“What’s going on?” I asked, looking between them.
Anderson spoke up. “These two are headed into work. I’m going to say with you.”
“I just have a cold and a little bit of a fever. I can be on my own.”
“You could be on your own, but why should you when I’m here?” he asked.
“We’ll be back later today. Message me if you need anything from the store,” Jackson said, kissing the backside of my hand.
“You can take the other pills in about four hours. It’ll help keep the fever down,” Hayden said, bending over and pressing his lips to my forehead. It was a testimony of how sick I really was that I didn’t drag both of them into the bed with me.
They left the room and I snuggled under the covers.
“You want this soup?”
“Maybe just the crackers.”
He passed them over then brushed my hair off my face and stared at me with those deep, green eyes.
“What?” I asked, nibbling on the tasteless crackers. Oddly, they settled my stomach.
“Just thinking about how amazing it is that even though you’re super sick, you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better—it’s working.”
“Good.” He smiled, bringing light in the room like sunshine. “Anything else I can do for you?”
“Could you come lie next to me? I don’t want to get you sick, but…”
He didn’t wait for the rest, he was already circling the bed and lying on top of the covers. He scooted next to me and lifted his arm, giving me room to lay against his chest. God, he felt good. Warm and safe. Drowsiness overtook me and as I drifted to sleep I had the realization that although I knew my boys were great at taking care of me in moments of crisis, this was something different.
19
Anderson
She slept for hours, sometimes fitfully, twisting up the linens. She had a few coughing spasms, never fully waking. I checked her temperature, smoothed the blankets and kept an eye on her all afternoon. I didn’t like her sick—helpless. I wanted to do more to make her feel better.
The soup sat cold next to the bed, uneaten other than the few crackers I saw her consume. I kept a glass of ice next to the bed for when she woke. She needed fluids if she wanted them or not.
The doorbell rang and Sadie barked, racing out of the room. I paid for the delivery and came back in the room. She was awake, rubbing her eyes.
“Did the door wake you?” I asked. “Sorry.”
“I feel like I’ve been asleep for days.” She glanced out the window. It was still daylight.
“Just a few hours. Do you feel any better?”
“Maybe.” She coughed again.
I held up the package delivered a few minutes before. “I got you some new meds.”
“What? How?”
“Called in a favor from the team doctor. I looked to see what kind of antibiotics you were on before. He thinks maybe you need another round.” I fished out a fat, white pill and placed it on her hand, then offered her the glass of water.
“Thank you.”
I touched her cheek. It felt a little cooler. “You’re welcome.”