Chapter Six
Colton
Once I’ve finished cooking the bass and the kids are up from their naps, we sit at the table. Sam tells Lily all about his fishing adventures and how he caught so many—although she’s more interested in her dolls—she listens while she eats.
Bodie stays to help keep an eye on them, and after we finish dinner, Mom and Bellamy arrive with chicken noodle soup for Amelia.
“How’s she doin’?” Mom asks once she’s done rearranging my fridge.
I texted earlier, warning them not to come by if they wanted to avoid catching whatever she has, but they took that as an invitation to help instead.
“Gonna check on her now,” I reply, washing and drying my hands.
“No wonder she puked her brains out when it smells like ass in here.” Bellamy wrinkles her nose. “I’m gonna lose my stomach next.”
I showered in the guest bathroom before we ate, so it’s not me. Probably Bodie.
“Bad word,” Sam blurts, holding out his palm. “You owe me five dollars.”
“’Cuse me?” Bellamy narrows her eyes. “That ain’t a bad word.”
Sam’s brows raise, then he glances at me. “So I can say ass?”
“No,” I say at the same time Bellamy says, “Yep.”
“Must you be a menace?” I glare at my sister. “Stop tellin’ other people’s kids they can swear.”
She rolls her eyes at me before smiling sweetly at Sam. “That’s an adult word, so once you’re bigger, you can use it. Deal?”
“That’s not fair.” He crosses his arms, pouting. “I’m gonna be small forever.”
“Nah, you keep eatin’ protein and healthy food, you’re gonna get big and strong like us,” Bodie tells him.
“Me too!” Lily squeals, coloring at the table with her brother.
“You bet.” I wink.
She ate more fish than Sam did.
“Think you can keep from swearin’ while I bring Amelia her soup?” I ask Bellamy, grabbing the bowl and bottle of meds.
“No promises,” she deadpans.
“I’ll watch her,” Bodie taunts.
“Dude, we’re the same age.” Bellamy kicks him under the table.
“Okay, never mind. Sam, you’re in charge of these two. Got it?” I grin, and he giggles.
Then I hear him ordering Bellamy to get them ice cream, and Bodie laughing in return. I shake my head, too busy to deal with their antics, but knowing my sister, she’ll smack our brother upside the head and make him do it instead.
Remy follows me down the hall. He’s been looking for Amelia all evening.
But he’s not the only one who’s missed her.
I took a huge risk showing her how to scale the fish by invading her space with my body pressed to hers, and fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind.
When she relaxed into my chest and let me show her how to do it, I was tempted to lean down and inhale her perfume.
It’s the same scent she wore at the wedding and has been ingrained in my memory ever since.
Everything was going smoothly until I mentioned fish guts like an idiot.
When I enter the bedroom, it’s pitch black, except for the glow from the bathroom. I flick on the lamp, then set the bowl and bottle down on the nightstand.
Messy blonde hair sprawls across my pillow, and there’s dried mascara on her cheeks, but she’s still the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met. Buried under the blankets and snoring lightly, I almost don’t want to wake her.
But I’m worried she’ll get dehydrated and weaker if she doesn’t drink or eat something. Or has a fever and needs meds.
“Amelia…” I whisper, sitting on the mattress without touching her. “Can you wake up, darlin’?”
“Hmm? No, go away,” she grumbles without moving or opening her eyes.
“Can I check if you’re feverish?”
“Colton?”
“Yeah, it’s me. How’re you feelin’?”
“Like hell. Except I’m freezin’. I need more blankets.”
I press my palm against her forehead and wince at how hot it is.
“You’re overheatin’. Most likely a fever. I have some soup and meds for you. Can you sit up?”
She groans. “No.”
“Let’s try, then you can go back to sleep.”
Pulling back the covers, I help her sit up against the headboard, and once settled, she finally opens her eyes.
“Hi.”
“Are the kids okay?”
“They’re perfect. Keepin’ Bodie on his toes.”
“He stayed?”
“Yep, except now I think Lily likes him more than me ’cause he let her color his tattoos with markers.”
She huffs a weak laugh. “And Sam?”
“Oh, I’m definitely still his fave.” I grin. “Both ate their dinners.”
“They need baths before bed,” she murmurs. “But I should get up and help Lily with hers.”
