All day, Kat fought to wake up and move around, but her body wouldn’t allow it. She’d roll over, stick one foot out from under the covers, and fall back to sleep. When she’d wake again, she was covered to the neck and Wes hovered nearby.
The IV dripped into her arm, and by the time the evening sun faded, she woke long enough to see the nurse leave the room. From outside in the hallway, she heard the nurse say, “It’s best to let her sleep. Try to get her to eat something when she wakes, even if it is in the middle of the night. But don’t wake her.”
“Is she doing any better? Should I hire a full-time nurse to monitor her health? Can I…” Wes’s voice faded into the night, and for the first time in Kat’s life, she couldn’t find the energy to get up and fake being alright.
The morning sun speared through the darkness before the world awoke around her. Only the faint chirp in the distance was evidence of life outside the bedroom. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rolled over to find Wes sitting up straight in bed with his eyes closed.
She wanted to remain still to allow him to sleep, but her bladder won, and she slipped from the covers. Her toes brushed the floor.
“What’s wrong? You okay? What can I get you?” Wes flew out of bed and was at her side before her heel could rest on the ground.
“I don’t think you can do this for me.”
“I can do anything. Just tell me what you need.”
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh.” He stepped aside but grabbed her elbow and escorted her to the bathroom.
“I’ve got it from here.” Kat nudged him away and stepped into the toilet room and shut the door. “I can see your shadow. I can’t pee with you waiting there like that.”
“I’ll go if you promise to tell me when you’re done. I don’t want you walking without me. You collapsed last night. I won’t let you fall again.”
“I did?” She shook off the haze and caught hold of a vague memory of her knees hitting the tile floor. She lifted her nightgown and spotted a small bruise forming. “Okay, I promise to call for you when I’m ready.”
His shadow shrunk and faded, so she took the one blissful minute to hide from the hovering husband. Okay, so he wasn’t her husband, but he sure behaved like one. She needed a breath, and she took it.
When she was done, she flushed the toilet, and his shadow reappeared. She opened the door to a disheveled, dark-circle-eyed man she barely recognized. His eyebrows angled down and his eyes narrowed. “You promised to call me.”
“I didn’t get a chance. You appeared the minute I flushed.” Kat sighed and closed her eyes.
“What is it?” Wes took her forearm like she was a ninety-year-old crossing Main Street. “Let’s get you to bed.”
She wanted to snatch her arm away and tell him to stop fussing, but she saw the worry in his eyes, so she allowed him to help. Perhaps if she showed him how much better she felt, he’d give her some space.
He tucked her into bed. The doorbell rang, snagging his attention away from her, so she took the opportunity. “It might be the girls.”
“No, it’s a grocery delivery. It’s important for you to eat a bland diet—no fatty foods, small meals, plenty of fluids when you’re not too nauseated, and nutritious as possible.”
“How do you know all that?” She quirked a brow at him.
“I read the literature the doctor gave us last night, and I downloaded two pregnancy books.”
“I see. Go get the groceries before they spoil.” She pointed to the door. Anything to get him away from her for thirty seconds so she could think.
He paused at the end of the bed. “Promise me you won’t get out of bed while I’m gone.”
She crossed her heart. “I promise.”
He raced from the room, and she knew he’d make it back in record time. She’d only have a couple of minutes to check on work. She reached for her phone on the nightstand, but it wasn’t there. She scanned the room but didn’t see her cell anywhere.
Work had to be piling up, and she needed to tell the girls what was going on. When Wes returned, she noticed his wrinkled button-up shirt and pants, the stain on his collar. The man who always looked perfect appeared homeless and hopeless.
“Sit down. We need to talk.”
He joined her on the bed and held her hand. “What is it? Are you in pain? Sick?”
“Please, take a breath.” Kat ran her nails down his arm to soothe his worry the way she did when he stressed over some big business deal. “Listen, I feel better today. The sleep and the IV fluids helped me. I appreciate all you’ve done to take care of me and I love you for it, but now you need to get some rest.”
“I’m fine. I slept some. Besides, I need to make you some breakfast.”
“The girls can bring something over. I need to call them before they show up with the police for me being MIA this long.”
“Don’t worry about the girls. I already called them. They know you need your rest, so they won’t be bothering you right now.”
“Bothering me? They wouldn’t bother me.”
“Doctor’s orders. No stress, remember?” Wes kissed her cheek. “I’ll go make you something to eat.”
She sat up in bed. “Where’s my cell phone?”
“Downstairs where it won’t bother you.” He returned and nudged her back to the pillow.
“I need to check in at work.”
“No need. I already called, and Dave is covering for you.”
She shot up. “You told him?”
“No. I mean, just that you were sick. He said take all the time you need.”
Kat swung her legs over the side of the bed, ready to stand and fight, but her head spun like a merry-go-round. “I can work from bed if I have to, but I need to work. I can’t dump all my clients on Dave.”
Wes tucked her back into bed.
She was too weak to argue, yet she needed space and for him to let her breathe. She needed to distract him with something other than caring for her. “Wait, what about your company? I’m sure you need to head back soon. The girls can come stay with me while you’re gone. I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“You’re never a burden. Besides, I don’t need to return. I sold my company, so I have nothing better to do than to take care of you. I promised I wouldn’t leave your side, and I won’t.”
Dear Lord in heaven, help me. Kat needed a plan. No way she’d be the project for a workaholic like Wes. She’d drown in his attention. She loved him, but she needed to love him from a distance for an hour or two.