Chapter 13
Rance sat quietly in the darkness, a single sliver of light shining into the room from the almost closed bathroom door at the other end of the suite.
He’d spent every moment since they’d managed to stop Gwen’s bleeding, sitting beside her bed.
He heard her breathing change ever so slightly, and looked down at her.
Not a whole minute later, with her eyes still closed, she slowly closed and unclosed her fist, then he saw her toes moving under the comforter she rested beneath.
Eventually her eyes opened, then gradually she looked around the room until her eyes came to him.
“Hi,” he said.
She smiled weakly. “Hi,” she whispered.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better.”
“Good. But let’s not go jumping up and running around like you’re a hundred percent, yet,” Rance teased.
“I’m not that much better.”
Rance smiled at her, but it was clear to her even in her weakened state that he was under a lot of strain and his smile was probably as tired as hers was. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Better. You’re awake.”
“You should go rest.”
“And leave you here alone? No. I’m fine right where I am.”
She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again. “Where are Beau and Beck?”
He smiled, a real one this time. “They’re downstairs sleeping on the sofa with the other kids.
They fell asleep to a Disney movie marathon after an entire day of swimming and playing.
And don’t worry, Findley and her sister Brinnley have appointed themselves their new nannies until you are strong enough to be up and around. ”
“Cars?” she asked.
“Yes. They watched it twice, but didn’t make it all the way through the second time. Then the other kids switched it to something else.”
“They love Cars,” she said, her smile slowly fading.
“Are you hungry? We’ve got plenty of food left from dinner. And if you’d rather not have fried chicken and dirty rice, I can make you some scrambled eggs and toast or grits or both.”
“I am a little hungry. But I’m not sure I’m up to fried chicken yet.”
“I’ll run down and whip you up some eggs and grits.”
“Thank you.”
He made it to the door of her suite and came to a sudden stop before turning back to her.
“Uh, do you need to use the restroom? I mean, I know you don’t really know me, but I can help.
No funny business, I promise. I should have asked that first, but I didn’t think of it until I thought about you getting up while I’m gone and falling.
We can’t have that. You had some pretty deep wounds. ”
Gwen lay there for a moment, Grail’s words replaying in her mind, ‘You can trust Rance…’, and she began lifting her head off the pillow to try to sit up. “Actually, Rance, I do know you. And I’d appreciate the help.”
Rance moved back toward her quickly, holding a hand out in front of her for her to hold on to, while at the same time placing a hand at her back to help her sit up. “Let’s take it slow. Give it a second or two for your body to get used to sitting up instead of lying down. It’s been a while.”
Gwen was still gripping his hand with one of hers as she steadied herself with her other arm. She took deep steady breaths, and let them out slowly. Eventually, she nodded. “Okay, I think I’m good to stand.”
“I’m not letting you stand alone,” he said.
She flashed a quick grin. “No, I meant with your help.”
“Oh, okay, yeah, let’s get you up.” He pulled his hand gently away from her grip to take hold of the comforter and sheet and throw them back off her feet and legs before returning his hand to her so she could hold him for steadiness.
She moved her legs a little before he helped and gently placed her feet on the floor, then waited.
“How you feeling?”
“A little shaky, but not bad. I actually feel a little stronger than I did before I passed out.”
“It’s probably the fluids and the blood,” he said, his attention focused on her body and balance as she tried, with his help, to stand.
“There you go!” he said, as he stood beside her and kept her supported with his left arm around her waist, and his right still in front of her, her using it like a walker to stabilize herself as she moved forward.
“Fluids and blood?” she asked as they slowly moved across the carpeted floor toward the bathroom.
“Yeah. Luckily, some of the Variant that arrived are highly skilled combat medics. They figured out what the problem was and got the wound cauterized, then stitched and bandaged. They gave you a couple of bags of fluids, and some blood.”
“I’m very grateful. I want to thank them personally as soon as I’m able. Maybe tomorrow. Do you know who donated blood? I’d like to thank them, too.”
He looked down at her as she looked up at him. “I did. It was important to me that it was my blood you received.”
Gwen squeezed his hand where she held it. “Thank you, Rance. I’ll be forever grateful.”
“You’re welcome. But I’d have done anything to make sure you’re healthy. You don’t have to thank me.”
