David shook his head and took the terry cloth out of her hand. "I've got him."
With her energy at an all-time low, she could only watch as he stripped himself and the baby out of their wet clothes. Then, with a towel around his waist, he found the boys' room and quickly diapered Russ and put him in a soft onesie. Russ's eyes closed. Tess watched from the doorway. "He's almost asleep. You can put him in the crib."
"Think I'll hold him awhile," David said over his shoulder. "You're almost asleep too. Go lie down."
The suggestion was nearly irresistible. Nearly. "You'll stay with the kids?"
He hesitated. "I'm staying with all of you. Always."
It was enough to get her moving in the direction of an empty bed, even though the stranger of the past few months wasn't a man she'd want with them for always. If that was who was in the house, then once she was better, he'd just have to leave again.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
IT WAS EVENING and the kids had all kept down water, chicken noodle soup and soda crackers for hours by the time David saw his wife peek into the living room where the older boys and Rebecca were crowded together watching a Disney movie. He'd had time to dry his clothes, and though he was holding Russ again, he managed to pour her a mug of the soup he'd kept warm. "Drink this," he said, crossing to her, "and then go take a shower."
"Thank you." Her hand trembled a little as she reached for it.
Seeing her like this made him want to kick his own ass all over again. In using distance to try to save himself, he'd allowed Tess to get overtired and sick. If Griffin hadn't called him...
His wife took a tentative sip from the mug, then seemed to think it was going to stay down and so took another. "Rebecca, are you kids okay?"
"Yeah." She didn't take her gaze from the screen. "Daddy handled things."
Tess glanced over at him, her expression unreadable. "Will you be all right with Russ while I take a shower?"
"Yes." That she felt she had to ask twisted his gut. "Take your time."
When she next appeared in the living room, the four kids were in bed asleep. Tess's hair was still slightly damp, and she was dressed in a pair of plaid flannel pants and a sweatshirt proclaiming Happy Mom from Eaglewood Elementary. There was a little more color in her cheeks, but her blue eyes still stood out too brightly against her pale features.
He reached in the oven. "Hungry? I made mac and cheese."
Her gaze jumped to his. "You made your mom's mac and cheese?"
"My specialty." He smiled a little. "That and hot dogs."
She sat gingerly in a chair at the kitchen table, as if maybe her bones hurt. As he placed a plate and glass of water in front of her, he wanted to lift her from its hard surface and cuddle her on his lap, whispering promises that he would always cushion her, that he would always be what she needed.
But when he'd shown her the cushion of their financial situation, she'd thrown it back in his face. And as to always being what she needed...if he'd done that she wouldn't be sitting in that chair, shivering.
"I'll light a fire," he said, though the pressed-sawdust log wouldn't give off much heat. On his way back toward the kitchen alcove, he grabbed a small blanket hanging over the arm of the sofa. He draped it over her shoulders while she sat staring at the steaming mound of pasta.
"Would you rather I put it away?" he asked. "I can make you something else."
She shook her head and managed to eat a few bites. Then she downed the entire glass of water. It revived her a little, and when he thought she was through, he encouraged her to stretch out on the sofa.
He tucked the blanket around her.
"Thank you," she said.
So polite again. He sat on the coffee table in front of her, his elbows on his knees, his hands dangling between them. Now that they had privacy and time, he couldn't seem to get his tongue to wrap around the words he'd been planning since walking into the house and finding his family looking like ghosts.
Tess pushed at her hair, her wary gaze on him. "David - "
"Come home." The words burst from his mouth. "Please, come home. I'll step up. Change more diapers. Make more mac