Secretly Hers (Sterling Canyon)(91)
“Maybe you’re coming down with the flu. You should go see the doctor.” As he studied her with a look of concern, she couldn’t help but grin at his overprotective nature. Something few people would ever guess about him.
“It’s not the flu.” She patted his hand. “My throat is fine. No congestion. A masseuse would be a better prescription than the doctor.”
“You’ve had a lot of headaches lately. And you were groaning in your sleep, like you were in pain.” He looked toward the window, scowling to himself. “Maybe I should stay with you . . . get you to the doctor.”
“And miss all the ‘fresh pow’?” she teased.
He stroked her head and hair. “Seriously, Kelsey. You haven’t felt right all week. Your body’s telling you something. We shouldn’t ignore it.” She noticed his gaze drop and linger in the general area of her midsection.
The baby.
Of course. If Trip loved anyone, it was their baby, not her.
That was the main reason he cared about her health. Why he’d offer to skip skiing and shuttle her around. Why he even proposed dating her at all. Had she never been pregnant, things between them would be so different.
A month ago he’d walked away so she could go on a date with another man—clearly not the action of a man in love. Was she a fool to think he would change? To believe he would come around to embrace her ideas about family and marriage?
She curled her knees up to her chest, glancing away. “I’ll be fine, cowboy. Go skiing.”
“Kels . . . ,” he began, but then he dropped it. He squeezed her thigh. “It’s Sunday, so stay in bed and rest. Can I get you anything before I go? Water? Herbal tea?”
She shook her head while trying to beat back her insecurities. “I can take care of myself, thanks. I’m going back to sleep as soon as you leave.”
His halfhearted smile suggested he felt conflicted. “My phone will be in my pack, so I won’t hear it if you try to call—assuming the call even gets through the spotty coverage up in the mountains.”
“Okay. Be careful, Trip.” Clasping his hand, she met his gaze. “I know you tempt fate all the time, but . . . well, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Don’t worry, princess. I know what I’m doing. But thanks for caring.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “I’ll come back later this afternoon and check on you. If you spike a fever, get to the doctor.”
He lifted his hat off the nightstand and winked at her. “See you later.”
And then he was gone.
Closing her eyes, she hugged a pillow and drifted into a dream state.
The throbbing in her lower back prevented Kelsey from falling into a deep sleep. Following two hours of semiconscious tossing and turning, she gave up. She opened her eyes and sighed, stretching in a vain effort to loosen the tension that had formed a thick knot at the base of her spine.
Moving slowly, she threw back the blanket and stood, yawning. A small mewl caught her attention as Cowboy padded his way across her floor. Smiling, she lifted her kitten—her favorite gift from Trip—and snuggled him against her face and neck.
Together they crossed to the window and peered outside, where a steady, light snow continued to fall. At least twelve inches, maybe more, had piled up. Snowplows had made one pass down her street, but it looked like another would be needed. In the distance she could see the peaks of the San Juan range over the tops of the buildings in town.
Nuzzling Cowboy, she said, “Your daddy’s in his glory right now.”
Kelsey stood at the window another moment, watching the steady snowfall add to the pile on the street below. She couldn’t remember a storm this severe in early October during her lifetime.
The near whiteout in town meant visibility on the mountain would be wretched. Trip had surely encountered these conditions and worse before, especially in Utah and Alaska. Still, concern nagged.
She’d never seen Trip ski, but she’d overheard others in town talk about him and Grey. Unlike Avery, whose competitive nature spurred her to keep up with her brother, Kelsey had never ventured into backcountry skiing. Once the baby arrived, she’d continue that policy. Frowning, she realized she’d have to train herself not to worry about Trip facing danger on the job every day.
When she finally released the blind, it clattered against the window as it fell back in place, shattering the silence of her apartment.
After setting Cowboy on the floor, she twisted left and then right. When that failed to ease the tension in her body, she rubbed her lower back with her hands while arching her spine like a cat. Still, the achiness spread and her lower back muscles began to spasm.