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She nodded. “Yes, now I can sleep.”
Kent kissed the top of her head and sighed. “Me too,” he told her. “Me too.”
TWENTY-NINE
Palmer rose early and made her way to the restaurant to order them breakfast. She wanted to do something nice for Kent. She knew the risks and what could happen to her by leaving the room alone or being out of reach from Kent. Palmer considered what the outcome would be if she were to have a seizure in the hall or someplace else. Surely, she’d end up at the hospital, and she could hurt herself. Still, she went. She would deal with the consequences later.
Kent was still asleep when Palmer returned. She sighed in relief when she entered the dimly lit room. She moved quietly and set the table as best she could in the dark. She opened the lid and waved it over the plate, hoping the aroma would entice Kent to wake up.
He shifted in bed and then asked groggily, “What do I smell?”
“Pancakes, bacon, french toast, eggs, home fries, and sausage. As well as orange juice and coffee.”
Kent sat up and got out of bed. Palmer opened the blackout curtains to let some light in. She swallowed hard at the sight of his bare chest. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him without a T-shirt. Each time before had caused the same reaction from her. Palmer thought Kent was sexy. He was ruggedly handsome and had strong hands that always held hers. She felt safe in his arms and wanted to be there always.
Palmer sat down across from him and poured two cups of coffee. She handed one to Kent, took a sip of hers, and then cut into her french toast. She was midbite when he glanced at her.
“I didn’t hear you call room service.”
She could lie or be honest. All she ever wanted from people was honesty and suspected Kent would appreciate the truth. He’d be mad, but she was prepared.
“I went down to the restaurant to order our breakfast. They don’t serve breakfast off the menu, only dinner, so I loaded up from their buffet.”
Kent was silent as he set his fork down. Palmer saw the proverbial wheels turning in his head and imagined steam coming out of his ears. She remained poised.
“I know what you’re going to say,” she told him before he could muster a statement.
“And what’s that?”
“That I shouldn’t have gone down there by myself.”
“Yep,” he said. She expected him to pop the p at the end, but he held back. Palmer respected him more for not being obnoxious.
“And while you may be right, you also have to remember I am an adult, and I can make decisions for myself.”
“And the decision you came up with was to walk down to the restaurant to get food after you had a seizure?”
“Technically, it’s not after,” she said. “But yes, I wanted to do something nice for you.”
Kent was stoic at first. He blinked once and then looked at her. Within seconds, a smile broke out. He inhaled and cleared his throat. “While I don’t agree with you going down there by yourself, I appreciate breakfast. It’s very nice to wake up to. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said with a smile.
“Did you use a cart to get all of this back here?”
“Yes,” she said with a laugh. “Even without the tumor, there would be no way I could’ve carried all of this without some sort of help. Wonder Woman, I am not.”
“True, but I find you to be pretty incredible.”
No one had ever said that to her before. “You do?”
Kent nodded. “You have this inner strength that you don’t see in many people. You could’ve given up, ten times over, but you keep trudging forward. You’re by far the strongest and most resilient person I know. Last night, I was ready to give up and take us back home. That seizure scared the shit out of me because there’s nothing I can do. The octopus grows daily, and we can’t stop it. All I can do is make you comfortable. I can increase the dosage on your meds and be more aware, but that’s it.”
“I really don’t want to go home,” she told him. “There’s nothing there for me.”
“I’d be there, regardless. However, we’re not going home. I promised you the trip of a lifetime, and I plan to deliver until you tell me it’s time. There’ll be times when I’m worried and angry at myself because I can only do so much, but I’m going to be here, right by your side, until we’re done.” Kent reached for her hand and pulled it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and winked at her.
“We’re meeting my sister tomorrow.”
“I know. Are you excited?”
She shook her head. “I’m nervous.”
“That’s expected. It’s like a blind date, except she’s your secret keeper.”
