Reese:Good idea. Call me if you need anything or if he needs anything more than a little TLC and OTC meds. I’ll stop by tomorrow to check him over. I’m sure it’s the flu. It’s been rampant in this area lately.
We said our goodnights, and I quickly texted Millie to let her know I was safe and that I was going to stay with Cole for a little while.
She fretted a little about Cole, but I made it clear that he was going to be fine once the worst of the symptoms had subsided.
“Why are you still here?” Cole grumbled sleepily as I walked back into his bedroom.
I handed him a bottle of water as I said, “The snowstorm is starting. You’re going to have a houseguest until I can get into town safely.”
I wasn’t lying.
The stormwasstarting. The snowfall was getting heavy, and the winds were steadily getting worse, but I could probably still get home safely as there wasn’t a ton of blowing snow yet. I definitely wasn’t snowed in at this point. Cole’s ranch wasn’t really that far outside of town, and I was used to driving in crappy winter weather. I’d lived in Boston for years.
Still, for some reason, I didn’t want to tell Cole that I was staying to take care of him. If I did, he’d just keep telling me to leave.
He slugged down some of the water and handed it back to me. “Fucking hell!” he cursed. “I suppose you’ll have to stay.”
With that, he fell back into a fitful sleep.
Okay, that little white lie had worked well.
Cole still didn’t have his head completely together. Actually, he was kind of adorable when he was grumpy, but not really cantankerous and condescending.
I put my palm on his face, wishing I had a thermometer, but that was one thing Millie hadn’t sent. I’d take a look around, but I was doubtful that Cole owned one himself because he’d already admitted that he was never sick.
He hadn’t exactly extended a gracious invitation, but I’d take his reluctant acceptance that I needed to stay. It was better than him grouching at me every five seconds to leave.
Relieved that his skin felt a little cooler, I went to the kitchen to try to find myself something to eat for dinner.
I was going to need some sustenance.
Something told me it was going to be a long night.
Cole
I finally woke up with my brain a little bit clearer than it had been for a while.
My head still hurt like a son of a bitch, but I didn’t feel like I was about to cough up a lung anymore.
I automatically reached for the bottled water at the bedside.
As usual, there were two full bottles there ready to be consumed, along with a dose of fever reducers and cough medicine.
I was sweating like a pig, and I had a feeling my fever had broken, but I slugged down the pills with the water for my damn headache.
Fuck!I wanted to get healthy again as quickly as possible.
I hadn’t been sick for over a decade, and that inconvenient cold had been nothing compared to this damn flu.
The virus had kicked my ass, and I didn’t like to admit thatanythingwas capable of kicking my ass.
It probably would have been even more miserable if it hadn’t been for Lauren Collier.
I hadn’t wanted her here, but she had kept me hydrated and shoved my meds into me as soon as they were due.
I dropped the empty water bottle onto the table and looked around the room.
Was she still here?
