Nora bristled when J.P.’s hands went to her feet to tug off the left shoe first, then the right. He lined up her ballet flats next to her nightstand and urged her to lie down with his hands gently guiding her shoulders back toward the mattress.
“Hopefully it’ll be over before too long.”
He lifted the corner of the comforter for her to shimmy beneath and secured the fabric right below her chin to tuck her in. If she felt any better, she would’ve been embarrassed, but her discomfort barely allowed her to recognize anything other than gratitude.
“I’m going to grab a trash can for you…just in case.”
Her mouth watered bitterly at that, but it was probably a good idea. “There’s one in the bathroom.”
He was gone and back again before she had time to blink. “I’m just going to place it right here. Hopefully you won’t need it, but you’ll be glad it’s there if you do.” J.P. bent down again on his haunches, concerned brow creased right in the middle. “Do you think you can get some rest?”
“Probably,” Nora murmured, her eyes already fluttering.
“Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?”
She hated to ask more of him. He’d already gone above and beyond. “Would you mind grabbing my phone from the kitchen? I need to text a few of my clients to let them know I won’t be able to work tomorrow.”
“I’ll get it for you,” he assured. “But I think people can wait a day or two to get their honey.”
She laughed weakly. “It’s not for honey. They’re my house cleaning clients. I’m a housekeeper, along with a beekeeper—”
“Along with a master snickerdoodle baker,” he added in a tone so sweet she almost didn’t recognize it.
“Were they any good?” She lifted her head up a little on the pillow to look at him. “I didn’t even get to try one.”
“They were delicious. I’ll be sure to put them in a Ziploc bag so you can enjoy them when you’re feeling up to it.”
Her head dropped back against the bed. “You really don’t need to do that, J.P.”
“I know.” He regarded her with a tender look that made her stomach go weightless, and this time, she was well aware that it had nothing to do with the nausea. “I’ll get your phone for you, but after that, try to get some rest. I’ll check in on you tomorrow. If you need anything before then, you know where to find me.”
For the first time, Nora was actually thankful she knew exactly where he’d be.
Chapter Fourteen
Waylon spun around Pearl, tail and tongue wagging with an excitement he wore on every inch of him. J.P.’s mother dangled the carrot by its leafy top and suddenly let it drop. The dog chomped it down in one bite, then sat directly on her feet, awaiting another fresh treat from the garden.
“Just one for you today, boy. Gotta save the rest for the food bank.”
J.P. ran his fingers over the back of his neck. “Hey, Mom? I’ve got a question for you.”
“Shoot.” Pearl scratched Waylon’s furry head, making the wiry hairs crisscross like the pup had a bad case of bedhead.
“That cleaning company you had come out to my place this week. Do you happen to know the name of it?”
Pearl’s hand stilled. “Oh no. You weren’t happy with the job?”
“No, that’s not it at all. I was. They did a great job. I’m just thinking of asking them to come back out in the future and I’m wondering who I should contact.”
“It’s not a company,” Pearl said. She jammed her gardening gloves into her waistband. “Just one person: Nora Paisley. She came highly recommended.”
J.P. didn’t even flinch at the information. After seeing Nora’s pristine home yesterday, and glimpsing the lineup of cleaning supplies in the open cabinet in her bathroom, he had a suspicion she’d been the one in his apartment that week. He’d expected that confirmation to bother him, not elevate his pulse in the way it did.
It was personal to have someone in your own space—the place where you lived and slept. There was a vulnerability there, a feeling of being exposed. Not that J.P. had anything to hide. He’d just never brought a girl back to his place…other than Kenzie.
He hissed a silent, scolding breath. That’s not even what this was. Nora was just there to clean, for goodness’ sake.
“She did a great job,” was all he replied to his mother when her gaze stayed pinned on his long enough to indicate she expected him to say more.
