Page 42 of Cade

An appointment needed to be made so they could check out not only the baby, but her as well. He hated seeing her be sick, and she only looked like she felt worse and worse with each passing day. A doctor would be able to help her with the nausea and then maybe he could move towards working on their relationship instead.

Cade had been careful not to make or bring any food into the house, deciding that April could tell him what she would or could eat tonight. He was hungry, but he pushed that aside, waiting to see what she would want first.

“Hey,” he stood from the table as she joined him in the kitchen.

“Hey.” That was it, one word.

“Were you able to make an appointment today?”

April shook her head. “I have it on my list for tomorrow, but I’ve had no time today. I promise it's nothing too crazy to make one now. Everything I read said doctors don’t normally see the mothers until they are eight weeks along, and I’m not quite there yet.”

“I know, but I think it would help you to maybe be able to eat,” he pressed.

“I’m trying, Cade,” she said. “I have a lot going on, but I will take care of the baby.”

Cade reached out and touched her arm, trying to soothe her. “I’m not worried about the baby as much as I’m worried about you.”

To his surprise, she didn’t pull away from his touch, and he felt her lean towards him ever so slightly. “Thank you.”

She stepped away then and went to the fridge. She pulled out a small bowl of leftover rice, putting it in the microwave.

Silence loomed heavy in the air as the microwave hummed. He waited for her to grab her food and return to the table before sitting down and joining her. After she ate and was settled down for the night, he’d go out and eat something.

There was no way he was going to bring food into the house, knowing she’d likely get sick again. If the rice stayed down, then at least it was something.

“How about if I make the appointment?” he offered.

“I can do it,” she said.

“I know. I never said that you couldn’t, but I think I am more worried about you than you are at this point. I just want to make sure you’re okay. You can’t survive on rice forever, even if this only lasts a few more weeks.”

She stopped eating and looked up at him. He saw it before she moved. The rice didn’t sit well with her either.

April pushed the food away and ran from the table. Cade was hot on her heels as she made it to the downstairs bathroom and lost the little bit of dinner she’d been able to eat.

“This isn’t safe, baby,” he whispered, rubbing her back. “We have to get you better.”

Right now, he didn’t care about the baby as much as her. There would be other chances, other ways that made her less sick if that’s what it took. He just needed her to be okay.

“Sorry,” she said as she backed away from the toilet. “You didn’t need to follow me.”

“Of course, I didn’t need to. Let me take care of you, April,” he pleaded.

When she didn’t answer, Cade decided to press his luck tonight and pick her up. One small cry of shock was all she gave before wrapping her arms around him.

He considered what to do next as he carried her up the stairs. His own thoughts were running a million miles a second. Making a decision as he hit the top of the stairs, he turned into his bedroom. There was nowhere else he wanted her, and he needed her there in his bed.

She gave him a questioning look, but didn’t argue. Instead, she settled into the bed and curled into the covers.

It seemed that dinner wasn’t on the docket for tonight. He needed to work on his own thoughts and feelings, deciding what he actually wanted with April. After that, he’d had to come up with a way to make sure she wanted the same thing.

Quickly, he moved around the room and got himself ready for bed before sliding in next to her. “Is this okay?” he asked as he dropped one arm around her middle, holding her loosely.

“Yes,” she said, sounding already close to sleeping.

Cade lay there and let his thoughts drift over everything that was to come. If they stuck with the contract, how things could play out, and what could happen if they didn’t?

He wanted her. That much was clearer to him now than it ever had been, not just in his bed, but in his life. He wanted her as a partner and to be there with him for everything that was still to come.

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