Chapter 28
In Sickness And In Health
Charlie’s CGM app starts pinging on the way to our apartment, and by the time we arrive, the alerts are firing off repeatedly.
The tone escalates from a warning chime to a sharp, urgent beeping that has my stomach in knots.
Her levels have been low many times since we’ve lived together, but she’s usually already treating it by now.
As I carry her up the stairs, I notice she’s pale and clammy, her hands trembling around my neck.
“Heath,” she says, barely audible. “I don’t feel so good.”
Her head lolls against my chest, and when she looks up at me, her eyes are glassy and unfocused. She’s crashing hard.
“Hang in there, hellcat. I’ve got you,” I promise, setting her on the couch in the living room.
I rush to the kitchen, pull her glucose tabs from the cabinet, and pour a glass of orange juice before hurrying back to her side. She’s slumped against the couch, and I sit beside her, pressing a tablet to her lips.
“This will make you feel better,” I say encouragingly as she chews it.
I rest my hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze as I patiently wait for her to finish each tablet I give her. Once she’s finished, I slide my arm around her and support her neck as I bring the glass of orange juice to her mouth.
My chest aches at the sight of her so vulnerable, when my Charlie is normally spirited and full of fire. I’m humbled that she trusts me enough in this state to take care of her and be the strength she needs until she’s ready to stand on her own again.
“Take small sips,” I warn as she coughs after gulping it down too fast. She immediately listens, drawing back to drink more slowly. “There we go.” I brush her damp hair off her forehead.
I continue giving her juice until the glass is empty, relieved when the color finally returns to her cheeks, and the violent trembling in her hands eases into a faint shiver. When I check the CGM app, I’m relieved to see her blood sugar starting to climb.
Confident that the worst is behind her, I scoop her into my arms and carry her to our bedroom.
Charlie holds my shoulders for balance as I remove her clothes and pull one of my T-shirts over her head before tucking her into bed with several pillows propped up behind her.
She rests her head against them and looks up at me. “Thank you, Heath. I’m sorry I let my blood sugar get out of control.” Her face falls as she swallows hard. “After I got the news about Florence, I didn’t think to eat or to check my app before lying down.”
“That’s all right, beautiful,” I assure her, climbing onto the bed beside her and kissing her temple. “You don’t have to worry about a thing tonight.”
“I can’t believe you came for me,” she whispers, choking back a sob.
I scoot closer, lift her onto my lap, and tip her chin so I can look into her grief-stricken eyes. “Always.”
“You say that now, but what if you leave me and Grams passes away too? I’ll be all alone.” Her voice breaks as she clutches the collar of my shirt.
“Sweetheart, we’re not going anywhere. But even if we did, our friends and family will always be in your corner. Hell, if they had to choose, they’d pick you in a heartbeat.”
A small smile tugs at Charlie’s lips. “Of course they would. I’m fucking awesome.”
It’s a relief to see her cracking a joke at my expense, a glimpse of her usual spark shining through.
Her smile turns wistful, and I assume she’s reminded of the devastating news she received a few short hours ago.
“I know you’re hurting.” I press my nose against her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. “I might not be able to take away your pain, but I’m not leaving you. Not now. Not ever.”
“How can you be so confident when all this started as an obligation?” she asks, gesturing between us.
I take her hands and bring them to my mouth, kissing her fingertips. “What else can I do to prove that I’m all in? Your uncertainty after all we’ve been through is breaking my heart, beautiful.”
She peeks up at me through her eyelashes. “Help me understand how that’s possible when you could barely tolerate me before we found out we were having a baby.”
As tempting as it is to push off this conversation again, I can’t avoid it any longer. I have to be completely honest, even if the timing isn’t ideal. It’s the only way I see to end her lingering doubts about us, and I’m prepared for whatever her reaction might be.
“Do you remember the day we talked with your grandma and Florence during our first visit to Meadowbrook together?” I ask as my thumb brushes over her wedding ring in slow circles.
Charlie nods tentatively.
“What about the part where I told them I knew you were the one after seeing you dancing on the bar at Blue Moon Tavern?”
She lets out a half-hearted laugh. “Yeah. They thought it was a swoony story. It absolutely helped you win them over.”
“It wasn’t just a story,” I tell her.
Her brows knit together. “I don’t understand.”
“I was at the bar the night of your twenty-first birthday. I watched you dance barefoot, belting out ‘Jolene’ with a wild kind of joy I’d never seen before. That’s the moment I realized I wanted you,” I confess, reluctantly meeting her gaze.
“If that’s true, why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”
“You were my sister’s friend, a hell of a lot younger, and too damn good for a moody workaholic like me.
” My eyes rise to find Charlie with her head tilted as she studies me.
“So I did what I do best and pushed you away when what I really wanted was to drag you down from that bar and claim that fucking mouth, making it clear who you belonged to.”
“Except I didn’t let you shut me out,” she states smugly.
A lazy grin crosses my face. “No, you didn’t. You constantly challenged me, and it made me want you even more.”
“If that’s the case, why let me go so easily after our first night together?”
“Because I thought that’s what you wanted, but it was a mistake.
I should have fought for you from the beginning, which is why I’ve done everything to prove that I will always choose you and our little peanut.
” I place a hand over her rounded belly, rubbing it tenderly. “My home is wherever you are.”
If this weekend has taught me anything, it’s that no business venture or investment is worth being away when Charlie needs me most. I’m not leaving her side again until after this baby is born, and even then, I plan to take her with me whenever I can, keeping any necessary time apart few and far between as possible.
This tragic situation has also solidified my decision to move forward with hiring a foreman.
It’s the only way to give me the freedom to be as present as possible for Charlie and the baby.
One of my biggest regrets is not listening to Pops’s and Walker’s advice.
I should have implemented Briggs’s approach to innovate and streamline processes sooner.
However, in my experience, it’s better late than never, and I’m looking forward to not being responsible for the day-to-day operations on the ranch.
“It feels wrong to be happy right now,” Charlie admits on a broken murmur.
“Grief is complex, and there’s no set roadmap for healing.” I bend forward, resting my forehead against hers. “For now, let’s take it one day at a time, okay?”
She nods. “Funny thing is, Florence would probably tell me to stop my blubbering and move on with my life. Right after I make sure she’s buried in her fanciest dress and most glittery jewelry,” she adds with a fond grin.
I lean back to cup her face in my hands. “I’m sure we can make that happen.”
“I hope so,” Charlie says, her eyes shining with hope. “Grams and I were her only family, and she deserves the perfect send-off, regardless of the turnout.”
I’m going to use every chance I get to remind Charlie of the big group of people who love her and would do anything to support her.
“I’m certain she’ll draw a big crowd,” I assure Charlie, kissing her temple. “From what I’m told, she was the most well-loved resident at Meadowbrook, and between our friends and family alone, we’ll take up several rows at the service.”
Florence was a firecracker and had a gift for making people feel seen and appreciated.
There’s no question she’ll have a full house to celebrate her life and the incredible impact she’s had on the community and the person I care about most. I could never repay her for the love she showed Charlie and our baby girl before she was even born.
The best way I can think of to honor her memory is to take care of Charlie and her grandma while they mourn her loss, and make sure our little peanut knows how much she’s loved by a certain angel already dishing out the best gossip in heaven and collecting the shiniest things she can get her hands on.