Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
“There’s a basket of stuff . . . for me,” she said with wonder, wanting to change the subject.
“Yeah, the girls did that. They’ll be wanting to meet you soon.”
“There’s a lot of them,” she said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that they don’t overwhelm you. Right, let’s get you some painkillers and something to eat.”
“And coffee,” she said.
“And coffee,” he said.
“Can I help?” she asked as he set her on the sofa.
“Absolutely not,” he informed her.
Devi felt terrible as he made her breakfast and got her some coffee and painkillers. As soon as she could, she was going to try and help him out. She could still clean with one good arm.
After she finished eating breakfast at the small dining table, she tried to get up and take her plate to the kitchen, but he couldn’t even let her do that.
In fact, he frowned at her as he got up and took the plate from her. “Sit down.”
“Hayes,” she said with a sigh. “I can do some things. I’m not completely helpless.”
“You’re just out of the hospital. You need looking after.”
Sort of true.
“So if I wasn’t injured and just out of the hospital, you’d let me take care of you?” she asked.
He gave her a look that told her exactly what he thought of that. Yeah, just as she’d expected.
“Let’s get you in the shower. I don’t have a tub, unfortunately.”
“That’s okay. I noticed some of my clothes were in the closet. Thank you. Those other clothes, are they . . . are they May’s?” she asked.
She tensed. Was he going to get angry at her for asking? But he just looked confused. “No, they’re for you.”
“For me? But how? Where did they come from?” she asked, bewildered as he picked her up to carry her into the bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and walked into the closet. He came back carrying a cute dress with short sleeves. It was yellow with white trim.
“I bought them for you. Ordered them online and had them sent here.”
Shock filled her. This man just kept amazing her. She didn’t know anyone else who would have done all of this for her.
“You did?”
“Yes. I’ve ordered some things for your Little too,” he told her. “Some toys and outfits. A pacifier that you might like better.”
“All of that for me? Why?”
He crouched in front of her. “Because you deserve nice things in your life, baby. And you deserve to be treated kindly.”
Lord.
How was she ever going to return to normal life?
40
Two days passed before she had a chance to pay Hayes back for all of his kindness. He had spent the last two days hovering over her, doing everything for her.
She’d barely been allowed out of bed, let alone do anything else. He’d helped her shower, made her food, and brought her things to entertain her.
But, thankfully, he’d had to go up to JSI headquarters this morning. After getting her dressed, he’d made her promise to sit on the sofa and watch television while he was gone.
That wasn’t happening.
As soon as he left, she got up and started searching for cleaning supplies. She’d start with the bathroom and work her way around the cabin.
Not that it was dirty or anything. But it wouldn’t hurt to clean everything and it meant he wouldn’t have to do it.
So far, it had just been the two of them. They hadn’t seen anyone else. Packages would turn up on the porch, along with groceries.
Her Little now had all these amazing things, but she just wasn’t sure she deserved them.
Hayes wasn’t her actual Daddy. He was just acting as her Daddy because he knew she needed it.
He did a lot of things because he knew she needed them.
It was odd, but there were no photos of May anywhere. Well, nowhere obvious. She knew that the other woman hadn’t lived here, but she thought there might have been one photo of her.
But as she started cleaning, Devi realized this was a lot harder than she’d thought it would be. She had to keep pausing to catch her breath and make sure that her spinning head didn’t mean that she’d land on her butt.
She instinctively reached for things with her bad arm and then was brought up short by the sling and the pain that sliced through her, making her feel nauseous.
By the time she’d finished the shower and basin, she’d had enough and she still had to do the floor.
Mopping with one arm wasn’t actually as easy as it sounded.
As she stuck the mop in the bucket, she heard a noise from the living room.
“Hello? Devi? Where are you?”
The male voice made her cry out in shock and she managed to tip the bucket of soapy water all over the floor. “Oh no!” she cried.
“Devi? You okay?” that same voice asked.