“You’re not the only person in this town I could call for a lift,” she grumbled.
“But I am the only one who will hunt you down if I don’t hear from you when I expect to,” he warned.
She sighed and went with him, turning out the inside lights and locking the front door behind them. She paused on the patio. Normally being surrounded by the fairyland of lights made her smile, but tonight her mood was too dark to enjoy the moment.
As they crossed the parking lot, Ronnie draped his arm across her tensed shoulders. When they reached his pickup, he pinned her against the side and framed her face with his hands.
“I love you, Dana Sue. I want you around for a long, long time. I won’t let you do anything that could cut that time short.”
She regarded him wearily. “You say that as if you think I’m trying to kill myself.”
“Not trying to,” he said. “Just not doing all you can to make sure it doesn’t happen. If I have to, I’ll bully you the way we’ve had to bully Annie.”
“I could wind up hating you for it,” Dana Sue threatened.
He grinned. “Annie said that a time or two, as well. It didn’t make us back down. Some things are just too important for me to worry about how mad you might get.”
Just as Annie had, Dana Sue wanted to lash out, but it was one thing for their sixteen-year-old to throw a tantrum. It was something else entirely for a mature woman to do it.
“I’ll make the appointment,” she promised.
“And call me first thing in the morning to let me know what time to pick you up,” he reminded her yet again.
“Yes, fine,” she said impatiently. She knew she should appreciate his concern, and Annie’s, too, but right now all she felt was pressure. And fear. What if there was reason to worry? What if she was much sicker than she’d realized?
Ronnie winked at her in an obvious attempt to lighten the tension. “If you’re a really good girl, I’ll bring you a sugar-free lollipop.”
Dana Sue rolled her eyes. “Trust me, you’re going to have to come up with a better reward than that.”
“Well, there is one other possibility,” he said. “And since you’re being so agreeable, I could give you a preview tonight.”
Despite her annoyance at the moment, she regarded him with real regret. “Annie,” she reminded him. “Home alone.”
“Darn, I knew there was something I was forgetting. Too bad I can’t just come home with you.”
“You could, but I hear the guest room mattress is really uncomfortable. Didn’t you insist on that so your folks and mine wouldn’t stay too long when they visited?”
“What was I thinking?” he grumbled good-naturedly.
“Probably that there would never be a time when I’d make you sleep on it,” Dana Sue said as they pulled up in front of the house. In the window, the huge tree Ronnie had helped them lug home and decorate was sparkling with colored lights. That was yet another sight that normally cheered her, but failed to move her tonight.
“Good night, Ronnie.”
“’Night, sugar. Sleep well.”
He waited until she was inside and had switched off the porch light before backing out of the driveway.
After he was out of sight, Dana Sue leaned against the door with a sigh. Coming home from an evening with Ronnie, as if they were seventeen and had just been on a date, was getting old.
Before tonight she’d have said he was getting close to putting them both out of their misery by asking her to marry him, but now that he knew about her health issues, she wasn’t so sure. What if he was scared off? Just one more reason to avoid Doc Marshall as long as possible.
Of course, avoiding Ronnie if he found out she hadn’t made an appointment was going to be a whole lot trickier.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Annie could hardly wait to get her session with Dr. McDaniels over with. Ty had driven her to the psychologist’s office and was waiting for her outside. They were going to Charleston to do some Christmas shopping afterward.
“You seem awfully eager to get out of here,” Dr. McDaniels said, regarding her with amusement. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with that young man I saw with you in the parking lot, would it?”
Annie beamed. “That’s Ty.”
“I thought it might be. How’s that going?”
“Well, it’s not like we’ve had a real date yet, but we talk almost every day, and I think maybe he’s going to ask me to a party over the holidays.”
“Will you be okay if he doesn’t?” Dr. McDaniels asked.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Annie said, then met the shrink’s gaze. “Can I ask you something that isn’t about food?”
“Of course.”
“Why are boys so hard to understand?”
Dr. McDaniels laughed. “They say the same thing about girls, you know.”
Annie didn’t believe that for a minute. “I’m serious. I don’t get why Ty hasn’t figured out how great we’d be as a couple. We can talk about everything. We’ve known each other forever. We’re practically best friends.”
This time Dr. McDaniels didn’t laugh or even crack a smile. She took the question seriously. It was something Annie liked about talking to her.
“Sometimes it’s hard to change an old pattern,” she told Annie. “Or maybe Ty is afraid if you two start dating and it doesn’t work out, it’ll ruin the friendship you have. Given how close your families are, that could be really awkward.”
Annie nodded slowly. “I see what you mean. Does that mean I should just give up?”
“Absolutely not. Just keep your expectations in check and don’t be in too big a rush to change things. Best friends often have the best relationships in the long run. Weren’t your mom and dad friends for a long time before they got serious about each other?”
Annie grinned. “That was just because my dad knew it was the smart way to keep my mom interested.”
“Well, going
