Troy glanced at Tank and said, “I’ll rock sprout and get her into bed.”
Tank nodded and guided Jessica down the hall to her bedroom. She kept her space empty of clutter, but all the fabrics were vibrant colors with extra touches like velvets and satins and other fancy fabric crap. He liked it.
She let him help her into bed and smiled when he pulled a lined trashcan from the corner and gestured to it. “Just in case.”
He tucked her in to the bed then got her a tall glass and filled it with ice and ginger ale. She sat up and sipped it, and he took her temperature with the thermometer Troy handed him on the way back to her room.
“One hundred two,” he said. “Troy said Bella’s temp is the same. We’ll keep an eye on that tonight.”
“Do you think we should take her to the hospital?”
“No. Emma said you’re better off resting and drinking your fluids at home. She filled Troy in on the particulars for if it does become necessary, and if it comes to that, we’ll take you.”
Giving a weak smile, she said, “Me and the two of you and the hospital. A winning combination.” She tilted an ear toward the door. “What is that sound?”
They paused for a second, and then Tank grinned because he could hear it, too.
With a comically disgusted snort, Jessica said, “Is Troy singing Justin Bieber to Bella? Really?”
Troy started singing a little bit louder, just to be obnoxious.
“Yeah, he’s been irritating the crap out of me with it,” Tank replied as he dispensed a couple of pain relievers from the bottle he’d gotten from her medicine cabinet. He’d never say it out loud, but that actually was kind of a catchy song.
Jessica snickered and sucked on her straw. “He doesn’t sound too bad.”
“Thank you!” Troy said from the other room. “See? Jessica knows talent when she hears it.”
Rolling his eyes and not offering reply, Tank tucked her in again and then sat on the edge of the bed. “How you feel? Queasy?”
She set the glass on the coaster on her bedside table. “That helped my throat a little.”
Tank brushed her hair away from her cheek. “Just so you know,” he whispered, “you might think us being with you at the hospital is one of your worst moments, but it’s not that way for us. It just showed me how strong you are. I had all these protective instincts”—roaring inside me—“thinking Dornan was there to hurt you and take the baby from you. We were both more than willing to watch over you. And, Jess, you were amazing, bringing Bella into the world. I wouldn’t change a thing about that memory.” Except for wishing that Bella was mine or Troy’s. He kept that thought to himself, though.
Her forehead burned against his lips when he kissed it and encouraged her to scoot down on the pillows and get comfortable. Even though she claimed they could return home and get their rest, both he and Troy insisted on staying to take care of them. It was a good thing because it was a long night for both of his girls.
Chapter Five
Jessica awoke feeling stiff and hung over. When she rolled over on the twisted sheets, her head swam. She blinked and couldn’t see anything, which sent her anxiety soaring—until she realized her blindness was caused by the hand towel folded over her eyes.
Her heart raced as her memory burped up a few flashbacks from the early days of her abduction, when she’d awakened after being drugged over and over, having no idea where she was, how long she’d been there, or why she was in so much pain.
The pain was there, but inventorying it, she realized it was just an all-over body ache, like having the flu, and memory instantly flashed into place.
She and Bella had been sick with every kind of disagreeable symptom known to man and a few that she had a feeling she’d personally invented. Her throat was raw, and her stomach seemed certain she’d gone several rounds with a boxer.
With a surprisingly shaky hand, she removed the hand towel and listened to the quiet house. Tank and Troy had stayed with them through all of that—had taken care of Bella for her through the worst illness she’d ever experienced. Her memories were so fuzzy and disjointed, giving her no idea how long she’d been sick. It was a sensation that she found more frightening than confusing because of the memories associated with the disorientation.
“Stop it,” she muttered before taking a slow, cleansing inhalation and then letting it out. A few more rounds of the in-and-out routine and her heart decelerated. Slowly, to avoid making herself dizzy, she sat up against the headboard and wedged a pillow behind her back.