“So, does this mean that I’m going to get a little cranky and gruff?” she teased as they got inside the bathroom.
“What do you mean?” he asked, as he helped her get over to the toilet.
“I mean that you’re cranky and gruff, or at least you were the first time I met you. I have your blood inside my veins, will I get cranky and gruff, too?”
Rance grinned as he chuckled a little. He even blushed a bit from his embarrassment from his behavior. “I apologize for not quite being my charming self. But in my defense, I was under an unusual amount of pressure and doing my best to keep it to myself.”
She looked up at him and laid her hand gently on his shoulder. “There’s nothing to forgive. You behaved in an exemplary fashion all things considered. I was just trying to tease you a little.”
Rance shook his head slightly, still wearing a hint of a smile as he leaned over and lifted the toilet lid. “Okay, so how are we going to do this? What works for you?”
“Can you help me get seated, then I’ll call you when I need you again?” she asked.
“I can,” he said, beginning to lean her into a sitting position.
“Hold on! I need to lift my gown, shirt, or… what am I wearing?” she asked, looking down at the large button down shirt she was wearing.
Immediately, he looked sheepish and avoided her direct gaze. “It’s one of my shirts. They needed to be able to look at your wound. I gave them one of my button down shirts so they could do so without disturbing you too terribly much while you were resting.”
“So, this is yours?” she asked.
He nodded. “Underwear are Bonnie's. I was going to put mine on you along with the shirt, but Bonnie wasn’t having it.”
Gwen laughed softly, then placed her hand on her wound. “Oh, that’s sore,” she said, blowing out a breath. “Really sore.”
“They said the flesh was healthy. But the wound was jagged. It took several times to get the bleeding to stop, then it’s stitched inside and out.”
“I’m glad they were here,” she said as she started pushing at the edges of the panties she was wearing. “I can’t get them beyond my thighs. Can you help?”
His eyes widened but he nodded, leaning over beside her to work her panties to past her thighs and then her knees to pool around her ankles. When he straightened up, she moved toward the toilet and he helped her sit. “I’ll be right outside. Call me for anything at all.”
“Thank you, Rance.”
Rance quickly left the bathroom and leaned against the wall beside the bathroom door, his head back, his eyes closed.
“Give me control,” he whispered. Leaning close to her, removing her panties, her scent, feeling her warmth, had almost undone him.
If she’d not been injured, he wasn’t sure he’d have had the strength to step away from her.
It wasn’t long before she was calling his name. “Rance?”
“Right here,” he said, opening the door, just a crack, then pausing before going any further. “Can I come back in?”
“Please,” Gwen said.
Rance opened the door and walked the rest of the way in.
“Bet you never thought you’d be helping some female you don’t even know pull her panties up,” Gwen said.
Rance laughed. “Maybe not exactly like this, but it’s all good.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry you got elected to help me pee,” she said.
Rance, who’d already bent over and lifted her panties to her knees, paused just a few inches from her face and looked into her eyes. “I’m not. I’ll be here, no matter what you need, no matter how unexpected. You will always be able to run to me. Always.”
Gwen swallowed slowly as she looked into his eyes. “Okay,” she finally whispered.
“Let’s get you back in bed,” he said, clearing his throat and trying to force himself back into the role of caregiver rather than unrecognized mate.
“Okay,” she said again, putting her arm around his neck and shoulders to hold on as he lifted her to her feet again.
Before she had the opportunity to do so herself, he reached down and gently slid her panties the rest of the way up her thighs and into place, before tugging the tail of the over-sized button down shirt down over her ass. “All set?” he asked.
She nodded.
They made their way back to the bed, where he helped her lie down and got her tucked in again. “I’ll be back with some food. Won’t take me long,” he said, smiling at her as he straightened up from getting her settled.
“Thank you, Rance.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, backing away from her before turning to walk out of the room.
“Rance?” she said, just as he was stepping out of the room.
“Yeah?” he asked, looking back at her.
“I don’t mean just for this, here. I mean for everything. Thank you. I appreciate the choices you made. I know it wasn’t easy. But you made that choice regardless of the way it would affect you.”
He stood there, his mind whirling with the realization that she knew what they were, had known probably from the same moment he knew. “It wasn’t about me then. It was about you. And you were happy. You deserved to continue to be happy.”
She nodded.