Only You (Love In Montana Book 6)

It was dinnertime and Sawyer got up slowly to go to the dining table to eat but he didn't have the strength to walk.  His fever was coming back with full force and he didn't have any appetite.

"Where are you off to?" Asked Renée, coming into his room with a tray of food. Sawyer looked at her with tired eyes. Ever since she had left, he had missed her cool hand on his forehead. He wanted to lie on her lap, cuddled up to her but it seemed that he was doomed to be all alone.

"I don't want to eat, " he grumbled but Renée wasn't listening to him. She placed his food on his desk.

"You have to.  Let me check your temperature, " she said walking towards him. She placed her hand over his forehead. It was still hot and his eyes looked watery. "I need to measure the exact temperature and then maybe summon the doctor," she told him, getting up to go and get the thermometer but he caught her hand.

"I don't need anything, just stay with me," he told her. Renée shook her head.

"I won't stay if you don't eat Sawyer, " she told him.

"Okay then, feed me, " said Sawyer making Renée hide the smile wanting to break free. She got up to get the tray of chicken soup and bread. She fed him a bite.

"How's it? I made it for you," she told him, eagerly. Sawyer's eyes widened hearing it.

"You know I'll eat anything you make. I love everything you cook just like...," before he could complete the sentence, his mom rushed into the room. Renée felt very frustrated at the interruption. What was it that he was about to say? She kept imagining, trying to complete his sentence in her mind but gave up eventually when she couldn't.

"Saw, I think you need to see a doctor," she said with a worried expression on her face. Sawyer groaned.

"Please ma, I'm already better. As it is Ren's forcefully feeding me, see?" He said helplessly, pointing at Renée who was religiously feeding him everything that she made for him. "I don't need a doctor, I beg of you. Have mercy ma," said Sawyer. His mom chuckled seeing Renée's sweet gesture. With that girl around, she didn't need to bother much about Sawyer. They looked so cute together!

"Fine then. Renée, I'll get some water and a cloth for a compress. Okay?" Said aunt Kathy. Renée nodded.

"Yes aunt Kathy. That'll reduce his temperature. He wouldn't let me get a thermometer also," said Renée rolling her eyes.

"Do you need one? I can get it," said aunt Katherine,

"Yes please," said Renée. Sawyer gave the two of them a hopeless look.

"Hello, I'm right here. I don't need a thermometer or a compress, okay? " he protested.

"Fine, have it your way. I'm going. I won't come here then, stay alone," said Renée, getting up.

"Stop, stop. Okay, do what you want to do," mumbled Sawyer, giving up. His mom laughed out loud seeing the two of them and her head started plotting and planning different things suddenly.

"Open you mouth wide Sawyer. This is the last spoonful," said Renée. Sawyer obliged. He was powerless to do anything else actually. She fed him and quite satisfied with herself, she got up but he gasped her arm in a tight hold.

"What now Ren? Where are you off to? You promised to stay if I listened to you," he reminded her. Renée rolled her eyes.

"I'm just keeping the tray back on your table and getting your medicine, Sawyer, " she told him. He left her grumbling about not needing any medicine. Renée smiled at his antics. She liked the sick Sawyer better than the normal Sawyer who overworked himself and ignored her. This sick Sawyer was so needy! Needy for her. Coming back to him, she was just giving him his medicine when his mom came inside. She looked quite satisfied seeing his empty soup bowl as well as the plate. Sawyer swallowed his pill with a groan.

"Amazing! " said his mom, looking quite impressed. "Here's the compress dear and the thermometer, " she said, handing Renée everything.

"Thank you aunt Kathy," said Renée.

"No dear. Thank you for handling that stubborn boy  so well," she leaned to whisper in her ear. Renée blushed.  Sawyer lay down but it seems he liked the idea of Renée taking care of him. At least she'd be there in his room longer that way. After his mom left, she sat beside him on the bed. Dipping the cloth in the water, she squeezed the water out and placed it over his burning forehead. After sometime, the temperature reduced a lot and he felt much better.

