Chapter Nine: Andrew

A soft mewing noise reverberated against my chest. Warmth spread across my limbs as I realized the sun was shining on my face. I’d forgotten to close the curtains when I fell asleep watching the movie last night.

Wincing, I cracked one eye open and immediately shut it when the light nearly blinded me.

My body jerked at the intrusion, and something beside me moaned. I turned my head and watched when Kelsey cuddled closer as she moaned.

Fuck. Images of last night flicked through my mind like a cartoon flipbook. I’d gone to the kitchen to get a glass of water, albeit no crutches—since I wanted to be quiet, and those things squeak worse than a fucking mouse with a megaphone—and glanced into the living area to find Kelsey moaning in her sleep. Not just that, but her entire air mattress deflated in the few hours since she’d gone to sleep.

In a weak moment, I convinced her to go to the bedroom, promising to keep my hands to myself. She’d been so tired that I didn’t want her sleeping on the couch, which I knew from experience was uncomfortable as hell.

But I hadn’t planned on her being unable to keep her hands to herself . Her fingers clenched around the hair on my bare chest as she readjusted herself. For a moment, I relished in the feeling of sharing a bed with a woman and not instantly regretting it. Reaching over, I gently ran my fingers through Kelsey’s dark locks, appreciating the silkiness of the strands.

I did my best not to wake her, but despite my efforts, she started to rouse.

“Mm… Andrew?” she asked as she slowly pushed herself up to her elbows.

Unlike most nights I unwillingly shared a bed with a woman, Kelsey was fully dressed, so when the covers fell beneath her breasts, only her pajama top greeted me.

“Hey,” I said lightly as she blinked slowly, still half asleep.

She gazed at me innocently, then all at once, she seemed to realize where we were, and she jumped across the bed, covering herself with the sheet.

“Um… hi! Er… I’m…. Hell,” she said as she spun and threw her face-first down into the pillow.

Chuckling, I pushed at her shoulder to turn her around. “We just slept, Kelsey. Stop freaking out.”

“I’m not freaking out. I’m—”

She stopped abruptly, then jumped from the bed and dashed toward the bathroom.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize the sound of retching coming from the attached room. When the sound continued, I pushed myself up from the bed, and when the crutches wouldn’t cooperate, I chucked them aside and hobbled toward the bathroom, doing my best to keep from putting too much weight on my leg, since I removed my brace when I slept.

“Kelsey?” I knocked on the locked door. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. No.” The puking continued, and for the first time in my life, I felt helpless. I wasn’t unfamiliar with taking care of someone vomiting, having four little sisters, but it wasn’t my favorite thing to deal with. “Can I get you anything?”

“Death maybe?”

“Can’t do that, but maybe some water and toast?”

“Oh my gosh, don’t mention food,” she strained to say before the heaving started up again.

Grabbing my cell from the nightstand, I dialed the person I knew would have firsthand knowledge of how to deal with a stomach virus.

“Hey, Alex. It’s Andrew.”

“Yes. I recognized your number, brother. Even though you don’t call me nearly enough.”

“Sorry.” I flinched before continuing, “I think Kelsey may have caught a stomach bug or food poisoning. Any suggestions on what I can give her?”

Silence filled the line before I checked to see if she was still on the line. “Alex?”

“Sorry. Yes, I just went through this with the girls. A nasty virus is going around for sure. I’ll message you the list of things the doctor prescribed for them. Unfortunately, most of it revolves around waiting it out.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Give Kelsey our get-well-soon. I need to get the girls ready for dance class. Keep me up to date, okay?”

“Will do, Alex. I appreciate it.”

A message with a picture attached immediately popped up after the call ended. It was a list of foods that wouldn’t upset the stomach if someone was willing to eat. But in big, bold letters, the top of the paper said to REST .

And if I knew anything about Kelsey, it was that the girl hated to slow down.

I gathered up things we had in the house that were on the list and set them on the counter. Thankfully, we had a few of the selections, but I was definitely going to need to make a trip to the store later. Guess today was a good day to test driving with my injured leg.

Knocking on the bathroom door, I held a glass of water with the other. “Kelsey? Can I come in?”

Incoherent groans sounded on the other side, and I took my chances by opening the door. Kelsey was resting against the cool tile of the bathroom floor. At first glance, I noticed she hadn’t been able to fully make it to the toilet. Stains were splashed across the front of her shirt.

