Darcy had been worried almost as soon as the cough had started. Coughs were not good. Any sign of sickness at all was not good. He'd been glad that she was sensible to stay at home, and he had kept her in a steady supply of lemon tea and diner soup.
He'd been convinced that he wasn't going to go to sleep, but he would just hold her and observe her condition. That turned out to be total nonsense, because once he was satisfied that she was settled he did indeed drift off to sleep. He must have, because the sudden coughing from her woke him with a start and it took him a couple of seconds to figure out what was going on.
Oh, God. That sounded bad.
"Ashley..." he sat up, and rubbed his hand gently against her back. She was a little sweaty and hot, and that was concerning. "Sit back, love. I'll get you something to drink," he told her, repositioning pillows so she could lean back against them.