Doorstep daddy (18 page)

_{Amanda nodded. Richard came around and opened the passenger-side door.}

_{"I heard her." Callie looked at him hopefully. "I don't look that bad, do I?"}

_{"You look beautiful to me," he said honestly. "Just don't toss your cookies in my car. No offense."}

_{She winced as she stood upright. He held her hand and put his arm around her waist. The wind, cold and
brisk, blew harder. He hoped her coat and bathrobe would protect her against it.}

_{As he helped her toward the house, a car stopped at the curb. Joey got out and went to Amanda, helping her with Mark. Callie's sister, Gerri, stood on the driver's side, leaning on the car roof.}

_{"Callie. What's all this?"}

_{"She's got the flu," Richard replied for Callie, not stopping in his quest for the front door. "I brought her home so I could watch over her. She needs it. Your brother said."}

_{"Really?" Gerri pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. "I'm not sure I like this."}

_{But she didn't add anything more and neither did she volunteer to care for Callie herself.}

_{"Amanda, come on," Richard urged. "You can talk to Joey later, okay? I need your help with Callie and Mark."}

_{"Okay," his niece replied, offering no argument, which surprised the heck out of Richard.}

_{He got Callie inside, Mark and Amanda bringing up the rear. He turned and waved to Callie's sister, but she was already in her car. Joey waved back. Nice kid, Richard thought.}

_{Callie muttered under her breath as the door shut behind them all.}

_{"I'm sorry, honey," Richard said, bending over her. "I didn't hear that"}

_{"It's about my sister and it's unrepeatable," Callie replied. She looked at the stairs and groaned. "I can't climb them. Not yet."}

_{Richard looked at the stairs, daunted by their length and height "I'll carry you."}

_{"The heck you will. You look as pale as I feel."}

_{He couldn't deny it. His body was already urging him to sit down before he fell down.}

_{"Put me on that little couch in your office," Callie ordered. "I'll be fine there for a while."}

_{That he could handle.}

_{Callie practically fell onto the couch when he got her there, her face white as a sheet from the exertion. Richard wanted to collapse with her, but resisted. He was supposed to be the healthy one...well, the healthier one, at any rate.}

_{Amanda, wise child, came in with an afghan. Mark followed, dragging a throw pillow behind him. They got Callie settled with both.}

_{"I feel awful," Amanda said, momentarily scaring Richard until she added, "If I hadn't called you to come over when Uncle Richard got sick, you wouldn't have gotten sick, either."}

_{"Neither of us would have been sick if we'd had our flu shots," Richard said, stroking Amanda's hair.}

_{Callie reached out and patted Amanda's hand. "You did absolutely the right thing. Don't ever think otherwise."}

_{"Callie would have gotten sick, anyway, whether you called or not," Richard added. "So would I. The flu's going around, and like Callie said, we're vulnerable, iHopefully you three won't get it at all."}

_{"So far, so good," Callie commented. She shivered.}

_{Unfortunately the look she gave Richard said what he was-thinking. The kids were bound to get the flu. Oh, maybe not yet and maybe they'd get light doses, but they
had
to get it. Even Dr. Tommy expected them to.}

_{"I'll find another blanket for you," Amanda volunteered when she saw Callie's shivering bout. She went off in search of one.}

_{"Spray that antibacterial stuff
everywhere"
Callie said. She coughed, but didn't have a spasm. "You ought to take me right over to that ridiculous sister of mine and dump me on her doorstep. I can't believe she didn't say a word."}

_{"Actually she did," Richard replied, sitting down on the arm of the sofa. He needed support for his body. "She said she didn't think she approved of my help."}

_{"Who is she to approve or not?" Callie griped. Her words would have packed more punch if her voice didn't sound as though it could be coming from the back end of a wind tunnel.}

_{"Never mind." Richard took her hand and held it. "You're in the best place you can be. With me."}

_{"Mmm." She looked sick, but pleased. "Don't forget to wash your hands with the antibacterial soap after touching me."}

_{H
ere she was
yet again.}

_{Callie drifted in and out of sleep, her dozes interrupted by heat waves and shivers as the flu did its worst. Every time she roused from unconsciousness, she thought of how she had walked out of Richard's door two days ago only to be dragged back in again.}

_{It was like being caught in a spider's web. Oh, she could struggle and even walk a pace or two away, but she could never escape. Still, what a sweet web it was. What a sweet man. How could she resist a guy barely out of his own sickbed who insisted on helping her in hers.}

_{She couldn't resist. She truly couldn't.}

_{Callie sighed. She'd kill her brother Tommy for calling in Richard's help. She could have managed by herself; she'd been sick before. Gerri was going down, too,
for not taking her big sister in, which would have kept Callie out of Richard's reach.}

_{Gerri's lack of help didn't surprise Callie. Gerri had always put herself first. Maybe she was selfish now because she'd had to share everything with siblings for years. Who knew? But that didn't excuse Gerri's behavior.}

