Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
“Yes. But I stopped vomiting after a day.”
“And then you got this cold?” he asked.
“Yeah. It seems my body isn’t very happy with me.”
“You’re part of a band? And you’ve been touring for the last five months?”
“Yes.” She’d gone through this with the nurse who must have given him a basic rundown.
“All right. I think you were probably exhausted when you arrived here, and your body decided to hit you with everything at once. That can happen when you’ve been pushing too hard and then you stop.”
Yeah. That’s what she’d figured, too.
“Do you know the last time that you urinated?”
Okay. She hadn’t expected that question.
“Um. No.”
He exchanged a look with the nurse.
“Is something wrong?”
“I think you’re likely dehydrated. I’m going to hook you up to an IV to see if that helps. I also believe you have bronchitis. I’ll take a swab of your throat, too. But you, young lady, are rather ill.”
Great. Just what she needed. “Oh.”
“Oh, indeed. I’m going to give you some antibiotics in the IV to get you started. I think you’ll start to feel much better soon.”
“Do I… shouldn’t I leave?” she asked.
“Leave?” he asked. “Why would you leave? Oh, you want to go back to your room? I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not when you’re on your own. Unless you have someone to take care of you?”
“Um. No. I don’t.”
What about Brand?
Brand didn’t want to take care of her. Brand just wanted to… scold her? Maybe control her? Was that it? Was he just such a control freak that he couldn’t stand the idea that she’d left without telling him where she was going?
But that didn’t make sense. They’d had breaks before, and he’d never chased her down like this.
Had he really been worried about her?
“Jolie?” the doctor asked in a kind voice. “Are you all right?”
“I meant shouldn’t I leave here? The Ranch. I don’t want to make anyone else ill.”
He patted her hand. “That’s very sweet of you. But you need to worry about yourself right now.”
She blinked at him. What did he mean…. worry about herself?
“We can’t keep you here if you want to leave, of course,” he said. “But I’d prefer you had someone with you to keep an eye on you. If you don’t treat this bronchitis, you might end up in the hospital.”
Right. She didn’t want that.
“Is there someone you want us to call?” the nurse asked.
“I-I…”
Brand. She wanted to call Brand.
Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not even a friend. He doesn’t want to take care of your sick ass.
“No. There’s no one.”
A look of sympathy filled the doctor’s face, but she didn’t really want to see it, so she closed her eyes. “I’m sleepy.”
“All right, Jolie. You sleep.”
Jolie woke up coughing.
Oh. That sucked.
Opening her eyes, she searched around for water, her gaze hitting a pair of blue eyes.
That did not belong to Doctor Nelson or the nurse.
Derek Hawkins.
The same guy who had carried her here to the infirmary.
Awesome.
What was he doing here? Why was he sitting by her bed in the infirmary? And was he…was he holding a teddy bear?
Maybe she was having delusions or something.
“Hi, darlin’,” he said. “Sorry, I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No.” Cough. “Water.”
Great. She couldn’t even get out entire sentences.
Derek grabbed a glass from the rolling stand by the bed. It had a straw sitting in it, and he guided the end of the straw to her lips.
Well. This wasn’t embarrassing or anything.
She reached for the glass, but he simply gave her a look and she dropped her hand, sipping some water.
He put the glass back down.
“That’s a pretty potent look you’ve got there,” she joked. “I hope you use it for good and not evil.”
His lips twitched. “I like to think I do.”
“Whew. Because you could conquer countries with that look.”
This time, he definitely smiled. “As Sadie’s Daddy, I mostly use it to warn her when she’s close to earning herself a punishment.”
She blushed from a mix of embarrassment and want.
God. Was that something she wanted? For more than just a night or a short holiday? Did she want a man who would also be her Daddy?
And how lucky was Sadie to belong to this man?
“I, um… what are you… um… thanks for carrying me here earlier.”
It was still the same day, right?
“You’re welcome. You’re not very well, darlin’.”
Yeah. She kind of figured that with how shitty she felt. But she felt even worse that she’d inconvenienced everyone.
“I’m really sorry to take up your time. You must be very busy.” So what was he doing here? “Are you… are you here to take me back to my room?”
He studied her for a moment. “Quincy wanted you to be observed overnight, so you’re staying here tonight.”
Quincy? Oh, Doctor Nelson.
“Is that necessary? I’m not that ill, am I?”
“He didn’t like the idea of you being in your room, sick and alone, and I agree with him.”