His Favorite Mistake (Baby Its Cold Out)

by Mary Eason

  Brody took a cab to the airport hours before the flight was scheduled to leave. He dialed Parker’s home number only to confirm what he knew in his heart. Reyna wasn’t home. Or at least she wasn’t answering the door.

  It was of little comfort when Parker told Brody Reyna hadn’t been involved in an accident, all the while, trying to ignore that nagging feeling that told him something was definitely wrong.

  He had been so careful with her lately. He couldn’t risk scaring her away by showing her how strong his feelings were for her. Maybe he hadn’t been as careful as he thought. Maybe something spooked her after all. Maybe she’d left him.

  Brody couldn’t think of that now. Not facing five long hours in the air and knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do about it until the plane landed. He couldn’t think about her leaving or he would go insane.

  He’d tried one last time to reach her at the house only to hear his own voice on the answering machine before forcing himself to make the call he’d put off as long as possible.

  He didn’t want to talk to her cousin again. Jenna made it more than clear she was interested in him, and according to her, Reyna had been a part of the little scam to set them up, which was something Brody didn’t like imagining Reyna doing.

  Brody listened to Jenna flirted with him with growing impatience before cutting her short by asking if she had heard from Reyna at all. She hadn’t. He kept the conversation with the woman as short as possible. He certainly had no interest in encouraging her.

  Now as the taxi pulled up in front of his house, he handed some bills to the driver and grabbed his bag.

  As he unlocked the door, the emptiness of if closed in around him. He didn’t call her name. He went right to her room. The first thing he noticed was that the bed was still made. His heart missed a beat as he pulled open her closet doors. Her things still hung there. She hadn’t left permanently but she hadn’t returned home either. So where was she?

  Brody went to his own room, remembering how she’d gone there once when she missed him, but the room was empty. He picked up the truck’s keys. The Jeep’s weren’t in their usual place. Had she gotten bored here alone and gone into the office to catch up on some paperwork, simply not bothering to answer the phones?

  His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the Jeep parked in the space she always used whenever he forced her to take it. He hated her taking the subway alone at night knowing how unsafe it could be.

  Brody punched the elevator button insistently and waited as it ascended the floors, taking what seemed like an eternity before the doors finally opened on the fourteenth floor. He was greeted by darkness, relieved only by the sparse few emergency lights as he flipped a switch that brought the room to startling bright light.

  Her desk was empty. No coat, no purse. No Reyna. He knew she had to be in the building somewhere and the only place left to look was the top floor apartment. Maybe she didn’t want to risk driving through the icy streets alone in the Jeep and decided to wait it out there.

  His heart raced as he unlocked the door to the apartment stumbling over something as he stepped inside. The apartment was literally scorching hot. When he switched on the overhead light, he could see her coat and purse lying in front of the door. Then he heard a faint sound, almost like a moan, coming from the living area. As he entered the room, he could see her sleeping on the sofa. She looked so pale that for a moment, his heart stopped and he feared the worst.

  Brody closed the space between them in a heartbeat, terrified by her stillness. She hadn’t moved when he entered. When he touched her forehead, she was burning up with fever.

  He shook her gently trying without any success to wake her. “Reyna. Reyna, wake up.” He pulled the blanket away from her heated body. She was wearing one of his old tee shirts. He shook her once more, this time harder and slowly, she opened her eyes, putting a hand up to shield them from the bright overhead light.

  “Reyna, how long have you felt like this? You’re burning up. How long have you been sick?”

  He pulled her weak body up against him, his arms going round her. She was so pale. She was shivering so much, that he had to lean in close to her just to catch her words.

  “What are you doing here, Brody? You’re supposed to be in New York.”

  “Reyna, I’ve been worried to death about you. I tried calling you at home, but I couldn’t reach you. Dear God, I was out of my mind with worry. Don’t try to talk right now. Just lay back and rest. I’m calling the doctor.”

  “No, Brody, don’t. I’ll be fine. Stay with me.” She was crying. She was so weak, that she couldn’t stop them but he dared not give into her. It tore at his heart the way she pleaded with him to stay but she needed medical attention immediately. More than he could give her. “Don’t cry, baby. It’s going to be okay. Just lay back down and rest, I’ll be right back, I promise. But I need to get Doctor Stephens here as quickly as possible.”

  He resisted the pleading in her eyes and laid her back against the sofa once more, reaching for the phone.

  Brody had become more than a little familiar with his doctor’s emergency number. Five minutes later after talking to Doctor Stephens personally and hearing the doctor’s assurances he would be there as soon as possible, Brody turned back to Reyna dreading what he must tell her next. She wouldn’t be a willing patient.

  “Reyna, the doctor will be here very soon, but in the meantime, we have to get your fever down. It’s too high and that’s dangerous. We have to get it down as quickly as possible.”

  He picked her up in his arms. She was so fragile that he feared he would hurt her. She didn’t even have the strength to protest.

  “I’m running a cold bath to bring the fever down until the doctor arrives.” She still didn’t understand what he was telling her. She would soon enough. He sat down on the edge of the tub with her in his lap.

