Page 64 of A Heart of Little Faith

“It’s my favorite.”

“Okay, well, lie under the covers and get comfortable.”

Claire snuggled and hugged her hippo as Gideon began to read. He kept his baritone voice mellifluous and soothing and used different accents for the pigs, the ducks, the cows, the farmer and the witch. A few minutes later, he closed her bedroom door and came over to Lily.

“All set?” she asked.

“Sound asleep,” he replied with a smile.

Just then, Samantha knocked on the door. “Hi guys,” she chirped. “My turn?”

Lily looked from Gideon to Samantha. “You know, it’s not necessary for you to be with me twenty-four hours a day. I can take care of myself.”

“We know, but we want to help.” Samantha placed a glass of water on Lily’s night table.

“You’ve helped a lot already,” Lily answered. “Both of you have.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Samantha said.

“Now, get some rest tonight and I’ll see you in the morning.” Gideon followed Samantha to the bedroom door.

“What, no goodnight kiss?” Lily joked. Gideon’s face heated as Samantha choked on a laugh and escaped, leaving them alone. He waited until Samantha had truly left, and then, he came over to the bed.

“Was that necessary?”

Lily shrugged, an innocent look on her face. “I didn’t know kissing me was such a chore.”

Gideon snorted and leaned over. He grasped her face and brushed her lips with his. Relief she was okay flooded through him and he pressed his lips to hers harder. He grasped the nape of her neck and wound his fingers through her hair.

Lily stroked his neck and slid her arms around him as her lips met his. When they pulled apart, they were both panting.

“Better?” he asked as he stared at her swollen lips. They begged him for more, and it was all he could do not to grab her and taste her lips again and again and again.

“Much better,” she answered with a smile.

With a firm grip on his libido, he exited the room. He felt better, too.

****

For the next few days, Gideon and Samantha moved in to take care of her and Claire. Strong and bull-headed as usual, he wouldn’t let her walk for her first two days home. He carried her or got things for her and gave her no privacy at all, except when she forced him to leave the bathroom. Then, he waited right outside her door, as if convinced she’d come to irreparable harm if he left her on her own for more than a minute.

While Lily appreciated their efforts, she had never been one to languish in bed all day, and by Saturday, she was bored and ready to scream. Tension from her confinement made her head pound and her temper short. They both drove her crazy. Especially Gideon. He mother-henned her so much, she breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone and Samantha relieved him, although she was no improvement.

“Gideon, this is getting ridiculous,” she sighed in exasperation. “I’m fine. The doctor wouldn’t have discharged me otherwise.”

“I know you’re fine, but you’ve been through a rough time, you’re still recovering and I’m going to make sure you have a chance to regain your strength.” He came in with a tray piled with nutritious foods—barley soup, whole grain bread and a banana. Lily’s body waged a war against itself – her mouth watered at the appetizing aroma, but her stomach churned at the thought of another meal in bed.

She took a sip of soup and a bite of banana and reached for the phone as she struggled to swallow. “I have to call Anne and find out what’s going on at work.” Before her fingers could reach it, Gideon pulled the phone away from her.

“It’s the weekend. Finish eating.” He folded his arms and waited for her to obey him. He reminded her of a rock, and Lily longed for a chisel.

She glared at him. “What did you do that for? I told you I have to call Anne.”

“I know you do, and you can. But after you eat. You have to regain your strength, and the only way to do that is to eat well. You’re too skinny.” His gaze traveled from the top of her head to the ends of her pink-painted toes, with a significant pause at the V in her pajama top, and despite her anger, Lily burned under his gaze. She swallowed as she attempted to replace desire with annoyance.

She wolfed down a few hasty bites, pushed the tray away and jumped out of bed before Gideon could stop her. “The only way to regain my strength is to get moving.” She glowered at him, her fists balled on her hips.

As they snarled at each other, Samantha entered. “Well, I’m glad to see you two getting along well,” she said with false brightness.