Her sleep shirt, the fitted sheet, and the pillowcase felt damp, meaning her fever must’ve broken. Her hair felt limp and matted, and when she rubbed her eyes, they threatened to explode. Red lights flared behind her eyelids for a few seconds.
“Ow. Don’t do that again.”
A full glass of water sat on the bedside, and she made a pathetic sound like she’d crawled across the desert as she reached for it. It was cold in her mouth, and she even welcomed the sting as it drenched her raw throat.
After several painful coughing spasms, she finally settled back against the pillow, and even holding her head up was work. Eventually she caught her breath and looked around the room. The trashcan was still beside the bed, with several fresh empty bags lining it.
“They saw me hurl?”
She had bits and pieces of fuzzy memories of Tank and Troy both reassuring her as she upchucked, coaxing her to take fluids and liquid medicines, blotting her face with a cool, damp washcloth, and even changing the sheets once. The unsettling feeling that her head and body were enormous, the wracking pain in her head shifting reality until she suddenly felt tiny like an ant. Memories of the guys speaking reassuringly to her when she asked about Bella. They’d stayed in contact with Emma because she could recall bits of phone conversations as they talked about her symptoms and the doctor gave them care instructions and reassured them. The passage of days and nights.
“I was really out of it.”
“You were,” a husky drawl said from the doorway. “Your fever finally broke this morning.” Troy came in and perched on the edge of the mattress as he brushed wisps of hair from her cheeks. By rights, he should be utterly disgusted, having truly seen her at her worst, but his eyes held only relief and tiredness, and his smile was tender. Several days’ growth of dark red beard covered his jaw. “I was worried about you, Jess. A couple of times I wondered if maybe we should’ve taken you to the emergency room.”
“You should’ve just driven us both to the ER and given me the boot for all the trouble I’ve been.”
Barely a soft chuckle sounded as he smiled, and then his callused hand cupped her shoulder and slid down her upper arm, leaving a trail of comforting warmth in its wake. “It’s what you do for people you care about. Emma said the emergency room was packed with people who had to be treated and released to home care because the hospital was full and could only admit the most serious cases.”
Tears filled her eyes because her faulty brain finally kicked in and realized why a quiet house was so odd. “Is that where Bella is? Is she okay?”
Troy’s face split into a grin, and he shook his head. “She’s okay, honey.” Pointing to her bedroom window, he said, “Hear that?”
Her pulse pounded in her temples, behind her eyes, and in her clogged ears, but she did eventually hear the sound. The buzz of a mower or a tractor, and over it, the gales of childish laughter that grew steadily louder and then faded off. A Doppler giggle?
“What is she doing? Is Tank with her?”
Troy nodded as he popped open the top of a bottle of Ibuprofen and dispensed a couple. “Let’s get these in you with a little more water, and then I’ll show you. But you can only get out of bed for a minute. You’re still pretty weak.”
She drained the glass gratefully after swallowing the pills and did feel as helpless as a new lamb when she swung her legs out of the bed and tried to stand. He put an arm around her waist, and she grasped his shoulder with one
hand and made sure the hem of her ratty sleep shirt covered her butt. She couldn’t even remember putting the thing on.
Her vision wavered, but he kept her on her feet and guided her into the bathroom when she begged him for a pit stop. Once he had her propped against the counter, he looked at her. “You okay?” The worry was evident in his tone.
“Yeah, I just need a minute.” To pee. Alone.
After he assured her he’d be nearby, he closed the door and she answered nature’s call. The bathroom was scented with Bella’s shampoo and bubble bath, which made her smile, but she gradually became aware of another scent. Maybe stink was a better word. She sniffed herself.
“Shoot me now.”
After finishing up, she ran water in the sink and doused her face, groaning at her bedraggled reflection.
“Holy crap, how long was I out of it?” she asked herself quietly.
“Three days,” he rasped out through the door, the words forlorn. Must’ve been a trick of the acoustics.
“Were you listening to me pee?” she asked, trying to ease the ache his broken tone created in her chest.
He chuckled. “Honey, in the last three days, I’ve heard you both be sick and suffering. A little tinkling isn’t going to scare me away.”
