Page 55 of The Pretenders of Copper County
“But I can’d be sick,” I insisted, though the words came out more like a croak. “Nonna used to say I was healdy as a horse. I haven’d missed a day of school or work since I was ten. I don’dgedsick.”
“Sure. Just like you don’t argue and you don’t take risks and you’re actually a very boring person.” He pawed through the T-shirts he’d stacked on a shelf in the closet and chose a light gray one.
“Exacdly.” I sat up. “You understand.”
Reed reached out one large hand and gently pushed me back down. “Iunderstandthat you took a polar plunge yesterday?—”
“Bud everyone knows you don’d catch colds from being in cold wader, Reed.” I sound whiny. I was never whiny. “My nonna used to say?—”
He covered my mouth with his hand. “Unless you’re going to tell me that your nonna used to say a severe chillcan weaken your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight off a virus it might already have contracted, I really don’t think I want to know.” He frowned and moved his hand to my forehead. “Damn. I think you have a fever.”
Come to think of it, that might also explain my uncomfortable warmth, especially since I was still feeling it despite Reed’s chest being covered.
“Your choices are these.” Reed sat down again. He combed his fingers through my hair, and the gentle tug on my scalp felt so good my eyes shut and my whole brain went numb in an instant. “You listening?”
“Hnnn,” I agreed.
His voice lowered to a rumble. “You can stay here and rest up while I make a quick trip to town for supplies—and I meangenuinelyquick, not Chris-level quick, which isn’t quick at all?—”
“Uh-huh. I mean, nuh-uh. I mean…” I frowned. “Do the ding wid your hand again?”
Chuckling, he repeated his movement. “Or your other option is that I take you to an urgent care place and get you checked over. You can tellthemabout your superhuman immune system. I’m sure they’ll be impressed.”
I sighed. “Bud Ash at the bakery said dey’d have maple bacon cupcakes today. I’ve never had a maple bacon cupcake.”
“Mmm.” Reed dragged his fingers over my scalp again. “That’s tough.”
“And Micah at the flower shop wanded to talk to me about a unicorn-themed charcuderie for his niece’s birdday party. I had so many ideas…”
“Uh-huh. They’ll keep for a couple days,” he soothed.
“And Watt’s friend’s never seenJohn Ruffian, soWatt told him we could rewadch the whole series starting tonight. Poor Oliver just broke up with his boyfriend, so he’s feeling kind of low?—”
“Jesus Christ,” Reed muttered. “Is there a single gay man in this town or the next that you don’t know?”
My eyes flew open. “Huh?”
“Nothing.Nothing. I’ll let everyone know you’re sorry you missed them, okay? And I’ll tell Watt you’re very contagious,” he added darkly.
I sniffed, which made me cough and my head pound until I closed my eyes again and rubbed the spot between my eyebrows. “I guess so. But I’m nod sick, so I won’d sleep, and I’m going to be really bored.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Reed stood. “I’m going to lock the door behind me, and I’ll be home soon. My backup gun is up on the shelf?—”
“Doesn’d matter,” I reminded him. I let out a yawn so wide my jaw cracked. “I won’d use it.”
“I figured, but I wanted you to know just in case.” He leaned toward me and inhaled deeply, almost like he was… sniffing me? Maybe I was sicker than I thought.
He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, and before I could wrestle my eyes open to kiss him further, he was gone.
To my surprise, Ididfall asleep and only woke up again when I heard Reed’s key in the lock, followed by a muffledthudlike he’d been carrying something heavy.
“Reed?” I mumbled. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I sniffed cautiously and found that my congestion had cleared up a lot. “What time is it?” The sky outside the small bedroom window was twilight dark.
“Early afternoon.” He appeared in the bedroom doorway, dark hair curling and T-shirt splattered with raindrops. “Pretty sure Hen Lattimer at the hardware store is somekind of witch. My weather app said clear skies all day, but the man predicted it was going to storm.” A loud boom of thunder shook the small building, and Reed scowled. “And he was right.”
He was so adorable when he was grumpy. Unfortunately for me, that was pretty much all the time.
“Did everything go alright? You, um, left quite a while ago,” I ventured. I drew my knees up under the covers.
