Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series)

by Keahey, Robin

  I reached over and laid a hand on his chest. I just needed to feel his steady heartbeat. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on my face but was too medicated. He swallowed and whispered, “Katie” before his eyes closed again.

  A little while later, someone brought me forms to fill out for him. I dug his wallet from my purse, found his driver’s license and insurance cards and filled out the forms as best I could. When she left, I leaned my head next to his on the bed and closed my eyes. I was exhausted.

  I woke up several hours later as the ER doctor came in. He told me he thought Levi did have food poisoning and I was lucky I didn’t get it too, since we had eaten at the same place. He assured me that Levi would be fine, that he’d been given fluids for dehydration and medication for the vomiting. He still looked sick but not quite as pale. Relief filled me knowing that he would be okay.

  The nurse came in and unhooked him from his IV. She helped me get him dressed. I tried to focus on something else when she pulled his hospital gown off, but seeing him in nothing but his boxer briefs made it difficult. I saw more of Levi’s amazing body than I ever thought I would.

  When we finally got him dressed, they wheeled him to my car and put him in the seat. He didn’t wake up much at all. I pulled into his driveway at dawn and stared at the long walkway to the front door. The distance didn’t matter. I had to get him in the house. I couldn’t leave him out in the car asleep. I went to the passenger side, opened the door and unbuckled his seat belt. I shook his shoulder. “Levi,” I said but he only snored. It would have been funny to hear him snore any other time, but I had to wake him up.

  “Levi,” I said louder. He finally opened his eyes. “I know you’re tired, babe, but you have to wake up. I’ve got to get you in the house.” He gave me a sleepy, medicated smile before closing his eyes and snoring again. I huffed and rolled my eyes. “Levi,” I yelled in his face. His eyes shot open and darted around my face. “Wake up, and get out of the car.”

  He glanced around for a second as if unsure of his surroundings but with my help, managed to pull himself out of the car. We made our way slowly to the house. I was sweaty and tired from having to handle so much of his weight again. There was no way I could get him to his bed, so I got him to the couch where he flopped down and went back to snoring.

  I took his shoes off and picked up his legs one at a time, heaving them up on the couch. Thank goodness it’s leather. At least it makes it easier to slide him down onto his back. His neck was at an uncomfortable looking angle, so I ran to a bedroom and grabbed a pillow. I came back and picked up his head to shove it under him when his hand reached up and touched my face. I looked down into his open eyes and realized how close his face was to mine. He smiled, before his hand fell away and he was out again. I let out a deep breath and slipped away from his side.

  I remembered the doctor said Levi needed to drink as much as he could, so I went to the kitchen and poured him some water. When I came back, he hadn’t moved. I knelt down by his head and stroked the side of his face. “Levi, I need you to drink some of this,” I said softly.

  He opened his eyes, and I could tell he understood me. He raised his head a little and I held the glass to his lips while he drank. When I was satisfied that he’d had enough, I took it away. He laid his head back down but didn’t close his eyes. “Thank you for everything,” he said in a raspy voice.

  “You don’t have to thank me. This is what friends do.”

  He smiled and closed his eyes. Once he drifted off to sleep, I looked down at myself. I was a sweaty mess. I felt as though I looked as bad as he did. I was not about to leave him home alone, so I decided to take a shower and get some sleep. I didn’t feel comfortable digging around in his bedroom for clothes, so I went to the laundry room and found a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt in the dryer. They would be huge on me, but it was all I had to work with.

  I went back to the same bedroom where I had found the pillow and knew it must be a guest room. The bed was made, and the room didn’t have a lived in feel. I went into the guest bath and was glad to find body wash and shampoo in the shower. I stripped off my dirty clothes and got in. It was good to wash the feel of the hospital and sickness off of me. I got out, dried off and slipped on his shorts. As I had figured, they were way too big. I had to pull the drawstring into a giant bow and roll the waistband down several times. I put on the shirt and it fit me like a dress, so I decided to tie it at my waist. I detangled my hair as best I could with my hands and brushed my teeth with my finger and some toothpaste I found in a drawer. I felt somewhat better when I left the bathroom to check on Levi.

