Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“This feels so…odd,” Lace told Vincent as they entered the pediatric chemo suite.
Since she’d already told Captain Ass-hat that she was switching her day off to Tuesdays, she’d decided to take advantage of that and take the day off, away from the man’s stressful presence, even though her chemo team wouldn’t be hooking her up again for another week.
“What’s odd?” Vince asked.
“Being here and not being infused,” she told him honestly.
“Does it make you uncomfortable?”
Vince watched closely for her response, putting on that wonderful, overprotective thing she’d glimpsed from him before.
But there was nothing to see here.
“Not at all,” she assured him with a shrug. “It’s just weird.”
Vince took her hand. “I get it, but I’m happy you came for Inez,” he told her sincerely. “If I can’t get permission to be with her during her shit treatments, I know you’ll be able to finagle it.”
Lace went up on tiptoes and kissed his painted cheek.
“I’ll get us both in,” she promised. “Don’t worry.”
While they walked toward the nurses’ station, she stole a glance at Vince in his clown outfit.
Damn. He was cute, no matter his get-up.
But despite his hotness, the man was proving to be extremely frustrating.
After their discussion on Saturday, where they’d gone over the logistics of living together, he’d dropped his bomb about falling in love, but then hadn’t followed through with anything…delicious.
She’d expected him to carry her into her bedroom like a movie hero where they’d make explosive love.
Or not.
Right. Because it hadn’t happened.
Could it be due to the fact that she hadn’t returned his words?
Being honest with herself, she was falling in love with Vince—if she wasn’t already there—but she was afraid. How would Vince deal if they committed to each other, and then something…unexpected happened. Health wise.
There were no guarantees with cancer.
Lace sighed. Why had she fallen for a Sothard?
Their family code of morals was over-the-top impeccable, from what she’d previously learned from Bobbie, and now she knew it first hand.
Vince had told her that as much as he’d like to touch her all over and culminate the attraction that sparked between them, she deserved more than a tumble, especially since they hadn’t even dated yet.
Lace had tried to point out that he’d counted their ice-cream outing as a date, but Vince had shaken his head and denounced that as being nothing more than wishful thinking, before he pontificated on it.
A real date, he said, was about dressing up and going out, showing her off to friends and family, and having some clothes-on intimacy before moving ahead to other things.
To be fair, Vince had then kissed the ever-loving stuffing out of her; a long, make-out session on her couch that had left her breathless, and him, hard as a pike. But just when she thought she might have an edge at getting into his pants, he’d shut things down.
Le sigh.
He’d even murmured “I love you”, more than once.
She’d give him that.
For now.
But if Vince thought she was going to waste any more time picking at the hors d’oeuvres on the dainty plate he presented, when what she craved was an entire hungry-man-meal, he was sadly mistaken.
They were headed for her bedroom tonight, whether he gave it the green light, or not. The only thing that would stop her, was if he convinced her he didn’t want to.
That was a solid, “duh”, but…
On Saturday, his heart had been racing during their couch-time as fast as hers had, if not faster. They’d also dry-humped during a good portion of their lip-lockage, and his heavy cock grinding aggressively up against the seam of her jeans, was no prosthetic.
Disappointingly, there’d been no repeat of the contact since, much to her teeth-grinding frustration.
On Sunday, she’d worked and Vince had moved in.
On Monday, she’d shipped out again, while he and his friend Statler had been at the house all day, ripping things apart in the bathroom and taking measurements.
Neither day had been short for her, but when she’d dragged herself in the door, Vince already had a casserole out of the refrigerator and heated, both nights.
So freaking caring.
How easy it would be to get used to that kind of thoughtful regard, but again, fear was holding her back.
They’d shared some lighthearted chat over food, but when she’d yawned so wide that Vince said he could see her tonsils, he’d sent her off to bed.
Alone.
She—
“You ready to turn on the charm and get us visiting rights?” Vince asked, breaking her out of her reveries.
Lace snorted, regrouping. “I think the charm is your department. All I can be is a kindred sufferer, looking to commiserate with a fellow patient.”
“You’ll do fine,” he assured her.
“I hope so.”
Lace took the lead as they approached the nurse they’d talked to on Friday.
“Hi there,” the woman greeted, giving Lace a big smile. “You’re not hooked up today,” she noted.
“I’m not.” Lace returned her friendly vibe. “I actually get Friday’s off from my infusions, swapping to Tuesdays from now on, and I start up again a week from today.”