  “Just try and relax, okay? I have to do this. I have to get your fever down.” When he reached to turn the tap off, she tried to struggle against him, but she was far too weak.

  “Reyna, it’s okay. Just hold still a second. Try to relax.” He lifted the tee shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor, his eyes never leaving hers. Brody stood with her in his arms and lowered her into the chilly water. He watched her shivering increase as she pulled her legs up against her chest. Obviously embarrassed to have him see her like this, she couldn’t look at him. Instead, she lowered her forehead to touch her knees. His heart ached to tell her just how beautiful she was to him.

  Brody touched her cheek, wiping away her tears. He said her name; his voice shook with emotion as he touched her arm. Her skin was cool once more.

  Brody pulled the plug on the tub and the water began to drain. Then he lifted her up out of the cold water and into his arms. He wrapped her in a towel and gently drying her. He tossed the towel on top of her discarded tee shirt, helped her into his robe before carrying her to the bed. He laid her gently down and pulling the warm covers up over her shivering body.

  “I’m so cold, Brody,” she whispered, her teeth chattering.

  He reached down to touch her cheek, still feeling its warmth. At least the cold water had reduced the fever somewhat.

  “I know, baby. I know. Just close your eyes now and try to get some rest, okay? Doctor Stephens will be here soon. I promise he will help you feel better. Just hold on for a little while longer.”

  He took another blanket out of the closet and tucked it around her looking down at her with concern. Reyna closed her eyes curled up into that familiar little ball and turned away without another word.

  * * * *

  Doctor Robert Stephens rang the apartment at exactly half past the hour. He removed his coat and picked up his medical bag as Brody showed him into the bedroom where Reyna was sleeping.

  “Thank you for coming so quickly, Robert. She’s just fallen asleep but she hasn’t been out that long. Do you want me to wake her?”

  The doctor followed him inside the bedro
om and stood by her bed watching her sleep.

  “No. If she wakes up on her own, that’s fine but let’s not wake her unless we have to. She’ll need to rest as much as possible to fight this.” He set his bag down next to the bed and removed a digital thermometer placing it against Reyna’s neck and frowning slightly.

  “Did she happen to mention to you how long she’s been running this high of a temperature?” The older man looked over at him, seeing the apprehension that Brody couldn’t control before quickly reassuring him.

  “She’ll be okay. It looks like a touch of the flu that’s going round. She probably hasn’t been looking after herself properly. It doesn’t take much before the immune system weakens and the body isn’t capable of fighting off such things. I’ll draw some blood just to make sure. But I don’t think there’s any need to worry too much.”

  Brody relaxed for the first time since he’d found Reyna this way.

  Until the doctor’s next words.

  “Can I ask you what your relationship is with this girl, Brody? She’s obviously someone special.” Brody tried to come up with some explanation. Something the man he’d known most of his adult life would buy. Brody couldn’t tell Robert she was just a friend. He couldn’t form that lie. For the first time in longer than he remembered, Brody was at a loss for words. He decided on something close to the truth.

  “She is special to me, Robert. She’s a very good friend and I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

  “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll take very good care of her. Now you need to leave and let me examine my patient. Why don’t you make us some coffee? We’ll talk once I’m done here, okay?”

  Brody left them reluctantly. He did as the doctor ordered and made coffee but he couldn’t think of drinking any himself. In spite of the late hour, he was much too wired as it was without the added boost of the coffee. He walked aimlessly about the apartment listening carefully for sounds from the bedroom. He was afraid she would wake up frightened and call out for him.

  Fifteen minutes later, Brody turned away from the windows in the living room, as Doctor Stephens emerged from the bedroom.

  The doctor accepted the black coffee from Brody gratefully and he sat down in the chair opposite him.

  “It definitely appears to be the flu. There’s been a nasty strain of it going round lately. Although I’ve only treated patients who are older or in ill health, but I suspect Reyna may be just slightly anemic. I’ll confirm that later after the blood tests results come back. In the meantime, Brody, I’ve given her something that should help bring the fever down, as well as help her sleep through the night. She’s going to need someone to keep a very close eye on her tonight and over the course of the illness, which could last as long as a week. She needs rest for several days or there’s the risk of a relapse. Or worse. Do you have someone in mind to watch her that you trust, or would you like me to have a nurse come over? I should be able to get someone here by tomorrow morning.”

  Brody shook his head, dismissing the doctor’s suggestion.

  “No, that’s not necessary, Robert. I’ll stay with her.”

  Robert watched him thoughtfully before shaking his head. “Good, but you need to keep a careful eye on her tonight. Watch her temperature closely. If it starts to spike again, you know what to do. If that doesn’t work, call me on my cell phone. I’ll come right over. I’ve left some medicine for her to take, which should be enough to get you through the night, and I’ll have the pharmacy send over a full prescription tomorrow morning. She needs rest and plenty of fluids. She probably won’t be able to keep anything solid down for a while, but try to get her to take some soup. And if you need me, Brody, call me.”

  He put his coffee cup down and stood, reaching for his coat. The doctor somehow sensed Brody’s hesitancy. “What is it?”