“Oh, baby,” I crooned as I sat down beside her, pushing the hair away from her face as I set the glass of water on the floor. As my hand skirted across her forehead, I didn’t detect a fever, which was good. “Are you okay?”

Shaking her head, she said, “No. I don’t want you to see me like this.” Her last words broke on a sob, and I felt my chest constrict. “I don’t want to get you sick.”

“It’s a little late for that, but don’t worry. I have an immune system made of steel. Growing up in my house, I was exposed to every sort of virus there is. Don’t you worry about me. Why don’t you take a sip of water?”

Her hands shook as she reached for the glass and took a small sip.

“Thanks,” she said with a small smile before she was shoving the cup back at my chest and leaning over the toilet again. On instinct, I ran my hand up and down her back until the heaving stopped.

“How about I run a bath so you can get cleaned up?” I asked her, not that she was getting a choice in the matter. I’d drop her into the water fully clothed if she argued.

Instead of answering, she looked around the bathroom and groaned. “There is so much I need to clean.”

“I can take care of that,” I assured her. I’d lived on my own long enough to be able to clean up after her.

“But your leg—”

“Is getting better every day. You’ve been my nurse for the last three weeks. How about today we reverse those roles, okay? Let me take care of you.”

“I’ve… I’ve never had someone take care of me before.”

“Well, good. Let me be the first,” I said proudly as I asked her to stay still while I went and gathered a few towels.

Turning on the water for the bath, I let it run until it was warm enough and then plugged it to let it fill. I quickly located the bubble bath Kelsey had been using and dumped a couple of capfuls of the liquid into the water.

“All right, first, let’s get these clothes off you. You can wrap up in the towel, and then we’ll wash your face before you get in the tub.”

“Okay,” she mumbled as she tried to slip the shirt over her head but failed miserably. Kelsey whimpered as she brushed her hand against the stain on her shirt.

“I’ve got it,” I reassured her, rolling the material up before slipping it over her head quickly—without glancing down at her bare breasts. Which took every ounce of willpower I had. Thankfully, she covered herself as I tugged her shorts down her legs, leaving Kelsey in nothing but a pair of pale-pink cotton panties.

They were the sexiest fucking things I’d ever seen.

I was truly losing my mind. Lace and silk had always been my materials of choice until today. Until the moment I learned Kelsey chose to wear the simplest fabric on her body instead.

And I was an asshole for noticing, while the poor thing felt miserable.

Quickly, I wrapped the towel around her shoulders, and she maneuvered the material under her arms and situated it how she wanted.

“I’m going to get the cleaning supplies, if you want to go ahead and wash your face.”

I left in a hurry before she answered, and when I returned, her face was clean, and those damn panties were sitting on top of her pile of clothes.

Fuck me.

The green hue of her face was already starting to subside, and that natural rosiness was returning to her cheeks. I held out my hand and helped her step into the tub.

“Oh my,” she said through a sigh.

“Is it too hot?” I asked, worried I didn’t get the temperature right. I liked my water a bit on the cooler side, but I remembered most women liked to scald their skin off and settled for something in between those two when I turned on the faucet.

“No, it’s perfect.” She settled down into the tub, and the bubbles shifted around her body as I turned off the water.

As she soaked, I gathered her clothes and tossed them into the washing machine, then stopped in the bedroom to place my brace back around my knee. I ignored the crutches again, but I knew I was going to pay for it later. My knee was already aching.

I considered putting on a shirt, but it would just get wet anyway, so I decided against it.

In the bathroom, I made quick work of cleaning up the mess on the floor and sanitizing everything. I may have had a strong immune system, but I didn’t want to risk it.

After I finished returning the cleaning supplies to their place under the kitchen sink, I found Kelsey lying back in the tub with her eyes closed.

“Hey,” I whispered as I sat on the edge of the tub.

Her eyes slowly opened as she smiled. “Hi.”

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t fall asleep. I haven’t taken a CPR class in a long time.”

In a soft, relaxed voice, Kelsey asked, “Was that a joke?”

“I’ve been known to make them every now and then.”

“Hm….”

“Sit up for me,” I said gently as I moved to grab the glass of water and dump it out in the sink, then reached into the bath to pull the drain. My hand brushed along the side of Kelsey’s foot, and we both jerked at the contact.

“Sorry,” I murmured as I reached up to turn the water back on, filling the glass when it warmed up.

“What are you doing?”

“Washing your hair. Tilt your head back.” The water sluiced over her strands as it poured from the cup, and I repeated the motions until her hair was drenched.

