Erin got her another blanket. Parker came in as Erin was tucking it under Cassie’s feet.
“Feel better,” Parker said. “I’m getting out of here, away from your sickness.”
“You’re the one who gave it to me.” Cassie’s voice was more a rasp than anything.
“Well, I’m not reinfecting myself.”
“Don’t worry, Cassie,” Erin said. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”
“Your mom’s a lot nicer than you, you know that?” Cassie asked Parker.
“That’s why she’s the doctor,” Parker said. “Also why she’ll end up sick in like three days.”
Parker left—Cassie didn’t ask where she was going because talking hurt almost as bad as swallowing. Erin made her oatmeal and brought her more orange juice.
“You want me to find you something to watch?” Erin gestured to the TV.
Cassie shook her head.
“You want anything else to eat?”
She shook her head again.
Erin smiled at her. It could’ve been out of pity, but Erin was pretty when she smiled, and Cassie was too sick to get upset about anything.
“Can I do anything to make you feel better?” Erin asked.
“You should have a pet—a dog or a big cat or something.”
Erin’s smile went soft. “Why?”
“Because pets can cuddle you when you’re sick without getting sick themselves.”
She was aware she sounded pathetic, but her throat hurt and she wanted to snuggle and feel taken care of.
“How’s this,” Erin said, “I’ll sit at the foot of the couch? You can put your feet in my lap while I read over some stuff for work?”
Cassie tried not to seem too desperate when she nodded.
She fell asleep with Erin rubbing absently at the arch of her right foot.
Cassie didn’t wake up until almost dinnertime. She was sweating balls and flung all the blankets off.
“Good morning,” Erin said from behind the couch. Cassie didn’t know how she’d gotten out from under her feet without Cassie noticing.
“I’m hungry.”
Erin laughed. “That’s probably a good sign.”
She had dinner ready. It was literally homemade chicken soup, and Cassie felt, for a moment, almost smitten. Give her a break—she hadn’t kissed Erin in more than twenty-four hours; that plus the fever had her a little delirious.
Parker was home for dinner, babbling away about her day, but Cassie didn’t hear a thing. She inhaled the soup and drank four glasses of water and was ready for bed again.
“Cassie?”
“Mmm?”
Cassie wasn’t fully awake when the bed dipped. She opened her eyes to find Erin next to her, smiling gently. Cassie tried to blink away the sleep blur. The sky outside her window was pink, the sun just beginning to rise.
“I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay before I head in for my shift,” Erin said.
“Mmm.” Cassie nodded. She swallowed. Her throat still hurt but it was far better than yesterday. “M’okay,” she said.
“Good,” Erin said, leaning down to kiss her.
“No!” Cassie scrambled back toward the headboard, suddenly more awake. “I still could be contagious or something. I don’t want you to get sick.”
Erin chuckled. “But we can’t have you spending the day pissy with Parker because you didn’t get your good morning kiss.”
Cassie squinted up at her.
“That’s what happened last time I went to work without kissing you good morning,” Erin said. “Am I wrong?”
She wasn’t, but Cassie refused to acknowledge that.
“I’m not to blame if you get sick.”
“Deal,” Erin said.
She kissed her. She kissed her long and deep and with enough tongue that if Cassie was even a tiny bit contagious, Erin was getting it. She smirked as she left, and Cassie stared after her dumbly, then collapsed against her pillows once more, heart going faster than she’d like to admit. She fiddled with her rocket ship necklace and fell back asleep with a smile on her face.
The next morning, in the dark, Cassie stubbed her toe on her packed suitcase. Why the hell did her flight have to be this early? At least Erin had a bagel and a travel cup of coffee ready for her in the kitchen. Cassie kissed her soundly—after she’d taken a huge gulp of coffee.
Parker stumbled downstairs as Erin hefted Cassie’s suitcase into the car in the garage. She rubbed at her eyes and reached for her coat.
“What are you doing?” Cassie asked.
“’mma drive with you to the airport,” Parker said.
Cassie laughed. “No thanks, babe. You look like you want to die being awake this early. Go back to sleep.”
Parker looked at her with disbelief—some joy, too, but not until she was sure this was for real. “Are you serious?”
“I’m going to see you in less than a week,” Cassie said. “I think I’ll live if you don’t take me to the airport.”
Parker hurled her arms around Cassie. “You’re my best friend.”
“I’m telling Acacia,” Cassie laughed.
“I don’t even care,” Parker said. “She’ll understand when I explain this glorious thing you’re doing for me.”
“Go to bed, idiot.”
Cassie smacked Parker on the ass as she turned to go upstairs.
“Wait,” Parker said. “You don’t mind, Mom—do you?”
“Of course not,” Erin said.
Cassie bit back her grin. “Sleep well, princess.”
She disappeared up the stairs and Erin turned to Cassie with a smile. “Ready to go?”
It only took about twenty minutes to get to the airport, and Cassie didn’t mean to fall asleep, but Erin rested her palm over Cassie’s thigh and her eyes got heavy and the next thing she knew Erin was shaking her awake.
“Erin,” Cassie said when she realized they were in a parking garage. “You could have dropped me at the curb.”
“Too late.”
Erin smiled and Cassie rolled her eyes.
“You’re too much.”
“I’ve heard that’s a compliment,” Erin said.
Cassie took a swig from her travel mug instead of replying.
Erin carried her suitcase for her and Cassie rolled her eyes again, but she appreciated it. Her body hadn’t adjusted to the New Hampshire weather, and no part of it wanted to be awake, much less moving. Erin stood close to her all through check-in, and Cassie double-checked her ticket on her phone. She handed Erin her empty travel mug.
“Don’t want to steal this,” she said. “But I might need more caffeine. Can I buy you a coffee?”
“You’d have to drink it before security. Do you have enough time?”
“There’s like no line, Erin. It’s fine. As long as you’re okay maybe paying for parking? It said it was only free for the first half hour.”
Erin quirked an eyebrow and echoed Cassie’s words back to her. “It’s like four dollars, Cassie. It’s fine.”