Read Online Unraveled by Heidi McCahan - Free Book Online

launched sparks into the pale blue sky. It didn’t matter. She didn’t belong here anymore. Bonfire days were over. She met Granny’s eyes and offered her a smile.
    “You need to get home and care for that little one.”
    Lauren’s heart lurched in her chest.
    “Granny, I –”
    “Go on.” Granny shooed her toward the door with a rapid flick of her fingers. Lauren’s knees quaked as she pushed up from the chair.
    “I’m fine here. You get on home. That baby needs you.”
    Lauren nodded and moved toward the door. Hot tears pricked her eyes. A lump filled her throat. The old familiar ache squeezed her heart. If only Granny knew the truth.
    Maybe she does.
    “That’s impossible.” Lauren cringed. She didn’t mean to say that aloud. She glanced over her shoulder. Granny’s eyes were already closed.
    She stepped out into the hallway, pulling Granny’s door shut behind her. The unmistakable baritone voice of Dr. Wheeler boomed down the hallway. He needed to know about Granny’s sudden and unpredictable lapses into the past. Maybe he could adjust her medication. Lauren’s heels tapped out a staccato rhythm on the linoleum as she approached the nurses’ station. Before she could get his attention, Dr. Wheeler clutched his cell phone and dashed toward the ER. The meeting would have to wait. But the nurse could probably tell her where to find Mom.
    “Sweetheart?” Mom was walking toward her, brow furrowed. The letters on her sweatshirt were cracked and fading, her short brown hair matted on one side. A smudge of mascara emphasized the fatigue in her eyes.
    “Hi, Mom.”
    “Your face is flushed. What’s going on?”
    Lauren pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t get it. One minute she’s totally with it, then the next thing out of her mouth makes zero sense.”
    “Oh, honey, I know.” Mom pulled her close and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sure she’s glad you stopped by. C’mon, let’s go home.”
    Lauren frowned and followed Mom down the hall toward the waiting room. Maybe it wasn’t her place to worry about Granny’s meds. She’d only done a short rotation on the Psychiatric floor during her two semesters at Portland Community college and probably knew just enough to be dangerous. But there had to be some explanation for Granny’s cryptic comments.
    “Did you hear me?” Mom glanced back over her shoulder, eyebrows raised.
    Lauren shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t.”
    “I asked if you wanted to drive?”
    “Sure.” Lauren pulled the key to the minivan from her bag and followed Mom outside. Fog had rolled in again, hiding the mountains in shrouds of billowing gray and white clouds.
    “I really appreciate your help. I’m sure it’s not easy to drop everything and come back home.” Mom climbed in the passenger side of the minivan.
    Lauren circled around to the driver’s side, buying time to formulate her answer. This wasn’t the best time to let her parents know that the man who wanted to marry their daughter was quite possibly in a heap of trouble. But the reality was that without Holden, she couldn’t survive in Portland on her own. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she propped her bag on the console between them.
    “Is something else bothering you? Besides Granny, I mean?”
    Where to begin? Lauren wet her lips. She didn’t have to tell Mom everything. Just enough to get a fresh perspective. “Things aren’t going well with Holden. I-I don’t know where we went wrong. One day I’m dating a handsome, successful surgeon and almost overnight, he morphed into this distracted, paranoid person that I hardly recognize.”
    “He’s probably under a lot of stress. Long hours, little sleep. Maybe he needs a vacation.”
    “That’s the thing. This trip was his idea. He—” She cut her words short and stole a glance at Mom.
    Mom managed a weak smile but the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable. “It’s okay, honey. You’ve made it