by Tamie Dearen
“Michelle!” She sat up in bed, her mind alert with excitement.
“What?” Steven rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes. “What about Michelle? Is she here?”
“No, of course not. I just realized… Michelle would be perfect for your cousin, Evan.”
He stared at her until understanding dawned on his face. “I see I have work to do.” He threw back the sheet and gazed at her with a wolfish grin. “I’m going to drive all thought of my cousin from your mind.”
And he did.
From the Author:
Hope you had a lot of fun.
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Read on to see what’s next in The Best Girls adventures….
Excerpt from Best Dating Rules
Determined to call the doctor and make an appointment as soon as lunch was over, Anne pushed the food around on her plate to make it appear emptier.
“Anne?” All the levity disappeared from Steven’s voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She felt the blood drain from her face at his words and the severity of his tone.
“Nothing. Nothing, I just… uhmm… I was trying to remember something.” She rose from the table, scrambling for an excuse. “I remember what it was. I forgot to mail our RSVP for the wedding. You know Sam and Tanner’s wedding? I’ve got to get it in the mail before it’s too late.”
“Anne!” Steven rose from his chair and pinned her with his glare. “Stop avoiding my question. What is it?”
“Nothing. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just...”
She watched in confusion as the sides of the room turned black and closed in on Steven’s face. Then she saw the floor coming toward her. Then she saw nothing.
*****
Forcing her heavy eyes open, Anne gradually focused on Steven’s worried face.
“You’re in an ambulance. Stop trying to push the mask off your face. It’s oxygen.”
An ambulance. She was going to the hospital. She had to tell him—he couldn’t find out from the doctors. He’d be so angry. She struggled to speak, her words muffled by the mask.
“She’s trying to say something,” Steven told the paramedic. “Can she move the mask?”
“Sure, we can take it off for a minute.”
How could she break the news to him? Her eyes filled with tears, and she sobbed out the words.
“I th-think it m-may be cancer.”
“No, sweetheart, no.” He soothed her, pushing a stray strand of hair off her face. “It’s not cancer. It’s probably not a big deal. Maybe it’s appendicitis.”
“No. M-my mother died from it—stomach cancer. And now I have the symptoms. I didn’t want to tell you...”
“No! That’s not it. You have something else wrong with you. It’s not serious.” His brows creased, and his jaw flexed.
“But, my mom...”
“No! It isn’t cancer!” He blinked rapidly and rubbed at his eyes. “It isn’t—it can’t be. Not now, when I’ve only just found you. It can’t be that...” He kissed her all over her face, saying, “No, no, no, no...”
Anne sobbed even harder and grasped his neck in desperation. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to do this to you.”
“Stop. You didn’t do anything, and we don’t know anything. We’ll just do tests and see what the doctor says. It’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Anne knew the words he repeated to comfort her were his futile attempt to convince himself.
Continue reading Best Dating Rules…
About the Author
Tamie Dearen lives in Texas with her very romantic husband of thirty-three years. She has two beautiful daughters, two amazing son-in-loves, and one awesome grandson. She plays piano, flute, harmonica, keyboards, and guitar and loves composing and art. And she hates housework. She has been a dentist in private practice for thirty years. Tamie stays busy playing keyboards on her church’s praise team and teaching graduate students each week. In her spare time, she writes books. Contact Tamie on her website (TamieDearen.com) for news of the latest releases and monthly prize drawings.
Books by Tamie Dearen
Sweet Romance
The Best Girls Series:
The Best is Yet to Come (Free Prequel)
Her Best Match
Best Dating Rules
Best Laid Plans
Best Foot Forward
Sweet Romance
A Rose in Bloom
Christian Romance
Noelle’s Golden Christmas
The Alora Series
YA/Fantasy
Alora: The Wander-Jewel
Alora: The Portal
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