Authors: Kate Hopkins
"I'm not hungry," she said.
"Maybe later then." He caressed her cheek. "Try and get some rest. I don't want you yelling, so if you need anything call my cell phone. I'll keep it with me. Drink some more of the water if you can. If I remember correctly you're supposed to drink a lot of fluids when you have the flu. I'll come back in a little while and check on you."
"Thank you, Simon," Haley murmured.
"You're welcome."
When Simon emerged from Haley's room he was surprised to find Marian waiting by the door. "Gran, what are you doing out here?"
"Daniel told me Haley's not feeling well." She shifted in her wheelchair. "What's wrong with her?"
"She has the flu," he said. "Which means you are to stay away from her. I mean it, Gran. I don't want you getting sick. Next week when you go to have your cast removed make sure you get a flu shot."
"I was planning on it."
"Where's Daniel?" he asked. "I have an errand I need him to run for me."
"He's in the kitchen," Marian informed him. "I'll come with you."
"All right." Simon grasped the handles on the wheelchair and wheeled her down the hallway. At the end of the hall, on the right, he pushed a button on the wall and a set of doors slid open. He moved her into the elevator, that he had someone install when she moved in, and pressed the button for downstairs. "When we get to the kitchen I'm going to take some disinfection spray and clean the handles on your chair. I need to start being careful what I touch. I don't want to spread any germs."
"In that case make sure you wipe clean the elevator and any doorknobs you touched," Marian reminded him.
The elevator came to a halt, a minute later, and the doors parted. Simon wheeled Marian from the elevator, across the hallway, and into the kitchen. Daniel and Dana were sitting at the table, talking over a cup of coffee.
"Well, what's the verdict?" Daniel asked. "Do we keep her or put her down?"
"She's not an animal," Simon uttered dryly. "She has the flu. I need you to run to the drug store and pick up some things for me."
"What do you need?"
"Throat lozenges, throat spray, tissues and a few bottles of hand sanitizer." He took his wallet out of his back pocket, opened it, and removed several bills. "Bring me back the change."
"If I have to." Daniel pushed back his chair and stood. He moved toward his brother and took the money, stuffing it in his pocket. "I won't be gone long."
"Thanks."
"I'll walk you out," Dana said to Daniel.
Simon stepped to the counter and grabbed the can of disinfectant spray from the cabinet under the sink. As he moved toward Marian he gave the can a shake.
"Don't get any of that on me," she said, eyeing the can.
"I'll aim it away from you." He sprayed the handles on her wheelchair. "Okay. I'll get the elevator when I go back upstairs. How about some breakfast?"
"Dana and I will take care of breakfast," Marian stated. "You keep an eye on Haley. Now get out of here."
"But, Gran-"
"Out!"
"Yes, ma'am." Turning around, Simon left the kitchen.
. . . .
After breakfast, Marian and Dana left to do some shopping, Daniel headed to bed, and Simon went in to check on Haley. She was asleep. He set the bag of items he had Daniel purchase for him on the floor and bent down to kiss her on the temple. She wasn't burning up anymore, but she was still warm. The washcloth he had put on her forehead was on the bed next to her pillow. He picked it up and headed to the bathroom, where he ran it under cold water. Wringing out the excess water, he retraced his steps and placed the washcloth across her forehead.
Haley opened her eyes. "Simon," she mumbled.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Okay." She licked her dry lips. "Water."
Simon seized the cup from the nightstand and lifted her head off the pillow. He held the cup to her lips and she took a few sips.
"Enough." She grimaced. "Hurts to swallow."
"I have something that might help with your sore throat. I had Daniel run to the drug store and pick up some things for you." He brought out the throat lozenges, throat spray, box of tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer, putting everything on the nightstand. "If you need anything else just let me know." He noticed her watery eyes were starting to leak and snatched a tissue. Sitting down on the side of the bed, he dabbed at the corner of her eyes. "I wish I could trade places with you. I hate seeing you this way."
"I wouldn't trade with you if I could." Haley pulled her hand out from under the covers and trailed her fingers up and down his forearm. "I don't want you to suffer." She sighed. "We're supposed to go to dinner tonight."
"I'll take a rain check." Simon adjusted the washcloth. "When you're feeling better we'll go."
