Page 45 of Silver Linings
“I guess I should have done this when we got married.”
“Better late than never,” she shrugged. “Besides, you would have thrown out your back trying to carry me when I was that pregnant.”
“I’m not old enough to be throwing my back out,” he grumbled, but she didn’t miss the way he smiled at her.
Lily expected him to drop her off on the couch, but he walked right past the living room and down the hall. Okay, so he was bringing her to her bedroom. She could take a shower and lay down in peace. It was actually really kind of him to think of that.
When he walked past her room, she panicked.
“Where are you bringing me?”
“Into my room.” Sure enough, he turned into his room and she closed her eyes in frustration.
“Gunner, no. I have to be with Sage. She’s too young to stay in a room by herself, and I don’t want to intrude on your space.”
He set her down on his bed and pointed to the wall next to his dresser. Sure enough, Sage’s bassinet was in there, too.
“See. She’s in here with us. You know what the doctor said, Lil. It could take a while for you to feel stable on your new meds. I have to be nearby in case something happens. Please say this is okay?”
She knew he had been traumatized from her time in the hospital, and she should understand his nervousness, but she worried about her heart becoming attached to all the sweet support he was giving her.
“The doctor also said my body was responding well to my medications and that because we now understood what to look for, we’d be on top of anything that could be happening.”
He sat down next to her, pulling her hands into his. “I cannot lay awake every night worried that you are in the room next door sick and being too stubborn to tell me. I can’t find you like that again, Lily.”
She heard the pain in his voice and squeezed his hands reassuringly. Despite knowing it was the worst decision for keeping her heart safe, she relented. “It’s okay. Sage and I will stay here with you.”
“Thank you.”
“Before Gia gets home, I think I’d like to take a shower.”
“Okay.” He stood, holding his hand out for her to take.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m going to help you take a shower.”
Her mouth fell open. No. Staying in his room, in the same bed, was dangerous, but showering with him? No. There was no way she was about to let Gunner into that bathroom with her. She’d rather wilt away in her sweaty clothes for the rest of forever than have him possibly see her in the sorry state she was in. “No, you are not.”
“Yes, I am,” he growled, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“Stubborn man.”
“You can call me names all day long, sweetheart, but I’m going in that room with you.”
“Gunner, I really appreciate all the help, but there is no way the first and only time you ever see me fully naked is when I’m bleeding all over the place, smell like a ripe pile of trash, and look like a deflating balloon. No.”
“First? Yes. Only? That remains to be seen,” he smiled. “In sickness and health, Lil, remember? So we have to face sickness first. That’s just the way the cards got dealt. But let me help you, so we can get to the healthy part faster.”
“You could just wait outside the bathroom,” she whined.
“What if you feel weak? Or pass out? Or you feel nauseous and get sick? I want to be right there to help you.”
“You can do that from outside the bathroom. I’ll leave the doors unlocked just in case, but I promise, besides being tired and just wanting to stay in bed with Sage all day, I’m fine.”
Gunner’s hand landed on her cheek, and his thumb stroked over her skin. “Please, let me be in the room with you. I’m worried.”
Heat settled deep in her belly. Damn the handsome man.