Chapter 16
“You don’t have to babysit me,” Natalie said to Caleb. “The nurses will help me with anything I need.”
“I told Gabe I’d stay with you while he slept.”
Natalie sighed. Apart from when the nurse had helped her shower and she’d gone to the bathroom, Caleb hadn’t left her room. “Why are you and Gabe so stubborn?”
“Comes with being a male.” He looked at the crossword puzzle in front of him. “What’s a five-letter word that means dangerous?”
Brooke stood in the doorway. “Risky.”
Caleb’s eyebrows rose. “You’re right. What about an eleven-letter word that means premeditated?”
Brooke frowned. “What does it start with?”
“I don’t know. But the third letter is a ‘T’.”
“Intentional.” She grinned at Caleb’s disbelieving face. “You’re looking at the winner of the Queen Bee Spelling Competition at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. Three years in a row.”
Natalie started to smile, until the pain in her face brought tears to her eyes. “It’s not fair,” she moaned. “I didn’t know until now that I smile too much. Why can’t I be grumpy all the time?”
“If you were grumpy, I wouldn’t have brought my super-delicious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate fudge with me.”
Caleb’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like the perfect way to start the day.”
Brooke handed Caleb a box, then rolled a suitcase into the room. “I heard about your bacon and egg muffins. It was nice of you to look after Gabe.”
“How did you know I brought Gabe breakfast?”
“The walls have ears,” Brooke whispered. “And a certain someone texted me this morning. I was going to bring everyone breakfast, but you beat me to it.”
Caleb glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly eight o’clock. We could still have a mid-morning snack.”
“Are you sure we’re not related?” Brooke asked. “Wait here.” She walked outside the room, then reappeared a few minutes later with another box in her hands.
Caleb opened the flaps and sighed. “If you weren’t my friend, I’d marry you tomorrow.” Out of the box came the deepest pie Natalie had ever seen.
“It’s my mom’s favorite apple pie recipe. The apples make it a healthy hospital choice.”
The grin on Brooke’s face told Natalie there were a lot of not-so-healthy ingredients in the pie as well.
Caleb licked his lips. “Anything that looks this good has to be good for you. Would you like a slice now or later, Natalie?”
She looked at Caleb, then across at Brooke. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Oh, no,” Caleb moaned. “Just because Brooke is here it doesn’t mean you can gang up on me. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“Your rough-and-tough image is safe with us,” Natalie assured him. “This is more of a compromise. What if you eat a slice of pie, while Brooke helps me get changed? If I have to wear this green hospital gown for a moment longer, I’m going to have a tantrum.”
Caleb tilted his head sideways. “It has a certain jail-bird quality that I find appealing.”
“Until I stand to go to the bathroom. I can’t wrap it around my waist far enough to close the gap at the back. It’s practically indecent.”
Brooke reached into the box and gave Caleb a plate, knife, and fork. “Happy eating.”
Without uttering one single word, Caleb jumped from the chair and slid a slice of pie onto his plate. “I’ll be in the family room if you need me.”
“I don’t believe it,” Natalie said. “If I’d known all it took was food to move Caleb, I would have ordered takeout.”
