Page 57 of Dangerously
“You two look cozy.” I cross my arms and lean back in the recliner.
“We are.” Fallon nuzzles her face in Aisling’s dark hair. I’m not one to get all gooey, but seeing her take to Aisling turns me into a puddle of puréed delight. “She had a fever last night. That’s why she was so cranky.”
I sit up. “What?”
“Don't worry. I took care of both of you.” She pats Aisling’s back.
“So I have noticed.”
“She’s going to need more medicine when she wakes up.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“How are you feeling?” Fallon asks, her hair falling over her eye.
I stand and walk over to them. Crouching, I tuck the copper strand behind Fallon’s ear. “Never better.”
“You were pretty crushed last night. I didn’t think you’d be up till dinner.”
“Takes more than an entire bottle of cheap whiskey to keep me down.”
“I’m realizing,” she speaks softly.
“Do you want me to take her and put her to bed?”
“I’m afraid to move her.”
I peek at Aisling’s face. Her cheeks are pink, and she’s drooling on Fallon's shoulder. “I’m willing to risk it.”
“Your funeral.”
“I’m not scared.” I’ve come to know Aisling’s sleep patterns pretty well. And when she drools, she’s out cold. A freight train speeding through the room couldn’t wake her.
I lift Aisling out of Fallon’s arms and tiptoe into my bedroom, where I place her down. She barely stirs. Leaving her bunny in arm’s reach, I creep backward out of the room, shutting the door as I go.
Success.
Back in the kitchen, Fallon has already started on coffee.
“Thank you.” I lean on the counter, humbled by this woman. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
“You’re welcome.” She hands me a white cup.
“Thank you for taking care of me, too.” I look down at the steaming java.
“It’s fine. I signed up for this. Sorta.”
“You didn’t sign up for putting my drunk-ass to bed or taking care of my sick daughter.”
“I think it was kind of an unwritten clause in the unwritten contract. Shit falls apart, I put it back together.” She stands next to me, facing the sink.
“Yeah, well, you got the crappy end of the deal.”
“Stop being such a Debbie downer. I didn’t completely hate Aisling falling asleep on me last night.”
“Oh, yeah?” Hearing that makes me happier than it should. Fallon is temporary, as much as I would like to make her permanent.
“How’d you feel about me falling asleep on you last night?”