“I see.” The astute woman nodded, flaunting a grin as if she knew what was coming. “And the reason for that?” she asked.
“Well, Vince and I…” Lace wondered how she should frame this, and began again.
“We felt sorry for Inez last week, seeing she didn’t have any emotional support.
So, I thought if you’d gotten approval from your higher ups, and I switched my infusions to Tuesdays, me and my bag of goodies could hang out with her—Uh, Vince too—while Inez undergoes her Sanctuary Therapy.
Vince would still show up for her regular treatments on Friday’s,” she hurriedly added.
Lace continued without a pause, so the woman couldn’t immediately give her bad news.
“My team has approved the move, which means I’m now asking you. Will Vince and I be allowed to stay with Inez during her treatments?”
There was no hesitation, only joy.
“Absolutely. You’ve been given the green light, and without much fuss, I might add.
” She grinned. “Visitors are allowed, and since you’ll be here anyway, it was a no-brainer.
And…Vince, is it?” The young nurse looked him over before continuing, clearly able to see past all the make-up to know that he was a smoke-show.
“Vince has already been approved by the administrators to entertain the kids, so he’s been given the okay to help distract Inez, too. ”
“You’re awesome,” Lace gushed, overjoyed.
“Nope. Just making sure that nobody’s miserable if we can help it,” she assured them.
“Where will we find her, now?” Vince asked, shooting her his most charming smile, which looked even wider surrounded by his well-applied red paint.
Color instantly moved up into the nurse’s face.
Yup. Lace could relate.
“Room 210.” The answer came out a little throatily. “They just wheeled her in, so you’ll probably get there just before they start. I’ll call ahead and let them know you’re coming.”
She turned away from the pretty sight that was Vince with some reluctance, but was already picking up the phone.
“Thank you so much,” Lace said.
“No. Thank you,” the nurse returned, pulling her professional cloak back around herself.
“We’ve all been worried about Inez being alone.
We take turns trying to cheer her up, but dressed in scrubs and looking very…
medical, there’s not a lot of comfort we can give her that doesn’t still seem institutional. ”
Lace could understand that.
“Now go,” the nurse shooed, pointing down the hallway. “Give that little cherub something to smile about.”
She began speaking to whomever she’d called, dismissing them as she turned away.
Lace and Vince didn’t linger.
They hoofed it to the designated room and slipped inside, giving the staff a nod. They weren’t denied access, so the nurse had come through.
Inez, who was being led to a flat, patient bed, noticed them almost instantly.
“Fluffo,” she said excitedly, taking her hand from the attending’s to come hug Vince around the legs. Her little face looked pinched as she gazed way up at him. “Hey. This isn’t Friday.”
“I know,” he returned, gently stroking her hair. “I thought Lace and I might switch things up a bit. We’ll both be here on Tuesdays and I’ll still come on Fridays. Are you good with that?”
“Yup,” she agreed quickly, before peeking around his legs to acknowledge Lace.
“Hi, Miss Lace,” Inez said politely. She backed off from her impromptu embrace, but her body still leaned toward Vince.
Clearly the sun rose and set with her new clown friend as Inez rapidly turned her attention back to him.
“Are you gonna do tricks for everybody today?”
“Not today, Inez,” Vince said, squatting in front of her to meet her gaze on her level. “Today we’re just here for you.”
“Just for me?” Her eyes grew wide.
“Yeah. You don’t think the other kids will miss me, do you?” he postulated.
“Nope!” Inez responded excitedly before sighing. “Well, maybe. But I’m happy.”
The attending beckoned for Inez, and her feet dragged toward the man, where he lifted her up onto the table.
“I don’t like this part,” she admitted softly to Vince and Lace who had followed closely.
“I know,” Lace responded, pulling a chair over next to Inez’s face as they positioned the little girl on her side.
“It’s never easy, but you have to remember.
The medicine they give us is making us well.
Because of it, you’ll be back to school and playing with your friends again before you know it. ”
Inez huffed at Lace’s assurances as Vince also pulled up a chair.
“I do school at home for now,” she informed them with a frown. “Until I’m well. And I don’t like it. I have to stay in my room that I share with my…foster sisters, and they can be loud. They’re older than me, and don’t want to play,” she added as a non sequitur.
“How do you work from home?” Lace asked, hoping to glean more information.