He fixed the bed, then helped her up from the couch. She was so woozy she teetered a bit. He led her to her room and helped her into bed. “Now, let’s see if I remember how to do this.”
Confused, she asked, “Do what?”
“Tuck you in. If I recall, first you lie down. Which you have done. Then covers, right?” He pulled the covers up all the way to her chin, then tucked them firmly around her shoulders. “Are you warm enough?”
She nodded.
“I feel as if I’m forgetting something.”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“Oh, I remember…” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have some work to do, but I’ll knock you up in an hour or two.”
She blinked. “I’m sorry, you’ll do what?”
“Knock you up, knock on your door.”
“Oh, okay, good. For a minute there I though you meant something totally different.”
He kissed her forehead again and said, “See you in a bit.”
“Colin, you don’t have to.”
No, but oddly enough, he wanted to.
Nine
Rowena tossed and turned for a while, then settled into a deep dreamless sleep. She woke later, disoriented by the fact that it was light out, since she usually woke at the crack of dawn. Without her contacts in, she couldn’t see the clock. But when she moved, and her achy muscles screamed in protest, she remembered that she was sick.
Colin must have anticipated her condition, because there were ibuprofen pills and a glass of ice water on the bedside table.
She sat up to take the pills, thinking she might be well enough for a shower, but she was so woozy, and her body so sore and limp, she wasn’t sure she would even make it to the bathroom. She closed her eyes and must have fallen right back to sleep, because when she opened them again the room was dark.
What time was it? And who was taking care of Dylan?
She shot up in bed, still feeling weak and dizzy. “Colin?” she called. “Betty? Anybody?”
Colin appeared in the doorway an instant later. “You’re awake.”
“How long did I sleep? Is it really dark out?”
“It’s nine-thirty.” He switched on the lamp and she squinted as the light burned her retinas.
“At night?” She couldn’t recall ever having slept this long in her adult life, and she couldn’t say she felt any better for it. She felt so lousy, in fact, she didn’t even care how dreadful she must have looked. “Where is Dylan? I have to make him dinner.”
“Dylan and I had dinner hours ago. He’s in bed.”
“You had dinner together?”
“Betty’s chicken pot pie. That woman is a genius in the kitchen.”
“I should go check on him,” she said, but when she tried to move, she could barely get up on her elbows. It felt as if someone had covered her with a lead blanket.
“Relax,” Colin said. “I’ve been checking on him every fifteen minutes. He’s fine.”
“He has medication to take—”
“Betty showed me the list. He’s all set for the night.”
“Betty knows you’re here?”
“I get the feeling she knows everything. I assume you’ve talked to her about us.”
“We talked. She won’t rat us out.”
Unable to hold herself up another instant, she dropped back against the mattress. “I’m so sorry you had to do this.”
“Don’t be. We had fun. Dylan is a great kid.”
A great kid who didn’t need to get attached to a man, then have him walk away.
“Are you hungry?” Colin asked.
She shook her head. Her symptoms this morning didn’t even compare to how wretched she felt now. Everything ached, as if someone had worked her over from head to toe, but from the inside. Though she knew it was physically impossible, even her hair throbbed.
“I think maybe I need more ibuprofen,” she said. Or a gun.
She was so weak and jittery Colin had to help her sit up, and he held the water glass while she took the pills. Then he set the glass on the bedside table.
“Could you have Betty come up here so I can ask her to stay over? If Dylan wakes in the middle of the night and I’m this sick, I won’t be able to take care of him.”
“She offered to stay, but I told her she didn’t have to.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m staying here tonight.”
“Colin, you really don’t have to do that.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But I want to.”
But why? Why would he take a chance getting caught? And why was he hanging around, taking care of her? Taking care of her son? This was supposed to be an affair. Just sex. She was already starting to really like him, and he was only making it worse.