Page 35 of Unexpected Love
Ugh. Frustrating martyr.
“I don’t know why guys do this. You’re as bad as my brothers. Just content to wallow in misery and not takemedicine when you know it’ll help.” I grab a glass of water and some pills and watch until he’s swallowed it all.
“Thanks.” It’s a raspy whisper, and he’s looking pale.
“Get some rest.”
“Are you going to stay?”
“Why?” I blurt, caught off guard by his tone. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he sounds like a hopeful little boy.
He visibly struggles to find words, but eventually, those blue, blue eyes meet mine. “I just really like knowing you’re here.” He pauses, then adds, “I like not being alone.”
The vulnerability in his tone is heartbreaking. “You’ve been alone a lot in your life, huh?”
Breaking eye contact, he closes his as he tilts his head back again. It’s so quiet, I almost miss him whisper, “Yeah.”
This has gotten too heavy too quickly. If he weren’t sick as a dog, I’d be tempted to crawl into his lap and hold him.
But we are not the lap-hugging kind of friends.
Under the guise of refilling his water, I escape the heaviness. But as I leave his refilled glass within easy reach on the table next to him, I give his shoulder a squeeze.
“Get some rest, yeah? I’ll keep an ear out for Charlie.”
“Why don’t you take the bed? I won’t sleep knowing you’re out here on the couch if I take the bed. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
I huff. “Cal, I’m not taking your bed, and you can’t sleep in a chair. You need to take care of your body and get some real rest. Not some kind of halfway sleep in a recliner.”
The look on his face is indecipherable, shifting from the pitiful sick look to something feral, then to something soft. It’s a whole mood swing in a matter of seconds, and I don’t know what to make of it. It feels like something monumental has shifted between us.
A muscle in his jaw ticks, but he folds the footrest inand stands. I watch, helpless to move, as he drapes the blanket around my shoulders. Then I watch his ass as he rounds the chair and makes his way to his bedroom.
At the door, he pauses and looks back at me. His broad shoulders are on display, the flat planes of his abs, the cinch of the sweatpants at his trim waist… all of him is mouthwatering.
And somehow, I’ve shifted from not liking him to eye-fucking him while he’s sick and vulnerable.
I grip the blanket tighter around me. I’m the worst kind of person.
But it’s his voice that pierces my heart as he taps the doorframe and whispers, “Thanks, Jules.”
Chapter 14
Cal
Three days of suffering fevers and blisters on my damn hands and feet later, I arrive at the station. I’m officially out of sick leave. Otherwise, I would’ve called in again.
But calling out would mean taking another day without pay. And the way I’ve been bleeding money lately, I can’t afford an even shorter paycheck.
I stow my overnight bag and start making up the bunk I’m assigned to for the shift. I’ve still got hand, foot and mouth spots here and there, but I’m ignoring them.
I was only able to do minimal work on the coffee shop, but the guy I called to help me with the plumbing was able to finish his part. The electrician, a guy Nate uses from time to time, is scheduled to show up today. And then it’s just a small list of things to be completed. A workstation, a counter bar top, and framing in the bathroom. We should be ready to at least make a soft open for the festival.
After that, I’m not sure what I’m going to do about childcare.
“Looks like they decided to move you over here permanently, pretty boy.”
I glance up at the lieutenant on this side of the county, who’s propped in the doorway. He runs the rescue pickup truck and has a wider zone to cover, while one other person and I man the engine. Having fewer firefighters in the station was only one thing I had to get used to coming from the city.
