The door opened and Cam barreled in. “Domini, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Cam.”
“You scared me half to death.” He cupped her face in his hands. His eyes searched hers frantically. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“You’re busy and—”
“I’m never too busy for you. Never ever ever too busy for my wife.” Cam glanced at the doctor. “What’s wrong with her? Is it serious? Is she gonna be okay?”
“She’s anemic for one thing. Which explains the lightheadedness and fainting spells.”
“You fainted?” Cam said incredulously.
“Just once.”
“How many times do you have to faint before you see it as a problem?” Cam turned to the doctor. “What else?”
“Nausea. It sounds like she hasn’t been eating right or sleeping much.”
“Anything else?”
“Hypertension. Stress can create all sorts of different reactions in the body.”
“So what do I do to make her better? I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Her tears pooled again. She didn’t deserve this man.
“For the anemia I’ll prescribe iron tablets. For the hypertension, bed rest for a couple of days.” The doctor clasped the chart to her chest.
“Thank you, Doctor Monroe.”
“Yeah, thanks, doc, for seeing her right away. I owe you one.”
She smiled. “Remember that when you see the bill. Take care. Both of you.”
When the door clicked shut, Cam’s mouth was on hers, bestowing the sweetest, gentlest kiss that brought tears to the surface again. “Thank God you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, princess. I’d absolutely lose my f**king mind.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen. I’m taking you home and you will not do a single goddamned thing but lay in bed for at least two days.”
“Cam—”
“I ain’t kiddin’. When Dave called me—”
Domini placed her hand on his chest. “Wait. Dave called you?”
“How do you think I found out?”
So Keely hadn’t tattled. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, but it does matter. I should’ve found out from you.”
“Sorry. I just…wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Lucky thing you won’t have to think for the next two days, because, princess, I’m gonna be stuck to your side like a burr. So get dressed so I can take you home.”
Cam made no move to leave the exam room. “Why don’t you wait out front? It’ll just take me a minute.”
“Huh-uh. What if you fainted? And hit your head? I am not taking the chance that anything will happen to you.”
“Fine.” She dressed quickly. Cam paid the doctor’s bill and escorted her—heck he practically carried her—to his truck. The sun burned her eyes. She slipped on her sunglasses.
About halfway home, Cam said, “When I heard you’d passed out and were nauseous, I thought…maybe you were pregnant.”
Domini froze.
“I know we haven’t been married long, but if it’d turned out you were pregnant, I…well, I wouldn’t have minded. Not at all. I just wanted you to know.”
She faced out the window. She had to tell him the truth.
And if Cam decides to walk away?
She loved him. Now she knew the true meaning of selfishness because she didn’t know if she could let him go.
***
Cam tucked Domini in bed, called the station and requested a couple of sick days. He jotted down a grocery list. He paced until it was time to pick up Anton.
At the school, he rested his butt against the passenger side of his pickup and kept his eyes peeled for the boy. Cam whistled and Anton looked his direction. The kid smiled as he hustled toward him. “Hey, Cam.”
“Heya, sport.”
“I didn’t know you were picking me up today.”
“Your lucky day, huh?”
“Uh-huh. We doin’ something fun?”
“Not really, unless you love grocery shopping.”
Anton groaned and hefted himself into the cab.
“How was school today?”
“Okay.”
“Have any homework?”
“Nope. Where’s Domini?”
Cam turned the corner and waved at Mrs. Jackson walking her toy poodles. “She’s at home. She ain’t feeling too good.”
Anton was quiet. Too quiet. “Is she gonna have a baby?”
“No.” He sent Anton a sideways glance. “What makes you say that?”
“People have babies after they get married. I thought maybe now she’s got a baby in her tummy.”
I wish. Maybe then Cam could believe she’d stick around. She hadn’t called him today when she’d gotten ill, but she had called him when she had car trouble? That bugged the crap out of him. Add in the fact she wouldn’t share a bank account with him, she insisted on buying all the groceries and Cam wondered if they had a marriage or a business arrangement.
It is a business arrangement. She only married you for Anton. Once she gets him she’ll be gone.
Cam didn’t believe that. He half believed Domini loved him. But the last thing she needed right now was the added stress of him demanding to know how she felt about him.
“Cam?”
“Hmm?”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s tired and it’s making her sick.”
“What do we hafta do to make her get better?”
Cam smiled at Anton’s use of “we” and his offer to take care of the woman who took such good care of both of them. “Make sure she rests and eats right. We’ll be eating a lot of steak. And burgers.”
“Who’s cooking?”
“Me. Why?”
He blurted, “Because you’re a really bad cook.”
Cam said nothing.
A hint of fear shone in Anton’s eyes. “Are you mad?”
“Because you told the truth? Hell no. But you’re right, sport, I’m a shitty cook.” He shot him a look. “Sorry, I’m not supposed to swear in front of you.”
The kid actually rolled his eyes.
“So, I’m a bad cook, yet I need to feed my wife…what do you think we oughta do?”
“Eat at Dewey’s every day?”
“Nope. Try again.”
“We could ask Dave to help us. He knows everything about cooking.”