Read Online Don't Let Go by Nona Raines - Free Book Online

throat. “How are you doing, Thom?”
    He sighed and removed his glasses to rub his eyes. “I’m okay as long as they’re okay.”
    “I hear you.”
    “I can hear you, too,” Dee called from her room. “Kindly don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”
    She lay in bed, hooked up to an IV and monitor. Thom took one of her hands, and Annalee took the other. Her chest constricted at the paleness of Dee’s face and the dark smudges under her eyes. Dee rolled her eyes at the hospital gown covering her. “What do you think of my fancy attire?”
    Thom bent and kissed her forehead. “It suits you.”
    Dee snorted. “Nice.”
    Annalee squeezed her hand. “You’re feeling better?”
    “Yeah. I’m getting fluids and some stuff that’s supposed to calm my uterus. Hey, I didn’t even know it was nervous.”
    Annalee groaned, and Thom shook his head at the lame joke. Dee glanced at her husband. “You got hold of Eric, right?”
    “Yes. He’s on his way.”
    Dee sighed, closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them again. “Hey, babe. Go on down to the cafeteria and get yourself a coffee, why don’t you?” She turned to Annalee. “He’s been a real trouper, but he needs a break.”
    “No, I don’t,” Thom said quickly.
    “Well, then I need a break from you, okay? A girl can only take so much hovering. Besides, I want a little time with my bestie here.” She glanced at Annalee. “Girl talk. So get going. Oh, and bring me a ginger ale.”
    Dee kept up the sassy attitude until her husband left the room. Then her face crumpled, and tears welled in her eyes. “If anything happens to this baby, I’ll never forgive myself.”
    Annalee snagged some tissues from a box nearby and dabbed her friend’s cheeks. “Don’t talk silly. You’ve been doing everything the doctor tells you, right? Exercising, eating right—”
    “I know, but—”
    “But nothing. You’d never do anything to endanger the baby, so stop blaming yourself.” She shook a bossy finger at Dee. “This instant.”
    Dee gave a watery snuffle. “Yes, ma’am.” A moment later, she added, “Keep holding my hand, okay? ’Til Thom comes back.”
    “Of course I will.”
    “He’s been great through this whole pregnancy. So patient, even when I get bitchy. He’s gonna be such an awesome daddy.” Tears started again. “He’ll be heartbroken if anything goes wrong.”
    Annalee discarded the soggy tissues on the bedside stand and grabbed another handful. “Nothing’s going to go wrong. Try to keep calm. That’s best for the baby and you. Right?”
    Dee took a shuddery breath and closed her eyes. “Right.” She gave a small chuckle. “Remember how I didn’t want to go out with Thom to begin with?”
    Keep her talking, keep her from worrying. “Oh, yeah, I remember. You really gave him the runaround. He didn’t give up, though. He wanted you.”
    “Yeah, and I kept turning him down. Man, I was a dumbass.”
    Annalee smoothed Dee’s matted hair away from her forehead. “I never understood that. Why you wouldn’t go out with him. He was a good guy, nice looking, had a good job—”
    “I was too busy chasing losers, that’s why. You remember what I was like. Good guys were boring, and I wanted excitement. I wanted a bad boy. Then I found out what bad boys were all about. Guys who borrowed money off me, guys who cheated on me, guys with kids from three different baby mamas. Yeah, it was real exciting.” Dee’s tone was dry with scorn.
    “You smartened up, finally. You gave Thom a chance.”
    Dee cracked one eye open. “You want to know why?”
    “Because you finally realized what a catch he was.”
    “No. Because he dared me to.”
    “What? No way.”
    “Uh-huh.” Dee closed her eyes again. “He called and told me I was a coward. Said I wouldn’t go out with him because I was afraid I’d have a good time. I told him he was full of it.”
    “So what happened?”
    “We went out. And I had a good time. No, I had a great