As far as she was aware, Declan hadn’t been forthcoming about his life with any of the hospital staff in the ICU or on the ward.
Fawn was pretty sure Declan was only accepting her presence in his apartment now because he knew it would have upset Thea Morgan if he didn’t. That, in turn, would have caused Fergus Wynter, Declan’s employer, to be displeased too.
One thing she did know about Declan was that he valued his job and the people he worked with. By default, that now included the well-being of the now fiancée of one of his employers.
“How are things going with you?” she prompted River lightly.
“Same old, same old,” he dismissed.
Fawn could hear the strain in his voice despite his best effort to sound upbeat. “The money I get from this job should be enough for us to buy what you need to make life a bit easier for you.”
“For now. Sorry!” he groaned. “I’m really sorry. But this situation sucks, big-time. Not least because I’m the man and so I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you, not the other way around.”
“And that’s exactly what you would do if our positions were reversed.”
“Yeah, I would,” he confirmed huskily.
“I know that. So, for now, let’s just deal with what we can on a day-by-day basis, okay? Starting with putting all the extra money I earn from this job into buying what you need.”
“Okay,” River agreed quietly, followed by, “I have to go now. As you know, my regular Wednesday afternoon date is calling.” Once again, he was attempting to be dismissive.
But Fawn still heard the heaviness in his tone. “Not for much longer,” she vowed. “I love you, Riv.”
“Love you too.”
“Speak to you tomorrow. But you know to call me if you need anything before then.”
“Will do.”
Fawn only released a heavy sigh and allowed the silent tears to fall once the call had ended.
CHAPTER FOUR
Declan hadn’t meantto overhear Fawn’s side of her telephone conversation.
But after undressing down to his boxers and lying between the cool sheets on his bed, then tossing and turning for several minutes, he realized he really wanted a bottle of the cold water stored in the refrigerator in the kitchen.
Fawn’s bedroom door hadn’t quite been closed when he stepped out into the hallway. Which was how he came to hear, and couldn’t seem to stop himself from listening to, her talking to someone she called River.
When Declan had asked earlier, Fawn had told him that staying at his apartment for the next couple of weeks was “of no inconvenience to anyone who may be in my life.” But she hadn’t outright said she didn’t have a live-in boyfriend. Or a husband, come to that. Only that he wouldn’t be put out about Fawn’s current living arrangement with Declan.
From what Declan had overheard, it sounded very much to him as if the man Fawn apparently shared an apartment with wasquite happy to sit back and allow her to be the breadwinner in the relationship.
Which was absolutely none of Declan’s business, of course.
Except he liked Fawn. More than liked her! He certainly didn’t like the idea of her being taken advantage of by anyone. He?—
“How long have you been standing there?”
Declan turned to face Fawn as she now stood in the doorway of the bedroom across the hall from his. She looked very young with her hair loose down her back and wearing a blue T-shirt and fitted blue jeans. The evidence of recent tears lingered on the pallor of her cheeks.
The latter made Declan’s chest ache. “Long enough to hear you talking on your cell phone to someone named River.” He had no intention of pretending otherwise. Why should he? This was his apartment. “Who sounds like a bit of a loser, if you ask me, when he expects you to be the one to earn the money that is obviously providing for his current lifestyle. Whatever that is.”
She gasped. “How dare you?” Her brow was lowered in an accusing frown. “You know absolutely nothing about my life. Or River’s current lifestyle.”
“I heard enough to know that financially, it seems like a pretty one-sided relationship?—”
“You know nothing of the sort.” New tears glistened in her amber eyes. Declan didn’t know if they were from anger or because his words had upset her. “Damn it, this isn’t going to work.” Fawn turned on her heel to go back into the bedroom, only to appear in the doorway again seconds later, packed bag inhand. “I’ll let Mr. Wynter know that he’ll need to send someone else to babysit you.”
