Page 64 of Holly versus Mr. Ivy
“Hey,” I said gently, stepping beside her. “Are you okay?” I brought my pointer finger up to her chin, guiding her face to mine. With the pad of my thumb, I brushed away the tears falling down her cheeks.
Holly whimpered. “That was a huge mistake.”
I softly took her hands in my own, looking them over. Red, angry, shiny skin with blisters covered her palms. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
She shook her head. “The blisters haven’t popped. I just need to keep my hands under running water for half an hour and then wrap a loose gauze over it.”
I frowned, not liking that answer. I’d feel better if she saw a doctor. “Are you sure? The ER is open.”
Her mouth pulled into a straight line. “If the blisters pop, I’ll go, but for now I’d rather stay.” Her blue eyes dulled.
Resigned, I asked, “How can I help?”
“Will you get cool water running in the kitchen? That way I don’t have to stand in here
for half an hour.”
Being careful not to bump her hands, I stepped directly behind her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, her back flush against my chest. The top of her head barely came to my pecs. In the mirror, her eyes widened, her cheeks tinged pink.
“Yes. But for the record, no one would have cared if you’d let the turkey fall onto the floor.” Warmth seeped into me from holding Holly. I’d made the right decision in asking Holly to spend more time together. If just hugging her like this had me all heated, what would it be like to hold her hand? Kiss her? Nuzzle her delicate neck?
“I didn’t think.” She shook her head. “Just reacted.”
I pulled away. “I’ll be right back.”
“Is she okay?” Deidre asked, tears in her eyes as I entered the kitchen.
“Yeah, how is she?” Trevor asked, fiddling with a hot pad.
“Hard to tell. The burns look pretty bad, but she won’t go to the hospital. She wants to come in here instead of staying in the bathroom.”
“She doesn’t want to go to the hospital because of the cost,” Deidre murmured. “Trevor, will you take her? We’ll figure out how to pay for it later.”
Say what, now?They couldn’t afford a two-hundred-dollar emergency room visit? I knew how much money Holly made since I submitted the payroll every two weeks. Yes, two hundred dollars was a decent chunk of change, but not enough to keep someone away from medical attention when they needed it.
“I’ll pay for it,” I offered.
Deidre reached out, took my hand, and patted it. “That’s very sweet of you to offer, Rhett, but we couldn’t let you do that.”
They absolutely could. “You invited me into your home on a holiday and offered to feed me this extravagant meal. It’s the least I can do.”
“I’ll take her and cover the expenses,” Trevor said, fishing his keys out of his front pants pocket.
Holly rushed into the room, going straight for the kitchen sink, where she held her hands under the water again. “That feels better.”
“Trevor is taking you to the hospital when your thirty-minute session is done,” I said.
“No, he’s not,” Holly stated. “I’ll be fine. There’s no need to ruin the rest of our holiday.”
Deidre, Trevor, and I exchanged worried glances.
“Holly,” Deidre started to say.
Holly shook her head. “Let’s see how I’m feeling after we eat. All right? The food is warm and ready. There’s no need to make a fuss when I can keep my hands under water.”
There was every reason to make a fuss. “How are you supposed to eat?” I’d happily feed her. If she’d let me.
She shrugged. “I’ll figure something out.”
