“Yeah.” I nodded. “Fuck, yeah, I am. Chicks dig me.” This caused another smile to spread across Skylar’s face, and yep, I’d probably die for her. She had caught me, hook, line and sinker.
Blondie stayed nearby, holding on to the boy’s hands as he toddled across the grass. “Can you do that?” I asked the girl. “Walk like your brother?” They weren’t blood related, but they were being raised together, and since they were so close in age, they’d be raised pretty much the same way my sister and I had been. Like twins.
Skylar sent me a secretive smile at my question. I smiled back. “Yeah, I bet you can do anything he can.” My sister had been competitive enough to make sure she always kept up with me, even though I’d been taller, faster, and stronger. She had still kicked my ass in more competitions than I ever wanted to admit.
“Hey, Blondie,” I started in again, needing to share this cool-ass moment with someone.
But the very second I turned her way, she decided to gather up the boy and stand. Problem was, she’d been kneeling close enough to me that her pointy bent elbow whacked me right in the eye as we collided into each other.
“Motherfucker,” I howled, momentarily seeing stars as my eye exploded with pain.
“Oh my God,” she shrieked. “Oh, Ten, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“No.” I saw nothing but a blinding white light as the bundle in my hands squirmed and started to cry. “Is she okay?” I asked. “Fuck, I can’t see shit. The kid’s okay, right?”
“She’s fine.” Pick’s voice came from my left. “I’ve got her.” The screeching baby was tugged from my arms and she instantly calmed down.
No longer needing to worry about the girl, I doubled over and clutched my throbbing eye. “God...damn.”
“Ten, are you okay?” Buttercup asked as she touched my arm.
“Never better,” I muttered.
She laughed but then quietly said, “Then give a thumbs-up or something, because Caroline looks worried enough to race over here and check on you.”
I immediately lifted my arm, my thumb in the air. “I’m good,” I called. “It’d been too long since I had a black eye. Thought I’d get caught up again.”
Someone started clapping. “Way to go, Zoey. You can now officially join the Gave-Ten-a-Black-Eye club with Quinn, Pick and me.”
“Shut up, fucker,” I yelled back to Gamble as Buttercup and Blondie grasped my arms and guided me toward the house. “I bet Blondie’s bruise will spread a lot bigger and darker than the little dink you gave me.”
After the girls fashioned a baggie of ice for me, I returned to the party and found myself talking to Pick and Mason because they seemed to be located the farthest away from Caroline. It was as if everyone was trying to keep me away from her. I didn’t like that. So I didn’t listen to much of anything the bastards said, too busy keeping track of everything she did across the yard.
This was miserable, and it got even worse when Lowe grinned and clasped me on the shoulder as he spoke to Pick. “Just look at that puppy-dog expression on his face while he watches her.”
Pick grinned rather smugly. “Ten, man. You’ve got it bad.”
“Shut it,” I muttered and just kept staring as I drank my beer.
The rest of the party seemed to drag by. But seriously, one year olds took freaking forever to open their damn gifts. They actually wanted to play with their toys as soon as they opened them without the slightest urge to move along and see what else they’d gotten. Seriously, what was up with that?
I was leaning against a fence post, trying to encourage her brother to toddle over there and help her rip apart wrapping paper when from the corner of my eye—where my Caroline radar was blaring strong—she grabbed her stomach and pitched forward, doubling over. My full attention immediately zoomed to her, and I pushed away from the wall. Her gaze met mine, her eyes wide with shock and pain.
“You okay?” I mouthed the question.
She nodded, but she was getting paler, and sweat was slipping down the side of her face. She wasn’t fucking okay at all. Suddenly, she dashed to a nearby bush and heaved over it, upchucking all her lunch.
“Shit!” I leapt forward, but Ham grabbed my arm, stopping me.
Glaring up at him, I tried to pull free. “Don’t fuck with me, man.”
He shifted closer. “Noel’s here. He’ll take care of her.”
