Page 53 of A Twist of Faith
“Ain’t no matter how sick daddy is, Ms. Doc.” Her eyes grew wide. “If there was a dragon trying to skeer us, he’d use all his muscles to help fight, even if he had to cough through it.”
Dee looked back over at her sleeping knight-in-overalls and agreed. A protector. The caution in her heart melted a little more and she turned to give Lou’s curls a pat. “You’re right, Lou. I think you can count on your dad to do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” She almost leaned her head over on Reese’s shoulder to take in some of the protection Lou felt. It was a novel idea, being protected and perhaps … loved?
Dee pushed the thought aside, patted her knees, and stood. “Well, Lou, let’s get you some dinner and make sure car seats are hooked up in my car, so we’ll be ready to take your daddy to the doctor as soon as Brandon wakes up.”
“I ain’t going to no doctor,” Reese murmured, eyes still closed.
Dee didn’t miss a beat. “And on the way to the doctor’s office, we’ll give him a good lesson on how the wordsain’tandnonever go in the same sentence.”
“Everybody’s in bed.”Dee walked in from the kitchen and took roost on the chair next to him like she’d done all evening long. “I called your mom and she’s sending Emma up to stay overnight.”
“I don’t need—”
“Are you really going to try and argue with me again?” Dee leaned forward and raised both brows, her eyes large and dark in the lamplight. “You are so stubborn. Do I need to threaten to drive your truck?”
He slammed his hand against his chest. “Right where it hurts, woman.”
A soft smile lit her face—the kind of smile to stir all sorts of things in a man’s mind. He’d been wrong to think she was like Jana, wrong to assume she’d be more concerned about her health than helping with a sick household, wrong about her being timid and fearful, wrong about a lot of things. And all the wrong-turned-right thinking sent his brain into forward motion. The kind that involved warm winter nights hugging and kissing by the fire … especially kissing.
He started coughing instead—and coughed until the pain in his head pushed all kissing thoughts right out. He dropped back on the pillowed couch.
“The doctor said to take a pink pill twice a day.” She touched his arm. “Reese, did you hear me?”
He barely opened his eyes. The firelight played against her face and when he didn’t answer she leaned closer until she knelt by him, hand gentled against his knee.
“Reese.”
“You’re one beautiful lady, do you know that?”
She smacked his leg. “Go to sleep—and don’t forget to take your medicine.”
“I like bossy women.”
She rolled her eyes, but the smile stayed intact. “That’s probably the only kind to put up with you. And you’re a bad influence. I’m usually not this bossy.”
“It suits you.” He readjusted himself on the couch and his blanket scooted down to his waist.
Dee cozied up beside him, tucking it back into place.
“Thank you for helping me with the young’uns today.”
“They’re sweet children.”
“You ain’t … you’ve never changed a diaper before, have you?”
Dee began to stand, but Reese reached out and grabbed her hand. “You did a fine job.”
She laughed and pulled against his hold, even in the lamplight a blush stole into her cheeks. “I put it on backward.”
“But then you fixed it. That’s a lot to learn when you got a squirming two-year-old.”
She relaxed her hand in his. “Have you thought about the football game?”
He liked looking at her, but the heaviness in his eyelids took her out of focus. “Yeah. Your supervisor’s going to be there?”
“That’s right. She’ll be interested in what I’m doing at Blue Ridge and since accent modification is where most of my research is, then your presence will—”
“I’ll go.” He couldn’t even open his eyes when she let go of his hand.
