“You have. You’ve done everything for yourself for too long. Time for me to shoulder some of the burden. Or all of it, if that’s what you need and want. I’m here to look after you. In all ways.”
She slumped against him. This was the last thing she’d expected from gruff, rough-round-the-edges West Malone. And it was difficult to process all that he was.
“So, who helped you?”
“I, ah, we had sex ed at school, so I knew some of it already. When I got my period, I, um, looked up online what to do and went to the drug store myself to get the stuff.”
“Did you tell your brother?”
“No,” she whispered. “How could I? I was embarrassed.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about, baby.” He drew her back so he could see her face. She kept her eyes dropped to her lap.
“Eyes on me,” he told her gently.
Nope. No way. Not happening.
“Baby girl. Eyes. On. Me.” A sterner tone of voice this time.
She sighed. Raised her gaze to meet this. “You’re like a dog with a bone sometimes.”
“That so?”
“And I’m the bone.”
He grinned. “I figured that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m a dork, aren’t I?”
“You aren’t a dork.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I don’t want you to ever hold anything back out of embarrassment or fear of what I’ll think, all right?”
“All right,” she agreed.
“Now, is it that time of the month?”
“I’ve got another week,” she said in a strangled sounding voice.
“Did you bring some stuff with you just in case? Otherwise I can have Butch bring some things to us.”
Bright red. She knew her cheeks had gone scarlet. “You can’t ask Butch to bring . . . to go buy . . . oh, God!”
West grinned. “I’d get Mia to pack the bag, sunshine.”
Oh. Right.
He kissed her forehead. “If it’s still another week until your period is due, then what’s with the tears?”
“I don’t know. Just being silly, I guess. It got to me all suddenly.”
“You’re not silly. What you are, is exhausted and in pain. So, let’s get you into bed for that nap. Things will get better, baby girl.”
“I hope so.”
Her head was now throbbing in time with her shoulder. “Is there any sort of sedative that I could take?”
“Is the pain that bad?” He lifted her off his lap and stood.
She shook her head. “No. But this cabin is.”