_{Richard's office phone rang. Thinking that if she could reach it she could go home, Callie struggled to sit up. She barely lifted her head before it was spinning. Heat boiled through her body at the movement. She lay back down on the sofa and closed her eyes, panting for breath . Her mouth felt dry and strange, too.}

_{'Til get it," Richard said as he strode into the room. Clearly he had seen her attempt to rise.}

_{"Good, 'cause I can't," Callie muttered without looking at him.}

_{She heard little feet toddle over to her. A body thumped against the side of the sofa. It leaned into her, small elbows digging brutally into her arm. The odor of milk, chicken and a miss in the bathroom wafted through her senses, nearly gagging her.}

_{Callie stretched away and opened one eye.}

_{Mark grinned at her around his thumb. Dark curls brushed his collar and framed his devil-may-care expression. He pulled his thumb from his mouth and announced, "I go, Callie."}

_{"I never would have guessed."}

_{"You sick," was his next statement. He managed to put the
s
on the beginning of the word this time.}

_{"Never would have guessed that, either," she said, adding, "I bet you're next, the way you're hanging all over me. But I'm too tired to put you at a proper distance. Promise me that when you're sick with this, you'll
make your uncle Richard crazy and toss your cookies all over my brother the doctor. There's money in it if you do."}

_{"Money," Mark said in a dreamy voice, and began to play with the little chenille nubs on her robe.}

_{"Big
money," Callie said, almost smiling at the thought.}

_{"Callie, did you bring Go-Karts 2000 with you?"}

_{Jason's voice sounded hopeful. Callie glanced over at the boy. He must have come home from school while she'd been in la-la land.}

_{"Somehow I don't think I'm up for games."}

_{He shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd bring it for me to use."}

_{He looked as if he expected her to get off the sofa and go home for the game.}

_{"I was too busy being as sick as your uncle."}

_{"No one's as sick as him," Jay scoffed.}

_{"Now, there's a recommendation," Richard said, after hanging up the phone and catching the last of the conversation. "Okay, guys, out of here. Dinner in fifteen minutes. Let Callie rest."}

_{Richard helped Mark toward the door, while Jason dragged his feet sulkily. Clearly he thought the Go-Karts 2000 question was still unsettled.}

_{When the kids were gone, Richard said, "That boy is going to hear about his attitude."}

_{Callie tried to smile again, but it hurt. "He'll look past himself eventually. All kids do."}

_{Except her sister.}

_{"I'm sorry about the phone."}

_{"That's okay. I was lying here awake, thinking about}

_{going home."}

_{Richard was silent for a long moment. "I hope you
didn't think too hard, because it was a dumb thought. To quote a wise woman - you look like something the cat dragged in and coughed up on the carpet."}

_{"I must be looking better than I feel, then." Callie flushed from more than the fever. She pushed some stray ends of hair behind her ears in a futile attempt to tidy herself.}
⁴
_{'I seem to remember you saying I looked beau-| tiful."}

_{"You always look beautiful. Objectively speaking, | however, you're more on a par with hell freezing over." "Be still my heart."}

_{"You think you can handle being moved to a nice bed upstairs?"}

_{Callie couldn't stretch out properly on the small couch she currently occupied. Her neck ached from being on the armrest's permanent tilt, and the leather covering felt cold against her overly sensitive skin. "I don't think I can handle moving my pinky finger, let alone my body all the way upstairs. I'll stay here."}

_{"But my phone's got to be bothering you."}

_{"Not nearly enough to make me want to move. Am I keeping you from your work in here? Believe me, not much penetrates the flu fog."}

_{"I can take my laptop out if I need to. I'm concerned for you."}

_{"I'm concerned for
you."
She'd move if she absolutely had to, although she would die afterward.}

_{He grinned and came to her. His fingers stroked her hair from her cheek. "You must be really sick."}

_"Probably."

_{Callie closed her eyes as his hand pushed back her hair. He caressed her with a feather-light touch that soothed her and yet filled her with emotion. She allowed
herself to be lulled by him. It just felt so good. She was almost asleep when his voice penetrated.}

_{"Why are you always so tough, Callie?"}

_{She almost answered, but let it go. What could she say that hadn't been said already? Besides, she didn't want to argue now. The moment was too sweet for her. She loved the pampering he was giving her. Never had a man stroked her so gently nor been this concerned with her health. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time anyone had done this for her.}

_{A suspicious lump grew in her throat. She pushed back the unshed tears, deciding she was becoming maudlin only because she was sick. Reserves went down and emotions went up. Still, it was nice. So nice...}

_{She awoke sometime later to the sound of yelling.}

_{"I did
not
break the plate."}

_{"Yes, you did,
dweeb."}

_{"You stink!"}

_{"You stink worse!"}

_{"Hey! Callie's sick in the next room and I just put your brother to bed."}

_{"She broke the plate, Uncle Richard." "Liar! I did not!"}

_{There was the sound of pounding feet, as if someone was being chased. Then came a loud crash, which had to be a chair falling to the floor. Richard shouted ineffectively as the chase resumed.}