Page 38 of Fire and Rain
Sean set the weight, then lowered it, needing to be mindful of his shoulder. “She’s my best friend’s widow. We’re like family. What am I supposed to do—avoid her?”
Sean heard the anger in his voice, his temper fueled by a sense of guilt. He sat and pushed his way through a set. He’d never gotten together with Eden for any sexual reason. But the attraction was there.
Oh, hell, yes, it was.
But if people were talking about him and Eden…
Dalton didn’t let up. “No, but you don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”
“You weren’t close to Koseki or his wife, and you weren’t on the helo the night Koseki died. What’s it to you?” James set the treadmill. “Maybe you should mind your own business.”
Sean finished his set, stood, and moved to the next machine, making brief eye contact with James, who looked exhausted, lines of stress on his face.
There were no more questions from Dalton after that, and Sean finished his workout in peace. He headed to the locker room and found Wade dressing out. He looked worse than James. “Late night?”
“We’ve had an outbreak of scarlet fever on base.”
“Scarlet fever?”
“Yeah. The daycare center and some staff at the rec center have come down with it. I’ve treated a dozen people since last night, mostly small children.”
“Damn.” Sean stripped, grabbed a clean towel. “What are you doing here? You should be in your bunk getting some sleep.”
“I want to swim a few laps and burn off some stress before I hit the rack.” Wade pulled up his swim trunks, then met Sean’s gaze. “I never thanked you for pulling me out of that helicopter.”
“I didn’t do much.” Sean could barely remember that part of it.
“You helped me unbuckle, got me in a rescue hold with your left arm, and pulled me out of a sinking helo when I could barely think straight. I’d call that something.” Wade shifted uncomfortably. “I still dream about it sometimes—the explosion, the crash.”
“So do I.” Sean hadn’t admitted that to anyone, but he didn’t want Wade to think he was alone. “I don’t remember all of that, but you’re welcome. You handled it well.”
“Thanks.” Wade grabbed a towel and headed off for his swim.
Before Sean stepped into the shower, he took out his cellphone and shot Eden a text just to make sure she and Maverick were okay. He still hadn’t gotten a reply by the time he’d dried off and dressed. So, he called her.
No answer.
He left a voice message. “Hey, Eden. It’s Sean. Just checking in to see how you and the little man are doing. Give me a call when you get a moment.”
He told himself she was probably out foraging or visiting her grandma or one of her sisters, but an odd sense of misgiving had taken hold. Unable to shake the feeling, he walked to his vehicle and drove up the hill toward Eden’s house.
ChapterEight
Eden struggledto stand so she could put on a pair of jeans. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so sick. Her throat hurt so much she could barely swallow. Her stomach hurt, too, and she had a terrible headache.
Mavie was sick, as well. When he’d first started running a fever, she’d thought it was just a cold or maybe another ear infection. She’d made an appointment to see his pediatrician today, but by last night he was vomiting, crying, and refusing to eat. His face had become bright red, too—probably from his fever.
She’d woken up in the middle of the night with a fever of 102 and the worst sore throat ever. She’d taken acetaminophen and had dragged extra blankets onto her bed to stay warm, Mavie snuggled beneath the covers beside her. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. She’d thought for a moment of calling her mother or one of her sisters to help this morning, but she didn’t want anyone else in the family to catch this.
Fighting dizziness, she sat on the edge of the bed and slipped on her jeans before getting onto her feet and searching for her bra and a T-shirt. She’d just pulled the T-shirt over her head when someone knocked on her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone and needed to get Mavie dressed for their trip to the doctor.
The knock came again, and she thought she heard a voice.
“Eden?”
Was that Sean?
Leaving Maverick on her bed, she walked into the hallway, feet bare, and made her way toward the front door, trying not to pass out. She peeked out the front window, then opened the door. “Hey.”