My breathing escalated. I wanted to shrug him off and go to Caroline anyway. Pick, and Hart, and Gamble’s wife were crowding around her, as were all three of her brothers. What would be wrong if I went over there too? She was my woman, damn it.
“This would be the worst time ever to expose your relationship,” Ham murmured.
So I paced on the other side of him, feeling like a caged animal, as I watched from too fucking far away, while Caroline continued to empty her stomach.
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” I muttered, starting to panic. She’d been fine only minutes ago.
Ham shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t think—” He broke off when Buttercup slapped a hand over her mouth and darted inside Pick and Eva’s place right before Lowe followed her, cradling his stomach.
“What the hell?” A second later, Brandt started puking on the lawn too.
“Food poisoning?” Blondie guessed just as Gamble’s wife lifted her arms and called, “What did everyone eat?”
I guess it was a good thing I didn’t like shrimp. It saved me from a severe case of diarrhea and vomiting. But it didn’t keep me from worrying my ass off.
After the worst of the food poisoning passed from Caroline and her brother, Gam scooped her into his arms and carried her away. When his wife went to help Brandt stand, Quinn started forward. “Here, I’ll help.” But I grabbed his arm.
“Stay back, fucker.” Shoving past him, I jogged to Brandt and Aspen. “I’ve got him,” I said.
The kid looked drained and limp. I sent him a sorry-I’m-only-doing-this-to-get-close-to-Caroline grimace and picked him up. He groaned once but wrapped an arm around my neck to steady himself. “Thanks,” he finally managed to rasp as he leaned heavily against me.
“No problem.” I grunted from the strain. He was probably heavier than Caroline, but I didn’t care. Doing this was going to get me close to her. When Gam backed out of the backseat of the car where he’d placed her, all my efforts became worth it.
Gamble blinked at me in surprise, but said, “Thanks for getting him,” as I helped Brandt into the backseat next to his sister. Once I had him settled, I leaned into him and then right past him, making him protest as I pressed against him maybe a bit too hard. “Hey!”
But I didn’t stop until I had my mouth on Caroline’s temple. “Get better,” I murmured, meeting her blurry-eyed gaze as I pulled away.
She sent me a weak smile, so I backed out of the car and straightened. Gam—who hadn’t seen a thing—patted me thankfully on the shoulder, and I waved him and his family off as they left for home.
The party was pretty much over at that point. I drove back to my apartment behind Zoey and Quinn, who also hadn’t eaten the shrimp. But I still couldn’t settle my nerves. Finally, I left and drove to the spot down the street from Gam’s house where I always picked up Caroline for our midnight rendezvous. I sat in my truck, watching his place until it started to get dark. And then I sat a while longer.
Was she still sick? Getting enough fluids? Resting? Damn it, I couldn’t take this shit. I needed to see her. It was late enough that some members of the house might be in bed, so I climbed out of my truck and moseyed my way to Gamble’s backyard. I paused in front of a window I was pretty sure was her room and began to tap on it. Just a light tap so as not to alert anyone else to my presence, but I didn’t let up until a blind lifted and a pale Caroline peered out.
Her eyes widened. I waved, sent her a sheepish grin, and jammed my hands into my pockets as I waited for her to unlock the window and slide it up.
“Oren! What the heck are you doing
here?”
“I’m checking on you, what’s it look like?”
She shook her head, confused. “Have you heard of a cell phone?”
“Sure. I even have one. But I wanted to see you. Think you can get this screen out? I’m coming up.”
“What?” She glanced behind and came back around with wide eyes. “Are you insane?”
“Yes. Now let me in. Please.”
She sighed as if deliberating her choices. But finally, she shook her head and eased the screen away from the window. Once she had it popped free, I started my ascent. It wasn’t easy, but I was a determined motherfucker. Some scrapes and bumps and a handful of newly invented curse phrases later, and I was in.
Sighing my relief, I pulled her in for a gentle hug. “How’re you feeling?”
“Better,” she admitted, resting her head on my shoulder. “My stomach’s still not right, but I don’t think I’m going to throw up anymore.”