  “Robert, I need you to do something for me. A favor. I know it will go against everything you think is right, but I need you to do it anyway.” Brody told him before hesitating once more. “I want you to run a drug screen on the blood you drew from Reyna tonight.”

  Doctor Robert Stephens stared back at him in complete surprise.

  “Do you have any idea what you’re asking? Do you realize just how much trouble both of us could be in if she were to find out I did this? No, there’s no way I can. I just examined her, very thoroughly, and there were no signs of any drug abuse. No needle marks. No signs of it physically. Why is it you suspect that she’s using? What evidence do you have?”

  “I don’t and there is no evidence, at least none I’m aware of. That is, I’m not sure. I just need you to rule it out for me, Robert. I don’t ever want her to know I asked you to do this. I know I’m asking a lot. I’m going to ask you just the same because I need to know. Can you do this for me?”

  “You realize that without her consent or a court order, we could both be in very serious legal trouble if she challenges it? Are you willing to take responsibility for the consequences if that happens? There’s not a court in the world that would uphold the findings. Even if she were using.”

  “She won’t challenge it, Robert, and yes, of course I’ll take complete responsibility. I have to know for certain.”

  The doctor watched him, saw the apprehension in him, and reluctantly relented.

  “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll have the results back to you within a few days.” As Brody closed the door behind the doctor, he stood, silently praying he hadn’t just made the worst mistake of his life.

  Chapter Twelve

  Reyna’s fever broke sometime in the early morning hours before dawn. She opened her eyes slowly, looking around in surprise. For a moment, she was completely lost.

  The last real thing she could remember was passing out on the sofa. Now she was in the bedroom of Brody’s work apartment but she couldn’t remember just how or when she’d gotten there. Her eyes slowly drifted around the room as she tried to capture some fleeting memory.

  She struggled to sit up in bed. She was so weak. She realized for the first time that she was completely naked beneath the thin sheet covering her. Her head pounded, her throat was so raw that it hurt to swallow, but at least the fever had gone and her head was starting to clear.

  She had been dreaming. It was just remnants of the fever that made her believe Brody had been there with her. That he had held her close all night long. Brody was thousands of miles away in New York.

  So how exactly had she gotten into bed? She closed her eyes and tried to remember but couldn’t.

  Reyna heard a small sound. She turned her pounding head and saw him sitting next to her bed. Brody was real all right. He’d awakened at the sound of her movement.

  She blinked trying hard to focus over the pounding in her head. He didn’t disappear. He was there with her. She hadn’t been dreaming at all.

  “Brody? What are you doing here?” Her voice was little more than a whisper torn from her burning throat and she tried to remember what exactly it had been about her dream that had left her feeling so vulnerable.

  He sat down close to her, his hand cupping her cheek watching her with so much protectiveness on his face that it took her breath away.

  “Hey, you. You’re looking much better. You gave me quite a fright last night, Reyna. I nearly went out of my mind when I found you here.”

  “Your meeting?” was all she could say. She wanted to ask him why he’d come back. She couldn’t.

  “I’d been trying to reach you all day yesterday but no one seemed to know where you were. I was so worried, that I caught the first flight home and when I found you here, I...” He shook his head but Reyna could see how worried he’d been.

  “I never want to feel that way again. You were so pale. I thought, well it doesn’t matter now. I’m just so glad you’re better now. Doctor Stephens said it was just the flu. Apparently, it’s going around. He said you haven’t been taking proper care of yourself. I’m not going to let that happen again. You have to rest. Don’t even think about trying t
o get out of this bed. If you need anything, tell me and I’ll get it for you, okay?”

  Reyna saw the fierce protectiveness that was there in the way he looked at her. He cared about her, after all. He wanted to protect her, and she loved him so much at that moment, it hurt.

  “I’m sorry I worried you. I didn’t mean to.” She pulled her knees up to her chin and lay her head down against them. She was so exhausted and vulnerable and her emotions were everywhere.

  She heard him whisper her name and then she was in his arms.

  “Don’t, baby. Don’t cry. Don’t worry about the trip. There was no way I could stay away not knowing if you were okay. Mark was very understanding, and we were able to complete our meeting. So you see everything worked out just fine. You are far more important to me than business.” He held her close to him whispering softly against her ear. She felt so safe with him, so warm and secure in his arms that she closed her eyes and let the weakness take control once more. “Are you falling asleep?” Brody asked softly.

  “Just for a moment. I’m so tired. I’m so glad you’re here. I missed you so much.”

  * * * *

  Her words sounded muffled against his chest. He lay her back down against the bed. The warmth of her body ignited his desires. He’d give anything if she felt even a small part of what he did for her. Never before had he had such need for a woman. It was torture being near her like this.

  She’d said things to him now that she normally would never admit. It was the sickness. It lowered her inhibitions.

  How much did she remember about last night? What would she say when she remembered how he’d held her close all night long? That it had been he who undressed her, bathed her fever away. She was so beautiful, and he wanted her more than anything in the world. Being close to her, wanting her so much that he physically ached for her was making it almost impossible for him to remain near her, yet unbearable to think of leaving her, even for a moment, much less longer. His instincts told him that she wanted him, too. She was far too encumbered by the past to admit that to him.