* * *
Cameron knew with a single glance Jasmine wasn’t feeling well and if she continued to throw up she would end up dehydrated. Reaching for a paper towel, he blotted the moisture on her face. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No, Cameron. Just take me home and I’m sure I’ll feel better after I lie down for a while.”
His hand went around her upper arm, tightening slightly when she attempted to pull away. “No, Jasmine. You need to see a doctor to find out if maybe you have food poisoning.”
“Okay.”
He helped her out of the bathroom, signaled their waitress and pushed a large bill into her hand. “We have to leave.” Bending, he scooped Jasmine up in his arms and carried her out to the parking lot.
“I can walk by myself,” she slurred.
“I’ll let you walk once the doctor clears you. Right now you look as if you’re going to faint and wind up on the ground.” He put her on the rear seats where she could lie down.
Cameron curbed the urge to speed because he didn’t want to get stopped and delay getting Jasmine to the hospital. When he’d walked into the bathroom and saw her red eyes and tears streaming down her face, he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. In that instant he knew he was in denial. Hannah had read him correctly because he was in love with Jasmine. He did not know when it’d happened or why her but that no longer mattered.
He made it to the small private hospital in record time and pulled into the lot near the entrance to Emergency. Jasmine had fallen asleep and when he attempted to gather her off the seat she woke up.
“Babe, we’re here.”
Jasmine sat up, blinking. “I can walk by myself.”
Cameron wanted to shake her until she stopped insisting she could walk. “Okay, sweets. Let’s go.” He waited for her to gather her bag and put his arm around her waist and led her through the automatic doors. He seated her on a plastic chair before approaching the nurse’s station.
The nurse sitting at the desk smiled at him. “May I help you?”
“My fiancée has been repeatedly throwing up. I’m afraid she may have eaten something that’s making her sick.” He’d said the first thing that came to his mind.
“Please take her to exam room two. Does she have her insurance information with her?”
Cameron struggled to keep his temper. The damn woman was asking how they were going to get paid in the same breath as directing them to an exam room. “I don’t know. I’ll pay the bill.”
“Someone will take your billing information once the doctor sees her. He may have to order a few tests.”
“I said I will pay the bill.” Cameron had enunciated each word.
Spots of red dotted the nurse’s cheeks. “Thank you,sir.”
Cameron helped Jasmine to the room, she leaning weakly against him. He helped her up on the table, closed the curtain, and sat on the chair to wait for a doctor. “How are you feeling now?”
Jasmine turned her head and smiled. “Okay. I told you I’d feel all right if I lay down.”
Minutes later the curtain opened a doctor who didn’t look old enough to shave walked in. He extended his hand to Cameron. “I’m Dr. Benjamin.”
“Cameron Singleton,” he said, introducing himself.
“What seems to be the problem?” the doctor asked.
Jasmine raised her head. “I threw up. I think it’s something I ate.”
Cameron let go of the doctor’s hand. “She threw up twice.”
Dr. Benjamin walked over to Jasmine and smiled. “And who are you?”
“Jasmine Washington.”
“Well, Ms. Washington, I’m going to examine you and run a few tests to find out why you’re throwing up. Meanwhile someone will take your medical history.” He turned to Cameron. “I’m going to ask you to step out and have a seat in the waiting room. Once we find the cause of her vomiting, I’ll let you know.”
