Read Online The Deadline (The Friessens: A New Beginning) by Lorhainne Eckhart - Free Book Online
Authors: Lorhainne Eckhart
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watches you and cares for you? Anyone could see he’s stuck his brand on you!” Kim laughed.
Laura had never seen her relationship with Andy that way. Sure, they’d worked through a lot, but he’d also only married her to protect her and Gabriel. She loved him deeply, so much that it hurt to breathe, and she knew he loved Gabriel as his own son.
Kim reached over and covered her hand. “Whatever you need, you just ask me. I’ll stay all night if you need me. Don’t feel threatened by me, Laura. Everyone needs someone, and I think we could be really good friends.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, of course,” Kim said before taking a swallow of her tea.
“That doctor you gave An dy the name of, is he any good?” Laura asked. She was still shaken by what an arrogant jerk he had been, in her opinion. He had judged her, and she’d seen the way he looked at her, could feel the disapproval in the way he’d talked to her. She should have been happy Andy had recognized that, but she wasn’t.
“Bruce? Yeah, he’s one of the best in this part of the country. I know he was offered a big opportunity in South Africa a few years ago but chose to stay. He’s a great guy, and Gabriel couldn’t be in better hands.” She frowned. “Is there something wrong? It seems that wasn’t the answer you were looking for.”
“He said some things. I don’t think he approves of me.”
Kim appeared puzzled for a moment. “Really? That surprises me. I’ve known him a while from our church, and I haven’t seen that in him. He’s always so pleasant. Maybe you misread him. I mean, this is a stressful situation.”
“ Oh, I doubt that,” Laura said.
Kim gave her another odd look and then appeared to consider something, but before she could say anything, the phone rang. Laura jumped up and raced for it, grabbing it before it could ring a second time.
“Hello ?” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Kim.
“H ey, listen. Gabriel just finished with his tests. They just moved him back to his room.” Andy became quiet on the other end, and Laura’s heart started pounding as her anxiety wound up. She wanted to scream. She felt absolutely helpless, being stuck at home instead of with her son.
“Andy , how is he?” She shoved her fingers through her hair, rubbing and pulling at a few knots.
“He’s , uh…Laura, it’s hard on him. I don’t like seeing him like this. He’s still asleep, but I’ll be here when he wakes up.”
Laura could feel her eyes burning as she listened to her husband. She willed her little boy to be okay, and she wanted more than anything to be there. For the first time in her life, she felt torn, as if caring for her babies was an obligation, and she couldn’t shake her guilt at that thought. “What did the doctor say? What about the test?” she asked. She could hear the hesitation in Andy’s voice and knew he was holding something back. That was what he did. He protected her, all of them, but this time she needed to know. “Please, Andy, stop hiding things from me. I really need to know. I want to come back there.”
“You can’t , Laura, not with the babies. They’re still nursing. I wish a lot of things, honey, but I need you to be strong, and I need you to get some sleep.”
She could hear him sigh , and she pulled the phone away and shook her head. She wanted to yell at him, to reach through the phone and shake his arm, but she couldn’t. He had a way of always holding back. “Please, Andy, don’t hide anything. I know you’re always trying to protect me, to protect us, but this is Gabriel—my little boy…”
“He’s ours, Laura,” Andy said, cutting her off, and she could hear in the sharp tone how thoughtless a remark that had been.
“ You know that’s not what I meant. I know you love him, and he loves you so much,” she said.
“ Listen, I’ll tell you more about what the doctor said tomorrow, but the tests haven’t come back yet, and we won’t
Laura had never seen her relationship with Andy that way. Sure, they’d worked through a lot, but he’d also only married her to protect her and Gabriel. She loved him deeply, so much that it hurt to breathe, and she knew he loved Gabriel as his own son.
Kim reached over and covered her hand. “Whatever you need, you just ask me. I’ll stay all night if you need me. Don’t feel threatened by me, Laura. Everyone needs someone, and I think we could be really good friends.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, of course,” Kim said before taking a swallow of her tea.
“That doctor you gave An dy the name of, is he any good?” Laura asked. She was still shaken by what an arrogant jerk he had been, in her opinion. He had judged her, and she’d seen the way he looked at her, could feel the disapproval in the way he’d talked to her. She should have been happy Andy had recognized that, but she wasn’t.
“Bruce? Yeah, he’s one of the best in this part of the country. I know he was offered a big opportunity in South Africa a few years ago but chose to stay. He’s a great guy, and Gabriel couldn’t be in better hands.” She frowned. “Is there something wrong? It seems that wasn’t the answer you were looking for.”
“He said some things. I don’t think he approves of me.”
Kim appeared puzzled for a moment. “Really? That surprises me. I’ve known him a while from our church, and I haven’t seen that in him. He’s always so pleasant. Maybe you misread him. I mean, this is a stressful situation.”
“ Oh, I doubt that,” Laura said.
Kim gave her another odd look and then appeared to consider something, but before she could say anything, the phone rang. Laura jumped up and raced for it, grabbing it before it could ring a second time.
“Hello ?” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Kim.
“H ey, listen. Gabriel just finished with his tests. They just moved him back to his room.” Andy became quiet on the other end, and Laura’s heart started pounding as her anxiety wound up. She wanted to scream. She felt absolutely helpless, being stuck at home instead of with her son.
“Andy , how is he?” She shoved her fingers through her hair, rubbing and pulling at a few knots.
“He’s , uh…Laura, it’s hard on him. I don’t like seeing him like this. He’s still asleep, but I’ll be here when he wakes up.”
Laura could feel her eyes burning as she listened to her husband. She willed her little boy to be okay, and she wanted more than anything to be there. For the first time in her life, she felt torn, as if caring for her babies was an obligation, and she couldn’t shake her guilt at that thought. “What did the doctor say? What about the test?” she asked. She could hear the hesitation in Andy’s voice and knew he was holding something back. That was what he did. He protected her, all of them, but this time she needed to know. “Please, Andy, stop hiding things from me. I really need to know. I want to come back there.”
“You can’t , Laura, not with the babies. They’re still nursing. I wish a lot of things, honey, but I need you to be strong, and I need you to get some sleep.”
She could hear him sigh , and she pulled the phone away and shook her head. She wanted to yell at him, to reach through the phone and shake his arm, but she couldn’t. He had a way of always holding back. “Please, Andy, don’t hide anything. I know you’re always trying to protect me, to protect us, but this is Gabriel—my little boy…”
“He’s ours, Laura,” Andy said, cutting her off, and she could hear in the sharp tone how thoughtless a remark that had been.
“ You know that’s not what I meant. I know you love him, and he loves you so much,” she said.
“ Listen, I’ll tell you more about what the doctor said tomorrow, but the tests haven’t come back yet, and we won’t
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