The embarrassment flooded her cheeks.Perhaps it was still the fever that made her feel so warm.
“How long did I sleep?”she asked.
“It’s nearly evening,” he said gravely, “but when I came to check on you earlier, you told me to go away quite forcefully.”
She thought her cheeks were already warm, but they somehow grew warmer.
“I apologize,” she said.“I’m not quite myself when I’m sick.”
Apparently he’d noticed, but there was a grin on his face, and he didn’t seem upset.He walked over and sat at the foot of her bed, with Ginger between them.“It’s been a while since you’ve yelled at me like that.Fortunately for you, I didn’t mind.”
Of course, he didn’t mind.He was probably rejoicing in the fact that she was speaking to him.
“I hope you don’t get used to it,” she said lightly.
“Why not?”he asked, his tone serious.“I would love to get used to it.”
The room grew quiet as Thea struggled to come up with a good answer.The silence was broken by Ginger getting to her feet and letting out a loud meow.
Thea smiled down at her cat and reached over to pet her.
“She’s barely left your side all day,” Nathaniel said, granting her a change of subject.
She shot a grateful smile at him.“Thank you,” she said quietly.Would he know why she was thankful?
He regarded her with those big brown eyes that had always given her such warmth—even when she wasn’t speaking to him.“You know I would do anything for you,” he reminded her.
“I know,” she admitted, the words sticking in her throat.She did know that.She had known it from the moment he had first entered her life and kept her from falling.
She had long known that Nathaniel Alder would always be there for her—but how could she let him after everything that had happened?How could she learn to depend on him again, knowing that he had left once?It didn’t seem possible.
“Thank you for your help today,” she told him.She couldn’t say much, but she could say that.“And I’m sure Ginger is thankful, too,” she added lightly.“She might have been trapped in this room all day if I couldn’t manage to stand up long enough to open the door.”
Nathaniel let out a chuckle.“I think she would’ve voiced her displeasure loud enough for you to let her out,” he said.
“Did you open the café?”
“For a little while,” he said, “though I didn’t do nearly as good a job as you do.Everyone was concerned for you, and since I wasn’t going to leave without making sure you felt better, I figured I might as well sell a few leftover things while I was here.”
Thea smiled.“Thank you again.”
Nathaniel could no longer meet her eyes, and he got to his feet with a brisk smile.“I made soup,” he said as he hurried toward the door.“It’s not much, but it’s what my mother always made for me when I was ill.It never failed to make me feel better.I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you,” Thea called as he quickly escaped and hurried down the stairs, his footsteps thundering through the building.
She let out a sigh.Why did he have to be so wonderful?And what was she going to do about it?
Chapter six
Nat
Nathanielwalkeddownthestairs with Thea’s empty soup bowl, his heart heavy.If only he could help Thea more, but there was nothing he could do except make sure she had water and anything she needed to eat.
She had to heal on her own.
But he had done what he could, so he should leave, even if he didn’t want to.
He glanced up at the stairs.Perhaps he should sleep on the couch tonight.If he was human again, though, would Thea be upset to come down and find him there?
