Her eyebrows rose. “They let you stay here?”
“It took some persuasion.”
“Yeah, right, bet you just smiled at the nurse and she gave right in.”
He grinned. “You think my smile is that powerful, huh? Does it work that way on you?”
She scowled. “No.”
“Too bad. Especially since I’m pretty certain you’re going to make a bad patient. I guess I’ll just have to keep a naughty girl book and give you all your punishments once you’re better.”
“Am I still asleep? Is this some weird dream?” She reached over and pinched her own hand.
“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t do that.” He grabbed her injured hand, rubbing the sore spot. “You have enough bruises; you don’t need to be adding to them. And yes, you’re awake.”
“Um, you’re not taking care of me.” And he wasn’t keeping a naughty girl book, whatever the heck that was.
“Do you have someone else who can care for you?”
His words made her flinch as they struck deep. It was a cutting reminder that she had no one. The only person who’d truly cared about her was Penny.
She turned her head away from his, not wanting him to see how deep that struck.
“Hey, baby. I didn’t say that to hurt you.” He gently turned her face back. He gave her a warm look. “You’re sick, sweet pea. It’s obvious that you haven’t been looking after yourself. And you ending up in here is partly is my fault. I was the one who scared you. If you hadn’t been running from me, then you would never have fallen over and hurt yourself. And you wouldn’t have been alone and ill.”
“This isn’t your fault,” she told him. “I know how it must have looked. But I wasn’t stealing anything, I promise.”
He grasped hold of her hand, stroking his thumb up and down the back. Small shivers ran through her body. What was that about?
“I know you weren’t, sweet pea. I jumped to conclusions. I was feeling sad and exhausted and not thinking straight. I’m usually much clearer headed than that. I should have let you talk. Should have let you tell me who you were. I’m not proud of myself for yelling at you. I’m usually very protective of women.”
She stared at him and
something shifted between them. She didn’t know what and it scared her slightly. She licked her dry lips. “Th-that’s okay. Shouldn’t you be with Penny?”
He winced and looked at his watch. “I’ll go there after the doctor has made his rounds and you’re down for a nap.”
She just woke up. Why would she want a nap?
“You don’t need to stay for the doctor,” she told him. “I’m fine by myself.”
She was used to it.
He eyed her. “I have a feeling you’ve been on your own for far too long. It’s not good for someone Little like you to be alone.”
“I’m not that little.” She was pretty thin, though. The steady supply of food at Penny’s these last eight months had fleshed her out a little. But this last week of barely eating had put her back at nearly square one again.
“That remains to be seen,” he said mysteriously.
What did that mean? He was so frustrating.
“I know you feel guilty because you thought I was a thief. But I understand why you’d think that. I’m fine. You found me and brought me in here,” even though she didn’t particularly want to be here, “you’ve done enough. You need to go be with Penny. She’s your family.”
Not me.
He sat back in his chair. “She woke up yesterday.”
“She did?” The tension weighing on her lightened for a moment. “Did she say anything?”