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“You don’t need it. I told you, you’re beautiful.” Holding up the phone, he took several pictures of her with the soup and then the bruschetta. Once he gave her the phone back, he asked, “So what hospital is Eleanor in? Or is she getting care at home?”

“She’s at Duke. It’s where we both work and she knows a lot of the doctors there. She sold her house as soon as she got the news, so she’ll spend the rest of her time...well...you know.”

He nodded.

“Listen, you can tell me to mind my own business, but...what would you think of sending her a loaf of the sourdough so she can taste it for herself?”

The spoon was halfway to her lips when she paused and frowned. “It would be stale by the time it got there, wouldn’t it?”

“Not the way I do it.” With a wink, he picked up a piece of the bruschetta. “I’ve got Lynn working on it, and I’m hoping we can get it there the same day.”

“Mick...you don’t have to...”

“A picture is great, Sienna. Like she said, she’s living vicariously through you. How much better would it be if she could actually experience even a tiny bit of it herself?”

Her shoulders sagged. “I know she’d love it. I wish I could send her more to make her feel like she was with me.”

“Like what?”

“Sand from the beach in Malibu, the bread, maybe a bottle of wine from when we get to Napa tomorrow...”

“Pfft...easy. Trust me. I’ve had to ship a lot more bizarre stuff. I think we can make this happen. Maybe a gift a day for the next few days. What do you think?”

Her smile was positively brilliant.

“I think you are the most amazing man in the whole wide world and I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

For the first time in a long time, Mick was speechless. He could have said something trite, but...he didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Instead, he went for something light that would completely change the subject.

“I’ll trade you a piece of bruschetta for a taste of the soup!”

“You’re on!”

****

Her feet were killing her, she was ridiculously full, and it was amazing how Mick had turned the day around for her.

After her mini breakdown on the ferry, he genuinely went out of his way to not only cheer her up, but Eleanor too. Lynn had found a service that was going to deliver the bread to her tomorrow afternoon, and Sienna still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. She wanted to argue about the cost, but for the first time on this trip, she was extremely grateful that he could do something so extravagant and that it was for someone other than her.

When they got back to the suite, all she wanted to do was take her shoes off and soak in that giant tub again.

And not in a sexy way.

Which is what she told Mick, and he immediately went and started the water for her. She noticed that he looked just as tired as she did and it was times like this that she had to remind herself that they weren’t kids anymore. Walking several miles a day when she normally stood at her desk in the lab were too wildly different things and her body was reminding her of that fact.

Loudly.

As soon as her bath was ready, she stripped down and climbed in. Mick softly knocked on the door a few minutes later and brought her a hot cup of tea.

“I thought you might enjoy that,” he said softly before turning to leave.

“What about you?” she asked sleepily. “What are you doing right now?” He was still fully dressed and yet she could tell he was fighting to stay awake too.

“I made a cup for myself and I was going to get undressed and climb into bed and maybe watch a little TV or read.”

“Mmm...both those options sound good. Any chance I can just sleep here in the tub? The bed feels too far away.”