Page 26 of A Montana Fake Marriage

Their views were only opinions. They weren’t fact, and yet he clung to them, allowing hope to form and create a protective shell around himself that flickered deep inside. Either Sammie was doing her part to convince everyone she was in love, or it was coming out on its own.

His own affection for her was genuine. There was a strong possibility that hers was, too, right?

Caleb shoved his hands deep in his pockets and avoided looking in their direction. The worst part was that he couldn’t be sure which option it was. He didn’t feel secure enough to march up to Sammie and ask her point blank how she felt about him. That would scare her off—especially if she had zero feelings for him.

Despite how unsure he was, the hope remained. They still had over six months of time together. Maybe there was a chance he could make her fall in love with him.

His whole body tightened at the possibility. Little by little, he could show her how he felt about her and pray she came to her own conclusions about how she might feel about him.

All of Caleb’swell-intentioned plans took a nose dive when, two days later, he woke up with a fever. He couldn’t shake the chills and shivers that wracked his body. It probably didn’t help that he was sleeping on a cot. The air circulated around him—normally keeping him pleasantly cool—but now it made his sweat-dampened body even worse.

His teeth chattered. It was still dark, but he could tell the sun would be rising soon. Caleb pulled his covers tighter over his body and closed his eyes.

“Caleb?” Sammie’s whisper floated through the air. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.

Why?

Why did he have to get sick now?

“You don’t sound fine.”

Her form rose on the bed, her silhouette dark against the barest hint of light entering the room. “Are you sick?”

“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. “You should go back to sleep.”

She reached across to the table at the side of the bed and lifted her phone. It glowed briefly before she shut it. “It’s about time to get up.”

He groaned. Already he could tell he wouldn’t be able to stand. Brief waves of nausea and dizziness were striking at any sudden movement. Light burst through the room from the lamp on the side table, and he grimaced.

“Youaresick.” Her tone was laced with accusation. Sammie tossed the covers over her body and moved toward him.

Caleb held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t.”

She froze, standing there in a tank top and pajama shorts. Her hair was in a braid over her shoulder, and she looked almost hurt that he didn’t want her close. Then she scowled and took another step. “You can’t tell me what to do,” she muttered.

“Seriously?” He ground out. “If I’m sick, don’t you think you should keep your distance? You’ve got to work, too.”

“I think they’d understand if I’m taking care of you.” She made it to his side, batting away his hand. He dropped it to the bed, and that’s when he felt her feathery-light touch on his forehead. She sucked in sharply. “Caleb, you’re burning up.”

“I’m fine,” he murmured, this time with less grit. “It’s probably just the flu.”

“When’s the last time you got sick?”

“I don’t know,” he croaked. “But I’ll be fine. Just tell them I’m sick, and I’ll sleep it off.”

She hovered, not moving.

“Sammie.” This time, when he spoke, there was more of an air of authority about it. “You don’t have to take care of me.”

“The heck I don’t.” She pulled his blanket from his body and tugged at his arm. “Get up. You need to cool your body down. I’ll help you to the bathtub and get you some painkillers.”

He groaned again, every muscle and bone in his body screaming in protest. Her grip was stronger than he’d expected. With her help, he got to a seated position then to his feet. She draped his arm around her shoulders, and they headed for the door.

He’d been sick before, but it was nothing like this. It felt like he’d been hit by a truck. He couldn’t move or breathe very well. His head pounded at the slightest sound and movement. For most of the walk, he kept his eyes closed.

It wasn’t until he heard the bathwater running that he opened them. Sammie had settled him on the toilet seat while she drew him a bath. Dizziness hit him in waves. He leaned back against the basin of the toilet, contemplating how hard it would be to just sleep here. Then there was a tug at his shirt.

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