“You’d be surprised. Regardless, you may not want my help, but you’re going to get it anyway.”
“I’m not taking your money, Jake,” I insist stubbornly. I’d rather die than take his money. It is pride. This whole town loves to talk about me, but I know the truth. I’ve leaned on Jeff formoral support, but I refused to let him pay my bills. I still feel guilty that I called on him to help with things around the house. That’s not going to happen any longer.
I won’t allow it.
His hand reaches up and snakes around the side of my neck. His eyes go dark, and butterflies try to take flight in my stomach. “You’re going to take whatever I want to give you, Katie, and you’ll like it.”
“You’re dreaming.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve dreamed where you are concerned,” he replies with a wink. “Now, let’s get you ready for bed.”
“Uh, I can get myself ready for bed.”
“We’ll see. Let’s get you on the bed and then we can argue about it.”
“We’re not going to argue because you aren’t going to help me get undressed. I can undress myself.”
“Scared, sunshine?”
“No, just sane—something you obviously aren’t. Did you fall and hit your head while I was in the hospital?”
“You don’t want the answer to that, Katie,” he says, shaking his head.
“I think I do,” I argue, as he puts his hands on my hips and braces me so that I can stand up on my own.
I know he could just lift me onto the bed, but he’s following the instructions of the rehab unit and letting me do as much as possible so that I get my strength back in my legs. After long weeks in the hospital, they’re weak and there was nerve, muscle, and tendon damage. I’m having to work hard to get control of them back.
He’s right when he says I need help. I’ve worried how I’m going to do everything without causing more damage. That doesn’t mean I want to take Jake up on his offer to help. MaybeI can get one of the girls at the shop to help, or ask Callie. Tears sting my eyes because I truly hate being helpless. I mostly stumble to sit on the mattress.
“I really don’t think you do, honey. Not right now.”
“You can’t do that. You can’t hint at something and then not tell me. You know that will drive anyone insane.”
“Do you still sleep naked?” he asks, changing the subject. My body jerks with the frank question.
“Jake!”
“It’s a simple question.”
“It’s a very personal question.”
He goes down on his knees and takes my foot into his hand. “It’s a legitimate one. You used to love sleeping naked,” he counters, slipping my shoe off. He puts the shoe down then takes my foot in his hands. He uses the pads of this thumbs to massage the balls of my feet. I bite down on my bottom lip to keep from moaning. I shouldn’t enjoy this quite so much and yet I do. It feels like heaven.
“I think you’re the one that used to love it when I slept naked.” I smile a little because that’s totally true. We didn’t get many nights together. We were young. There were nights we made it happen and clothes were definitely just annoying.
“I can’t deny that at all,” he murmurs, moving over to my other foot. “Now answer the question.”
“I have a kid who sometimes has bad dreams and gets in bed with me.”
He looks at me, surprise on his face. “Pajamas it is.”
“I’m more of a nightgown or T-shirt kind of girl.”
“If you think I’m going to put my brother’s shirt on your body you are crazy as hell, Katie.”
I blink.
“Want to tell me why it matters to you whose shirt I wear?”