At some point later… Minutes. Hours. Days. She wasn’t sure. Georgia woke up in her bed and heard the sound of her siblings whispering in the adjoining living room.
“I’ll get her changed,” Caroline said quietly. “She crashed really fast.”
Next, she heard Ginny tell the group, “I finished up downstairs and called Sadie already to tell her to make sure everything is covered for tomorrow. Sadie said Georgie was under the weather all day today. Something about a headache… Anyway, Kota and I already made sure to take her shifts for the week.”
They were taking her shifts?She wanted to hug them all and ask them to snuggle with her in the queen-size bed but couldn’t bring herself to call out to them.Was her throat on fire?And her body hurt all over like she’d been the one to slam into the kitchen door. Over and over and over again.
“You’re sure you don’t mind staying? You don’t have to do that. It should be one of us,” Caroline said.
And to her fever-ridden shock, Lake replied, “No. Please. I came to get you guys just to make sure it was alright with you. That you…” he hesitated.
Dakota interrupted, “We trust you, Lake. Just take good care of her, and we’ll be back in the morning to check on her, okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
Lake was in her home. In her living room.And he was staying?!Georgia thought she might float away.
“But,” Dakota said, “no spoonin’, man. I mean it.”
“Or… OR,” Ginny giggled, “doallthe spooning! Please, for heaven’s sake, Georgianeedsto be spooned!”
“No spooning. I promise,” Lakeland said.
After her sisters helped Georgia change, all the siblings assured her they’d be back to check on her the next day. She heard Lakeland lead them to the door but kept her eyes closed, imagining them hugging him goodbye. Could hear their softthank yousand pats on his back. Just like Sadie, maybe he’d be one of them, too.
She heard his soft footsteps near her bed, the wisp of fingertips brushing hair from her face, and the press of his lips against her forehead.
When she smiled and hummed with fevered delight, Lake whispered, “Absolutely no spooning.” But he stayed by her side through the night.
16
CHRISTMAS TV
SLOW CLUB
NOW
“I don’t wantto take it! Please, Lake!” Georgia whined. “Please…”
“Please, Lake…” he mocked back, forcing her to sit up in her disheveled bed. “Stop being difficult.” He stacked and fluffed the pillows behind her head.
“Youstop being bossy!” Her head spun, but she had to admit she felt better sparring with him than she had in days. “It tastes bad.”
He sighed and looked to the heavens for help. Something she’d noticed he seemed to do a lot of in the past three days when he’d battled whether to throttle her or—she wishfully thought—kiss her. Probably more the former.
“Please drink the vitamin C, take the meds. Then I have a surprise for you.” He wiggled the glass and meds in each hand in front of her face as if it’d make them more appealing.
“For me?” She looked up with puppy dog eyes, suddenly desperate for that surprise.
“No, I bought it for Dakota but thought I’d share with you since he hasn’t been back to help with his exasperating sister.”
Georgia sneezed, which turned into a coughing fit, and then shuffled herself further into the bed, pulling the sheets up to her face and successfully covering her mouth. She closed her eyes and silently chastised herself. Lakeland had been at her apartment for the past three days, had only left the confines of her tiny space for clothes and supplies, and she’d not been an easy patient.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled through the sheets, trying not to cry. She always felt weepy when she was sick, and this battle with the flu had hit her hard. Harder knowing the Best in Snow Show, an event she’d worked so hard to make happen, would go on without her whether she was better or not.
“Iamexasperating. I’m being horrible to you, and you’re sweet and patient—and bossy, yes—but you’re very cute, so it doesn’t matter that much… and I hate being sick. I don’t know how I’m gonna get all the event work done, and I haven’t even decorated downstairs yet…” She took a deep breath, which led to a coughing fit, and then curled on her side. “And you taking care of me… it’s just so…” Her voice went shaky. Something she knew Lake must be growing accustomed to.
“Hey, hey, hey…” he soothed her, pulling the sheets down so he could see her face fully. “I want to be here with you, okay? And I don’t want you to worry about Best in Snow or the shop or anything else. You just need to get better.”
