Right now, all she noticed was a keen sense of frustration, a sensation as alien to her as desire.
“I’ll go,” she offered.
“No,” he said brusquely, taking two steps back. “You start working up here. I’ve got it.”
She nodded. Her tongue swiped over her lips. She still tasted Griff. Hugging herself, she watched as he bounded down the stairs two at a time. His reluctance to end the kiss had resulted in his eagerness to get away.
She turned to unpack, ignoring her still throbbing body. She reached for another book. Griff shouted so loud she would have heard him yell without the monitor. She vaulted down the stairs and dashed towards Alix’s bedroom.
“What is it?” Only grabbing onto the molding on the door frame slowed her run.
His eyes met hers. “She’s burning up. Should we give her aspirin?”
“No!”
Griff looked startled at her sharp tone.
“Never give a child aspirin,” she said in a calmer voice. Chelsie leaned over the crib where the little girl lay shaking and shivering, and pressed her hand against the child’s forehead. Her skin felt hot as an iron. Glancing over her shoulder, Chelsie saw Griff pacing behind her. “Call her doctor and ask him whether we should meet him at his office or the hospital.”
He bolted out of the room. Chelsie quickly stripped off the child’s clothes and lifted Alix into her arms. “It’ll be okay, sweety,” Chelsie crooned in her ear during the short walk down the hall to the bathroom. “I’m here, and Uncle Griff’s here. We’ll take good care of you, I promise.”
Alix whimpered and tried to thrash around, but Chelsie held her fast.
While waiting for Griff to return, she held Alix over one shoulder and reached for the still damp bath towel with the other. After laying the towel in the sink, she opened the medicine cabinet and hoped she’d find what she was looking for without having to search. Once she located the rubbing alcohol, she propped Alix up on the counter while saturating the towel in a combination of alcohol and cold water. She wrung out the rag and sat on the toilet, wiping the little girl down with the cool compress.
She would have liked to repeat the process but knew she had little time. Instead, she returned to Alix’s room and had her dressed by the time Griff returned.
“What did the doctor say?”
“He’ll meet us at the hospital.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
He wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”
“Rubbing alcohol. Reduces fever.”
Within minutes, they had Alix in her car seat and were headed for the hospital. “Where did all this knowledge about children come from, anyway?” Griff asked, keeping his eye on the road.
Chelsie swallowed hard and thought quickly. “Working at the shelter,” she explained. During her brief pregnancy, she had read all she could about infant and child care, waiting for the day she’d hold her own baby in her arms. No point in explaining that to Griff now.
“Oh.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “She’ll be fine. Lots of kids run high fevers with things as minor as an ear infection,” she said for his benefit. He looked pale and shaken and about to fall apart. “I’ve seen things like this before.” Whether or not Alix’s illness was as simple as she’d laid out for Griff didn’t matter. Keeping him calm did. She’d let herself fall apart later.
He turned and she met his intense stare. “Thanks.”
She smiled in return. He lifted her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. His touch formed a tangible bond between them, stronger than anything that had passed between them before.
They drove the rest of the trip in worried but comfortable silence. Only when they reached the hospital did she feel Griff reluctantly pry his hand from her own.
* * *
Chelsie glanced down at her watch. “What did the doctor say again?”
“That her fever had spiked, but it’s down now. They’re just monitoring her.” Griff leaned his head against the wall. He closed his
“I’ll go,” she offered.
“No,” he said brusquely, taking two steps back. “You start working up here. I’ve got it.”
She nodded. Her tongue swiped over her lips. She still tasted Griff. Hugging herself, she watched as he bounded down the stairs two at a time. His reluctance to end the kiss had resulted in his eagerness to get away.
She turned to unpack, ignoring her still throbbing body. She reached for another book. Griff shouted so loud she would have heard him yell without the monitor. She vaulted down the stairs and dashed towards Alix’s bedroom.
“What is it?” Only grabbing onto the molding on the door frame slowed her run.
His eyes met hers. “She’s burning up. Should we give her aspirin?”
“No!”
Griff looked startled at her sharp tone.
“Never give a child aspirin,” she said in a calmer voice. Chelsie leaned over the crib where the little girl lay shaking and shivering, and pressed her hand against the child’s forehead. Her skin felt hot as an iron. Glancing over her shoulder, Chelsie saw Griff pacing behind her. “Call her doctor and ask him whether we should meet him at his office or the hospital.”
He bolted out of the room. Chelsie quickly stripped off the child’s clothes and lifted Alix into her arms. “It’ll be okay, sweety,” Chelsie crooned in her ear during the short walk down the hall to the bathroom. “I’m here, and Uncle Griff’s here. We’ll take good care of you, I promise.”
Alix whimpered and tried to thrash around, but Chelsie held her fast.
While waiting for Griff to return, she held Alix over one shoulder and reached for the still damp bath towel with the other. After laying the towel in the sink, she opened the medicine cabinet and hoped she’d find what she was looking for without having to search. Once she located the rubbing alcohol, she propped Alix up on the counter while saturating the towel in a combination of alcohol and cold water. She wrung out the rag and sat on the toilet, wiping the little girl down with the cool compress.
She would have liked to repeat the process but knew she had little time. Instead, she returned to Alix’s room and had her dressed by the time Griff returned.
“What did the doctor say?”
“He’ll meet us at the hospital.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
He wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”
“Rubbing alcohol. Reduces fever.”
Within minutes, they had Alix in her car seat and were headed for the hospital. “Where did all this knowledge about children come from, anyway?” Griff asked, keeping his eye on the road.
Chelsie swallowed hard and thought quickly. “Working at the shelter,” she explained. During her brief pregnancy, she had read all she could about infant and child care, waiting for the day she’d hold her own baby in her arms. No point in explaining that to Griff now.
“Oh.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “She’ll be fine. Lots of kids run high fevers with things as minor as an ear infection,” she said for his benefit. He looked pale and shaken and about to fall apart. “I’ve seen things like this before.” Whether or not Alix’s illness was as simple as she’d laid out for Griff didn’t matter. Keeping him calm did. She’d let herself fall apart later.
He turned and she met his intense stare. “Thanks.”
She smiled in return. He lifted her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. His touch formed a tangible bond between them, stronger than anything that had passed between them before.
They drove the rest of the trip in worried but comfortable silence. Only when they reached the hospital did she feel Griff reluctantly pry his hand from her own.
* * *
Chelsie glanced down at her watch. “What did the doctor say again?”
“That her fever had spiked, but it’s down now. They’re just monitoring her.” Griff leaned his head against the wall. He closed his
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