Normally this would have annoyed me. Today, Brett’s groaning rolled right off my ducky back.

I smiled. “Anything else?”

“No, thank you.” He nestled further under the covers. “You’re sure in a good mood.”

“Yep.” I went downstairs, opened a can of Campbell’s, and plopped the contents in a pot. While I waited for the soup to boil, I picked up the phone and dialed Nicole at the Belair Hotel where despite her protestations I was paying her expenses.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me,” I whispered.

“Hi! How’s the Cowboy?”

“He’s really sick. I haven’t brought anything up yet.”

“Jackie, are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely. I’ll call you later, maybe we can meet for drinks.”

Back upstairs, Brett sat up looking over his script. Around his shoulders was an old pink and white afghan his Meemaw had crocheted. I could swear as soon as he saw me, he purposely started shivering.

I placed the bed tray over his knees and sat beside him. “It’s hot, be careful.”

“You know what I miss?” Brett crumbled some Saltines into his soup.

“Me?” I asked, snuggling up to him.

He flashed a look of annoyance. “Well, of course, but…” He raised himself and brought the tray closer. “I was going to say oyster crackers. Do they make those anymore?”

“I don’t know. I guess.”

“Whoa, this is hot.” He darted his tongue, poodle-like, at the steaming soup. Then began lapping it up.

I laughed.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

Whenever Brett did something gross or disgusting it was a relief, a respite from my relentless attraction. I took a deep breath. “Um, Brett?” A piece of carrot clung to his chin. I handed him a napkin and motioned for him to wipe it away.

“Hmmm?”

“Guess who dropped by.”

“Do you think Dr. Koblin would make a house call?” Brett sniffled. “They’ve got that insurance doctor on the picture, but the guy’s a quack.”

“Honey, listen, Nicole was here.”

“Who?”

“Nicole. The girl who used to be my best friend. She um…stayed with me this last week.”

That got his attention. “She stayed here? You never mentioned anything.”

“Well, because you had so much going on and I didn’t want to burden you. She had no place else to go.”

“Is she in some kind of trouble?”

“No. Well, not like with the law or anything. She’s just, y’know, having a hard time. I want her to stay with us for a while until she gets back on her feet.”

“Geez, Jackie.” Brett shook his head slowly back and forth, like a heavy church bell.

“Honey, listen, the house is so big we can’t possibly get in each other’s way. You’ll never even know she’s here. Please, Brett. She needs me.”

He tilted the bowl into his mouth and slurped down the rest of the soup. “How long would she stay?”