Page 16 of The Library on Plum Island
“You know you have great nostrils!” Alex stared up at her before attempting to sit up. His movements were sluggish as he cradled his injured hand.
“Thank you?” Harriet held out the lid from the ibuprofen bottle with two tablets in it. “That’s just what every woman wants to hear.”
“I meant your nose is perfect, especially for someone who never had a nose job.” Alex took the pills and put them in his mouth, swallowing them with some water
Harriet positioned the tray laden with coffee and breakfast on his lap.
“I suggest you try to eat something,” Harriet said.
Harriet took a mug of steaming coffee from the tray before climbing onto the other side of the bed and stretching her long legs in front of her as she got comfortable.
“This is quite good!” Alex looked at the poached eggs, wholewheat toast, and perfectly cooked bacon. “Did you order this?”
“No!” she scrunched up her face and gave him a scathing look. “Contrary to popular belief, not only do I know how to cook, but I enjoy it sometimes.”
“I like how you added thesometimesat the end there.“ Alex picked at the toast. He wasn’t feeling good, but he forced himself to take a bite. “Did you make the butter yourself, too, as it’s perfect?”
“Sure.” Harriet nodded. “I was up at the crack of dawn milking a cow and churning butter.”
“Oh, is that why you’ve been up for hours!” Alex teased, grinning through the pain it caused as smiling really was making his face ache. “And when did I get a cow?”
“But the butter is farm-fresh butter from a little farm I found just outside of town that sells farm-to-table produce. It’s all organic, too,” Harriet told him.
“You get organic cows?” Alex held up his injured hand when he saw Harriet grab a heavy ornamental pillow from the floor on the side of her bed. “Injured, remember. You can’t hit me right now, as that would be just as bad as taking candy from a baby.” He gave her a smug smile. “Oh, wait. That’s a bad example because you have no qualms about taking candy from a baby.”
“That was one time!” Harriet said in frustration. “And I wasn’t taking it from the little brat. I was reclaiming the candy he stole from me after letting him have the first few he stole.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess.” Alex picked up the coffee just in case she tried to wallop him with a pillow.
“That’s it!” Harriet put the mug on the bedside table and started to slide off the bed. “You can sit here and eat alone.”
“No!” Alex pleaded. “I’m sorry. Don’t go. I’m sick.”
“I’m only staying because I owe you,” Harriet told him.
“For the time you got food poisoning, and I held your hair back while you threw up for hours,” Alex asked innocently. “Or the time when you cut your toe open on the rocks when I warned you to put booties on, and I ruined my favorite t-shirt, stopping the bleeding and then nearly pulled my back out carrying you to the car when you fainted from the sight of your blood.”
“It was alotof blood!“ Harriet said defensively. “And I’ve already paid you back for all those times.”
“Oh, right,” Alex nodded. “You mean when you pushed me overboard while we were cruising in the Bahamas and then jumped in to save me?”
“No!” Harriet corrected him. “You fell overboard and pulled me with you.”
“Oh yeah!” Alex remembered. “But do you rememberwhyI fell?”
“You slipped on ice that someone had accidentally dropped from their drink.” Harriet pursed her lips, trying not to laugh.
“And who dropped the ice?” Alex asked her.
“It was anaccident!“ Harriet snorted. “And you didn’t have to pull me with you.”
“I just grabbed the first thing I could as I went overboard,” Alex told her. “That just happened to be you.”
“Yes, you big lug, you nearly drowned both of us.” Harriet laughed and shook her head.
“This breakfast is great.” Alex gave her a weak smile, lying his head back against the headboard. “But I’m not hungry.”
“That’s okay. You ate some of the bacon and toast.” Harriet’s voice was once again ladened with concern as she looked at him. She slid off the bed and walked around to his side, taking the tray and putting it on the dresser. “Why don’t you lie down and sleep?”
