Dangerous Therapy: O'Connor Brothers (Volume 1) (13 page)

“Are you calling me fat?” John joked.

“Yeah, you are oh so fat.” Stephanie rolled her eyes.

“I’ll be fine for one night. Now go to sleep.” John reassured her.

“If you insist on staying in here, at least lay in the bed. I can move over.” The very time she asks him to sleep next to her and she’s sick. Life was cruel.

“I’m fine here.” His voice tight.

“You’re going to be cramped up in the morning if you sleep there.” Stephanie sat up in the bed. At this point, she wasn’t going to go back to sleep unless he was going to be comfortable.

“Will you lie down and go to sleep if I lay down on the bed?” She might sleep, but he certainly wouldn’t.

“I’ll feel better if I know you aren’t doing yourself more harm than good.” The woman was going to drive him out of his mind.

“If it’ll get you to sleep like you are supposed to be doing.” Stephanie moved over and John lay on top of the covers. “Happy now.” He chuckled.

“I’d be happier if I didn’t feel like I was hit by a truck and knocked into another truck.” She groaned.

“Get some rest.” John closed his eyes. Hopefully, he would get some sleep too. It was killing him that she was so sick. He was still trying to relax after finding her on the floor. That was terrifying. He listened to her breathing become slow and steady. How was it he knew something was wrong when he got home? Nanny Betty said people could sense when something was wrong with someone they loved.  Was that why he knew something was wrong because he loved her? He opened his eyes and turned his head. She was staring at him.

“I thought, I told you to get some rest,” He whispered.

“You’re awful bossy.” She rolled her eyes.

“Payback is a bitch.” John chuckled.

“Thank you, John.” She gazed into his eyes and as usual his heart raced. How the hell did she keep doing that?

“You’re welcome.” He managed to say. “Now go to sleep.” Another roll of her beautiful eyes and she rolled over with her back to him.

It was so damn warm. He tried to move to get out of the sun, but there was a heaviness on his chest making it hard to move. Stephanie’s head was laying against his chest and her hand lay against his abdomen. It was nice waking up with her in his arms. Her breath was hot through his T-shirt and it heated his whole body. This felt right being next to her and then she moved.

John hid the feeling of loss as she pulled away from him. “Good morning.”

“I don’t know about good but it’s morning.” She grumbled.

He got up and poured her medicine. “Do you feel any better?”

Her hand trembled as she grabbed the small cup. “A little, I guess.”

John passed her a bottle of water. “You’re spending the day resting, so anything you need just let me know.”

She pulled back the covers and attempted to get out of bed. “I can’t spend all day in bed.”

“Sorry sweetheart, you don’t have a choice.” He pulled the covers back over her. “Doctor’s orders.”

She opened her mouth then closed it again but seemed to think glaring at him would work better.

“You want to try to eat? I can make you some toast or something.”

“Maybe some dry toast. I still feel a little queasy.”

That almost seemed too easy. “Okay. Would you like some tea?”

She nodded.

When John returned with a tray, Stephanie was getting back in bed. Probably returning from the bathroom. She sat against the headboard and John had to hide the grin. She was definitely not happy about being stuck in bed. Her face was still really pale. His dad may need to make another house call.

“Thanks for taking care of me, John.” Her smile was so lovely.

“You’ve been taking care of me for weeks,” He said. “I don’t mind one bit. Besides, it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in months.”

Her face flushed. “Sorry about the crowding, I tend to navigate to that side of the bed.” She wouldn’t look at him.

John knelt next to the bed and lifted her chin with his finger. “I didn’t mind.” His thumb brushed across her lower lip. A small sigh escaped her lips and went straight to his groin. “Okay, how much longer do I need therapy?” He groaned.

“John!” She giggled.

“The last day of my therapy, woman, we’ve got a date.” John winked as he left the bedroom.

The call to his father resulted in a voicemail message. He grabbed a couple of bottles of water and went back to Stephanie’s room. She was sleeping. It hurt not being able to do something to take away her sickness. He couldn’t imagine dealing with the pain of what James had gone through when Sarah got sick. It was killing him to watch Stephanie with a stomach bug.

He was channel surfing when the doorbell rang.
Damn it!
He raced to the door, so it didn’t disturb Stephanie. Sandy was standing on his step when he opened the door.

“Hey, Sandy.” He motioned for her to come in.

“Hey! Is Stephanie around?”

“She’s actually in bed. She got really sick last night.” He explained. “My dad thinks it was food poisoning.”

“Oh my God! We had supper together last night at The Pier.” Sandy covered her mouth with her hand.

“You and Stephanie?” He asked.

“And her friend Donna. We all had the same thing.” Sandy said.

“Well, you look fine. I wonder if her friend is sick.” He hadn’t met Donna.

“I can call her. We exchanged numbers yesterday.” Sandy pulled out her phone and He waited as she spoke to Donna. If they all had the same thing, shouldn’t they all be sick? Sandy shook her head as she ended the call.

“I wonder if she ate anything else.” It was possible Stephanie ate something earlier in the day that might have made her sick.

“Maybe, it was just the combination of having Kim serve us, and her ex showing up there too,” Sandy said.

“Her ex?” It was like Sandy had punched him in the gut.

“Yeah, I think his name is Brad, but he was kind of a jerk from what she told me. She turned really pale and wanted to leave right away.” Sandy explained.

“Did Kim say anything to her?” He would deal with Kim if the woman said anything to upset Stephanie.

“She asked Stephanie if she had gotten into your pants yet.” Sandy blushed. “But Stephanie didn’t seem fazed by it.”

Stephanie may have been upset, but there was no way that seeing both of their exs would have made her that sick. He plowed his hand through his hair. It had to be something else.

