Page 24 of Deception and New Direction (Ranger Shield Security #3)

RUTHIE

I was able to sneak home a little early from work, though Ellie had warned me there was really no need. She told me Jack was the dictionary definition of man-cold and it was best just to let him sleep.

I understood that, but this felt like my chance to repay the favor to Jack for housing me these last nearly two months with my cast.

Archer dropped me off after work since he was coming over to look at his property again and check on construction.

When I got home, I let Dash out first. I’d taken him with me to work, mostly because I didn’t want him bothering Jack all day.

He would see Jack in the house and assume he was there to play and not to rest, which was really what he needed.

After Dash was settled, I moved on in search of my terrible patient. I had grabbed another round of medicine and some water to give him since he was likely due for more.

As I neared his bed, his eyes opened and stared into mine, still half asleep.

“You’re the most beautiful angel I’ve ever seen,” Jack whispered up at me.

Yep, still half asleep.

I snickered, smiling as I tried to get him to wake up. “ How do you feel?”

“I’d feel you with both hands if you let me.” He tried to smile, but his face flinched, telling me that was uncomfortable.

“I mean how do you feel with your fever? Any better?” I prodded.

“Worse. Way Worse ,” he informed me. “ Tell Ellie I love her and I’ll miss her when I die, even though she’s a pain in my ass like she was this morning when she yelled at me to not take advantage of you.”

Well, that last part was interesting, and while I would love to know more about that, I needed to get these meds in him, so I opted to pause on that interrogation for now.

“Jack, you’re not going to die, but you will definitely feel better if you take some more medicine. Here .” I handed the pills to him along with the water.

As he sat up, I took in his appearance and realized he was a hot mess.

He had a gleam to his skin, likely from the sweat as his body was attempting to break the fever.

His hair, which he had mentioned was past due for a trim, looked disheveled.

Even with all of that, he would still make grown women swoon.

It was unfair that when I was sick, I didn’t just feel awful— I looked like it, too. Jack , however, may have felt miserable, but he looked just as handsome as ever. Men sucked.

“Are you hungry? Would you like me to make you something to eat?” I asked him, knowing he would need some food in him to give him some energy.

“Magic soup, please?” he requested.

I had no idea what that was, but I could definitely make soup. I went back into the kitchen and whipped up some chicken noodle soup and hot tea. Even if he did act like a big baby, I was more than happy to pay it forward by taking care of him.

Selfishly, I also needed to get some sustenance in him so I could maybe prod him a little more about his conversation with Ellie earlier.

I walked back into the bedroom, delicately balancing my crutch in my right hand with food in my left to see Jack coming out of the bathroom and headed back to the bed.

“Mmmm, that smells amazing,” Jack said. “ At least I think it does. Maybe it’s you and not the soup. Hell , I don’t know I can’t really smell anything right now.”

I smiled back at him and handed him what he needed in the bed.

“Will you eat with me?” he asked. “ Bring some for you and sit here on the bed with me. Please ?”

I nodded, went to grab myself a bowl and a drink, and came back into the room. He had turned the lights on so it was no longer like a dark cave in there while we ate.

“Feeling any better?” I asked after he had eaten a few bites.

“I no longer feel like death warmed over, but it would be nice if my headache would ease up a bit,” he replied.

“The pain meds I gave you should kick in here soon, hopefully,” I replied then decided to subtly try to bring up Ellie . “ I heard you were quite the rough patient when Ellie came here to check on you earlier.”

I casually sipped my soup as though this was just a cursory comment.

“You’ve got the wrong idea,” he responded. “ The interrogation was the other way around. She hounded me about whether or not I was taking advantage of you.”

My head jerked back slightly at his words. “ You taking advantage of me ? I’m the one living with you , not the other way around. Why would she think that?”

He paused in eating his soup, turned and looked at me, and then held my stare for a bit before responding. Almost as though he was trying to be careful about what he said. Perhaps as to not offend me or Ellie .

“Despite the conversation being the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black, she informed me that it could get messy if we opted for a workplace romance,” he said.

“ Mostly , I think she was worried I wouldn’t have your best interest in mind, and despite the fact that I am her brother, you were the priority, so she effectively was here to threaten me if I even so much as broke your nail. ”

I chuckled a little because I’d learned that Ellie was very defensive about her friends.

She cared for Cat , Val , me, and even Tammy as though we were her biological family.

It was what made her such a good friend.

I also secretly enjoyed that she would come over and threaten Jack for something like this.

“I told her that I can’t shut this off and that it’s not my fault if you practically threw yourself at me begging me to let you have your way with me,” he said, waving his hands dramatically. “ I told her I was the victim here and you only wanted me for my body—my incredibly hot body.”

I snorted and slapped my hand across his shoulder. “ You are such a guy.”

“Yes, but I think that’s why you like me.

” He winked at me. “ I promise if I recover from this and don’t actually die—as you keep promising me I won’t—that I will allow you to take full advantage of my body as your payment for taking such good care of me.

Until then, can I pretty please get some more soup? ”

He lifted his empty bowl and put it in front of me with the biggest cheesy smile I had ever seen. As much as I tried to hold it in, a little chuckle slipped through. I escaped to get him more soup so he couldn’t see as that smile got bigger.

What was I going to do with this man?

Needing some time to think and also get Dash out of the house so he didn’t bother Jack , we came out to the backyard, and I sat on the bench by the pond.

It was so peaceful here. I imagined in a few weeks as more stuff started to bloom, this would be the most beautiful spot to be.

Maybe even in the fall when the leaves changed and the backdrop of the woods would be filled with color.

I sat out there for a solid thirty minutes, just thinking peacefully while Dash chased the tennis ball I threw for him four-thousand times. Thankfully , he was not a fan of the water. Otherwise he likely would have jumped in there any time he saw a fish or frog.

The sun had started to set and the little warmth left in the air was now gone, so I made my way back inside. I walked back in to find Jack in the kitchen getting something to drink.

“You okay?” I asked him.

“No,” he responded. “ There is actually something I need if you don’t mind helping.”

“Sure,” I told him, more than happy to be able to help.

He walked over to me and slid his arms around my waist. “ What would help me heal the fastest is a snuggle buddy. Will you be my snuggle buddy? Double points if you’re naked.”

I rolled my eyes, trying very hard to contain my laughter. “ You’re incorrigible. You know that?”

“I’ve been called worse.” He popped that sexy grin at me, and as much as I hate to admit, I became putty in his hands.

“Fine,” I conceded.

I needed this cast off ASAP . I had a feeling the longer I stayed here, the more I would be conceding to this man on a daily basis.