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“Thanks for saying that. It’s okay.” He noted that her face was even more swollen, and concern knotted his stomach. “You aren’t though, so let’s go.”
They got in the truck, and he backed out. He needed to keep her talking and hydrated.
“Take a sip of this.” He handed her the bottle of cold water.
She didn’t argue, taking a drink. That alone alarmed him. She never did what he asked.
“Do you know where and when you came in contact with the poison ivy plant?”
“Hmm.” She strummed her fingers on the console, and his gaze dropped to her hand. He remembered the way her fingers had pressed against his chest, warming his skin. Even though she was a swollen, wretched mess, he responded to her. She made himfeel. Something he couldn’t afford to do. She’d be leaving, and he’d never see her again. Well, maybe splashed on a tabloid draped all over some movie star. He clenched his teeth.
Once again, he forced himself into mission-mode. He needed to get her to the clinic and shut down all his crazy reactions to her.
“Well, I did pick a couple of leaves off a vine when I was sitting under a tree yesterday.”
This was better. Poison ivy discussions he could handle.
He told her to do a search for poison ivy plants on her phone. She did and frowned. “Yup, that’s the plant I touched yesterday.”
“I don’t suppose you ever saw the pictures of poison oak and ivy in the safety manual I sent you?”
She didn’t answer, which gave him the answer. Still, no sense rubbing it in. She was miserable and paying the price already.
“It’s not too far. You okay?”
“Swell.” Crystal shut her squinty eyes.
“That’s an understatement.”
She turned to him. “Was that a joke?”
“Maybe. I’m capable.”
She huffed. “Could have fooled me.”
Good. He had her attention, which meant she wasn’t focusing on the rash, and as long as she talked, he’d know her throat hadn’t closed up. “Well, you aren’t exactly a barrel of laughs. What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever done?”
“What?”
“I’m serious. Tell me.”
Crystal shifted in the seat. “Once I put a rubber spider in my tutor’s coffee cup.”
“How did that work out?”
“Not well. She quit the next day.”
Her voice sounded better. Zach kept his eyes on the road, hoping she’d keep talking. “So you got a new tutor?”
“Yeah, but she didn’t last long. Not a fan of rubber spiders either.”
He laughed, despite the situation. “That’s all you’ve got? One trick?”
“Hey, why mess with success?” She shrugged. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Tell me something you did.”
