Theo studied her with an intensity that made her heart pick up. “I like this version of you,” he finally said, and warmth spread through her. It wasn’t often she didn’t have a single artifice to bolster her, but sitting on her messy bed with no makeup, no easy smile, and an unsexy pair of pajamas, these ones with puppies on them, was surprisingly comfortable. Maybe she was still feverish.
“I had groceries delivered,” he said. “You rest and I’ll bring you some food.”
Heavenly. She closed her eyes and listened to the unfamiliar sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen. It wasn’tthat she didn’t enjoy cooking. Her family were all excellent cooks, and she knew many recipes by heart, but it wasn’t very fun to cook for one person. She’d rather spend her time sewing her designs. She closed her eyes and drifted to the sound of Theo making himself at home.
A while later,she woke up to Theo setting a plate on her lap and something green and mucky looking in a glass on her nightstand. She scooted over and patted the bed. “Come sit.” The only other surface in her bedroom was the floor.
Theo sat down with his own plate and leaned next to her against the head of the bed. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Amber was ravenously hungry. Her stomach seemed to be back to normal even if her body wasn’t. She finished the last bite of buttered toast and sighed happily. “Thank you.”
“Here,” Theo said, handing her the green juice. “Drink this.”
“What? No. Gross. I thought that was for you.”
He sighed. “It’s just vegetables and fruit. I made it sweeter than usual. Just try it. You need the vitamins and minerals.”
She eyed the glass suspiciously, but the guy had spent the night taking care of her. It was the least she could do. She took a tiny sip. “Oh. It is sweet.”
Theo grinned. “I added carrots and apples.”
“But I don’t own a blender,” she said.
“I had Ford buy one and bring it over along with some other things.”
“Oh. Well,” she said. “That was actually really nice of both of you.”
“We’re nice guys.” Theo leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes.
Amber settled back and did the same. “Did he bring you those running shorts?”
One eye popped open. “Yes.”
“They’re pretty short.”
The other eye opened, along with an eyebrow raised. “Just ask. I know you saw it. You hung onto my leg like a koala bear all night.”
She sat up, willing to let go of the koala bear comment for something better. “You have a tattoo?” She was dying to know about it. It was small enough and in a spot that he clearly didn’t want anyone to see it. Naturally, she wanted every detail. “Of a microphone?”
He sighed. “Yes, it was a brief moment of rebellion when I was in college.”
She gasped. “Tell me everything.”
“It was stupid,” he muttered. “During spring break, my buddies and I decided to hit this little beach bar. Things got...out of hand,” he finished dryly.
“This is going to be epic,” Amber said happily. “What happened?”
A sheepish grin spread over his face. “The details are fuzzy, but the gist of it is we made complete fools of ourselves singing karaoke on the beach.” A red tint appeared on his cheeks while she watched, fascinated at this other side of him. “I woke up with a permanent reminder inked on my leg of being young and stupid, and my dad had to fly down to bail me and my friends out for being drunk and disorderly.” He turned his head to look at her. “That’s how I ended up in Grant’s squad car that night. It was part of my punishment.”
Oh. Even the casual mention of thatmade her uncomfortable. Not so much for what happened, but for how Theo had seen her. It had been a blow to her pride she still felt to this day.
“Did it work?”
“It made me seriously think about if I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps. He was always respected in our community, and known for his integrity and leadership, and there I was, risking all of that over something stupid. So, yeah, it worked. It shifted my perspective about the job I had wanted since I was a kid. I didn’t see it as something I had to do anymore. It was something I wanted to do, to honor him. I try to do that every day now that he’s gone.”
“I think your parents would be so proud of you.”
He rolled his head and smiled at her. He looked so sincere and, yes, tired, lying there next to her in her bed. She could see it in the tiny lines next to his eyes and the pinch of his mouth, and she suddenly wanted to tuck him into her bed and make him rest with her. Who was taking care of him while he took care of an entire town? Theo was the kind of guy that loved his family, showed up every day to listen and work for the people, stayed with her while she was sick…who took care of him?
Her chest was doing that flutter thing that only happened when she was around him, a confusing mix of fear and exhilaration that made her feel dizzy. Time to change the subject.
