Page 13 of Mountain Man's Bride

Everlee

When I woke up the next morning, Nash was already in the house, and Tripp was gone to work. Nash, reclined back on the couch, had his sock-covered feet propped up on the coffee table. The remote was in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, surfing through channels on TV.

“How can you even read what’s up there with how fast you’re going?” I mumbled, reaching up to rub at my eyes.

He snorted. “I know all these channels like the back of my hand,” he said. He set the remote down, settling on I Love Lucy, one of my favorite shows. He took his feet off the coffee table and stood. “You need to eat breakfast. What do you feel like having?”

I shrugged, getting ready to detour to the kitchen. “I can make—”

“You need to rest,” he scolded. I frowned, still too sleepy to be dealing with this and trying to keep up with what was happening. He pointed to the couch. “Sit down. Watch I Love Lucy, and let me make you breakfast. Now, what do you want to eat?”

I sighed. Were all of the Walker brothers so pushy and demanding?

“Eggs and bacon are fine,” I told him, taking a seat on the couch. “And a cup of coffee please.”

“Coming right up,” he told me with a smile before he disappeared into the kitchen. I grabbed one of the flannel throw blankets off the back of the couch and wrapped myself up in it as I focused on the TV. I giggled at something silly Lucy was getting up to. It was the episode with the Italian wig, where Lucy tried tricking Ricky, but the owner of the hair salon told Ricky the plan before she could.

My phone vibrated on my lap, and I picked it up. Tripp’s name was on the screen, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest. Last night, we’d shared a bed for the first time, but by the time he got in bed, I was deep asleep, and he was definitely gone before I got up this morning. He’d been gone so long, his side of the bed was cold.

I hadn’t even known he was there last night, honestly. The only way I knew he came to bed was that his side of the bed was rumpled. And just the knowledge of that made me shiver.

I was so attracted to that man despite his highhandedness. Why did he have to be so domineering and controlling? He was just about perfect otherwise.

I opened up Tripp’s text.

You up yet?

Yes, I’m up. Nash is making me breakfast.

Good. I expect you to eat every bit of it. Rest today. My brothers will let me know if you’re being stubborn.

I rolled my eyes.

Yes, sir, cowboy.

He didn’t respond, but the message showed he’d read it. Sighing, I set the phone aside and focused back on the TV. Nash brought me my food a few minutes later, and we ate in the living room together in companionable silence. He even ended up getting into the old black-and-white show, laughing with me.

Nash might come across as a bit of a hardened man, but he was actually sweet when you got to know him, which I hadn’t been expecting. He was just as domineering as his older brother, but he listened when I talked about watching this show with my aunt growing up before she passed away, and he told me a little bit about how his mom and dad dressed as Lucy and Ricky for Halloween one year when the boys were still kids.

Tears burned in my eyes as I stared at the collection email on my phone for the umpteenth time that day. Their mail was going unanswered back east, and they’d resorted to emailing me. I was so sick of hospitals and doctors offices demanding money. I knew I needed to pay it. Not once had that ever left my mind. But between getting married, moving across the country, and navigating life with diabetes, I barely had time to breathe anymore.

Nash was making me lunch before he and Eli switched out, and I could feel a headache pulsing at my temples. Blowing out a soft breath, I set my phone aside and leaned forward, nausea gripping my stomach.

I knew Tripp would want to know I had a bill collector hounding me, but how did I tell my husband that? How did I just ask him to pay the bill for me? I knew that was our agreement but God.

The funds to his inheritance were still in the process of being released, which meant I didn’t have access to my portion of it yet. And I knew the collectors were only going to get worse and worse if I didn’t pay them something soon.

“Hey—woah, Everlee. Hey.” Eli kneeled in front of me and lifted my head from my hands. He stroked his thumbs over my cheeks, his eyes warm and soft as they locked on mine. “Talk to me. How are you feeling?”

I shook my head. “Just a headache,” I mumbled, only partially lying. “I’ll be fine.”

His worried eyes ran over my face. “Nash, hurry up!” Eli barked. He released my face and walked into the bathroom, coming back out with a dixie cup of water and two pain tablets. He handed both to me, and I swallowed it all back before handing him the cup with a small, grateful smile. Nash handed me a plate of food—a microwaveable gluten-free meal.

“Thank you,” I murmured, digging in. They stayed silent, watching over me. The only noise in the living room came from the TV, which was still playing I Love Lucy.

Once I was done eating, Eli gently pulled me from the couch. “Come on. Bed,” he ordered. “You need some rest.”

I was a little aggravated with the constant coddling and orders, but he wasn’t wrong. I definitely needed some rest.