Page 51 of A Twist of Faith
“Awful nice, was it?” The soft light in her eyes contradicted her pointed brow.
“You’re not gonna make a sick man work on his accent now, are you?” Reese’s heavy head plopped back against the couch. “That wouldn’t be awful nice, Ms. Doc.”
She leaned over him and touched a hand to his forehead, cool and soft. “Reese Mitchell, you’re burning up.”
“No I ain’t. I’m freezin’. I need to start a fire.” He tried to rise but Dee’s hands went to his shoulders and pressed him back down. How were all these women getting so strong all of a sudden?
Her cool palms rested against his cheeks, face close. Man alive, she was pretty. “Have you taken some Tylenol for your fever?”
“I ain’t no baby, Dee. I don’t need—”
“Lou, honey, do you know where the Tylenol is?”
“Sure do, Ms. Doc.”
Dee smiled a sugary sweet smile directed at Reese. Way too sweet for comfort. She straightened and directed the same dangerous grin to Lou. “Go get it for your Daddy.” Her gaze zeroed back on him, all sweetness gone. “Whowilltake it for his own good.”
“Woman, I don’t need—” His argument disappeared in a tirade of coughs that clawed at the inside of his chest, but there was no way he’d tell Dee about it. She’d probably force some awful tasting purple goo down his throat. He squirmed like Lou.
“Exactly,” she said with a nod. “You have a fever, your cough sounds horrible, and you can’t even stand up straight. You are not okayandyou do need someone to help you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Her palms cooled his cheeks with their soft touch again, eyes examining his face. She smoothed back some of his hair, which probably resembled an uncut field. “Is this from the picnic and the rain? You weren’t out in the rain long, Reese.”
He liked the way she said his name, all warm milk and honey.
“I had to mend a fence after I got home because the cows got out.”
“You went back out in the storm?” Dee lowered herself to the edge of the couch. “For how long?”
“I don’t know. It wasn’t exactly on my list of things to do.” He closed his eyes and leaned back, his grin easing onto his face.
She gave his arm a light smack, getting his attention again. “You need to see a doctor.” Concern wrinkled across her forehead and the worried look in her eyes softened his stubbornness a little.
“I hate going to the doctor.”
“Nobody likes going to the doctor.” She tapped his knee, pink highlighting her cheeks. Man, concern looked real good on her. “If people liked going to the doctor it probably wouldn’t cost as much … but you’re going. As soon as you can stand, I’m helping you out to my car.” Dee turned to Lou and took the pill box. “Where’s Brandon?”
“He’s takin’ a nap, Ms. Doc.”
“When he wakes up we’re taking you to the doctor and that settles it.”
Reese tried to argue again, but ended up coughing so hard his throat burned and the top of his head throbbed. Dee tucked the blanket up around him and then walked to the kitchen, returning back with a glass of water. If getting sick meant a pretty lady would come and fuss over him, he shouldn’t complain too much. Kind of nice, for a change.
“Take a few of these.” She pushed the Tylenol into his mouth and lifted the water to his lips, her gaze thoughtful. “I thought Emma was just trying to—”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Dee turned away from him and placed the glass on the coffee table.
Reese tried to sit up straighter. “What? Is she alright?”
Dee sat in a chair nearby, hand perched on the arm of his couch. “Yes, she’s fine. I just thought she was trying to trick me into coming up here.”
Reese squeezed his forehead with his fingers and kept his eyes closed. “Now why would she try to trick you into—” Reese peeked over at her from under his hand. “You think Emma’s matchmaking?”
“Silly, I know.”
