Chapter 12
Brand set out some of the things he’d bought on the bed. There, maybe this would all help.
Then he picked up the teddy bear that Sadie had gotten Derek to buy for his girl. It was a kind gesture. Derek seemed to be a decent guy and it was just a stuffed toy.
And yet, he wanted to put the bear in the incinerator.
“Probably a bit of an overreaction.” He’d let her keep the bear, since he was in a magnanimous mood.
But she was going to love the toy from him more.
And she would give it a name.
Going back into the bathroom, he stared down at her where she lay in the bath. She had her eyes closed still. She hadn’t fallen asleep, had she?
As he grew closer, she opened her eyes and stared up at him tiredly. Her usually bright blue eyes were dull.
“Come on, Bumblebee.” Lifting her out, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her before picking her up.
“Gotta dry off properly.”
“I’ll take care of that.” He carried her out to the bed and went to lay her down on her back.
“I’ll get the bed wet!” she protested.
“I put a change mat down.”
She glanced down at the bed where he’d laid out the oversized change mat. It was pale yellow with little bumblebees flying around on it.
“So cute,” she muttered.
“I thought so.” He put her down on her back and quickly dried her. He knew if he took too long she’d get embarrassed or cold, so he didn’t linger the way he wanted to.
Then he picked up a pair of panties that he’d already picked out. He held them up for her to look at. “What do you think?”
“Cute,” she said in quiet voice. Then she started to cough, attempting to sit up.
Fuck!
He was an idiot. He’d laid her down flat. Nurse Beverly had even told him to keep her elevated to help with the coughing.
“Fuck, baby. I’m sorry.” He helped her sit up, rubbing her back until the coughing started to slow. He didn’t want to leave her to get another glass of water, so he grabbed the baby bottle from earlier. Sitting next to her, he drew her against him and held the bottle to her mouth. She took a few sips, then turned away, breathing heavily.
“Can’t… breathe… nose.”
Right. Fuck. Double idiot.
“I’m sorry, baby. That was my fault. Are you all right?”
“Just tired.”
“Do you want me to let you get dressed yourself since I’m fucking it all up?”
Maybe he couldn’t do this. He wasn’t used to looking after someone else.
“No, please. You’re not fucking anything up.”
“Did you just swear, Bumblebee?” he asked with amusement. She didn’t swear that often. It was something that the others in her band liked to tease her about.
“I was just repeating what you said,” she grumbled. “And you shouldn’t speak about yourself like that. That’s one.”
“Nice try, baby. But I’m the one who gives out punishments, not you.” He put the bottle down and then moved to crouch in front of her. “Can you sit while I get you dressed?”
“Yeah.”
He picked up the panties and slid them up her feet to above her knees. But instead of helping her stand, he picked up one of the items he’d bought for her. It was a onesie that was yellow and black striped.
“Is that a bumblebee onesie?” she asked as he slid her feet into it.
“Yep. And it even has a dropseat so when you need the toilet, we don’t have to take you out of it.”
“It’s so cute.”
“I know.”
“Where did you get it from?” she asked as he stood and then drew her up onto her feet.
“They have a store here. I just called them and asked them to send me everything that had bumblebees on it.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You didn’t.”
“Sure did.”
“How much stuff got delivered?”
“Surprisingly, quite a lot.”
She groaned as he did up the zipper on the front of the onesie. “That’s gonna cost you a fortune.”
“Hello, famous rock god here.”
“You’ve moved from rock star to rock god, huh?”
“Baby, I was always a god.” He winked at her.
She rolled her eyes as he settled her so she was sitting back against the pillows.
“I should do your hair for you.”
“Have you ever done anyone’s hair before?” she asked.
“Nope. Can’t be that hard, right?”
She gave him a slightly alarmed look. “How about another day? My hair is a mess right now. It really needs to be washed first.”
He nodded. “Want to see what else you got?”
“You mean what else you got?”
“Well, it’s all for you. Not for me.” He got up and walked to the closet, pulling out the other bags. When he turned back, her eyes were wide, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Placing them on the end of the bed, he placed the back of his hand over her forehead. “You feel warm. I should take your temperature.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Place like this, I’m sure they have a first-aid kit.” Getting up, he searched through the bathroom, finding one. Walking back to the bedroom, he put it on the bed next to her, searching through it.
“Uh-huh.” He held a thermometer up. “Got it!”
“That’s a rectal thermometer!” she said, sounding alarmed.
“Something wrong with that?”
“Um, yeah, it involves sticking something up my butt!”
“You don’t like having things stuck up your butt?” He couldn’t help but grin at her.
She groaned and put her hand over her face. “Not. That.”
“Ahh, but you will consider having other things stuck up your butt. Good to know.”
“Daddy!” she wailed.
Then her hand dropped from her face, and she stared at him with a mix of shock, trepidation, and longing.
“I’m s-sorry, I?—”
“Don’t,” he bit off. “Do not apologize or regret calling me that. I… that… you”–he paused and took a breath–“what I’m trying to say is it’s a privilege for you to call me that. I’m trying to help you let go and you’re starting to. So don’t diminish that by apologizing. Get me?”
She was still staring at him in astonishment. Great. Now she thought he was an idiot. This time, she was the one who reached out and tilted his head up.
“I… you really think that?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s good then, Daddy. But you’re still not sticking that thermometer up my butt-butt.”