Page 14 of Love’s Patient Journey (The Relinquished #2)

“Truck,” Zac said around his little thumb.

“Yeah, baby-truck.” Jenna half-heartedly repeated. She wondered what show he was watching now, probably one with trucks or trains. Did her doorbell just ring? Or maybe that was on his show, too. She was so out of it, she was probably hearing stuff now.

“Door, Mama.” Zac got down from the sofa and started for the door. Jenna couldn’t understand why her son was insisting that someone was at her door.

“It’s just on TV, Zac. Come back over here and sit down,” Jenna pleaded weakly.

She heard a pounding at her door and held her head, moaning. “Okay, I hear it.” She slowly got up and made her way over to where a very anxious Zac was hopping around, waiting for her to open the door.

“Ryan,” she winced in pain at her voice. She sounded too loud.

“Honey, you okay?” Ryan started to open the door and picked up Zac, who was holding his arms out for him. “What’s wrong, baby? You look awful.”

“Mama sick,” Zac had taken his thumb out of his mouth long enough to tell Ryan the news, and then stuffed it back in.

“I see that, buddy.” Ryan shut Jenna’s front door and sat Zac on the sofa to watch cartoons. “How about you hang out here, bud, while I put your mama to bed. Then, we can play trains.”

Zac nodded his little head and returned his attention to the TV show. Jenna was holding up the wall by her front door, unable to move. Ryan looked her up and down, shaking his head as if in disbelief.

“Honey, why didn’t you call me? I could have helped with Zac and taken care of you.” Ryan picked her up, cradling her to his chest. She couldn’t even pretend to protest; she felt so weak, she knew that she would never make it to her bed on her own. The stairs would have done her in.

“We broke up,” she whispered to Ryan as he carried her up the stairs with ease.

Ryan chuckled, “Honey, we did not break up. I already explained this to you. I’m in love with you—you’re mine.

I gave you the time you asked for, but I’m done waiting.

I know that you love me, Jenna, you just need time to come to terms with your feelings.

But I’m not gonna stay away from you and Zac anymore, baby.

I just about lost my mind, and I only lasted a day. ”

Jenna smiled up at him, at least she thought she had. Ryan just laughed at her poor attempt. “You need to get into this bed and stay there until your fever breaks, honey. I’ll take care of Zac and you.”

Jenna sat up in bed as he put some extra pillows under her head to prop her up. “Ryan, you can’t,” she whispered, “you’ll get sick too.” Ryan pushed her hair from her face, trying to assess her temperature with his hand on her forehead. “It’s over 101,” she grimaced. Ryan swore.

“Okay, honey. Let me get Zac settled, and then I’ll bring you up some ice water to drink and a cool compress. We need to get this fever down. When was the last time you had pain medication?”

“This morning,” she closed her eyes, lying back in her bed. It felt so good, she couldn’t help her moan.

“Honey, you need more, you’re really hot.” He pulled her blankets up over her, and she realized she was shivering. God, she felt as if she was freezing.

“Thank you, Ryan.”

“For what, honey?”

“For calling me hot,” she replied hoarsely. She could hear Ryan’s laughter as he headed back to Zac, and she allowed herself to drift off into the feverish world that surrounded her.

∞

Ryan couldn’t believe that Jenna hadn’t called him.

She and Zac needed him, but she was as stubborn as a mule.

She’d rather kill herself, being sick and taking care of Zac, than call him for help.

Ryan called his mom to let her know that he’d be staying at Jenna’s for a while.

He could tell that she wanted to ask about Jenna and his relationship, but she just gave a polite, “Okay, honey,” and let him go.

He knew that he’d pay for that later. When his mother got him alone in a room, she’d interrogate him like a prisoner of war.

He played with Zac for a bit. Of course, the little guy wanted to play trains, talk about trains, and make train noises.

He couldn’t get enough of the kid; he was totally in love with Jenna and her son.

Zac seemed to like Ryan too, but didn’t most two-year-old boys like anyone who’d play trains with them?

And well, how Jenna felt about him was another story.

He hoped to show up at her home and demand some answers.

Instead, he found the woman that he loved, sick as a dog, and burning up with fever.

Zac nodded off early, probably still feeling the effects of being sick the past few days.

