to let this setback
stop her.
* * * * *
“Damn it.” Cade stared down at his tablet. He got up from
his chair and knocked on Connor’s connecting bedroom door.
There was some quiet cursing then the door opened and Connor
glared at him. “It’s 1 a.m., what do you want?”
“Sorry to wake you, sleeping beauty. Go back to your
snoring. I’ll go take care of our guest myself.”
“Fine.” Connor slammed the door and Cade turned away,
counting silently. It took to the count of six before the door reopened.
“What did you say?” Connor demanded.
“I said go back to sleep. I’m going to take care of our
guest.”
“What do you mean, take care of her? What’s wrong with her?”
“Take a look.” Cade handed over his tablet. “I’ve been
keeping an eye on her and she’s been shivering nonstop for the last hour. I
don’t like it. I’m going down to check on her.”
He grabbed a spare blanket from the closet.
“What do you suppose is wrong with her?” Connor asked,
following him out of the room and down to the basement.
“I don’t know. I’m not a gynecologist.”
“What?” Connor asked in confusion.
“You know, a female doctor.”
“Christ, you think this is a female problem?” Connor sounded
horrified.
Cade shrugged and opened the door. Connor stepped in behind
him, locking it. Not that it looked as though Shelby was capable of going
anywhere. She was huddled under the blanket, only her nose and the top of her
head showing. Every so often a shiver would rack her body.
Cade moved over to her and pushed the blanket away from her
face, worried she was having trouble breathing.
“Her skin is freezing,” he said with concern.
“What? How can that be? It’s not that cold in here,” Connor
exclaimed.
“I don’t know. Her lips are kind of blue and she’s not
responsive.”
“Here.” Connor pushed him aside and placed his hand over her
forehead. He frowned. “She’s cold as ice.”
“Think it’s a trick?” Cade asked. She was intelligent and it
could be a ruse to make them let down their guard. Except how had she managed
to make herself so cold? What if it weren’t a trick? He couldn’t take a risk
with her health.
“I don’t think it is,” Connor said. “We need to warm her up,
fast.”
Cade nodded. “We’ll take her up to your room. If she doesn’t
start to get better we’ll call a doctor in the morning.”
Connor carried Shelby upstairs, his concern growing. She
felt so slight in his arms, as though she could just fade away. When she was
talking, she seemed so much bigger, tougher. In reality, she was tiny. Fragile.
She didn’t stir once. Cade swiped his access card, opening
Connor’s bedroom door for them, and Connor stepped in. Cade closed the door and
it locked automatically behind them.
“I’ll lock my bedroom door too, just in case,” Cade said.
Connor placed her in his bed, tucking her in. Was she sick?
“Here.” Cade came in carrying a first-aid kit. “Take her
temperature.”
“You say that like I should know how,” Connor said to him
impatiently. “I’ve never taken anyone’s temperature.”
“How hard can it be?” Cade dumped the contents of the
first-aid kit on the bed.
Connor searched through the kit and pulled out a
thermometer, ripping off the packaging.
“Here, you pull her mouth open and I’ll stick it in.”
Cade pried her mouth open. She murmured and tried to turn
her head just as Connor attempted to place the thermometer in her mouth.
“Damn it, Cade, hold her head still.”
“I’m trying, this is trickier than it looks.”
Cade turned her head back then pulled her mouth open again.
“Quick, do it now.”
“All right, all right.”
Connor placed the thermometer in her mouth and Cade let her
mouth go, letting it close around the thermometer.
It beeped and he drew it out. “96.6.”
“What’s it supposed to be?” Cade asked.
“I don’t know. Wait a minute, I’ll look it up.” He grabbed
his
stop her.
* * * * *
“Damn it.” Cade stared down at his tablet. He got up from
his chair and knocked on Connor’s connecting bedroom door.
There was some quiet cursing then the door opened and Connor
glared at him. “It’s 1 a.m., what do you want?”
“Sorry to wake you, sleeping beauty. Go back to your
snoring. I’ll go take care of our guest myself.”
“Fine.” Connor slammed the door and Cade turned away,
counting silently. It took to the count of six before the door reopened.
“What did you say?” Connor demanded.
“I said go back to sleep. I’m going to take care of our
guest.”
“What do you mean, take care of her? What’s wrong with her?”
“Take a look.” Cade handed over his tablet. “I’ve been
keeping an eye on her and she’s been shivering nonstop for the last hour. I
don’t like it. I’m going down to check on her.”
He grabbed a spare blanket from the closet.
“What do you suppose is wrong with her?” Connor asked,
following him out of the room and down to the basement.
“I don’t know. I’m not a gynecologist.”
“What?” Connor asked in confusion.
“You know, a female doctor.”
“Christ, you think this is a female problem?” Connor sounded
horrified.
Cade shrugged and opened the door. Connor stepped in behind
him, locking it. Not that it looked as though Shelby was capable of going
anywhere. She was huddled under the blanket, only her nose and the top of her
head showing. Every so often a shiver would rack her body.
Cade moved over to her and pushed the blanket away from her
face, worried she was having trouble breathing.
“Her skin is freezing,” he said with concern.
“What? How can that be? It’s not that cold in here,” Connor
exclaimed.
“I don’t know. Her lips are kind of blue and she’s not
responsive.”
“Here.” Connor pushed him aside and placed his hand over her
forehead. He frowned. “She’s cold as ice.”
“Think it’s a trick?” Cade asked. She was intelligent and it
could be a ruse to make them let down their guard. Except how had she managed
to make herself so cold? What if it weren’t a trick? He couldn’t take a risk
with her health.
“I don’t think it is,” Connor said. “We need to warm her up,
fast.”
Cade nodded. “We’ll take her up to your room. If she doesn’t
start to get better we’ll call a doctor in the morning.”
Connor carried Shelby upstairs, his concern growing. She
felt so slight in his arms, as though she could just fade away. When she was
talking, she seemed so much bigger, tougher. In reality, she was tiny. Fragile.
She didn’t stir once. Cade swiped his access card, opening
Connor’s bedroom door for them, and Connor stepped in. Cade closed the door and
it locked automatically behind them.
“I’ll lock my bedroom door too, just in case,” Cade said.
Connor placed her in his bed, tucking her in. Was she sick?
“Here.” Cade came in carrying a first-aid kit. “Take her
temperature.”
“You say that like I should know how,” Connor said to him
impatiently. “I’ve never taken anyone’s temperature.”
“How hard can it be?” Cade dumped the contents of the
first-aid kit on the bed.
Connor searched through the kit and pulled out a
thermometer, ripping off the packaging.
“Here, you pull her mouth open and I’ll stick it in.”
Cade pried her mouth open. She murmured and tried to turn
her head just as Connor attempted to place the thermometer in her mouth.
“Damn it, Cade, hold her head still.”
“I’m trying, this is trickier than it looks.”
Cade turned her head back then pulled her mouth open again.
“Quick, do it now.”
“All right, all right.”
Connor placed the thermometer in her mouth and Cade let her
mouth go, letting it close around the thermometer.
It beeped and he drew it out. “96.6.”
“What’s it supposed to be?” Cade asked.
“I don’t know. Wait a minute, I’ll look it up.” He grabbed
his
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