Read Online What He Didn't Say by Carol Stephenson - Free Book Online

makes us human, Emma-Lee. But you forgot to add love and respect to our dynamic.”
    She sought comfort through the ritual the pair had begun in college when they had their first fight. She twisted her hand until her small finger hooked the similar finger on Sandy’s hand.
    â€œStill friends?”
    â€œFriends forever.” Sandy sighed and let her hand drop. “So tired.”
    â€œClose your eyes for a moment and rest.”
    As she heard her friend’s breathing even out, Emma-Lee stretched out her legs. So long as they could push past the fear of death, they would be all right. They had to be. Weary, she shut her eyes.
    Â 
    â€œI FIGURE YOU OWE ME a debt of gratitude.” Jeff tucked the blanket around Emily Rose sleeping peacefully in the crib.
    Holt still trying to figure out how the heck he’d ended up in as unlikely a place as a child’s nursery on a Saturday night gave the other man a blank look. “What?”
    The father turned on a night-light and picked up a few stuffed animals from the floor. “When I first met Sandy, she was glued to the hip with Emma-Lee. You would have thought they were blood twins rather than college roommates. Many a guy tried and failed to get past one’s scrutiny in order to date the other.”
    He placed the toys in a painted wood cabinet. “It took quite a bit of clever and skilled maneuvering by me to separate Sandy from her anchor.”
    Despite the little voice in his head warning him he was getting too involved, Holt was fascinated. “Emma-Lee’s the anchor of their friendship?”
    Jeff threw him a puzzled glance. “Haven’t you been drawn into her fold by now? She comes from such a tight-knit family that she radiates this warmth and openness. Sandy’s folks divorced when she was young and she got kicked to the side. Enter Emma-Lee with her open arms and heart and presto, a friendship as thick as blood.
    â€œBy convincing Emma-Lee that I was Mr. Right for Sandy, I was able to win Sandy’s heart.”
    He moved past Holt into the hallway. “Given my wife’s ad nauseam conversation this week of how you rescued Emma-Lee, you’ve come a long way in securing her approval. You may even stand a chance with Emma-Lee where others have failed.”
    Holt slipped his hands into his pockets. “I’ll have to remember that detail.”
    He should make an excuse and leave. It wasn’t as if Emma-Lee was expecting him to stay. The women had been hidden away in the bedroom for an hour now without a sign of them reappearing. For all he knew, Emma-Lee had forgotten he was even here.
    Up until now, he’d been unable to offer anything but a pat on the shoulder or a brief comment when others faced illness or death. Another indication Emma-Lee was starting to mean something more to him. Watching his mother’s long and ultimately unsuccessful fight with cancer had burned out all ability to deal with any more sickness. He’d borne the burden once in life, and he didn’t intend to ever go through such an ordeal again. The pain at the end was simply too agonizing to bear.
    Jeff stopped in front of the bedroom door and silentlyturned the handle. The tender expression that swept across his face was so private Holt had to turn his head.
    â€œCome here. You have to see this.”
    With leaden feet, Holt approached the door and looked inside. Across the room the two women slept peacefully together in a chair. Emma-Lee’s arm was wrapped protectively around her friend’s shoulders.
    An emotion so raw and alien to him that he couldn’t even label it gripped his heart. He rubbed the heel of his hand over his chest to relieve the ache.
    The scene before him tore loose a memory. Right after his mother had been diagnosed, her crying had awakened him. He’d run into his parents’ bedroom. His father had been holding her, running a comforting hand along her back. Unable to bear