Ryan picked Zac up from the sofa and carried him to his room.

It felt so normal, taking care of Jenna’s son.

He could see himself fitting into their lives.

He just worried that Jenna couldn’t see the same picture.

He tucked Zac into his crib and kissed his little forehead.

He seemed to be over his fever. Leaving Zac’s door open so he could hear him if he needed him, he went across the hall to Jenna’s room.

The Tylenol that he gave her earlier seemed to help with her pain.

He felt her forehead, and she stirred and moaned.

“You’re okay, honey.” Seeing her sick made him hurt for her. He wished he knew what to do to ease her discomfort.

“Ryan?” Her voice sounded hoarse.

“Yeah, it’s me, baby. Do you need anything?” He replaced the compress on her forehead.

“Just you,” she sighed and rolled towards where he stood on the side of her bed.

He debated about where he was going to sleep.

Downstairs on the sofa seemed so far away from Jenna and Zac.

He worried that he wouldn’t hear them if they needed him.

He decided that Jenna needed a little push anyway, so sleeping beside her was just something she’d have to get used to.

He stripped down to his boxer-briefs and slid into the bed next to Jenna.

She was sound asleep again, so he left her alone.

Just being next to her, in her bed, was enough.

He didn’t want her to overheat or to make her uncomfortable.

Sleep couldn’t come fast enough; he was exhausted.

He spent the day worrying about what to do about Jenna, and now that he had found her sick, he worried about how to take care of her.

He had to cancel their appointment with the lawyer.

He would just reschedule when she was up to it.

He sent over all the letters from the Ashbrook’s’ lawyers so that when Jenna was up to going out, they’d have a head start on stopping those assholes from getting their hands on Zac.

He wouldn’t let that happen—ever. He couldn’t believe that they were the same people that he grew up around.

Ryan had spent many summers over at Jake’s house, hanging out with him.

The Ashbrook’s were like his second family.

He saw how Jake feared his father. Mrs. Ashbrook was always too busy with charity functions and fundraisers; she never seemed to have time for Jake.

Looking back, he could see the warning signs that Jake wasn’t quite right, but he didn’t want to believe that his best friend could become so evil.

He was blinded by the memories of his friendship with Jake, and he regretted not seeing the signs sooner.

He could have saved Jenna, his brother, and Karlie from so much pain.

Jenna rolled over and snuggled into his side. He held her loosely and kissed her forehead. She seemed cooler to the touch. Maybe her fever had broken. He fell asleep, holding her, knowing that he needed one damn good plan to convince her that this was the way it should be.

∞

Jenna woke and stretched, running into what seemed like a brick wall. She froze, trying to remember the last evening. She vaguely remembered Ryan stopping by, but beyond that, everything else was a little foggy. She opened one eye and found the brick wall smiling down at her.

“Mornin’ baby, how’s your head?” How could the man look so good at this hour—whatever the hour was?

“Ryan? What are you doing here?” She started to lift her head from her pillow but lay back down, with a groan. It felt like someone had replaced her head with a bowling ball. She was thirsty and really hungry, too. That must be a good sign. Zac seemed to start eating after his fever broke.

“Zac!” This time, her heavy head didn’t stop her; Ryan’s arms did. He wrapped them around her and gently pulled her into his body. Was he naked?

“He’s fine, honey. He fell asleep pretty early last night.

We played trains for a while, and then I changed his diaper and put him in his jammies.

He fell asleep on the sofa, and I carried him up to put him in his crib.

” Ryan was stroking her back with his fingers, and it made her feel calm. She even felt herself exhale.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do all that, I could have—”

“Honey,” Ryan all but barked, “you couldn’t even take care of yourself last night.

I told you this already. I want to take care of you and Zac.

You need to take the stubbornness down a notch and let me help you.

You need to let me in, Jenna. I’m not looking for you to make me any promises; I just want a chance to show you how good we can be.

I love you, Jenna, and you need to get used to me being around.

I’m not going anywhere, baby.” He kissed her forehead, and she relaxed a little more.

What was it about this man that made her feel so at ease?

She hadn’t felt this safe and cared for since she was a child.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll try, Ryan. It’s just hard to let my walls down and trust anyone. I just need some time.”