  I found him still passed out on the couch. I fought off my fatigue as I got him some fresh water and woke him up again. He opened his eyes and reached out to touch my wet hair. He looked down and noticed I had on one of his shirts.

  “I took a shower and borrowed some of your clothes. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind. I like seeing you in my clothes,” he said sounding more awake than before.

  I smiled and blushed at his words. “You need to drink some more,” I whispered.

  He was strong enough to hold the glass without my help and he looked much better. He slowly sat up but gripped the side of the couch. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. My head just feels swimmy.”

  “I bet it does. You were dehydrated from all the vomiting so they gave you IV fluids and medication. The doctor said it was food poisoning.”

  He groaned. “I can’t believe you saw me like that, how embarrassing.”

  I shot him a stern look. “There is no reason to be embarrassed. You were sick and couldn’t help it. I care about you, besides, you took care of me once before.”

  He smiled sweetly before glancing down at his shirt. He grimaced. “I feel gross. I need to shower, but don’t think I’m steady enough to get there on my own. Will you help me to my room?”

  I smiled, braced myself for his weight and held out my hand. He gripped it and eased himself off the couch. He swayed a little when he stood so I planted my body up against him to keep him from falling. “Are you going to make it?” I asked, not really sure he would.

  “Yeah. Just let me stand here for a second,” he said as he held his arm around my shoulders.

  I noticed he kept his face turned away from me. “Why won’t you look at me?” I asked as we started walking to his room.

  “I’m trying not to breathe on you until I can brush my teeth.”

  I tried not to laugh but couldn’t hold it in. “Oh, it’s too late for that, Levi. I’ve had your pukey breath in my face since last night.”

  He covered his eyes with his hand. “Just shoot me now, and put me out of my misery.”

  I laughed harder as I reached out to open his bedroom door. He pushed my hand away. “You don’t want to go in there. I was pretty sick last night. I can make it from here.”

  I let him go and he swayed again. “Uh uh, you can barely stand up. Get over yourself, and let me help you,” I said sternly, looking into his eyes. I could tell by his expression he really didn’t want me to see what was behind that door.

  “Come on. I’ll help you to the guest bathroom. It’s the one I used.” He let out a sigh of relief. “I know you’re worried that it would gross me out, but I want you to know that it doesn’t matter how bad it is in there. I would help you anyway.”

  He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “Thanks,” he said softly.

  I got him to the bathroom and sat him on the edge of the tub. “Look, I don’t know how you feel about taking a bath, but I don’t think you can stand up by yourself in the shower.”

  He looked down at the tub and back at me. “Are you kidding me? I can’t fit in that tub,” he said, his eyes wide.

  I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes. “Well you’re going to have to because you might fall in the shower, so I’m not letting you get in there,” I said, reaching down and turning on the faucet.

  He sighed l
oudly but didn’t argue with me. He took the wash rag I held out. “Are you going to be okay on your own in here?” He shrugged, but began to pull his shirt off. I looked away, even though part of me didn’t want to. “Okay, I’ll wait on you right outside the door. Yell if you need anything.” I got up and closed the door behind me as I left.

  I sat down on the floor and leaned my back against the door. The steady sound of the running water made me want to close my eyes, but I knew I had to stay awake. The water finally stopped and I heard him get in the tub. I tried not to focus on the fact that he was naked behind the door, and began to hum.

  “I can hear you,” he called out.

  I laughed and shook my head. “Is this as awkward for you as it is for me?” I asked and heard a splash.

  “Huh? Did you say something? I was washing my hair.”

  “Nope.” I guess he’s not bothered by this. “Are you about done?” I asked, fighting back a yawn. I didn’t know how much longer I could stay awake.