“I’ll ask Bellamy if that’s okay. She’s out there with my mom.”
“They’re here now?”
“Yeah, they brought homemade soup from the restaurant.” I point to the bowl. “Wanna try some?”
She rubs her eyes, then looks at me as if they’ve finally adjusted to the light. “You’ve been takin’ care of them all evenin’?”
“Depends…are you gonna yell at me again for takin’ over?” I muse, grinning.
“No.” She gently shakes her head. “I was gonna thank you, but since you’re being a smart-ass again, you don’t get one.”
Chuckling, I open the bottle and shake out two pills. Her ability to continue mocking me is a good sign.
“Here, take these. Hopefully, it’ll bring your temp down.”
I place them in her palm and give her the almost-empty glass. “I’ll get you some fresh water. See if you can eat some of that soup.”
When I go to the kitchen, Mom’s digging in my pantry. “What’re you lookin’ for?”
“I’m organizin’ since it’s impossible to find anythin’ in this mess.”
“Mom,” I groan. “You don’t gotta do that.”
“No wonder you’re not married.”
“Seriously?” I fill a glass with ice water.
“I second that, but I’d like to add another reason that rhymes with schloser,” Bellamy quips, walking in with Lily on her hip.
“No one asked you.”
“Consider it free advice, then.” She glares and sticks out her tongue when Mom isn’t looking. You’d think we were still kids.
“And if I’m a loser, why’re you always at my house freeloadin’?”
“For Remy, but now, for the kids.”
“Mhm, sure.” Before going back to the bedroom, I add, “Speakin’ of, can you give Lily a bath before bed so Amelia doesn’t gotta get up?”
“As the designated favorite aunt, of course.”
“Aunt?” I furrow a brow.
“Does that make me the fave uncle?” Bodie asks, walking in with Sam on his back.
“Yes!” Sam squeals, then throws his arm up and around like a lasso. “Giddyup, horsey!”
Bodie neighs in a high-pitched squeal, then gallops through the kitchen.
There’s never been so much chaos in my house before.
And I love every minute of it.
“Colt?”
My eyes jolt open at the sound of Sam’s small voice.
“Yeah, buddy?” When I sit up too fast on the futon, the dimly lit room spins. “You have a nightmare again?”
He shakes his head. “Lily threw up on the bed.”
Oh fuck.
She seemed fine after her bath and even had Bellamy read her five bedtime stories, but I’m not surprised she’s sick, too. It was only a matter of time.
I put on my T-shirt, then follow Sam to his room. Lily’s pale and crying.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” As I pick her up, she wraps her little arms around my neck.
“My tummy hurts.”
I rub soothing circles over her back. “Do you gotta throw up some more?”
“I dunno.”
“Sam, do you think you could strip the bed for me while I take her to the bathroom? Then I’ll come back and change the sheets.”
“Yeah, I can do that,” he says groggily.
“Thanks, bud. Be right back.”
After I get Lily cleaned up in the bathroom and put her in new jammies, I grab a bowl in case she gets sick again.
“I want Mommy,” she says against my chest.
No matter what I do to help her feel better, I’ll never compare to the comfort of her mom.
“You wanna sleep next to her?”
She nods.
I’ll lie on the floor next to the bed, so I can hear if she gets sick again.
“Okay, sweetie.”
“I need Benny.”
I grab her stuffed bunny from their room before bringing her into bed with Amelia. She passed back out after eating half the soup and drinking more water. She doesn’t even flinch when I reach over and check her forehead. Still warm, but not as hot as she felt earlier.
“I’ll be right back,” I whisper, tucking her in.
Sam’s lying on my futon, waiting for me.
“You feelin’ okay?” I kneel, checking his forehead.
“Yeah, just sleepy.”
Pulling up the blanket, I tell him, “Gonna put clean sheets on your bed, and then you can go back to sleep.”
Once I’ve made the bed, put the dirty ones in the wash, and tucked Sam in, I grab my blankets and a pillow. Lily’s knocked out when I enter the room.
The floor isn’t comfortable by any means, but I’ve slept on worse.
Luckily, everyone sleeps the rest of the night without another puking incident.
Not so luckily, I wake up stiff as fuck and exhausted.