“Lord, have mercy on me,” she moaned, goosebumps coming in waves over her skin. Maybe He had, if they’d taken care of her all that time.
“I’d do it all again, rather than discover you’d both been sick and we knew nothing about it from just across the pasture. I’m glad you asked for help.”
She’d asked them for help. Yes, as she thought back. She had. Lydia hadn’t answered her call, and she’d remembered seeing Troy’s truck parked in front of their house when she’d gotten home. Her memories were vague and spotty. She’d never had such a bad case of the flu.
“You okay?”
If anything, she felt weaker, but she nodded then scoffed at herself because he couldn’t see her nod. “Yeah.” She opened the door, and he caught her as her knees wobbled. His shoulders felt warm and solid as a rock under her hands.
“I’m putting you right back to bed.”
“Can I see Bella first?”
Troy hesitated for a second, peering at her and then feeling her forehead. Evidently satisfied that she wasn’t delirious, he nodded and walked her down the hall to the living room and helped her into her comfy chair by the window. He opened the drapes a little and pointed out the window. “Just watch and you’ll see them in a second. While you’re up, I’m going to go strip the bed so you can rest on fresh sheets.”
Her brain felt a little sloshy in her skull as she shook her head. “You don’t have to do that.” If she was funky, chances were good the sheets were just as bad.
He squatted down in front of her, studying her. “Want me to fill the tub so you can take a bath?”
“I stink, don’t I? I do. I totally stink.” Her hands shook as she covered her face and then looked through her fingers at him.
Troy’s ears took on a reddish tinge, along with his cheeks, as he shook his head, obviously horrified they were having this discussion. “I just thought since you’ve been out of it for three days, and you had a fever, and with you out of the bed, it’s no big deal to change the sheets again—”
“Again?”
“Shit, I’m just making it worse—”
Just then a babyish chortling registered outside the window, and they both looked up in time to watch Tank drive by on his riding lawn mower with Bella perched in his lap. He was mowing Jessica’s lawn and giving Bella a ride while one of the ranch dogs, Buford, ran alongside them, jowls flapping and tail wagging as he helped entertain her little girl. Bella looked the picture of health, and Jessica heaved a shaky sigh.
“She bounced back the second day, and since then, we’ve just kept her home from daycare—and entertained her—so you could rest.”
“My work…” His hand was warm on hers as she rubbed her forehead. How could she be so numb-brained? She hadn’t even thought to call the office to let them know she was sick.
“Tank called them and explained. They said to get well, and the other optometrist in your practice sent you flowers.” He flicked a thumb over his shoulder at the vase full of cheery yellow daisies on the kitchen counter.
“That was thoughtful.” It didn’t surprise her that Dr. Hoffman had done that. And it was definitely considerate of Tank and Troy to think to call work for her. After Tank and Bella disappeared from view, she turned back to Troy. “Thank you. I’d love a bath. You don’t have to answer my earlier question. I offend myself.”
He rose to his feet and tucked the fuzzy throw blanket from her couch over her legs. “I’ll start the tub filling and replace your sheets. Just rest for a few minutes.” He went into the kitchen and brought her back a bottle of cold sports drink, and his cheeks were still red as he went down the hall. Her talking about being smelly probably embarrassed him.
Later, while Jess soaked in the tub, she wondered how much sleep Tank and Troy had gotten and if they’d caught the virus she and Bella had. What an awful way to repay their kindness. She wouldn’t wish what she’d been through—what she could recall of it—on her worst enemy. Well…maybe on Trevor Dornan.
Through the bathroom door, she heard Tank and Bella come inside and Troy whispering to her that her mama was up, she needed to take her shoes off, and did she want a snack?
“No! Want Mama!” Bella squealed, and her bare feet slapping the hardwood floor as she ran down the hallway gave Jessica just enough warning to scoot under the sparse bubbles floating in the tub before her precious girl burst through the bathroom door. “Mama! I miss you!”
