He trudged out of the bathroom and her heart wept for him. Had Poppy made him feel bad if he threw up? She hoped it was just because he felt awful for being sick in front of her and nothing else.
Sighing, she grabbed the toilet cleaner and gave it a scrub, then sprayed some disinfectant on all the surfaces. Satisfied that she’d killed any germs, in case it was a bug and not the facthe’d eaten too much, she thoroughly washed her hands and smoothed hand sanitizer over them as she went into the kitchen to get the crackers and a drink.
The bell rang as she walked out with the items, and her heart did a little tattoo in anticipation of who she was going to see when she opened the door. After taking a second to compose herself and place the glass and crackers on the hall table, she unlocked the door and opened it in a rush. Yep, her handsome man stood there with a carryout bag. Her heart back-flipped when he gave her a lopsided grin.
“I come bearing gifts,” he said, holding up the plastic bag.
“Come in. Go pop it in the kitchen.” She pointed to the electrolyte solution and crackers. “It could be a while before he’s ready to eat anything.”
Comprehension dawned on his face. “Ahh, he had to drive the porcelain bus, huh?”
She laughed. “Yep, all the way to the station.”
“Poor kid.”
“He felt terrible about it, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
“Okay, I’ll dump this and then come see him.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. “Hi, Sparkles.”
“Hi, yourself.” She shook her head at his antics.
As she walked toward Finn’s bedroom, she could feel her smile growing. It was so nice to share this moment with him, although not an ideal one, but knowing he hadn’t run when he worked out that Finn had thrown up was a big plus.
Cerise walked in and Finn was curled up on his side. His eyes were shut but she didn’t think he was asleep. As she got closer, she noticed that the green tinge had leeched out of his face and, while it was still pale, there was a hint of color on his cheeks. She set the drink and crackers on his bedside table, before sitting on the bed.
“How you doing, Finn?” She rested her hand on his forehead, pleased that it wasn’t warm under her palm.
“Okay,” he mumbled.
“Brodie’s here. He brought you some chicken noodle soup. You can have some later if you feel up to it.”
His eyes snapped open and he shifted so that he was reclining against his pillow and not lying flat. “Brodie’s here?”
“I sure am, buddy,” Brodie said from the doorway. “I understand you took a trip to the bus station?”
Finn’s eyes clouded in confusion and he looked at Cerise. “We didn’t go to the bus station, Brodie.”
Brodie sauntered into the room and sat down next to her. She braced her body so she didn’t slide into him, like she wanted to. “I meant you drove the porcelain bus. Threw up.”
“Ohhh.” Finn’s face cleared and he laughed a little. “Yeah, it was nasty. I told Cerise I’m never having gummy bears, caramel popcorn and Dr. Pepper again.”
“Man.” Brodie whistled. “That’s quite the combination there. Maybe separate might be a better idea than all together at one time.”
“Maybe.”
Cerise stood and grabbed Brodie’s hand, pulling him up as well. “I think you probably didn’t sleep much last night, so you’re tired too. And you’ve got school tomorrow so you can’t be tired for classes.”
“If I throw up, I can’t go to school until I’ve not thrown up for a whole day. So that means I don’t go to school tomorrow, because I threw up after the time school is supposed to start.”
Dammit, she’d forgotten about that rule, but she was sure that applied to kids who’d been throwing up consistently. And he’d recited the information matter-of-factly, as if he’d had to remind his aunt a time or two. He shouldn’t have to worry about those rules, because that was the job of his guardian. Finnneeded to go back to being a kid. “Okay, we’ll see how the rest of the day goes.”
She gave his leg a squeeze and noticed Brodie did the same. When they got into the living room, Brodie pulled her into a hug, and she snuggled into his embrace. Everything felt right when he was holding her.
“You don’t have to stay now. I’m sure there are things you need to do back at the ranch,” she said after they’d been standing, holding each other for a few moments.
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it together. Always.”
Her heart stilled. What did he mean, always? She looked up at him and swallowed at what was shining in his eyes. “Always?”
