Chrissy yawned, and this time she didn’t try to keep it hidden. She pulled her phone out and read Wyatt’s text for the sixth time that day. She’d kept meaning to text him back, but then something vied for her attention again.
“I can’t tell if you’re avoiding someone or stalking him.” Emma’s voice made Chrissy jump, which only elicited a smile. “Seriously, you should just call him.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Chrissy turned her screen off and put the phone under her leg. “Speaking of avoiding something…”
Emma immediately shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” Another round of coughing plus Mom coming in with a steaming bowl of soup effectively ended the conversation.
Mom got Emma set up with her soup and turned on a television program. Now that Mom was there, Chrissy excused herself. Instead of going to the kitchen, she stepped out onto the tiny back porch. There was just enough room for a pair of folding lawn chairs that had certainly seen better days. Chrissy eased herself into one, amazed as always that the plastic bands didn’t just snap and send her to the ground.
She opened her texts and started to respond to Wyatt. She’d gotten a sentence or two in when she changed her mind. She erased everything and, before she lost her nerve, called him instead.
“Hello?”
Just the sound of his deep voice set butterflies loose in her stomach. “Hey. It’s Chrissy. Sorry I didn’t text sooner.”
“It’s okay. I figured something must be going on. Are you all right?”
“We had to take Emma to the emergency room just after three this morning. We only got back home a little while ago.” She stretched her legs out and allowed the back of her head to rest against the top of the chair.
“Oh, wow. I’m sorry to hear that.” There was some background sound, like shuffling papers, that came through the phone. “Is she okay?”
Chrissy realized that it was only four o’clock. Wyatt was probably still at work. “She has bronchitis. Obviously that’s no fun for anyone, but the medications she takes to keep her body from rejecting her heart also lowers her immune system. It doesn’t take much for her to go from bronchitis to pneumonia. We’re going to have to watch her closely for a few days.” She paused. “I just realized you’re probably working. I didn’t think of that. I should’ve just texted.”
“Are you kidding? You’ve been on my mind all day. Since I’ve never seen you miss a day of work before, I figured something major must have happened.”
He’d been thinking about her? Chrissy had been so concerned about Emma all day that the idea of being the focus of someone else’s worry sent tendrils of warmth through her. She pictured his kind, green eyes and couldn’t keep a smile from lifting the corners of her mouth. She’d missed seeing him this morning. “You’re right. I’m something of a workaholic. Although I’ll be working tomorrow now to make up for it.” She wasn’t keen on the idea. At least Mom would be home with Emma all day. She’d call if Emma started feeling worse.
“You’ll get a lunch break, I assume.”
“I will. Usually at one.” Most of the time, Chrissy spent her lunch breaks in a corner booth at the coffee shop eating a sandwich and browsing social media on her phone. She couldn’t help but hope Wyatt was asking about her schedule for a reason.
“How about I stop by and we take a walk or something?”
Chrissy grinned, fully aware that her family would be making fun of her right now if they saw. “I’d like that.”
“Great.” He paused. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. I hope your sister feels better soon.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t ready to hang up yet but knew he needed to get back to work. Besides, what else was she going to talk about? “I guess I should let you go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then. Get some rest, Chrissy.”
His thoughtfulness settled over her heart like a warm blanket.