  “Yeah. I’m getting out now,” he said and I heard the water begin to drain from the tub.

  “Levi, please be careful getting out. Go slow and don’t fall.” My body tense, I stood up and leaned against the door, my hand already gripping the knob. I put my ear to the door, listening for any sign of distress. I didn’t hear any after a few seconds and relaxed.

  “I don’t have any clean clothes to put on,” he said, his voice sounding close. I realized he was standing against the other side of the door and took a step back.

  “Okay, I’ll go see what I can find in the dryer. I’ll be right back.”

  I ran to the laundry room and opened up the dryer. I found a pair of gym shorts and another t-shirt but no boxer briefs. Oh well, maybe he won’t notice. I hurried back to the bathroom and knocked on the door. It opened a crack, and I slipped his clothes through to him. As he closed the door, I held my breath hoping he would just put on what I gave him and not say anything.

  “Uh, Katie, I think you forgot something.”

  I exhaled. Well, so much for hoping. “Yeah, sorry. I couldn’t find any of your boxer briefs in there, so you’ll just have to go commando.”

  The door opened after a minute and he stepped out dressed. “How did you know I wore boxer briefs?”

  I felt heat color my cheeks. “I had to help dress you at the hospital.”

  “Oh.” He chuckled. “Well, I guess that means we’re really close friends now.”

  I tried to smile but it turned into a yawn. He reached down and ran a finger under my eye. “You’ve got dark circles from lack of sleep. Come on, get in the bed.” He led me to the side of the bed and pulled back the sheet and comforter.

  I climbed in and laid my head down on the pillow. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked, struggling to keep my eyes open.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m feeling much better,” he said as he tucked the covers in around me.

  He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and thought I heard him whisper three little words, but I could have already been dreaming.

  ***

  I woke up and glanced over at the clock. It was after noon. I had slept for four hours, but it wasn’t enough. I still felt tired. I rolled over and wondered what Levi was up to. I got out of bed and made it up before I went into the bathroom to survey the damage to my hair. Just as I thought, it was a total mess. I’d left my purse in the car so I didn’t even have a hair tie. It was too tangled to use my fingers to get the knots out, so I just left it alone.

  I made my way down the hall and noticed Levi’s bedroom door was open. His sheets had been stripped from the bed, and I smelled cleaning solutions. I shook my head. Stubborn man. He just couldn’t stand it. Even weak, he was determined to get his room cleaned before I could help him.

  I continued on to the kitchen and saw my clothes folded on the counter. Ugh, I forgot that I left them in the washer. I had planned on moving them to the dryer but fell asleep before I could. I spotted my hot pink boy shorts folded neatly on top of the pile and groaned. I heard Levi chuckle from the living room. “What was that you said about me going commando?” he called out.

  I joined him on the couch and shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said innocently and quickly changed the subject. “Did you try to eat anything while I was asleep?”

  He cringed. “No. I was kind of afraid to.”

  I definitely understood. Who wouldn’t be scared to eat again after throwing up for almost six hours? “Let me make you something. You need to try to eat,” I suggested.

  He agreed so I went into the kitchen and made him some toast and a glass of tea. I brought it to him, and he slowly finished it all. I tried to watch TV but found myself peering over at him every couple of minutes worried he would get sick again. After about fifteen tense minutes I finally asked, “Well, are you okay?”

  He put his hand over his stomach. “Yeah. I’m good, no pain or nausea.”

  I relaxed against the couch, relieved that the whole ordeal was over. He flung his arm around my shoulders, and gave me a cocky grin. “What’s this about?” I asked and giggled.

  “I just remembered something. When we were in the car, you called me babe.”

  Squinting, I tapped my finger against my lips. “Hmm, did I? I don’t recall that. I think maybe you were just dreaming.”

