“I’ve been looking for a cure for years, but ever since I met you, it’s gotten more important. I know I get bad-tempered. I’m sorry for how short I was with you in our first letters, and I’m sorry for today. The pain is real, and it’s bad, and it’s bound to come back again and again, so I apologize in advance.” He was losing his energy, but he raised his eyes to her and spoke straight from the heart. “Annabelle, I’m so sorry.”

Her eyes were sad as she picked up the bottle of iodine. “You actually drink this?” she asked in a horrified voice.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” he said dryly. “It tastes awful, it gives me cramps, and the ringing in my ears is so loud I can barely hear what you’re saying. But, Annabelle . . . I need to get better. I know a ship captain who drinks iodine, and he swears it helps.”

“Have you ever heard a doctor say that?”

A gulp of laughter escaped, making his head hurt. “No,” he admitted. “My doctor warned me against it.”

“But you drink it anyway.”

He sighed. Annabelle was vibrant and healthy; she probably had no idea what pain could drive a man to do. His head hurt so badly he could barely see straight, and the ringing in his ears would make it impossible to sleep tonight. “I don’t think it’s going to help, but I had to try. Annabelle . . . I don’t want to risk losing you over this.”

For some reason that seemed to upset her. “Don’t kill yourself for me. I’m not worth it.”

“I disagree.” Their friendship had flared quickly, but maybe he needed to let her see this angry, difficult side of himself, because he wanted to be completely open and honest with her. Such a thing didn’t come naturally to him, but he could learn. He wanted her too badly to fail.

“Maybe you should go home and rest,” she said gently. “The factory will keep running even if you aren’t here. You should be in bed.”

“I couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks the first time I got clobbered with malaria, but I’ve worked through every relapse since.”

“Why?”

His answer was matter-of-fact. “Because that’s what a man does. I have a business to run. I’ve got forty employees and a family to support.”

Her eyes looked pained with sympathy as she shook her head. “You have a ridiculously successful company. The wheels will keep turning even if you aren’t here for a few days. And if you go home and rest, maybe you won’t feel so compelled to imbibe dangerous home remedies overheard from ship captains. Stay in bed for a few days. Relax. Read a good book.”

He snorted. “The only books I read are trade manuals and science reports.”

“No novels?”