The Windfalls of Love (Roxanne and Harrison) novel Chapter 326

Evelyn furrowed her brow, a twinge of pain shooting through her recently operated-on lower back as her laughter, too hearty for her own good, pulled at the stitches. In the excitement of seeing Dominic, she had forgotten the doctor's advice to keep it down, to be gentle with herself. Now, she dared not even breathe too deeply for fear of aggravating the wound.

Taking a slow breath, she glanced at Dominic's worried expression and felt bubbles of joy pop inside her. It was such a thrill. But she had to be careful not to overdo it, not to laugh too hard and reignite the pain in her incision.

Pretending to be in more pain than she was, she scrunched her face up pitifully.

Dominic, propping himself against the edge of the hospital bed, leaned in close, giving her a thorough once-over.

"What's wrong? Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Evelyn parted her pale lips, trying to speak, but no sound came out. Dominic, mistaking her silence for weakness from the pain, leaned his ear closer to catch her whisper.

In a voice barely above a breath, Evelyn beckoned, "Dominic, come a little closer."

He obliged, edging nearer. "Take your time, no rush," he soothed.

Evelyn fluttered her lashes feebly, motioning with a weak hand for him to draw even closer. He followed her silent request, his cheek nearly brushing against hers.

Just seconds ago, Evelyn's face was a mask of frailty. Now, she gently kissed Dominic's cheek, her smile sweet and tender.

As her soft lips met his skin, Dominic realized he'd been duped.

Touching the spot where her kiss had landed, he looked up, a frown creasing his brow. "Seems like you're not as hurt as you let on," he said, half-serious.

Evelyn, pressing gingerly on her back where the stitches pulled, pouted. "I'm seriously hurt, you know? I could have died!"

"You should talk less and rest more if you're that bad off," Dominic chided, recalling Harrison's instructions for her post-op care: little talking, lots of rest.

Evelyn, fearing he was angry and didn't want to hear her speak, grew anxious. Her eyes, though weary and weak, betrayed her urgency. "Dominic, really. During the surgery, I think I got what you meant about that brush with death feeling. I thought I was a goner. It felt like my soul wanted to leap out of my body. Like I could see everything around me but couldn't open my eyes or move at all. Dominic, I'm not lying to you."

She didn't want to deceive him. She truly had felt that terrifying brush with death and feared, more than anything, that she might die before winning over the man of her dreams. How tragic would that be? At thirty, she had never been in love. Without a single romantic kiss, she'd be the laughingstock of all.

Dominic noticed her hair was a mess. His fingers brushed through her tousled strands, gently tucking them behind her ear. His fingers lingered for a few seconds at the ends of her hair as his voice softened, "Talk less, rest more, and just relax."

Evelyn's lips curved into a smile, brimming with joy.

"Dominic, do you think maybe you've started to like me, even just a little?" she ventured.

Dominic's stern gaze returned, and he didn't answer.

Her excitement undimmed, Evelyn continued, "Dominic, have you ever heard this quote from a novelist I adore?"

"I don't care for literary books, especially not about love," Dominic confessed, his interests lying more with computers and global economic trends than with matters of the heart.

"It doesn’t matter. I like them enough for both of us. I'll read it to you sometime. The quote goes something like this." She paraphrased, adapting to her own feelings, "If I loved you, and you happened to love me, when your hair got messy, I'd laugh and gently smooth it out, my hand lingering a few seconds longer than necessary."

That's exactly what Dominic had done: smoothed out her hair and let his fingers rest for those precious seconds. At that moment, Evelyn tasted a flavor of love, brief as a snowflake melting into the spring. She foresaw hope and felt utterly blissful.

Now, with a smile that echoed her happiness, she looked up at Dominic, who sighed heavily, wondering if such a small gesture warranted such joy.