  He laughed loudly and pulled me closer to him. “When are you going to admit that we are more than friends?” he asked, his voice low. I just shrugged my shoulders. “Okay, I’ll take that answer for now.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Hey, next Saturday night some people from work are getting together for a bonfire. Do you want to go with me?”

  I looked up into his eyes. “Sure. I’d love to go with you.”

  I knew he wanted to ask if I thought this was a date or not, but he didn’t. He just smiled and said, “Great. I’d love for you to go with me.” I didn’t miss that we both said the word love. I knew I was in love with him. I just couldn’t tell him. I didn’t know if he was in love with me, but sometimes, the way he looked at me made me think so. I turned those thoughts off. I couldn’t have a relationship with Levi. It would be based on lies. I could never tell him the truth about Asher....could I?

  I couldn’t think about it right now. I needed to get home. I got up and grabbed my clothes from the counter. I took a step towards the hallway, but he reached out and grabbed my hand. “You can just wear that home.”

  I looked down at the way too big t-shirt and shorts. “Uh, okay. I’ll get them back to you,” I lied. I would be sleeping in his shirt that night.

  I walked to the door and he followed me. I turned and wrapped my arms around his waist, laying my head against his chest. He put his arms around me. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was really worried about you.”

  I felt him kiss the top of my head. “Thank you for taking care of me. You don’t know how much it means to me that you were here.”

  Neither one of us let go. We just stood there in our embrace. I finally pulled away. “I’ll call you later.”

  I walked to my car and got in, knowing he was watching me the entire way. I pulled out of his driveway and headed home wearing Levi’s clothes and a giant smile.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Levi picked me up for the bonfire at seven the next Saturday night. I smiled when I saw him in his jeans and navy hoodie. He looked so handsome. I couldn’t believe he was interested in me. I wore a long gray sweater, black leggings and my knee high black riding boots.

  With wide eyes he took in my outfit. “Wow, you look hot.”

  I blushed. “You look pretty hot yourself.” I grabbed my gray toboggan from the counter. He took it from me and tugged it on over my head.

  He situated my hair over my shoulders and said, “Perfect.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. I look like a dork in this hat, but it’s too cold to go without it.”

  He raised his brows. “You don’t look like a dork. You loo
k beautiful. I’m going to have to keep you close tonight so the other guys don’t get any ideas.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose, and of course, I blushed.

  We loaded up in his truck and headed to the lake for the bonfire. When we got there, Levi grabbed two blankets and an ice chest from the back seat of his truck.

  “What’s in that?” I asked, pointing to the ice chest.

  “Hot dogs, for roasting.”

  “I haven’t roasted hot dogs since I was a kid. It reminds me of the one camping trip my parents took me on.” I smiled, remembering the good time we’d had.

  He looked down at me, his face unreadable. “Did you like camping?”

  “I did. I can remember the smell of the campfire and the noise of the crickets chirping in the trees. It wasn’t something we normally did, so it was nice.”

  He grinned, quite amused at my answer and I already knew what he was thinking. “I can see the wheels turning in your head, Levi,” I said with a laugh.

  “What?” he asked innocently. I tilted my head and waited. “Okay, I would love to take you camping with me. I was trying to think of a Saturday I could take off work.”

  The image of us together in a tent popped in my head and I smiled. “Maybe,” I said softly.

  I looked around and saw a number of people from the nursery were already gathered around the roaring bonfire. Levi put our stuff down on the sand, and we went to mingle.

  I met Zach, Levi’s friend since childhood, who was also Sydney’s husband. He seemed really nice and told me a few stories of him and Levi growing up. It seemed they were a couple of carefree boys, always riding their bikes, swimming, and fishing. It was great to see them together, laughing, and remembering old times. Sydney looked like she was about to give birth on the sand. “Whoa there, momma. Are you sure you have another month?” I asked, patting her belly. I’d grown to really like Sydney, and I guess seeing her swollen belly almost every day helped me get over most of the pain I’d felt around pregnant women. I was thankful for that.