Her lips trembled, but she pressed them into a smile. “I’d like that, Hollie.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
Jesse
Ishuffled out of my bathroom, my stiff joints feeling better after that fifteen minute shower. Good grief. Never in my life had I been sick like that. My abs ached from coughing and every muscle in my body hurt. But the medicine I’d taken when I woke up was starting to kick in. I could at least walk now. We must’ve picked something up from the rodeo.
Where was everyone?
Whatdaywas it?
I searched around for my phone and found it on the dresser across the room, hooked into a charger. I yanked it off, squinting at the screen.
Sunday?!
I scrubbed a hand through my hair, my jaw dropping at the number of notifications on my screen. Mostly group texts with other contractors and the vet and some messages from Tag. And more emails than I could ever sort through.
Tag sent a text Thursday night.
Tag
Enjoy your time off. Capitalize.
And another on Friday.
Tag
I’ll be gone till Sunday night. Rudy Rivers is back. Might bring him on full time at some point. Call me when you’re up.
Then one this morning.
Tag
Not to disturb your nap, but she’s been in your house for days. Hopefully you’re not still sleeping.
Ignoring his texts, I pushed into the living room, looking for Cade. Was Hollie here? I shook my head, my memory fuzzy. I remembered coming in from the rain.
And Hollie was singing. The girls were on my couch. Were they all sick?
In the living room, Izzy and Nora were draped over the couch and Cade lay in a wad of blankets on the ground. The TV played a movie,Finding Nemo, and paper plates with half eaten pieces of sausage and cinnamon rolls sat on the coffee table. Hollie was folded in the corner of the couch. Her feet were tucked under her butt and her head was snuggled deep into one ofmyhoodies. Her eyes were closed, mouth slightly ajar.
“Cade,” I whispered.
His head popped up. “Dad?”
The girls looked up, but the lack of movement told me they all still felt pretty bad, too. Man, whatever we got, got us good. I talked to the kids for a few minutes before looking back at Hollie, who had yet to move.
“How long’s she been sleeping?”
Cade shrugged. “An hour maybe? She said she was tired.”
I shuffled to her end of the couch and touched my hand to the backof her head.
Burning up.
I hoped she wasn’t sick the whole time she was caring for me. I sat next to her. “Hollie.”
She bolted upright, worried. “What?”