"There was something I wanted to talk to you about." She cleared her throat and winced at the pain. "It's a-about us."
"Is it bad news?" he queried.
"No," she whispered. "At least I don't think so."
"Will it keep until later?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll talk later," Simon told her. "I want to make you something to eat."
"Toast and orange juice would be fine. I don't-" The ringing of her cell phone interrupted what she was going to say next.
The phone was on the nightstand. Simon glanced at the display screen and saw it was Chad.
"Who is it?" Haley asked.
"No one important." Seething with anger, he turned off the phone.
"It was Chad, wasn't it?"
"Don't worry about-"
"Simon." Haley pushed herself up on her elbows. The effort left her feeling exhausted. "We agreed we wouldn't keep things from each other. Please-"
"Fine," he growled. "Yes, it was Chad."
"There, was that so difficult?"
"I didn't want to upset you." Simon reached around her and fluffed up her pillows. He propped it against the headboard and helped her sit back. "You're sick. You don't need to be dealing with his crap right now."
"Oh, Simon," Haley breathed. "I wish I had met you first. I know if I had I never would've given him a second look."
"You're here now, with me." He leaned in close and brushed his lips against her jaw. "That's all that matters."
"You're going to get sick," she declared.
"No, I'm not. " Simon grinned at her. "But for the sake of the conversations let's say I do. Will you take care of me?"
"Of course."
Chapter 21
It was Monday evening. Haley was lying in bed under a mountain of blankets, trying to get warm. Although the temperature in the room was comfortable, her teeth were chattering and she was shivering. If that wasn't bad enough every joint and muscle in her body was screaming. She
was tired of being sick and just plain tired. Slowly, she pulled her arm out from under the blankets and grabbed the phone on the nightstand.
"Who are you calling?" Simon asked, walking into the room with a cup in his hand.
"You." Haley put the phone down. "I was going to ask you if you would bring me another blanket."
"How about a cup of hot tea with honey and some Tylenol on the side?"
"Sounds wonderful."
Simon placed the cup on the nightstand and turned toward her. "Are you still freezing?"
"Yes," she answered. "I can't get warm."
"Maybe the tea will help." He assisted her in sitting up and then passed her the cup and Tylenol.
"Thank you." Haley popped the tablets in her mouth and took a drink of tea. As the liquid went down, she felt it warming her inside and soothing her sore throat.
"I'll get you another blanket." Simon left the room and came back, a minute later, with a quilt. He unfolded the blanket and covered her with it.
"Can you stay and keep me company for a little while?" she muttered, wrapping her hands around the cup to warm them. "I'm growing tired of my own company."
"I'm sorry I've been neglecting you." He sat down on the side of the bed. "I thought by working from home today I would be able to spend more time with you, but it hasn't worked out that way."
"You don't have to apologize." Haley took a sip of tea. "I understand that you're busy. You know, you didn't have to stay home with me."
With a teasing glint in his eyes, he said, "Tired of me all ready, are you?"
She studied him over the rim of her cup. "No. In fact, I've enjoyed spending time with you. I'd enjoy it even more if I wasn't sick." She lowered the cup and stared down into the dark liquid. "Simon, do you remember the other day, when I told you that I wanted to talk to you about us?"
"Yes."
Her heart skipping a beat, she took a deep breath. "Well, I'm ready to have that talk."
"I'm listening."
Haley carefully set her cup on the nightstand. "I didn't think things through carefully when I agreed to your plan of making Chad suffer. I was hurt and angry and I had only one thing in mind . . . making him pay for cheating on me. I didn't stop to consider what could happen." She cleared her throat. "I didn't stop to consider that my feelings would change." She raised her head and looked into his eyes. "That my feelings for you would change. Simon, somewhere - somewhere along the way I stopped pretending and our fake relationship became real for me."
Simon smiled crookedly. "It was always real for me, sweetheart."
"It was?" she croaked.
"Yes." He reached out and tucked several strands of hair behind her ear. "I never pretended with you." His hand caressed her cheek. "I've been crazy about you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. I never said or did anything because you were with Chad."
His confession and the look in his eyes caused her breath to catch in her throat. "Oh," was all she could manage.