“Yes?”
“I didn’t say a word about how cute your wiggle is when you’re angry. I really do deserve that award.”
Biting her tongue so she wouldn’t smile, she headed into the bedroom.
* * * *
No matter how much valerian was in that little pill, Elaine couldn’t sleep. Or so Connor assumed after the third hour of watching her walk around her cabin like a zombie. Josh had warned them the pill could cause restlessness. Sure enough, after an initial period of calm, Elaine sparked back to life, but with a nervous energy that would make a squirrel envious.
He didn’t dare remind her of Josh’s order to stay in bed. The first five times he’d done so, she’d taken his head off.
“Rest, rest, rest,” she’d muttered. “Everyone’s always telling me to get some goddamn rest. I’m sick to death of resting.”
Elaine might be the picture of grace and loveliness, but she knew how to tell a man to go to hell when she wanted to. His lady was plenty feisty.
His. Funny. She wasn’t exactly his, despite the fact she’d almost reached for his dick that morning.
He’d frozen in the moment, weighing his options at lightning speed. He could have let her grope him, to see where it might lead, or he could have done the honorable thing and moved her hand away. While not encouraging her, he still hadn’t exactly discouraged her.
His mountain lion had spent the rest of the morning griping at him. The dumb cat practically frothed at the mouth whenever she drew near.
Elaine headed over to the fridge, yanked it open, and stared at its contents. Then she shut it, cursed, and opened it again. Pulling out a hunk of cheese that was left over from the kids’ breakfast, she plunked herself in front of the TV and clicked the remote. Turning to one of the daytime talk shows, she gnawed on her cheese and proceeded to blaspheme the producers of the show for making her watch “a stinking cesspool of daytime crap.”
Connor chose that moment to make his escape. He headed into the bedroom, grabbed his cellphone, and dialed Josh’s personal number. “Hey, Josh. Is this a good time?”
“Hey, Connor. Yeah, I’ve got a minute. What’s up? Is Elaine okay?”
“She’s restless. She can’t sleep.”
“How’s her mood?”
“Let’s just say it isn’t exactly sunshine and light around here.”
Josh’s sigh was audible. “Mood swings can happen to people in her condition. I was hoping the valerian might have knocked her out, but like I said, sometimes if the patient is tightly wound, it can have the opposite effect.”
“Give it to me straight, Josh. Is she okay?”
“I should really be discussing this with Elaine.”
“Come on, man. You know me. I want to help her as much as you do.”Even more.
“I have concerns about her heart. The beat is irregular. This morning, it was fluttering, much like that of a human with afib.”
“English, please.”
“After heart surgery, humans can develop atrial fibrillation. It can lead to strokes, blood clots, heart failure, and other complications. Of course, our people don’t develop this condition. However, I have seen it in those who’ve lost their mates.”
“So…you think she’s getting worse.”
“Like I said, I have concerns about her heart.”
No, no, no. This can’t be happening. Connor bit his lip, tasting blood. “What do I do?”
“I hate to say it, but I’d like you to bring her in.”
Connor had never been to the clinic so often. In general, shape shifters didn’t go to clinics. For the most part, they healed from their wounds, and most human illnesses couldn’t touch them. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever had to visit a doctor for his own health. He wasn’t sure he ever had.
“I need to monitor her heart rate, and I can do it better here.”
