Chapter 19 #2
Cressida woke up with a small shudder, looking around the room, seeing the sun still shining on the other side of the window, the leaves on the trees dancing on the breeze. She yawned and struggled to sit up, her entire body feeling weak.
Diver shifted on the bed beside her, yawning and stretching. He stood and turned in a slow circle before flopping back down on the mattress, nestling into the quilt. She got comfortable in the pillows, propping herself up a little, running her fingers through Diver’s fur.
For a moment, she wished she could return to the dream. Perhaps there was a world in which it would be real. One where she wouldn’t wake up from the dream but rather continue it for the rest of her life.
There was a slight knock at the door before it eased open, Ronan appearing in the doorway once more with a small smile.
“It’s good to see that you’re awake,” he said softly as he stepped into the room, heading for the empty chair beside the bed. “We were starting to get worried. I was going to send for the doctor if you were still asleep.”
“There’s no need to do that,” Cressida said with a small smile, but her voice was still dry and raspy. She tried to reach for the cup of water, but Ronan was faster, getting to the glass first and helping her drink.
“There might still be.” Ronan put the empty glass to the side and looked down at Diver. “He’s been with you all day. The only time he’s left is to do his business outside, and then he returns to you quickly.”
“That’s because he’s a very good boy,” Cressida said, grinning when Diver’s tail started thumping against the bed. “Yes, he is, he’s the best boy ever, and he’s going to keep staying with me.”
Ronan laughed. “See? I knew the dog was meant for you.”
Cressida turned her gaze to him, blood pounding in her ears, but a pounding started in her temples too, the beginning of a headache.
Ronan reached out, gently brushing the hair from her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve fallen and bashed my head on the hardest rock I could find. My entire body feels weak, and even though I know I’ve been sleeping all day, I’m exhausted.”
“Well,” he pressed his wrist to her head, “it feels like your fever has finally broken, which is a good thing. It’s still going to take a bit of time for you to feel better, but it looks like we’re on the other side of this sickness. You’re going to be better before you know it.”
She tried not to shiver beneath his touch, but it sent a little rush through her, butterflies coming to life in her stomach.
“Your color looks better, too,” he said, smiling down at her.
“How’s Etta?” she asked, trying to force the words past the lump in her throat. “I hope she’s not pushing herself too hard, but I’m sure she is. I should get up and help her. I’m feeling much better.”
“She’s fine. She’s been taking care of you and cooking up a storm. I think she might have you beat when it comes to making beans.” Ronan smirked, and for a moment, it distracted her. She leaned back against the pillows.
Even though she said she was feeling better, it was a lie. She felt weak, like she would fall over the second she stood up.
Cressida scoffed playfully, shaking her head. “She uses my recipe. It’s the one I taught her when she was a child.”
“And she makes it better,” he said, teasing Cressida as he brushed another strand of hair back from her face.
Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze locked on his, the dream flashing back to her. What would it be like to kiss him now? Would it be as wonderful as the dream had been?
Cressida tried to sit up without it looking like she was going to get out of bed. She knew Ronan would stop her and tell her to rest, and it was the last thing she wanted to do. Etta would push herself too hard trying to take care of everything.
Ronan eyed her, giving her a warning look that clearly told her to stay in bed. “You need your rest.”
“I need to make sure she’s not overworking herself. You don’t understand. She knows she has limitations, but then she ignores them all and continues to push herself.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.” Ronan smirked and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair.
“You seem to think you can do everything, too, and on a normal day, I wouldn’t dare argue with you, but you’re burning up again.
The fever might be breaking enough for you to be lucid, but you’re not ready to go out there and start doing all the chores you normally do. ”
Cressida sighed, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands, panic rising in her chest, making it harder to breathe.
Etta needed her. Etta couldn’t run the homestead on her own, and she was going to hurt herself if she tried. Cressida had to be there to help her. Cressida had to be the one doing the chores and making sure everything was taken care of.
Ronan sighed. “I don’t want to be the one to tell you what you can and can’t do, but you need to rest.”
“I know.” Cressida’s voice cracked a little, her entire body feeling like it was on fire.
“You gave us a bit of a scare,” he said, his voice soft as he took her by the hand gently, running his thumb over her knuckles. “I wish I had been able to get you warm quicker last night. This might have been avoided if I had.”
“There’s nothing you could’ve done. Nothing other than what you already did, so I don’t think you should blame yourself.” Cressida glanced away from him; holding eye contact with him felt like too much.
It felt wrong to have someone caring for her—even if she liked it. There was so much that needed to be taken care of around the house, and there was no way Etta could do it on her own.
The thought alone was enough to have Cressida trying to get out of bed.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ronan asked, stepping in her path before she could stand. “You’re still sick, and you need to stay in bed and rest.”
“I don’t have time to rest. I’ve already been in bed most of the day.” Cressida continued trying to stand, but he stepped in her path again, his hands reaching out and taking her by the shoulders, gently guiding her back down to the bed.
Her heart slammed into her ribs as she looked up at him.
There was something about being cared for by him that made her feel soft and fuzzy inside, like a warmth was spreading.
Something was changing within her, and it had to do with Ronan.
And once she was better, she wouldn’t be able to ignore it. Not in the slightest.
Ronan smiled down at her, pulling the chair closer to the bed and sitting down. “You should consider getting lighter rugs. I think I might have permanent soreness from hauling them all outside.”
Cressida’s cheeks warmed, but they ached from the smile spreading across them at the same time. “You didn’t have to beat the rugs. They would’ve been fine waiting until I was better.”
“I wanted to help, and I’m going to be here and helping until you’re feeling better. And if you think about arguing with me, I’m going to ignore you.” He leaned a little closer to the edge of the bed. “Because it’s for your own good, not because I don’t care what you think.”
Cressida picked at her fingernails, needing something to do with her hands. “I appreciate it, but I know you have other things you should be doing. You have a ranch you’re trying to build, and progress isn’t going to really be made if you’re here with me.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said softly when she looked at him again.
Her heart crashed through her chest, her mind telling her over and over again that there was no coming back from this.
She didn’t want to.
It was like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, and she took that last step over.