Under the Viaduct by H. Anderson (first e reader txt) 📗

of his lips. “And I’d like to save up for a place to live—just a room or studio apartment—now that I have a job.”

A smile spread wide across her face and she held herself back from throwing her arms around him. He was really doing it! He was really getting his life together! “Of course, I will. And I’ll help you look for a place.”

He took her shoulders in his hands and stepped closer to her, staring down into her face with a smile. “Thank you.” His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips and back. His smile faded and his tongue darted out to lick his lips again nervously.

Kaylee’s throat went dry and her heart pounded in her ears. Was this too soon? Should she pull away? Her muddled brain couldn’t decide, but her lips knew what they wanted. She tilted her head up and wet her lips. Blayne’s hands tightened on her shoulders and he pulled her closer, his mouth lowering…

“Hey, Kaylee!” Max called from his small deck. “What’s up?”

The spell broken, Blayne dropped his hands and backed away. He stared at the ground and put his hands in his pockets.

“Uh, hi Max.” Kaylee yelled. “We’ll be up in a second.” He did that on purpose, she thought. He doesn’t trust Blayne yet. Jerk. With an apologetic smile she shrugged and boldly grabbed Blayne’s hand with a defiant look up at Max and led him to the stairs leading up to Max’s apartment.

Max held the door open for them, Allie stood behind him, her mouth tilted up in a knowing smirk. “Hey, Kay, Blayne! How was the date?”

Blayne looked down at Kaylee. “Hopefully not over yet.”

Her stomach flipped, and she bit her bottom lip to keep her smile from taking over her entire face. She cleared her throat of the large stone-like lump that had formed there in the last two seconds. “It’s been great,”—she flicked her gaze up at Blayne—“so far.”

Motioning toward the couch, Max said, “Come in and have a seat. What brings you to visit?”

Kaylee sat first, leaving the choice to Blayne of how close to sit to each other. He left a couple of inches between them—just enough so their legs brushed against each other if one of them moved. Allie and Max sat in chairs across from them. Kaylee noted how Max had positioned the chairs at an angle to make it easier for Allie to turn and read his lips as they spoke.

“We have a medical question for you, Max,” Kaylee said. “Mama C has been sick for several days now and seems to be getting worse.”

“What kind of symptoms is she having?” Max leaned forward, in full almost-a-doctor mode at the mention of illness.

“Coughing mostly,” Kaylee answered.

“And shortness of breath,” Blayne added. “She was huffing so hard yesterday after a trip to the store, I thought she was going to pass out.”

Max nodded. “Is she coughing anything up? Has she had a fever?”

“She’s definitely had a fever,” Kaylee said.

“And she sounds like she’s hacking up a lung,” Blayne wrinkled his nose, “but don’t ask me what color the mucous is, that stuff makes me want to throw up.”

Max laughed. “Yeah. That isn’t my favorite thing either.” He turned serious, a little V appearing between his eyes. “Sounds like she may have pneumonia. She should really go see a doctor.”

“She won’t,” Kaylee and Blayne answered at the same time.

Allie, who had been turning from face to face as she followed their conversation, spoke up. “Max can go take a look at her. We aren’t doing anything right now.”

Kaylee perked up. “Would you, Max? That would be awesome. I’ve been giving her cold medicine and making her drink fluids and eat soup, but that’s about the extent of my medical skills.”

Max turned to Allie and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, guess I can go do a quick exam on her.” He stood and walked down the hall to his room, soon reappearing with a stethoscope around his neck.

Zipping up her coat, Allie smiled. “Let’s go.”

Max frowned and signed to her, Why don’t you stay here. I won’t be long.

Allie rolled her eyes. Quit worrying. I’ll be fine. Kaylee has been hanging out with these guys for weeks.

“Come on you two,” Kaylee said. “You know you aren’t going to change her mind, Max.”

With a sigh, Max pulled his jacket on and held the door open for the rest of them.

Kaylee parked as close to the encampment as she could and left her headlights on at Max’s insistence—so he “could see to examine Mama C.”

Blayne approached the small group first, Mama C eyeing him with a deep frown. “You look nice, Blayne.” She lowered her voice to a hoarse growl. “But why you bringing people…” She broke off into a rattling cough that wracked her small body in fitful spasms.

Worry creasing his face, Blayne knelt down next to her and supported her back as she hacked, Kaylee kneeling on her other side. The coughing ceased, Mama C leaned back against his arm, her chest heaving up and down with each ragged breath. It took several minutes for her lips to return to a pale pink from the blue color they’d turned.

“Mama,” Blayne touched her forehead, “you’re burning up, and that cough is getting worse. Kaylee’s friend is a doctor, and he agreed to come and take a look at you.”

“I don’t need a doctor, Blayne. I told you to just let nature take its course.”

Blayne shook his head. “Just let him listen to your lungs. Please.”

“Fine.” She reached to pat Kaylee’s hand. “Tell your friend he can come listen.” Her eyes flicked to where Max and Allie stood ten feet away and she chuckled. “And tell them I don’t bite.”

Kaylee motioned them over and moved out of the way so Max could get to Mama C.

“Hi, ma’am,” Max said, squatting beside her. “I’m Max. Can I help you get your coat off so I can listen to your lungs?”

Mama C nodded and pushed