Page 45 of Fools in Love

He sat up in the bed and sighed. “I was just thinking about my family. My mother never really had time to nurse me back to health when I was young. She worked two jobs.” He took her hand in his. “I like being pampered.”

Kate chuckled. “My mother claims that all men do.”

He smiled. “Is that soup?”

“My mother just dropped off a pot of it for you. She would come in, but she has to fill in at the bakery and doesn’t want to get sick again.”

“That’s the thing about small towns. Colds and flus spread just as fast as gossip,” he said as she set the tray over him.

The thought of food was finally appealing to him. Over the last two days, he’d barely eaten anything. He’d sipped some hot tea, but everything else he’d tried to eat had ended coming back up.

“Think you can keep this down?” she asked as he shifted.

He nodded and took the spoon. “Can you sit for a while?”

She shook her head. “We’re hanging the barres today. I want to be there to make sure they get the right heights.”

He nodded and took a sip of the soup. “Thanks for stopping by to check on me.”

She smiled. “If you want, I can come back later. If you’re feeling better, maybe we can watch a movie. I can stop at the Golden Oar and get us dinner.”

“I’d like that.” He set down his spoon and took her hand in his. “Thanks.”

She shook her head. “I like looking after you.” She leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead. “Your fever has gone away.”

“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “I think I sweat through my sheets.” He rolled his eyes. “After this, I’m going to try for a shower.”

“Do you have spare sheets?”

“I’ve got it. Go, put up your bars,” he said.

She smiled. “Barres.”

He frowned. She’d basically said the same word. “Isn’t that what I said?”

She laughed and nodded. “Yes, but you made it seem…” She shook her head. “Never mind. I guess I’m just used to Nick’s teasing. He used to call them poles, like pole dancers use.”

Tom’s eyes shot up and suddenly he had a vision of Kate on a stripper pole. He smiled.

“See.” She rolled her eyes. “Now you’re thinking about them too.”

He lifted her hand to his lips. “Maybe I’ll feel well enough that you can show me the difference later?”

She shook her head, but then leaned down and kissed him again. “Until later. Enjoy the soup.”

“Thanks, again.” He sobered. “Giving you a house key was the best decision I’ve made so far.”

“Dating me wasn’t a bad choice either,” she joked. He smiled for an hour after she left. Then he tried to shower, and everything sucked again.

He was breathless and dizzy when he finished, and he still had to change his sheets. By the time he was done with that, he collapsed onto his sofa face-first and basically passed out.

He woke with strong hands rubbing his shoulders and arms. Moaning into the pillow, he allowed his entire body to float until he felt Kate kissing his neck.

“You’re a very hard man to wake,” she purred next to his ear.

“I overextended myself.” He groaned. “How can showering and changing bed sheets make me so tired?”

“That’s a good sign. It means your body is healing,” she said as he sat up. “Feel better?”