Jessica squeaked and then giggled, unable to fuss at Bella for her lack of manners. “Hi, baby girl.” She slunk a little deeper in the tub when Tank slid to a stop in his socks in the hallway. His cheeks were ruddy, but otherwise he didn’t act embarrassed when he whispered to Bella. “Hey, Snickle-fritz, remember what I said?”
Bella’s reddish-brown curls bounced as she tried to climb in the tub. “I know what you said. I want my mama!”
Through her weak laughter, Jessica caught Bella and kept her from climbing, still dressed, into the tub.
“Mama still doesn’t feel good,” Tank murmured, taking a slightly deeper tone as he came into the bathroom and lifted Bella into his arms. Jessica glanced up in time to catch his widened eyes as he stared at her. “Sorry, Jess. Didn’t mean to just…” When he gulped, the sound was audible.
Jessica lifted the washcloth to cover her chest, not that it was big enough to do more than just draw more attention to her tightening nipples. “It’s okay. I have the impression that you’ve seen enough of me that the ‘veil of mystery’ is shot full of holes. If I could just have a few more minutes, I can…uh, Tank?”
“Huh?”
“My eyes are up here,” she murmured, pointing two fingers at her face.
He finally lifted his gaze, and she didn’t know how to react when he licked his lips. She pointedly told herself to ignore the sudden thickening at his groin she detected in her peripheral vision. Her heartbeat raced, and she felt a little dizzy.
“Sorry.” He turned and paid close attention to the towel bar while Bella squirmed in his arms. “I’m glad to see you’re awake and up. I was worried about you.”
Bella pooched her lip out and stilled her struggles. “Mama, I got sick. I threw up and had big poops.”
Chuckling, Jessica put her damp hands to her face. “Tank, I’m so sorry.”
He scoffed and gave Bella a little bounce as he shrugged. “I grew up in a big family, lots of siblings, lots of little cousins, and later nieces and nephews. Diapers are no big thing. Actually…I saw that you had a potty chair in the other bathroom.”
So far, Bella had refused to even consider the notion of potty training.
Bella bobbled her head in a perfect imitation of her favorite auntie, Charity, and pointed at her chest. “I used the potty!”
“Uh-huh! Tank wiped my heinie!”
She slid down in the tub and wished she could just submerge, but he held up a hand, looking a little worried. “I hope that was okay. It was that or let her wipe herself and risk a rash on her butt. I’m really sorry if that wasn’t what I was supposed to do. Sh—oot!” He glanced at her, and she could see the anxiety in his hazel gaze. “I know with your…well, your history, maybe that’s a little…”
Jessica pulled the shower curtain in front of her and sat up, wanting to put his fears at ease. This was a biggie for him, obviously. “Tank, stop, okay? It’s not creepy to me. You and Troy are…” My heroes. “You and Troy are two men I have a lot of trust in. I’m not upset that you helped Bella with the potty or changed diapers. Like you said, it was that or…I don’t know what. I was totally out of it, and you helped me.”
Tank’s ears were fire-engine red. “I was suddenly seeing it from a stranger’s point of view.”
“You’re not a stranger.” You’ve been there for me since day one, even though I’ve held you at arms’ length. They hadn’t just helped her out in a bind—they’d literally been there for her the entire time. They could’ve steered clear of her in order to avoid catching what she and Bella had contracted, but they hadn’t. They’d been there for the worst of it. Memories came to her of their gentle hands supporting her as they tried to get ginger ale and chicken broth into her, their gentle extolling of Bella to take fluids and nourishment, as well. She could recall what it was like to be absolutely alone in her worst moments, during her captivity and after she’d been rescued. A painful knot constricted her throat. “I needed you, and you were there. How do you feel? I hope you don’t come down sick.”
“We both had our flu shots a few months ago, and Emma prescribed Tamiflu for both of us as a preventative since we were in close contact with both of you. I’m fine,” he replied with a shrug. “Troy, too. You don’t need to worry about anything else but getting better.”
Operation Ginger Avenger Page 5