Wrapping a towel around him, she quickly made the bed and tucked him between the cool sheets. He hadn’t spoken since he woke up, but his brown eyes followed her as she scurried around taking care of him.
As soon as she was able to break away, she emptied the SUV and got busy cleaning the musty cabin. Thankfully, there was one of those expensive, super-sucking vacuum cleaners tucked away in a closet.
She removed the furniture covers and tossed them in the washer along with the curtains then set about vacuuming every square inch of the place. Tossing the furniture covers in the dryer, she broke out the new mop for the floors. Soon the place was actually looking like a real vacation retreat.
She took vitals on Ryder every hour and made sure he took another dose of medication. He was agreeable to drinking when she pressed him, so at least he wasn’t getting dehydrated. Breaking out the new, inexpensive crock pot, she plopped a huge roast into it with some seasoning. Next, she rewarded herself with a cup of coffee from the ten-dollar coffeemaker she found on sale. One sip of the potent brew and all was right with her world. On a whim, she pulled out her hefty first-aid kit from the SUV and plugged in the prepaid phones to charge.
Feeling like an overworked elf at Christmastime, Tiffany slid into a hot shower. As the water cascaded over her tired body, Tiffany worried about whether she’d bitten off more than she could chew with this one. Seeing Ryder so sick tugged at her heartstrings because she could tell he was used to being strong and in charge. She supposed that him being so accepting of her help probably meant something to him. Truth be told, it meant something to her as well.
She shuddered to think of what would have happened to him had she not waited for him. He’d be lying in a cheap hotel somewhere burning with fever all night. To hell with that! He was better off with her, no matter what happened later on down the line.
Ryder woke up to the aroma of something fantastic hanging in the air. The scent reminded him of Sunday dinner when he was growing up. It was the one meal he could count on every single week to be phenomenal. The rest of the week might have been a hit or miss, but Sundays everyone sat around the table like civilized folk.
Glancing around, he saw Tiffany curled up in a big easy chair by the bed. The huge chair practically swallowed her slight form, but she looked cozy with a blue blanket wrapped around her and an honest to goodness book with pages resting on her lap. Ryder couldn’t remember the last time he saw someone reading a real book instead of an e-reader or smartphone. He couldn’t tell what kind of book it was, though, because her hand was draped over it.
Sitting up, he stretched a little to loosen his muscles. The bedroom was neat and clean. He didn’t remember much about the night before, but the house seemed dirty to him when they first arrived.
He slid out of the bed and padded quietly to the bathroom. He leaned over the toilet, bracing himself on the wall as he rubbed his morning wood down enough to pee.
Vaguely, he remembered her loading supplies into the back of the vehicle. Sighing, Ryder hoped she didn’t do all the shopping and cleaning herself.
Turning, he saw a stack of men’s clothing in his size with the handgun she loaned him lying on top of a short cabinet in the corner. His chest warmed when he realized she’d picked out clothes for him. No one had ever done that for him before.
He struggled into the pair of jeans, tucked the gun into the waistband at the small of his back, and pulled the T-shirt on. The immediate concern was walking the perimeter of the property and securing it. His shoes were near the door, thankfully. Once outside, a quick walk around the property was enough to assure him they were miles from civilization. Everything seemed to be in order.
Coming back into the house, he spotted Tiffany moving around in the kitchen and felt a smile creep across his face. She was wearing yoga pants that cupped her tiny, round ass and a matching pink T-shirt.
Thank God, she was making coffee.
Striding across the room, he sat at the long counter and waited for her to notice him.
He didn’t have to wait long. She turned and almost jumped out of her skin.
“Woah, doll, calm down. It’s just me.”
She took a moment to breathe deep. “I was worried when I woke up and you were gone.”
“Wanted to scout the place out and make sure it was safe.”
Rolling her eyes, she asked, “Cream and sugar in your coffee?”
His stomach rumbled as if to answer. “That would be great. Anything I can munch on. I’m hungry enough to eat a cow.”
Her laughter made him smile. “I made a roast overnight in the slow cooker. You can nibble on that while I make some eggs and toast.”
“I would love that. It smells great.”
She quickly scooped out a thick piece and put it in a bowl with a slice of crusty bread on the side.
“Where I come from, this is a whole meal,” he told her as he dug in.
She smiled indulgently at him. “Well, while I’m around, sick guys get a real breakfast. You need all the protein you can get.”
“I ain’t sick, doll. I’m injured. There’s a difference.”
“Why don’t you mansplain to the nurse all about that while she makes your eggs,” she said snarkily.
He grinned. “You got me there. Guess if I had a fever I was pretty sick.”