“Good.” My hand went to her forehead because she felt so warm against me. “You feel hot. Are you running a fever?”
“A small one. But Aspen’s already set me up for the night.” She motioned toward her nightstand where she had water, aspirin, a thermometer, washcloth, tissues and such. Then she turned back to me. “I can’t believe you just crawled into my window to check on me.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You’re sick. I can’t exactly make you come to my place to take care of you.”
After I took her arm and steered her back to the bed where she’d pushed her covers aside to answer my window call, I helped her back down onto the mattress.
She must’ve still felt pretty crappy because she let me pamper her without a fight. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she sighed in thanksgiving. Then her lashes fluttered as she studied me. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Too late. Already worried, already here. You’re just going to have to deal with me.” I went to work, fitting the window screen back in place and then closing and locking it. Then I kicked off my shoes and pulled my shirt over my head. As I shimmied out of my pants so I was in nothing but boxer shorts, Caroline simply blinked at me.
“If you think I can perform right now, you’re sadly delusional.”
“Funny,” I murmured and lifted up one side of her sheets so I could crawl into the bed behind her and spoon up against her. “Didn’t I already tell you I can survive one night without sex?”
Her voice was throaty and tired. “Yeah, but...wouldn’t this constitute as a second night?”
“Nope, because you ended up giving it to me that night, too. So I’m claiming this as my one and only abstinent night.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, burrowing back against me. “I appreciate it, because I don’t even want to move.”
I kissed her shoulder. “Good, because you don’t have to. I’m here to take care of you.”
When I started to lightly knead her shoulders, she groaned. “Oh God. That feels good. I swear every muscle in my body is sore.”
“Poor thing,” I cooed and kissed her hair. “I’ll massage it all away.” And I damn near did too—I kept rubbing long after she’d gone to sleep on me. Then I just buried my nose in her hair and held her.
I fell asleep holding her and was still holding her when tremors began to wrack her body.
“Care?” I murmured, half out of it as I blinked myself awake. “Caroline? Shit, what’s wrong?”
“So...cold.” Her teeth chattered and shoulders shook.
“Yeah, well you’re burning up.” I sat up so I could reach across her and snag her pain reliever. “When’s the last time you took this?” I calculated the hours after she told me, and it wasn’t quite time to give her another dosage, but I said, “Fuck it,” and sprinkled two tablets into my palm.
I helped her sit up, and she had to lean against me to swallow and drink some water. When I made her take another gulp of water, she frowned but obeyed. Her cheeks were flushed with fever, and that worried me.
“What can I get you?” I asked as she lay back down and closed her eyes.
“Blankets,” she mumbled.
So I scoured her room for every extra blanket and, hell, a couple sweaters I could find. After I piled them on top of her, I burrowed back in with her. It was hot as fuck under the covers and right up against her. But she appreciated my heat, so I held her close and let her take all the warmth I could give her.
After sweating my balls off and listening to her breathing even out, I threw off half the blankets covering me and hung a leg out one side as I gasped for cooler air. Then I set a hand on her back and listened to her breathe, hoping she didn’t take a turn for the worse. I fell asleep with one leg hanging off the side of the mattress and one hand on her back.
The next time I woke, I was soaking wet. Caroline’s fever must’ve broken because she was sweating all over me. I sat up and removed most of the covers. Then I found a towel and dabbed her dry as best I could without waking her.
I was just sponging up her damp forehead when I heard something across the room. My gaze shot up to find a frozen, wide-eyed Aspen halted in the open doorway.
“Sorry,” she whispered, holding up her hands as if surrendering. “I was just checking in on her and Brandt. How’s she doing?”
There was no reason to try to think up any excuses for why I was there. I was already caught, red-fucking-handed. But Gamble’s women wasn’t screaming her head off, so I kept it casual and just answered her concerned question. “I think her fever just broke. She’s sweating like a whore in church.”