"It feels so good. Thanks Ren, " he murmured as if drowsy.

"Go to sleep Sawyer, " she told him softly.

"No, if I go to sleep, you'll go away," said Sawyer sleepily.

"I'll come back again in the morning," she promised, getting up.

"I love the compress just like I love...," his voice was heavy and slurred and he fell asleep, soft snores coming from him as he slept. Renée watched him tenderly, her eyes shining with all the love that she felt for him.

"I'm waiting for the day when you'd complete that sentence Sawyer, " she whispered, her fingers caressing his cheek and jawline as he slept.

The next morning he felt better already. Renée had come to check up on him in the morning when he was sleeping. She went to her new college with Ryder and Ryan. Sawyer missed her a lot the whole day. His mom took care of him but he behaved like an impossible child, giving her a hard time. He was bored to death and wanted to go to work but his mom didn't let him, so he created tantrums and stopped eating. After college, Renée had to go to the administrative department to rectify her name on her choice of subjects. It was late afternoon when she returned home with her siblings. She saw her haggard aunt struggling in the kitchen.

"He hasn't eaten a thing the whole day, Renée. Do what you want with him. I'm tired already, " she said already giving up.

"Dont worry aunt Kathy. Let me make his dinner first. I'll check up on him," she said enthusiastically.  She freshened up and then walked into the kitchen and started making Sawyer's dinner.

"My God! Is that edible? Who'll eat that gumbo?" Said Ryder with an eye roll.

"It's not a gumbo. It's Sawyer's soup," she corrected him.

Ryder chuckled. "He's the only one who'd eat your stuff," he teased her. "By the way, have you ever tasted it yourself?" He asked with a chuckle. Renée pouted as she cooked. No actually speaking, she'd never tasted the soups that she made for him. Today, she would.

Rhett went to Sawyer's room to check his temperature. 

"Hey Saw, how are you?" He asked seeing Sawyer sitting on the bed with a book.

"Better than I was yesterday," said Sawyer. "Ma won't let me go anywhere, so I'm imprisoned here, " he added. 

"Good for you. You can rest for a few days till you're better," said Rhett. "Is the fever gone?" He asked. 

"No, it's there," answered Sawyer. The door opened and Renée walked in with a tray of food, Sawyer's medicine and water. 

Rhett smiled at his sister. "Hey bro, heard you went for a date?" She asked with a grin. Rhett had gone out with his Adelaide and their parents had already started dreaming of a wedding coming up soon.

"Just dinner, no date," informed Rhett, getting up. 

"Get well soon, " Rhett said, patting Sawyer's shoulders. He nodded at Rhett but his eyes were fixed upon Renée who came towards him to give him his dinner.  Rhett left them alone and went up to his room.

"Where were you for so long?" He asked with a scowl.

"At college, where else?" She answered, sitting down opposite to him with the tray of food.

"College doesn't continue till evening, Ren, " he said, sounding displeased and angry.

"I was at the admin office. I had opted for Human Development as minor but they gave me Women's Studies instead," she explained. "Ryder and Ryan were also there to help me."

"And so were their friends, right?" Gritted out Sawyer.

"Wrong, you're overthinking. There were no friends, " she told him. She fed him and he ate quietly, withouta fuss, without a word, just watching her in silence. Renée knew that he was better and could eat on his own but she wanted to feed him.

"Done. Now medicine, " she said getting up. She gave him his medicine and she swallowed it with water.

"Stay, " he asked her, watching her minutely.

"I'll have my dinner and come back, okay?" Said Renée. Sawyer nodded. Renée walked out of his room and released the breath that she'd been holding. Inside the kitchen she saw that a spoonful of soup was left in the bowl. Thinking of Ryder's words, she thought of tasting the delicious soup. She placed the spoonful into her mouth but the tasteless gumbo made her want to puke. She had forgotten to add salt! She closed her eyes wondering how Sawyer finished it without a word!