Read Online Surrogate by Maria Rachel Hooley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maria Rachel Hooley
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couldn't see. He couldn't seem to help himself. "It's all right. She's good. I just need to get her home. Thanks for letting me borrow Galen long enough to get the truck out of the ditch."
"You're welcome. Would it be okay if I came and stayed with her for a few minutes tomorrow?"
At the thought of that, Robbie could feel his stomach tighten. It wasn't that he minded Beth being there; it was just that Carrie's behavior had become strange, unpredictable, and he worried his wife might do something that made Beth think twice.
Beth is her best friend
, he thought.
She's not going to judge Carrie because she's having an off day.
Robbie's jaw clenched. "I don't know, Beth--she's still not herself."
"So maybe she needs a little girl time. I could sit with her for a few hours while you go off with Galen." She waited for a response, and when none came, she said, "Come on, Robbie--what would a couple of hours hurt? I miss her."
Galen watched Robbie and smiled, waiting. "Oh, all right. What time?"
"About ten. Tell Galen I'll see him soon and to be careful on his way home so he doesn't run off into any ditches himself."
"Will do. Bye."
The phone went dead in Robbie's ear and he handed it back to Galen. "You're wife is nothing if not persistent."
Galen threw his head back and laughed. "How do you think we ended up married in the first place? She wouldn't take no for an answer."
Robbie folded his arms across his chest. "Still, you knew that call was coming," he countered, "and you didn't warn me."
Galen propped his arm on the truck bed and cocked his head to one side. "And even if I had warned you, it wouldn't have mattered. Beth would still be coming over tomorrow, and we'd still be leaving to do something...God knows what...to give them their girl time. Besides, as Beth told me this morning, she needs to finalize all the details for Carrie's baby shower, and when that happens, that is no place for either you or me to be, my friend. Now I'm going to go home and crawl into bed, hoping you're planning on staying out of the ditch from here on out."
Robbie laughed and shook his head. "Definitely. And thanks."
He walked back to his own truck, and as he slid behind the wheel noticed that he'd been right. Carrie had turned sideways so she could rest her head on the back of the seat. Her eyes were closed, and she slept, oblivious to everything that was going on around her.
For a moment, he watched her, amazed at how her skin seemed to glow in the cool moonlight. Her long, red hair spilled across her face, and Robbie, knowing his wife hated that sensation, gently pushed it back, worried it might tickle her nose and wake her.
As his fingers tangled slightly in her hair, she exhaled softly, and he was worried she was going to wake up, so he forced himself to turn back to the wheel, start the truck, and drive back to the house. He'd almost made it when Carrie's body slid into his and her head rolled onto his shoulder. A smile touched his lips as he thought of all the times she'd sat this close and just slept. He couldn't help but steal a couple of glances her way, grateful for the moment.
He pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the house before gently adjusting Carrie so she wouldn't fall over when he got out, and when he'd turned her so she rested back against the seat, he whispered, "Stay there for just a minute."
Although he was pretty sure she hadn't heard him, her body complied, and he quickly strode around the truck to the passenger side, where he eased her out and into his arms to carry her back inside. He had just unlocked the front door and pushed it open when Carrie's eyes fluttered open. There was that moment when she was drifting between dream and consciousness, when things were hazy and
"You're welcome. Would it be okay if I came and stayed with her for a few minutes tomorrow?"
At the thought of that, Robbie could feel his stomach tighten. It wasn't that he minded Beth being there; it was just that Carrie's behavior had become strange, unpredictable, and he worried his wife might do something that made Beth think twice.
Beth is her best friend
, he thought.
She's not going to judge Carrie because she's having an off day.
Robbie's jaw clenched. "I don't know, Beth--she's still not herself."
"So maybe she needs a little girl time. I could sit with her for a few hours while you go off with Galen." She waited for a response, and when none came, she said, "Come on, Robbie--what would a couple of hours hurt? I miss her."
Galen watched Robbie and smiled, waiting. "Oh, all right. What time?"
"About ten. Tell Galen I'll see him soon and to be careful on his way home so he doesn't run off into any ditches himself."
"Will do. Bye."
The phone went dead in Robbie's ear and he handed it back to Galen. "You're wife is nothing if not persistent."
Galen threw his head back and laughed. "How do you think we ended up married in the first place? She wouldn't take no for an answer."
Robbie folded his arms across his chest. "Still, you knew that call was coming," he countered, "and you didn't warn me."
Galen propped his arm on the truck bed and cocked his head to one side. "And even if I had warned you, it wouldn't have mattered. Beth would still be coming over tomorrow, and we'd still be leaving to do something...God knows what...to give them their girl time. Besides, as Beth told me this morning, she needs to finalize all the details for Carrie's baby shower, and when that happens, that is no place for either you or me to be, my friend. Now I'm going to go home and crawl into bed, hoping you're planning on staying out of the ditch from here on out."
Robbie laughed and shook his head. "Definitely. And thanks."
He walked back to his own truck, and as he slid behind the wheel noticed that he'd been right. Carrie had turned sideways so she could rest her head on the back of the seat. Her eyes were closed, and she slept, oblivious to everything that was going on around her.
For a moment, he watched her, amazed at how her skin seemed to glow in the cool moonlight. Her long, red hair spilled across her face, and Robbie, knowing his wife hated that sensation, gently pushed it back, worried it might tickle her nose and wake her.
As his fingers tangled slightly in her hair, she exhaled softly, and he was worried she was going to wake up, so he forced himself to turn back to the wheel, start the truck, and drive back to the house. He'd almost made it when Carrie's body slid into his and her head rolled onto his shoulder. A smile touched his lips as he thought of all the times she'd sat this close and just slept. He couldn't help but steal a couple of glances her way, grateful for the moment.
He pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the house before gently adjusting Carrie so she wouldn't fall over when he got out, and when he'd turned her so she rested back against the seat, he whispered, "Stay there for just a minute."
Although he was pretty sure she hadn't heard him, her body complied, and he quickly strode around the truck to the passenger side, where he eased her out and into his arms to carry her back inside. He had just unlocked the front door and pushed it open when Carrie's eyes fluttered open. There was that moment when she was drifting between dream and consciousness, when things were hazy and
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