She smiled and nodded. “Good. That probably means it’s out of her system. It looks like you have everything handled, so I’ll leave you to it. Good night.” She eased out of the room, closing the door behind her.
I sat there a second, waiting for her to wake her husband, so he could storm in and kick my ass, but thirty seconds passed and nothing happen. Then a minute went by.
Gam’s wife wasn’t going to rat me out.
Relief swamped me, but then so did sadness. Even his own wife knew better than to tell him about us. Everyone must know he would not take the news well.
I sighed and lay back down beside Caroline. I probably should’ve gone home then, but I was tired as fuck after being up and down so much throughout the night. Another couple hours with her wouldn’t kill me. Besides, I didn’t want to leave.
More hours passed. A gray dawn filtered into the room as I came to. The feeling of being watched nagged at my conscience, so I opened my eyes and nearly shit my pants to find myself eyeball to eyeball with Colton.
“Motherfucker,” I hissed, springing upright. “Shit, don’t do that to people. It’s creepy as hell.”
He merely cocked his head to the side. “What’re you doing in Caroline’s room?”
“Well, I was sleeping,” I muttered irritably. “What’re you doing in here?”
“I had a bad dream. I always sleep with Caroline when I have a bad dream.”
“She’s sick, man. Can’t you pick on someone else, go creep them out this time, instead of her?”
The stubborn little fucker shook his head. “No. I need Caroline.”
I grumbled a few seconds before lifting my side of the sheet and sighing. “Then crawl in over here. Just don’t bother her; she needs her rest.”
He didn’t move when I motioned him over. He shook his head and pointed to a different spot on the mattress. “I want to sleep in the middle.”
“Jesus Christ, kid. This isn’t a slumber party. You’re lucky I’m letting you in at all.”
“And you’re lucky I’m not telling Noel you’re in here right now.”
I narrowed my eyes at him in the most intimidating glare I could muster. He narrowed his eyes right back.
I cracked. “Damn it. Get in the middle, you little shit. But crawl in on this side, and don’t wake your sister.”
Grinning, he skipped around to my side of the bed and kneed me in the gut when he climbed over me to cl
aim his spot.
“Fuck. Watch your pointy knees, will you? Those things are deadly.” When he wiggled some more to get comfortable, he accidently jabbed me again, in the spine this time, and forced me further to the edge of the bed until I was half hanging off the damn thing. “You better not be elbowing Caroline over there,” I warned after the third time he caught me in the center of the back.
In answer, he rolled in toward his sister and dragged half the blankets with him, leaving me with a tiny square of coverage over my hip.
“Comfortable?” I asked, my voice loaded with sarcasm.
Colton sighed peacefully. “Mmm hmm.” I rolled my eyes just as he said, “Ten?”
“What?” I muttered.
“Will you come over later on and play catch with me, because I want to play catch?”
I snorted. “Yeah, I don’t think so. You just stole my spot next to Caroline.”
“Well...do you want me to tell Noel about you and her?”
What the hell? “Hey. You already blackmailed me to get into this bed and sleep in the middle. You can’t ask for more.”
“Why not?” the spoiled little brat asked.
Shit, I didn’t have an answer for that. “Why you greedy little—”
Colton pulled in a breath as if he was going to shout for Gamble right then. I growled and slapped my hand over his mouth. “Fine. I’ll come over later and play ball with you. Whatever.”
His grin was instant. “Thank you,” he said, all sweet like, as soon as I removed my palm from his mouth.
“Good,” Caroline said, her back still to us and her voice filled with sleep. “Now can we all get back to sleep? Please?”
Shit, we’d woken her.
“Caroline,” Colton cheered, good-naturedly. “You’re awake.”
She sounded worn to the bone when she answered. “It was a little hard to sleep through you two bickering.”
I reached across Colton, making sure I caught my armpit right in his face, so I could rub her arm. “How’re you feeling?”
“Much better, aside from the fact my bed’s turned into Grand Central Station. Seriously, how are we all fitting on my full-sized mattress?”