Page 36 of Passions & Peonies

Her face is pale and her shoulders sag like all her energy has dried up. I kneel in front of her. “Sweetie, how’s your stomach?”

She shrugs. “I think I’m okay now. I’m exhausted. How can something like this knock me out so badly?”

“I haven’t had food poisoning, but I’m sure it’s a normal reaction. Let me take you to my bed.” She moves to get up, but I stop her with my hand.

I hook one arm under her legs and the other under her arms, then stand up. She’s light as a feather. Her head rests on my chest. I squeeze us through the door and walk over to the bed. It’s already prepared for her. I lay her down gently. She makes herself comfortable on her side and cuddles with the pillow. Her eyes are sleepy.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

I kneel down next to the bed and push the hair away from her face. “Stop saying that. Shit happens. All I want you to do is get some sleep—as much as you need. You’ll feel better in the morning. My house is your house.”

She cracks a smile and her eyes slowly close. “I like the way that sounds.”

I skim her cheek with my finger. “Me too,” I whisper.

Slowly her breathing becomes heavy like she’s in a deep sleep. I stay and watch to make sure she is. Her beauty radiates even at a moment like this. She looks good in my bed, hugging my pillow, in this room, in my house. I take a deep breath and kiss her cheek, then tuck her in under the blanket.

“I’ve fallen for you too.”

Chapter 16

Lacey

My tongue is stuck to the top of my mouth. Did I suck on cotton balls all night? And the taste is awful. I roll over, and my back and stomach muscles contract in pain. My eyes shoot open, and I quickly realize I’m not in the hotel room. Everything from last night replays in my mind in fast forward. I pull the sheets over my face. It wasn’t a dream.

It’s tempting to lie here all day so I can enjoy the sun beaming through the window and the soft sea breeze drifting into the room. I love that the AC isn’t on and the window is wide open. I can hear the waves crashing on the beach. I’ll say it over and over again: This is the life.

Hiding in this bed isn’t helping me because I have to pee really bad. I need to face Will at some point—I am in his house. It’s wickedly quiet. Maybe he’s not home, and I can sneak out of here.

I stretch, and my muscles scream again, but I force myself to sit up. No dizziness or nausea. I look around the bedroom for a clock of some sort, but my eyes zone in on one thing. There’s a glass of water on the nightstand with a big note saying, ‘Good morning. Drink Me.’ It’s not Sky’s handwriting. My chest bubbles with warmth. How can something so small and thoughtful make me almost burst into tears?Because it’s from Will.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed. After a few deep breaths, I pick up the note and trace it with my finger. This is going home with me. The lukewarm water goes down without any major discomfort. I make my way to the bathroom as quiet as a mouse and close the door. To my surprise, the room is immaculate. I love that. Fresh dusty-blue towels rest on the edge of the bathtub, along with new bottles of body soap and shampoo for women. My handbag and the duffel bag are on the floor nearby. I wonder what they did with my dirty dress.

I turn my head toward the sink, and there’s another note next to another glass of water. My smile is uncontrollable, and so are my feet because somehow, I’m now in front of the sink, staring at the note.Brush your teeth, shower, do whatever you need to.No rush.Don’t forget to drink more water.I’m melting onto the floor like lava.

Every second that passes, I’m not as embarrassed anymore. These notes alone prove to me that he’s not bothered by what happened last night. They just prove how much he cares about me. And that makes me fall for him even more.Shit!What if I did say it out loud last night? The cringe factor tries to creep in, but I block it. I was only telling the truth and, well, it didn’t seem to scare him off.

My toothbrush and toothpaste stand in a glass cup not too far from his. He doesn’t have anything on the sink other than hand soap. I look behind me like someone else might be in the bathroom before I open the mirror cabinet out of curiosity. Just the basics in there. I pick up a bottle of cologne and smell it. It’s Will’s scent. It was on his sweatshirt too. I memorize the name, then put it back and close the cabinet.

I decide to shower again. It’ll feel good to have fresh clothes on. I’m still weak and a little shaky, but I know it’s because I need something in my stomach other than water. Maybe I should stick to tea and crackers when I get back to the hotel.

There’s still no sign of anybody being here. My phone says it’s eleven. I can’t believe I slept so late. I expected Sky or Will to knock on the bathroom door by now. But nothing. I pack my stuff, wipe down the sink, and hang the wet towel.

With the bags strapped over my shoulder, I grab the two glasses and head to the kitchen. “Will? Sky? Anybody home?” I don’t recognize my voice. It’s so raspy.

I walk around the corner and stop, almost dropping the glasses. Will is sitting at the island with his laptop, looking more handsome than ever. His face lights up when he sees me. I glance at the counter and there are a couple varieties of tea boxes and bags of crackers and pretzels.

The floodgates open. He runs to me and takes the glasses and bags away. Then he curls his arms around me. “Lacey, are you still sick?”

I wrap my arms around his waist as tight as I can—which isn’t a lot—and rest my head on his chest.

“Talk to me,” he pleads.

“I don’t know what to say. You’re overloaded at work, but yet you’re still here. You bought me tea and crackers when I just thought to myself that’s what I needed. It’s like you’ve read my mind. Then your little notes and buying me shampoo and soap… I could’ve gone back to my hotel last night, but you let me stay here.” I lift my head, and our eyes lock.

“You amaze me with your thoughtfulness and kindness. No man has ever taken care of me like this. I’m usually the person doing it for others. You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you.”

Chapter 17

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