a real bitch sometimes. I wish she’d never made the cheer team, because now we have to treat her practically like a sorority sister. She even insisted I let her be a bridesmaid when I married Richie. What could I do? I’d already asked the other cheerleaders, and she would have caused a helluva problem if I hadn’t asked her.”
“I can see that happening.” Alana nodded.
“Then be damned if she didn’t try to sleep with Richie after the rehearsal dinner,” Danielle whispered. “I wish she’d find a rich husband, get married, and move off somewhere far away—maybe like Africa.”
Alana couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Why would you wish that on those poor people?”
Danielle giggled. “You got a point there.”
“Okay, Alana,” Mary Beth said, “let’s get you into a room and ready for Doc to see you. He should be done stitching up Keeton before too long.”
“I hope Keeton gets along all right,” Alana told Danielle as she picked up her purse and followed Mary Beth through a door and back to an examination room.
Danielle waved. “Thank you, and if you need any help with your wedding, call me.”
Could you please kidnap Rachel and keep her in a remote place until the wedding is over? Alana thought, but she did a finger wave over her shoulder.
Mary Beth ushered her into a room and nodded toward a chair. “Of course, everything that comes through the office is confidential, but I want you to know that I’m real sorry about Matt. You’ve got my prayers, and, honey, I’ve got broad shoulders if you need to cry, and I’ve got listening ears if you need to talk. And you can rest assured, I don’t gossip. Couldn’t if I wanted to. Doc would fire me.”
“Thank you.” Alana managed a smile. “I might just give you a call sometime.”
“Anytime at all.” Mary Beth closed the door behind her.
Alana sat down and picked up a magazine. She flipped through its pages for all of thirty seconds, laid it down, and checked the time on her phone. She’d been sitting there for a whole minute now, and she could hear the doctor’s deep voice talking about golfing with Richie in the next room.
“Small-town doctors,” she grumbled. “They know everyone’s history for generations back.”
“Well, I believe that’s got Keeton fixed up,” she heard Doctor Wilson say. “Tell Mary Beth to give him a lollipop on the way out and make an appointment for a week from now to get the stitches removed.”
“We’ll be here.” Richie’s voice was as clear as if he’d been in the room with her.
“I’ll buy Keeton a whole bag of lollipops if you’ll hurry up and get the hell out of here,” she muttered as she checked her phone again. Five minutes had passed. She could hardly breathe for the brick that was still on her heart. Her hands were sweating again, and her stomach was making noises. She scanned the room for a trash can and located one over beside the sink.
“Good to know that there’s one here.” She glared at her phone again. Six minutes had gone by.
“Well, Alana.” The doctor breezed into the room with her chart in his hand. “Mary Beth tells me you have cancer. Why on earth would you think that?”
She brought the bag out of her purse. “Twelve tests, doctor, and every damn one of them is positive. The Internet says that cancer can cause a false positive.”
“Have you been celibate the past month, Alana?” Dr. Wilson smiled. “Have you had unprotected sex with Pax? I’m not judging. You two are engaged after all.”
“Once,” she admitted.
“Once is all it takes.” He peeked into the bag she had handed him. “I’ll do some bloodwork, but, honey, from a positive result on that many tests I’d say you’re pregnant.”
“But Daddy has cancer and Mama had it, and…” She felt the tears before they even started running down her cheeks. “And I’ve got too much on my plate right now for a baby.”
“Alana.” Dr. Wilson laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve treated you since you were born. What your mama had started as skin cancer on her back and got into her blood before we knew it was there. The type of cancer your dad has might or might not be hereditary, but I’m pretty damn sure you don’t have it. What you do have is a baby on the way, so go home and tell Pax he’s going to be a father. If you want to wait