiny apartment over the garage. Little did I know I’d need her help so much I should be paying her to stay there.”
    “You’re lucky she was still around.”
    “Don’t I know it. It’s selfish of me, but I’m glad she and her boyfriend broke up. If they hadn’t, she might have gotten married and moved away by now.”
    “She told me that guy wasn’t her boyfriend.”
    “What guy? Oh, Peter? No, he isn’t her boyfriend. He’s gay.”
    “What?” Grant almost missed the turn off because he wasn’t paying attention to the road.
    “It’s not widely known around town, you know how some people are, but Ellie confided in me when I asked her if her boyfriend got jealous of her friendship with Peter.”
    “And did he? Is that why they broke up?”
    “I don’t think so. Ellie just said they weren’t meant for each other but she valued his friendship.”
    “Ouch.” The friendship card was second only to pointing and laughing at a guy’s dick on the list of things to be avoided at all costs. “Who was he?”
    “No one you’d know. I believe she met him in graduate school. His family was from way down near Savannah and he lived in Strasburg. I’d see him sometimes when he’d visit on the weekends. He was nice enough to look at and successful by the looks of the car he drove, but he was nothing to write home about.”
    “That’s because you’re used to looking at me,” he teased.
    “Huh, as if you’re God’s gift to womankind.”
    “Maybe not, but I can guarantee you, when Chastity and I divorced, she as hell didn’t friend zone me.”
    “That’s because you were never friends.”
    “You could be right about