I squeezed a dollop of her shampoo into my hand and then lathered her up, paying close attention to her scalp as I massaged it.

“That feels really nice,” Kelsey moaned as she pulled her knees toward her towel-covered chest. I didn’t want her to feel vulnerable while she bathed, especially when she wasn’t feeling her best.

“I’m glad.”

I rinsed and repeated with the conditioner until I was satisfied and set the glass on the vanity counter. The tub continued to drain as I turned off the water, and Kelsey didn’t object.

Glancing up at me from beneath her long lashes, her hazel eyes twinkled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get you back to bed for some rest.”

“That sounds good,” she replied as she yawned and stepped onto the bathmat.

In a flash, I replaced her wet towel with a fresh one.

Carefully, I walked with her to the bedroom, using the wall as a way to keep the weight off my leg. I hated feeling like I couldn’t help her the way I wanted to. I let her lean against the bed as I grabbed her duffle from the living room with all her clothes inside, using the crutches this time. The air mattress was still lying in a heap in the center of the floor as I stepped around it. That was something else I was going to have to take care of today.

With the bag in hand, I took it to the bedroom and left it with Kelsey while I went to grab some clean sheets from the linen closet. I also grabbed the trash can and set it on the floor beside her in case she got sick in bed.

When I tottered back into the room, Kelsey was pulling down the hem of her shirt, completing her lounge outfit. I directed her to take a seat while I switched out the sheets as quickly as I could with my injury.

“You don’t have to do that. I at least made it to the bathroom before I went all Exorcist in there,” she told me, and I shook my head. Things were getting easier the more I moved around, and I hoped it would continue that way.

“I’m not letting you marinate in my dried sweat. I get hot at night and can never seem to remember to turn the ceiling fan up before I get settled without my brace on, and by then I’m too exhausted to care,” I replied, finishing up the last corner of the fitted sheet before spreading the top sheet out, then picking the comforter up off the floor, where I usually kicked it early in the night.

“All right. Let’s get you into bed,” I announced, and she followed the order swiftly, practically bouncing into the bed in her hurry to get back to sleep.

She turned to face me with the blanket pulled up around her face.

“I’m going to run out and get a few things. Any special requests?” I asked as I reached in and pulled a shirt and athletic pants from the dresser. Resting the crutches against the wall, I used the dresser to maintain my balance as I tugged the pants on. It was something I was getting better at.

“You shouldn’t be driving yet,” she scolded.

“Welp, today seems like a good day to try.”

“Andrew.”

“Kelsey.”

“God, you stubborn ass,” she mumbled as her lids grew heavy.

“Takes one to know one.” I threw the jab back at her just as her eyes fully closed. The only way I knew she heard me was the smile on her lips.

Reaching out, I stroked her wet hair before leaving the bedroom.

I had a mission to complete, and nothing was going to stop me from making sure my little nurse got back into tip-top shape. Even if that meant calling in recruits to help.

Autumn was sitting on a bench, situated beneath a tree outside the drugstore in town. I was about fifteen minutes later than I expected to be. Trying to make the adjustments in my truck so I could drive proved to be more difficult than I thought it’d be.

“Hey,” I called out as I carefully exited the vehicle and grabbed my crutches from the back. “Sorry I’m late.”

“No problem. It’s a beautiful day. And honestly, I’m savoring the little bit of quiet time away from the boys. Should you be driving?” Autumn asked, and I rolled my eyes as I motioned for her to walk ahead.

Ignoring her comment, we entered the drugstore, and I went in search of the electrolyte drink from Alex’s list. Autumn found it quickly and added it to the basket in her hand before we moved toward the next item.

The basket was full by the time we made it to the counter. We weren’t sure what exactly Kelsey was suffering from, but I wanted to cover all my bases. Items ranged from flu and cold medicine to anti-nausea tablets.

“Oh, let me grab one more thing,” Autumn said before she dashed away, leaving me with the young guy who slowly scanned each item as if he wished to be anywhere else but here.

My sister returned quickly, carrying a pink-and-white box.

“Is that for you?” I asked warily.

“Nope.”

“Autumn, I haven’t slept with her.”

Rolling her eyes, she placed the box on the counter with the rest of my things. “You may not have, but she did have a steady boyfriend before moving here. Best to cover all the bases, don’t you think?” she asked, which I would’ve chuckled at, since I had just got done thinking the exact same thing only a moment ago, but I was too dismayed by her suggestion.

