Page 203 of Halo

His hand stops.

“You did what?”

“We came all the way here, and I’ve spent most of it asleep or throwing up.” My eyes burn. “I wanted to spend time with your family. I wanted to see the ranch. I wanted to ride a horse.”

“We can come back.”

“I didn’t even meet a cow, Nick.”

That makes him laugh softly, and I start crying, which only makes the entire thing more pathetic.

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are.” He kisses my temple. “And I promise you, those cows aren’t going anywhere.”

I wipe my face against his shirt.

“I hate cancer.”

“I know.”

“I hate chemo.”

“I know that too.”

“And I really wanted to ride a horse.”

He wraps his arm tighter around me.

“Then when you’re feeling better, I’ll bring you back here and put you on the prettiest damn horse we’ve got.”

I close my eyes against his shoulder.

“And a cow?”

“I’ll personally introduce you to every cow on the property.”

By the time Nick gets me showered and back into the bedroom, I’m too tired to care that he’s helping me get dressed.

He pulls a clean shirt from my bag, but I shake my head and point toward the chair.

“Your sweater.”

He follows my finger to the old sweater I’ve been stealing from him since long before either of us admitted this thing between us was serious.

“The good juju?”

“Yes. I need the good juju.”

He smiles as he helps me into it. “Should’ve known.”

I sleep curled against him for the next few hours, and when I wake again, the nausea has finally settled enough that sitting up doesn’t make the room move.

Nick appears in the doorway a few minutes later.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Human-ish.”