“I hope it didn’t upset her.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve got to run but tell Stephanie I hope she feels better, and if you need anything let me know.”

He walked Sandy to the door, then headed to Stephanie’s bedroom. Why was she getting out of bed?

John leaned against the doorframe. “Where are you going?”

She plopped back on the bed. “I was going to get my laptop.”

He needed to find out about her ex. “I’ll get it, but first I’ve got a question.” A twinge of jealousy pinched at him.

She leaned against the headboard, her face was so pale. “Okay. What?”

“What happened at the restaurant last night?” He placed her laptop on the bed and he sat next to her.

“Nothing.” She wouldn’t look at him as she reached for the computer.

“Sandy just left and told me you saw your ex as well as mine.” He pulled the computer away from her.

“It’s nothing.” She pushed her hair behind her ear.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not what Sandy said.”

She rolled her eyes and held her hand out for her computer. “Sandy has a big mouth.”

John wouldn’t give in until he knew everything. “Tell me.”

“Will you give me my computer if I do?” Stephanie folded her arms over her chest.

“I will.” John placed it next to her.

“It’s no big deal. I dated Brad for four years. I assumed we’d eventually get married.” John ground his teeth together. That was not something he wanted to think about, but he let her continue. “The last six months our work schedules clashed and we didn’t spend much time together. He’s a fireman. One night I got off early and came home to surprise him, but he wasn’t home. I picked up my cell to call him, but I heard the key in the lock and he came through the door with a woman. They were all over each other. He didn’t see me at first and was half naked before he realized I was there. I couldn’t even speak; I was in shock.” The look in her eyes was tearing him apart.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.” He’d never wanted to hurt someone so bad in his life.

“No. I need to get this out. I did manage to scream at him to get out. He left, but when I got home from work the next day, I knew he was back and cleared out all his things. He also cleared out the account we had for our bills. He took every cent.”

“Can you prove who put the money in the account?”

She nodded. “Right now the lawyers are hashing it out.” She sighed.

“I’m not really a hundred percent sure but I think if you lived together more than six months, everything goes fifty-fifty,” John said.

“I know. That’s what my lawyer said.” She ran her hands through her hair.

It was getting harder for him to be calm about the asshole treating Stephanie so badly. “Well, let the lawyers deal with it and don’t worry.” He covered her up and left the room. The last thing she needed was for him to upset her anymore.

John sat down and rested his head against the back of the couch. He closed his eyes for a moment and the tension in his body eased. It was a trick Stephanie had taught him in the early days of his therapy. Deep breaths and let all thoughts drift away.

The worst thing about Stephanie’s trick was most of the time he fell asleep, or he was so relaxed everything around him disappeared. Which was why he jumped when his pocket vibrated. His father’s picture flashed on the screen.

“Hey, Dad!”

“How’s Stephanie today?”

“She seems better. No more vomiting, but just groggy.” She’d been sleeping most of the day.

“I’m not surprised.” Sean cleared his throat. “John, her blood work showed traces of Ipecac in her system.”

“What’s that?” Panic was running through his veins.

“It used to be used to induce vomiting, but not anymore. What worries me is, I know people with Bulimia and Anorexia who use it to make themselves sick.” Okay, his father was crazy. Stephanie was too health conscious to be making herself sick.

“Dad, there’s got to be a mistake.” Stephanie wasn’t stupid.

“There’s no mistake, but I’m going to come over and talk to her,” Sean said. “There wasn’t a lot in her system, but I’d like to know if she took it herself or if someone slipped it in her food or drink.”

There was no way John believed Stephanie would take something to make herself sick, but the thought that someone had slipped it to her was even worse. The muscles that had been so relaxed a few minutes ago were now so tense it was almost painful.

John entered her bedroom. Stephanie was asleep. He had to make sure. He went into her bathroom and searched the medicine cabinet. Nothing. Under her sink. Cleaners. What the hell was he doing? No way did Stephanie take whatever that stuff is. John left her bathroom and she was sitting on the side of the bed. He felt two inches tall

“Feeling better!” Hopefully, the casual tone he was trying didn’t show the guilt he was feeling.

“A little,” She said. “Is there something you’re looking for in the bathroom?” Busted. He couldn’t lie to her, but he didn’t want to accuse her either. What was the best way to ask her without insulting her? “John, is something going on?”

“I don’t really know. I’ve got a question to ask you.” He sat next to her on the bed.

“You’re really making me worry. What is it?”

“Have you heard of Ipecac?” Why was he asking her this question? He knew in his heart she’d never do something to hurt herself.

“Isn’t it some sort of syrup that’s used to induce vomiting?” She knew what it was, but that didn’t mean she was using it.

“Yes.”

“That’s a weird thing to ask.”

“Not really,” John said. “Your blood work showed you had Ipecac in your system.”

Stephanie’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. The shocked expression was proof she had not taken it herself.

“How would that get in my system? I’d never take something like that.”

How was he supposed to answer that? It wasn’t something she’d ingest accidently.

“I don’t know, but from what Sandy told me, the only thing you ate before you got sick was the food you ate at the restaurant.”

“You don’t think someone deliberately tried to make me sick?” She covered her mouth with her hand.

“I don’t know, but it just seems a little weird that you ran into Kim and your ex at the same restaurant, and ended up getting sick.”

“Brad wouldn’t do something like that. I mean he’s a jerk, but I really can’t see him doing something to hurt me.” She didn’t sound so sure.

“I wouldn’t think Kim would either, but I’ve seen a lot of people do things you’d never expect.” People were capable of some horrible things when pushed too far. “I’m calling Uncle Kurt to see what he thinks. He might want to talk to Brad and Kim. It’s better if he questions them because if I do, I might not be so nice.” She smiled and his heart melted.