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A flash of light caught his eye. Vaguely aware that others were in the room, he steadied his breathing, wondering how to end their encounter in a way that would make the kiss appear casual, rather than the act of a starving, ravenous man.
In what he hoped was a stroke of genius, he moved his mouth up her cheek, planting soft kisses as he went, ending with a peck on her forehead. Then he switched back into hug mode and muttered about how happy he was Gabe was getting better. Limp against him, she mumbled her agreement. Still supporting her weight, he glanced over his shoulder, hoping neither one was paying attention.
The nurse stood frozen, an IV bag hanging from her fingers. Arms crossed, Dr. Campbell lifted a single eyebrow. “If that’s how you celebrate a slightly lowered temperature, you’re going to need a private room when I tell you the infection’s gone.”
Rylie went from sagging to rigid in two seconds flat, pushing away from him, chin tucked down to hide a face that had to be glowing red, while her fingers combed her disheveled hair. That kiss might not have been Jarrett’s brightest move, but at that particular moment, he had no regrets. So what if a doctor and a nurse saw him making out with his wife? They hadn’t done anything illicit. Besides, the hospital staff wouldn’t dare to smear the reputation of their biggest benefactor.
A raucous cackle of laughter split the air. “That’s my boy, Jarrett! Looks like you finally saw the light, thanks to a little help from Manny.”
He whipped around to face Juanita, standing just inside the door with a phone aimed his direction.
“I got most of it on video, but I got a couple of still photos, to go along with it,” she said, wearing a shameless grin. “Your momma’s going to love this!”
“Juanita, you’d better be lying.”
“Smile!” Her phone flashed in his eyes.
“On that note,” said Dr. Campbell as he shuffled toward the door, herding the nurse in front of him, “we’ll leave you to… to do whatever it is you do when we’re not here. Just remember there’s no lock on the door.”
Evidently, only he and Juanita found his statement funny, but they laughed loudly enough to make up for the others.
* * *
Rylie hadto hand it to Jarrett. He’d done his utmost to distract Juanita from her relentless quest to discuss their marriage by recounting every detail of Gabe’s treatment, some of which she suspected he was making up on the fly. Beside her on the couch, he carried on with great animation, his hands whirling in the air, adding some important remembered detail every time she attempted to change the subject to their relationship.
“So then they switched to an IV antibiotic cocktail with vancomycin and some kind of fluoroquinolone. And then…”
Juanita’s eyes glazed over as he droned on about prophylactic antibiotics and fungal infections. At least his monologue had given Rylie time to get over her humiliation. Although, since Dr. Campbell had met her when she was hanging from the bed by her feet and then witnessed her kissing Jarrett like a hormonal teenager, she rather hoped she’d never see the man again.
As Jarrett started in on the issues with antibiotics and resistant bacteria, Juanita silenced him with a finger in front of his face. “I see what you’re doing here.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Nope.” The finger waved. “All I want to know is if my boy is getting better and how long he’s going to be sleeping like a zombie. You answered that the first minute after I got here and now you’re just talking over my head.”
From her seat next to Gabe’s bed, Rylie yawned. “Yeah, he was putting me to sleep.”
“Thanks a lot.” Jarrett bared his teeth at Rylie.
“And I know why he’s doing it.” Juanita stood up and walked to the other side of Gabe’s bed. “I’ve been asking him when he’s going to give you a real wedding, but he doesn’t want a big to-do.”
Jarrett let out a loud groan. “Not this again.”
Why had Juanita been pushing him toward having a ceremony? She knew the marriage wasn’t real.
“I told him that’s tough.” Juanita raised her voice to cover his. “I told him you deserve a real wedding with a long white dress and a preacher to marry you the right way.”
“Rylie doesn’t like to be the center of attention in front of a big crowd any more than I do,” Jarrett said.
“It wouldn’t have to be like that,” Juanita argued. “It could be small, just your closest friends. And Rylie would look amazing in a bridal gown.”
“You’re right. She would.”
At Jarrett’s declaration, Rylie darted a shocked gaze. Big mistake! The heat in his eyes shot across the room and steamed her from the inside out. She grabbed the front of her shirt, moving it quickly to fan herself.
Why was he doing this to her? If sole custody of Gabe was his goal, he shouldn’t keep teasing her, making her not only wish a divorce wasn’t imminent, but also that the marriage was real, in every sense of the word. That toe-curling kiss had awakened desires she didn’t even know she had.
She couldn’t keep going on like this for four more weeks. Brooke had told her to be honest. It was time to put everything on the table. Maybe having Juanita there would keep her physical attraction from clouding the issues.
