Her Best Friend's Proposal #SYTYCW15 #Special Edition Suzanne Swartz

Chapter 5 #SYTYCW15 #specialedition

By Sunday morning, Tess was feeling a thousand percent better. The cough was lingering a bit, but the sneezing had subsided along with the achiness and general malaise.

To be on the safe side, she was still popping ibuprofen every four hours along with one of the over counter remedies Jack had bought to suppress her bouts of coughing.

Jack. Tess was still awestruck as well as touched by how he'd taken care of her the past few days.

On Friday, after she'd eaten more of the chicken soup, she'd tried again to send him home, but he'd insisted on staying the night in case she had a relapse or needed something. She had assured him she'd be fine. Even promising to call if she got worse.

He wouldn't budge. Once she'd gotten settled into bed for the night, Jack had grabbed a pillow and extra blanket, making himself a bed on the sofa. He'd even gone to the trouble of setting his phone alarm every four hours in order to give her another round of meds.

When she'd gotten up a little past ten on Saturday morning, Tess found Jack in the laundry room folding the bed clothes he'd stripped from her bed the evening before. While she'd showered, much more thoroughly than the day before, he'd fixed her toast, scrambled eggs, and hot tea.

Over breakfast, Tess had reassured him she was feeling much more human. He'd stayed long enough to clean up the dishes and make sure she'd taken the next dose of medication, promising he'd return later in the afternoon to check on her.

Since she was still weak and felt washed out, Tess stayed on the couch most of the day, watching old movies on TV and dozing until Jack returned around four insisting she have something to eat. She finished the soup, sipped heartily at another Gatorade, and shooed him out the door.

She was fine. She didn't need him to waste another night babysitting her.

Besides, he had his own life. She already felt terrible for ruining the plans he'd made for their Friday night dinner. She certainly didn't expect him to waste Saturday night playing nursemaid as well.

Not that he'd seemed to mind. Even though Tess had thrown a major kink into his plans, Jack didn't seem to be holding any grudges. Of course, there was no reason for him to be upset since she couldn't help getting sick in the first place.

Still, he'd been inconvenienced. Maybe even a little disappointed.

But he hadn't let it show.

Instead, he'd taken exceptionally good care of her, making sure she had all the remedies, sustenance, and care she needed to be comfortable in her virus ridden state.

Not many men would have been so attentive and caring. Some would have done the bare minimum and considered that a major feat. Then they would have been on their way as quickly as possible.

Not Jack. No, with him, she'd nearly had to kick his butt out the door.

Maybe he was right about them, Tess considered, startling herself by the admission. Wasn't he the kind of man she'd want in her life? One who would go out of his way to take care of her when she was sick? Who didn't seem to mind how she'd wrecked his well-laid plans?

And who also had the decency not to mention how badly she knew she had to look with her tangled hair, ratty two sizes too big pajamas and overpowering sick funk.

Jack never mentioned any of it. At some point, he would, she knew, but give the devil his due, he hadn't so much as flinched while she'd sneezed and coughed all over him. Although he could have fled anytime he wanted, he'd stayed.