Could Kelsey be pregnant? The idea hadn’t even crossed my mind, but now that it was starting to fester, I couldn’t think about anything else.

The entire drive home, all I could focus on was Kelsey carrying a child all by herself. Her symptoms were almost exactly like Autumn and Alex’s had been.

Walking in the door, I was surprised to find Kelsey still asleep. I’d been gone for over an hour. After setting the bags on the kitchen counter, I went to work on cleaning up Kelsey’s space.

Unfortunately, the air mattress had torn at the seam and was no longer inflatable. Pulling out my phone, I quickly ordered a replacement, but its use would depend on both Kelsey and whatever that test said.

It laid in that bag in the kitchen, mocking me. I had no idea how Kelsey would react when she saw the box, let alone her reaction to a positive result.

Around the house, I picked up as much as I could to keep myself busy until that finally ran out, and then I sat on the couch, contemplating what to have for lunch. Kelsey’s stomach came to mind, and I didn’t want to make anything that would trigger her nausea again.

I went ahead and fixed a turkey sandwich, something simple enough that I could eat quickly. Just as I finished putting away the ingredients, the hinges of the bedroom door creaked.

“Hey,” I said, filled with apprehension.

Eyes downcast, Kelsey replied, “Hi.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Hungry, actually,” she said with a sheepish grin.

“That’s good. Let’s take it easy at first, okay? Maybe some applesauce?”

“Sure.” She shuffled along the floor and took a seat at the kitchen island. I moved around, grabbing an individual cup of applesauce and a spoon before setting them in front of her.

“Bon appétit.”

She groaned as the first spoonful disappeared between her lips. “What’s in there?” she asked, pointing to the drugstore bag with her spoon before taking another bite of the pureed fruit.

“I roped Autumn and Alex in for some help. It’s a bunch of stomach bug remedies.”

“Oh, that was nice of them.” I waited patiently for her to ask to see the items inside, but it didn’t come. Instead, she ate her applesauce, and color started to return to her skin. Munching away on my sandwich, I watched her eyes glance around the house.

“You didn’t have to clean up everything.”

Shrugging, I told her it was no big deal. “Kept me busy.”

“I can’t believe I slept so long,” Kelsey pointed out as she slid off the barstool and carried her empty container to the trashcan, then deposited her spoon in the sink.

“You needed the rest. I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better. I was… worried.”

Kelsey leaned against the kitchen sink and glanced over at me, her hands holding the edge of the counter. “You know, if you keep letting your nice-guy side show, people aren’t going to believe you’re the grump you want everyone to think you are.”

“People can think what they want. I only care what you think.”

I could tell I’d shocked her with my words, but I was speaking the truth. Owen had helped me see that.

“Me?” she asked, surprise evident in her tone. “Why me?”

I didn’t know why. I just did. Like how peanut butter went with jelly, and how graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate were a superior treat.

“Just because” was the reason I gave her, adding a shrug. There was no explanation.

“Hm… so, what kind of goodies did you get me?”

“I only grabbed the electrolyte drink. Autumn picked out everything else. So, blame her.”

She hummed her approval as she reached for the plastic bag. Even if I didn’t know what was resting right on top, the clattering on the ground of the remaining contents would have given away the first item she spotted.

“What’s this?” she asked, holding the feminine-looking package in her hand.

Holding my palms up in surrender, I reminded her, “Autumn’s selection.”

“I’m not pregnant,” she said confidently, setting the box aside before bending down and picking up the other items off the floor. I watched as she looked over all the different meds.

“I’m feeling better right now. Maybe it was just a stomach bug.”

“Well, why don’t you drink some of the electrolytes, and we can play it by ear? In the meantime, I’m going to take a shower.”

“Do you need any help?”

“I just drove a truck like a boss. Pretty sure I can handle a shower.” I grinned.

She giggled, then drank her special juice.

“Even if you don’t think you are,” I said, glancing over my shoulder as I stood within the frame of the bedroom door, “you should still take the test, just to be sure. That and Autumn is going to ask me about it relentlessly, and she can get really annoying.”

“Must run in the family.” She smirked.

I masked my cynicism with a smirk of my own. Even as half-siblings, I supposed we would share some traits. Just like Autumn speaking aloud the exact same thought I had at the drugstore.

Just as I gripped the doorknob to the bathroom, Kelsey called out, “Hey, Andrew, I’ll think about it.” And somehow, I felt both relieved and even more worried at the same time.