Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 445

The few minutes Camila Davis spent having her bruises tended to felt like an eternity.

She was hurting and embarrassed, her cheeks burning almost as much as her shoulder. More than once she nearly yelped and begged Dennis Williams to stop.

But right when she was about to lose it, a little voice in her head scolded, “Don’t be ungrateful, Camila, he’s trying to help.”

She gritted her teeth and endured, until finally, Dennis’ voice broke through the haze, “All done.”

Relief washed over her like a wave. She pulled down her shirt as fast as she could and blurted, “Thanks…”

Dennis glanced down at her. Camila’s eyes were glassy with tears of pain, her cheeks blotchy red, and her nose was a bit pink too. She looked so fragile in that moment, like a stray kitten caught out in the rain.

Dennis had always prided himself on being pretty zen, but seeing her like this, something deep in his chest shifted. The memory of her skin beneath his palm—soft and smooth as silk—lingered, making his pulse quicken in a way he wasn’t used to.

He let out a slow breath, turning his gaze away. “You should get some sleep. By morning, you’ll feel a lot better.”

With that, he ducked into the bathroom, scrubbing the ointment from his hands with cold water. But as he watched it swirl down the drain, something unfamiliar stirred inside him. For a second there… he’d felt dangerously close to losing control.

It was a strange feeling. But Dennis realized, to his own surprise, that he didn’t mind it at all.

Camila, blissfully unaware of the storm she’d set off in Dennis, crawled back into bed. Her mind was a jumble of worried voices, making her head spin.

She was still weak from her fever, and soon enough, the exhaustion dragged her down into sleep.

By the time Dennis returned to the room, Camila was already out cold.

He didn’t leave that night. Instead, he crashed in the cramped family lounge next door, making do with a lumpy couch and a scratchy blanket.

Early the next morning, Sarah Brown and Larry Adams showed up to check on Camila.

As soon as little Lillian woke, she rushed to her mom’s side, her eyes wide with concern. “Mommy, are you better now? Lillian can blow the ouchies away for you!”

She patted Camila gently, mimicking the way Camila always comforted her when she was sick.

Watching her, everyone’s heart melted.

Camila couldn’t help but pull Lillian into a hug. “Mommy’s okay. With my little nurse here, I’ll never get sick again.”

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