Bidding Wars (Love Strikes) - By Lacey Wolfe Page 0,57

after everything settled down, but it seems to have gotten worse. The poor girl.”

Luke gulped. That didn’t sound good at all. “I’m sorry to hear this.”

“I think Sandy’s going by tonight to check on her. Call tomorrow if you want and we’ll give you an update.”

“Thanks, I will. Bye, Kim.” He took his son’s hand.

“Bye, handsome little guy.” Kim waved at Sammy.

Once Sammy was buckled and Luke was in the driver’s seat, he let out a loud sigh. It pained him to know Molly was sick. What in the world could she have caught that would make her sick for so many days? Did she need to go to the doctors? Something didn’t sound right at all.

“Are we going to stop by her house now, Dad? Remember, I said if she wasn’t here we could go by her house.”

“I remember, but she isn’t feeling well. It’s best if you stay away. I’ll check on her tomorrow when you’re at school.”

That seemed to satisfy his son. Taking a deep breath, he started the drive home.

* * *

This was not how her new life was supposed to start. Molly grabbed a cold washcloth and laid it over her forehead. She’d once again attempted to eat breakfast, and not even thirty minutes later it came back up. Several kids had been in the clinic last week with this horrible stomach bug. Most of the staff had been wearing face masks, but those didn’t always stop the germs. Whatever this bug was, it was brutal. She was to the point that all she could keep down was unsalted crackers and warm tea. She was beginning to feel weak, and knew she needed to get one of the doctors at the clinic to check her out and make sure she wasn’t getting dehydrated. More liquids were going out than coming in. She had promised Sandy last night that if she woke up feeling like death again, she would call her to take her in.

It looked like she was going to be making that call. She just didn’t get it. Before she moved in, she’d been feeling queasy and assumed it had to do with everything going on. But now, it was as though she had a fully-fledged stomach bug. Typically in the afternoons she began to feel normal again and then, wham, it hit again. She’d never experienced anything like this before.

She flipped through the channels on her TV. Right now she had an antenna hooked up until she had the time to call the cable company. The choices were limited, so she settled for one of the morning news shows.

Her eyelids began to feel heavy and, much like the past few mornings, she drifted back off to sleep.

“Molly, are you in there?”

Rolling onto her back, she rubbed her eyes.

“Molly!”

Pulling herself into a sitting position, she realized someone was pounding on her door. She got up, pulled her robe tightly closed around her, and went to see who was here. Just as she opened the door, a wave of nausea swept through her. Placing her hand over her mouth, she took off for the half bath downstairs.

“Oh God.” She leaned her head on the cool toilet.

“Molly.” Luke stood behind her. “Sweetheart, are you OK?”

She didn’t have the strength to answer him.

“Have you been to the doctors?”

She shook her head.

“Can I take you?”

She nodded, though getting off this floor and away from the toilet was the last thing she wanted to do. She needed a few moments to get some strength back. “Give me a minute.”

“OK, I’m going upstairs to your room to get you some clothes to put on. I’ve opened a Gatorade for you, and I’m leaving it right here on the floor within your reach.” Luke set a bottle down near her.

Once he left and she could hear the squeak of the stairs, she grabbed the drink he’d brought. Taking long sips, she hoped this would give her strength to make it up the stairs to get dressed. She really needed a shower, but she was feeling way too weak at the moment.

Luke returned quickly and helped her to the living room.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were sick, and I came to check on you.”

“Sick is an understatement. I think I’m dying.”

He grinned that sexy adorable smile with his dimples. “You’re going to survive.”

He helped her change out of her pajamas and into a pair of leggings and a T-shirt. Normally she would have objected to him seeing her in her