She took his hand and led him into the shower, where she carefully washed his hair and every other important part of him.

Nick trembled from the feel of her hands on his skin. “Samantha, you’re making me crazy.”

“I’m only trying to make you clean.”

“Sure you are,” he said with a laugh. “My turn.” He filled his hands with her shampoo and worked it through her long hair.

“I can finish. You should go lie down.”

“Stop babying me.”

“You baby me when I’m hurt.”

“You never let me.”

Very gently, she touched his chest, right above where the angry bruises began. “I hate that you’re hurting.”

“I know you do.” He put his arms around her and brought her in close to him. “But I feel much better now than I did fifteen minutes ago.”

“You’re so easy,” she said, as she always did.

“Mmm, only with you.” If she hadn’t needed sleep so badly, he could’ve stood there all night with his love, under the warm water. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Let’s get you to bed.”

“Let’s get us to bed.”

Sam dried his back and shoulders so he wouldn’t have to twist around, and then used another towel to get most of the moisture out of her hair. They stood at side-by-side sinks to brush their teeth.

“Let’s switch sides in bed so I don’t bump you during the night,” she said as they went into their bedroom.

Since he wanted her right up against him where she belonged, he agreed.

“This is weird,” he said when they were settled under the covers. “I’m left-wifed.”

Sam laughed softly in the darkness as she rested her hand flat against his belly. “I’m sorry again the vacation got screwed up.”

“It doesn’t have to be a total bust. We can still make the most of the time we have together this week.”

“Remember when we got married and I told you that even when it appeared otherwise, there would never be a time I wouldn’t rather be with you than anywhere else?”

“I vaguely recall that,” he said in a teasing tone. He’d never forget a word of what she’d said to him that day.

“It’s always true. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you, so any time you think I’m choosing my work or my family over you, I’m not.”

“I know, babe. I’m sorry if I made you feel bad about doing what you need to do. I’m just kind of selfish where you’re concerned, and we get so little time together.”

“I’m selfish about our time together too, and I hate how there’s always something getting in the way of it.”

He ran his hand up and down her back. “There’s nothing getting in the way of it right now.”