“Uh-uh. Sorry isn’t enough this time. You put yourself in real danger, Gigi. If you’d wanted a magazine and some chocolate, you should have asked me.”
“You’d buy me chocolate?” He was stricter about her diet than the hospital. She knew it was just because he was worried about her. But he needed to ease up a little.
“Well, not that crap.”
The lovely lady in the gift shop had sent up the chocolate and magazine she’d had to leave behind when she collapsed.
“It wasn’t just the chocolate and magazine. I wanted to get out for a bit.”
“And now you may well have put your health at further risk and will have to stay in here longer. Your recovery could be delayed.”
Well, shit.
She sighed. “I know. I wasn’t thinking.”
He tilted her chin up. “No, little girl. You weren’t. You disobeyed me. You put yourself at risk. That deserves some punishment, don’t you think?”
“Are you going to spank me?” she blurted out.
His gaze narrowed. “Is that what you want?”
“Of c-course not,” she spluttered out. Even she didn’t believe herself.
“Lying is very naughty, Gigi,” he reminded her in a soft drawl.
Oh hell. She was in so much trouble. And she wasn’t talking about whatever punishment he came up with.
“I shouldn’t want it, right? That’s weird.”
“Nothing is weird about your needs, Gigi. Lots of people have needs that are considered outside the norm. But who gets to say what is normal? As long as your needs don’t hurt anyone else, how can they be wrong?”
He ran his hand over his face, looking exhausted. “But now isn’t the time to talk about this. I haven’t gotten to see Nan yet today and I need to go if I’m going to get back here in time for dinner with you.”
She noticed how tired he looked. Stressed. Guilt flooded her. He didn’t need worrying about her on top of all this. She shouldn’t be taking time away from his beloved grandmother. She’d been thinking only of herself.
This isn’t you, Gigi.
It wasn’t. She never wanted to cause trouble. She just hated being ill. Relying on other people. She’d been frustrated and hadn’t thought.
“I’m really sorry, Macca,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean to worry you or have you race over here. It was selfish of me and I feel terrible.”
His face softened and he reached for her hand, squeezing lightly. “It’s all right, baby. I know you are going crazy trapped in here. I would be too. But you have to take care of your health. I don’t want anything bad happening to you.”
“I know. You shouldn’t come back here for dinner,” she blurted out.
“What? You don’t want me here?” He looked shocked and his hand drifted from hers.
“What? No! Of course, I want you here.” It was the highlight of her day. “But you’re tired. And I’ve already mucked up your day and taken time you should be spending with Penny away and—”
“Gigi, stop,” he told her gently. He placed a finger on her lips. “Of course, I want to visit my nan, but I want to be here with you too. Truth is, I enjoy our time together.”
“Me too,” she whispered. “I just don’t want to be a nuisance.”
He smiled at her. “You are not a nuisance, little one. I don’t want to hear you say that again, understood? Stop worrying about me. I can look after myself. So, I’ll be back tonight, all right?”
“All right,” she whispered.
He leaned over and kissed her gently on her forehead. “Rest, baby. No more going for walks without letting the nurses know. And don’t eat all that chocolate.”