Under Your Skin Read Online Free PDF

entered the room and saw a woman leaning over his mom trying to pull her to standing.
    â€œShould she be doing that yet?”
    The woman looked over her shoulder at Kai. He recognized her as the nurse who’d been caring for his mom. “She needs to exercise often. She has to get used to the knee. It’s a process, but it won’t work unless she cooperates.”
    â€œWhat’s the problem, Mom?”
    Lani jabbed a finger at the walker near the bed. “That thing. I’m not old and crippled. I don’t need that. I know how to walk.”
    He rubbed a hand over his face. “Can I have a minute with my mom?”
    The nurse nodded. “I’ll be back in five.”
    When she was gone, Kai didn’t get a chance to say anything. “Don’t start with me, Kai. That thing is the beginning. I use that and all of a sudden I’m too feeble to take care of myself.”
    His mother’s stubbornness might kill him. “Walking will be hard at first. This is just to help.”
    Her eyes filled. “If I need the walker, then you’ll have reason to get rid of me. Leave me in that old folks’ home.”
    â€œI told you, it’s not an old folks’ home.”
    She sniffed, fighting back the tears. He realized it wasn’t stubbornness, but fear that drove his mom. She’d never been afraid of anything. It was a stab to the heart to see this. He sat on the edge of the bed. “You’ll be back at Jaleesa’s in no time.”
    â€œNo. Old people like me, they never get to leave those places. They suck the life out of you.” She spoke like she was spilling a secret, something she was sure of, but wasn’t supposed to know.
    He knew then he couldn’t send her to the rehab facility. He sighed and swallowed hard. “If you do what you’re supposed to do here, I’ll bring you to my house until you’re back to normal.”
    Her mouth eased into a shaky smile.
    He pointed at her. “That means you do everything the doctors and nurses say, even if you have to use a walker. If they tell me you’re being uncooperative, off to the facility.”
    She touched his arm and her wrinkly hand looked older than it should. When he leaned close to kiss her good-bye, she rubbed his jaw. “You need a shave.”
    â€œBe good. I’m going to check with Jaleesa.”
    He left the hospital and went home to move his stuff. On the way, he called Jaleesa and told her the plan. Jaleesa said she’d organize getting the equipment, like a rented hospital bed, delivered. He hadn’t even thought about that.
    At home, he spent his entire morning moving his weights and benches down to the basement, which meant he also had to move his poker table over and rearrange the space for his biweekly game. Fuck. He couldn’t let his mom anywhere near the guys. If she knew he was still friends with them, it would be an epic battle.
    How did his mom have a way of making him feel like a kid when he was a grown man?
    Didn’t matter how she did it. He knew that he’d have the guys come in through the basement door around back to keep them from her. She wouldn’t be able to manage the basement steps for weeks. And if she could handle them, it would be time for her to go back to Jaleesa’s.
    After organizing his workout equipment, he went back upstairs to make sure the house was clean. The doctor had said his mom should be discharged within a day or two. He didn’t want to hear complaints about dust.
    By the time he made it to the shop, he was cranky and tired. The last thing he needed was Tommy and his sister standing at the counter laughing. Karla, his piercer, was laughing with them.
    He looked at Tommy. “Don’t you have work to do?”
    â€œClient just left. I was giving Norah a tour.”
    â€œAnd explaining some of the more creative slang you guys use around here. Pussyball is something that I know should