“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think you’re up for that yet.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be sitting down the whole time. One of the first things I did when I moved in was replace the old claw-foot tub with a shower kit. The hardest part will be getting in and out.”
“I can help with that.”
“Let me guess ... you’re a doctor, and I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before?”
He laughed. “First of all, I’m not a doctor; I’m a medic. And secondly, you can undress after you’re in the shower, so I won’t see anything. Same thing when you’re done. I’ll wait until you’re decent to help you out.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering. And if you don’t let me help, I’ll just end up hanging around until I know you’re safely back in bed anyway.”
The determined look in his eye told her he was serious, and if she was honest with herself, she liked that he cared enough to stand his ground. Beyond that, she didn’t have the strength to argue with him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Doc
Doc was certain she was going to refuse with a polite thanks, but no, thanks. That would complicate things because he wasn’t kidding about sticking around. He was fully prepared to camp out on her doorstep until he knew she was tucked safely back in bed. She looked like she was about to do a header into the table any moment.
But once again, she surprised him.
“In that case, thank you.”
He discreetly released the breath he’d been holding. Tina stood slowly, steadying herself against the table. She fussed about letting him get too close—as if he hadn’t had to deal with much, much worse in his time as an active SEAL combat medic—but he didn’t think she wanted to hear that. He held out his hand to steady her instead, and thankfully, she did accept that.
Her grip was tentative at first, but she leaned on him more heavily with each step as they made the short trip together.
“Thanks,” she said.
“You’re welcome. Let me know when you’re ready to get out.”
“You don’t have to stay, you know,” she told him.
“I know. But I’d like to.”
Her expression softened, and she nodded. Once she was safely seated in the shower, he left the door slightly ajar and got to business, keeping his ears open in case she needed him.
He understood her reluctance. She was used to doing things for herself, and it was apparent that she didn’t like asking for or accepting help. She would soon learn, however, that doing so wasn’t a sign of weakness, especially where he was concerned, and the sooner she did, the easier it would be for both of them.
As per Lottie’s instructions, he located the jar of dried star anise and put water on for tea. Then, he stripped her bed and changed the sheets and pillowcases. He threw the dirty ones into the stacked washer-dryer combo he’d found in the tiny mud room off the kitchen when he heard the water go off in the shower.
He waited patiently outside the door until she was ready. The aroma of eucalyptus wafted out with her.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“So much better. Just weak and tired.” She gave him a small smile. “You must think I’m a real wuss, huh?”
“Not at all. Flus hit harder when your resistance is low.”
“I have been working a lot,” she admitted, “and not taking care of myself like I should.” She looked at the fresh bedding. “Did you change my sheets?”
“Yes.”
For a moment, Tina looked like she was going to cry. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
He pulled back the covers for her to get into bed, acutely aware of the way she was staring at him, searching for the truth. “I thought we already covered this.”
“Because we’re friends?”
He nodded, noting her slight frown as he pulled the covers around her.
“So ... you do this for all of your friends?”
He chuckled, imagining Smoke’s or Church’s reaction if he tried to tend to them with the same care. “Not exactly. In the interest of full disclosure, there’s more to it than that.”
“How so?”
Doc sat on the edge of the bed and pressed his hand lightly against her forehead, pleased to find her temperature only slightly above normal. “When you came to my trailer, we talked about that sense of possibility we felt around each other. Do you remember?”