Page 33 of Anything for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #7)
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Dove
A cool hand brushed over my forehead. I leaned into it and hummed.
“Never stop touching me,” I mumbled.
He coughed.
He?
My eyes opened wide, lids heavy, to see Dorian gazing back at me.
Mm. Dorian. He’s so nice and hot and nice and hot.
“Thank you. I think you’re nice and hot, too.”
His deep voice had my mouth dropping open because apparently, my inner monologue was broken.
“You’re alright, Dove. Doc’s here, and Jo came with him. Can they come in and see you?”
I tried to scoot myself upright, but still felt weak and awful. “What time is it? Yes, they can.”
“It’s about ten-thirty. You were asleep for about two hours and your fever came down a little, but not as much as I’d like. Doc was kind enough to come over so we don’t have to go into the hospital.”
His eyes crinkled so pleasingly around the edges. His face, even behind that bushy beard, was so handsome, so pleasing to me.
“I like you so much,” I said, a whine in my voice that somewhere in my foggy, fever-addled mind I recognized would embarrass me when this was over.
“Whoa there, my friend. How about we let Adam check you out and give Stone a break?”
Jo’s voice filtered into my ears, and I shifted so I could see her.
“You’re so pretty. Thank you for coming. I’m sorry,” I babbled.
She chuckled but made a face. “You’re really out of it, huh? I thought you said you were maybe coming down with something?”
I vaguely remembered texting the group chat that I was feeling off.
Then I’d gone to work and somehow pushed through.
The minute I sat down in my car, I’d realized I was too tired to safely drive home so I’d let myself nap, thinking I’d take a twenty-minute snooze and wake up refreshed.
Instead, I got worse, and had just wanted to get home to my bed.
And if I was being honest, back to Dorian.
“Mind if I take a look, Dove?” Adam asked, taking a seat next to me as I finally managed to edge myself up against the headboard with Jo’s help.
I let him at it. He might not’ve been a medical doctor, but he had an incredible wealth of training and knowledge.
He’d trained in Level I trauma ERs and operating rooms, he’d performed a number of procedures in the field to keep soldiers alive, and I had every faith he could handle evaluating me for whatever garbage was attacking me.
After a quick but thorough exam, he swabbed me for all the things and promised to get the specimens into the hospital right away.
Since we had some very rural areas in Silverton and the surrounding counties, we had doctors and nurses who did house calls.
Adam had recently gotten certified for this so he could provide the service not only to the Saint staff and families, but to the larger community as well.
I, too, occasionally took shifts for community call, as we termed it, but I hadn’t in a while thanks to my lack of availability.
“Thank you. Thanks for coming,” I said, smiling pitifully.
Adam slipped out to speak to Dorian, and Jo lingered a moment.
“He seems to be taking very good care of you. I didn’t realize…”
If I had felt any better than I did right now, I probably would’ve blushed. “Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to update on that but it’s turning into something, I think.”
Her grin was blinding. Or maybe that was the headache talking.
“I couldn’t be happier. And I think he’s enjoying getting to take care of you.”
I snorted, my best impression of a scoff, and shut my eyes after a failed attempt to roll them because ow. “I doubt that. But thanks. Assuming I’m better by next Saturday, I’ll be ready to report in.”
My feeble attempts to stay upright failed, and I slumped back down. Jo left me with a few more kind words and the promise to check in and let everyone know how I was doing, and I nodded off.
Sometime later, Dorian’s strong arm cradled me behind the shoulders. “Come on, honey. Just swallow this and you can go back to sleep.”
I blinked my eyes open enough to see his serious face, then felt like I was falling backward into a sea of clouds as he lowered me back down.
The next time I woke must’ve been hours later.
I was sticky and my mouth tasted like an absolute horror show, so I stumbled to the bathroom and into the shower.
I didn’t manage to deal with my hair, but I scrubbed away the worst of the sweat and grime, brushed my teeth, and poured myself back into bed.
Dorian knocked lightly on the door, which stood ajar a few inches.
“Come in,” I said, voice small and tired.
“Glad you could shower. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were going to or I could’ve helped.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, I could’ve done something.”
I couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked like he was blushing under his dark beard. If I felt any less like something that’d climbed out of a dumpster, I would’ve been thrilled by all the possible insinuations. As it was, I only smiled.
“Thank you. I feel a little better, maybe, but I think I want to go right back to sleep.”
He nodded, crossing his thick arms. “Understandable. Do you think you could get something down? Toast maybe? Or I can warm up some soup I made earlier. I worry that at this point, you’re running on empty and your body won’t be happy about continuing to take meds.”
After seeing it was nearly noon, I conceded. When he walked in with a tray and set it down on my lap, the tears came .
“No, no, Dove. Don’t cry,” he said, cupping my face with one of his big, lovely hands and wiping a tear with the pad of his thumb.
“You probably shouldn’t touch me if I have the flu or strep or… anything. You’re honestly doomed at this point.” I sniffled.
His smile was small, but so pleased, I didn’t know what’d made him so happy.
“Why is that something to smile about?” I asked, grumpy from sickness, exhaustion, hunger, and the thought that this man’s good deed of taking care of me would be paid back with illness.
“Worst case scenario, I get sick. I can handle that. I know it’s miserable, but it’ll be okay if I do. I don’t have much of a day job and Pedro and Connor can handle the farm.”
He took the spoon sitting on a neatly folded napkin and set it in the bowl of steaming soup. On a small side plate sat a slice of bread I’d bet money he’d made from scratch slathered with butter, and a small glass of water stood next to something purple.
“That’s nonsense. I’ll be fine. You shouldn’t be exposing yourself to me,” I said, tempted to cross my arms with a huff except it sounded hard and the soup actually smelled appetizing. Also, oops , even I heard that double entendre.
But he didn’t seem fazed because he nudged the spoon toward me.
I leaned over the tray and took a bite. Heaven. Of course it tasted great. Salty and smooth, somehow. Noodles, chicken, and maybe a carrot in that spoonful, and it was all wonderful. Granted, I already felt like I didn’t want to continue, but that was the illness talking.
“Hey, take some more and I’ll tell you why I’m here. ”
I stared him down for a minute, but I couldn’t resist the need to know. I took another bite, then a big chomp of bread, and raised my brows.
“Good girl,” he said with a chuckle.
I choked on the bread, coughing with aching ribs as I swallowed. He had no idea… just none whatsoever. And I would not address the matter right now.
But at some point? Yes.
“I’m here because I want to be, Dove. I know I don’t have to.” His melting dark honey gaze bore into mine. “You take care of everyone all the time. At work, in your personal life, and even in your friendships. But who takes care of you?”
Who takes care of you? It was a ludicrous question and one I had a clear answer to. “No one needs to take care of me. I like taking care of other people.”
“And I believe you. But right now, the answer to that question is me.”
With that, he changed the subject, talking through what I might be able to eat later, if I had preferences, and when I’d need more meds. I had the flu and it was simply a matter of time before I’d feel better.
I was in my body, but not. Sick, sore, but not lonely. I was hurting and kind of miserable, but I had this warm, serene feeling couching my rough edges right now.
As I drifted off to sleep, the answer to why I wasn’t worried or sad or missing the comfort of someone with me and watching over me like I’d only ever had with Nan played through my mind.
The answer to that question is him.