Page 3 of Loving Lizzy

“You already met with the oncologist?” he asked. “Which one?”

She shook her head. “No. I already have a consultation set up. It’s more complicated than that.”

He rubbed her arm gently. “You don’t know yet. Don’t think of the worst-case scenario, there’s different?—”

“I know, Michael.” Her voice came out deadly quiet.

“Of course, you’ve worked in a hospital and I’m sure you have an idea. It always seems worse when you’re the patient. You don’t know?—”

“Yes, I do. I know because I’ve done this before. I found a lump after Conner passed away. I thought I felt a blocked milk duct. When I went in for my six-week follow-up, she ordered a scan,” she admitted. “We already lost him, and I didn’t know if you lived or died. When they told me they succeeded in rescuing you, I refused to make you witness me go through this after losing our child. I’d rather you hate me than watch me die,” she cried.

Michael froze at her words. She fought her first battle with breast cancer alone. Dread ran through him as she appeared resigned to her fate. How long had she known?

He pulled her into his arms as she struggled with the fear and the anxiety bottled up inside. “I’m not leaving you. We’re getting our happily ever after, do you hear me? You can push me away, but I’ll be right outside your door every damn day. We’ll get through this together.” he whispered.

Her fingers gripped his sides as if he provided her with a lifeline. A sob escaped her as she clung to him. His chin rested on the top of her head as he held her tightly, sharing his strength. His mind raced as he formulated a tentative plan. Lizzy wasn’t fighting this alone. His jaw tightened in determination as he picked her up and carried her to her room.

“I’m scared, Michael,” she breathed into his neck. “I don’t want you to live this all over again.”

“Shhh, I know you are. I won’t lie to you and tell you I’m not. A piece of paper says we aren’t married but my heart will always belong to you. I refuse to allow you to push me away. We’ll go over everything in the morning. Tonight, I’m holding you and reminding you how strong we are together.”

Michael slipped the dress over her head and unfastened her bra. He reached for her nightshirt laying neatly folded under her pillow and held it as Lizzy pulled her arms through the holes. Pulling down the covers, he waited while she climbed in. Undressing silently, he slid into the bed and drew her into the protective shield of his embrace. He’d carry faith for them both because he refused to be in a world where he wasn’t spending his life loving Lizzy.

CHAPTER ONE

Lizzy sat back in her chair at Kassie and Chase’s kitchen table. She held her stomach and blew out a satisfied sigh.

“Wow, dinner tasted amazing. Can I get the recipe?” she asked.

“I’ll email it to you later. Do you feel up to a ride? I want to show you and Michael something.” Kassie questioned as she cleared the dishes and took them to the sink.

“Let me help you,” Lizzy implored.

“It’s plates and silverware. My hubby already cleaned the pans. One good thing about marrying someone from the military is they keep everything tidy,” her friend quipped.

She smiled. “Where did the guys go?”

“They went out onto the deck. I asked Chase to give me a few minutes alone with you.” Kassie took a seat next to her. “I’m concerned because you brush off our questions concerning your diagnosis. I know Michael’s worried, and you have an appointment coming up. After your confession when Maddie, Carol, and Victoria staged an intervention to get everyone talking again, we want you to know we plan to support you.”

“I appreciate it. Honestly, I apologize for my outburst. You, Catherine, and Samantha were working out your differences and I highjacked your meeting.” Lizzy refused to meet Kassie’s gaze.

Kassie took her hand and squeezed it. “You didn’t do anything wrong. We needed a wake-up call. All of us carried valid points but we took each for granted.”

“I must’ve sounded incredibly desperate. I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. I’ve gone through this before and will figure it out,” Lizzy told her.

Kassie cocked her head to study the woman beside her for a moment. Lizzy stared uneasily at her glass. “I’ve thought about this. When Catherine and I worked as nurses under you, you came to events and always stayed outside the groups. As if you attended for politeness rather than true friendship. You work on the mountain now. Michael cares for Em and most of our kids. We consider you part of our extended family. We run our facility differently. It’s not based on politics, money, or profit. We’ve got the legal and administrative stuff handled between Joe, you, and the lawyers. It allows us time to focus on patient care and provide a personalized experience. The staff has a support system. We handle any issues in-house, and I believe they thrive on how we’ve dealt with matters. It leaves you open to have friendships with anyone you choose, including us. I hope you’ll let us in.”

Lizzy’s gaze met hers, “Thank you.”

“Let’s get the guys. Emma’s with Nugget and Saint. He offered to bathe her and put her into pajamas while we took you into town. Whiskey’s meeting us.” Kassie rose from her chair and grabbed her purse. She waited while Lizzy picked up her things and they went through the kitchen to where the men sat in the corner of the deck overlooking the view.

Walking immediately into her husband’s arms, Kassie rested her head on his shoulder. Lizzy felt Michael watching her as she approached. She made no effort to reach for his hand as she stood beside him.

“If you want to follow us down, we’re headed to Samantha’s old place. Whiskey’s waiting for us there,” Chase informed the couple.

Michael’s brow lifted slightly at his friend’s statement before he turned and guided Lizzy back through the house and out the front door to their car.

“Did you enjoy dinner?” He attempted to make small talk.

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