Page 8 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell

She willed her legs to be still.

Seconds later, Travis came into the room, and they all leapt out of their chairs, circling him.

“Sorry, we’ve been waiting on tests,” Travis said, wrapping Charlie in a hug.

“And?” Gracie pressed.

Travis looked up from the top of Charlie’s head. “And her blood pressure is high, so they want to keep an eye on her. They’re worried about preeclampsia, but they don’t know for sure yet. Her mom and I are going to stay with her.”

“Charlie can hang with me tonight if he wants,” Mike said.

“No, I want to stay with Mom!” Charlie cried.

Gracie’s heart broke for the young boy, and for some reason, she found herself reaching back for Eric’s hand, as if she was the one who needed comforting.

Travis bent over until he was eye level with Charlie. “I know, son. But there isn’t enough room, and you need to get a good night’s sleep.”

“But—”

“Charlie, I need you to be a man about this, okay?”

Charlie deflated, and under any other circumstance, Gracie would have ripped into Travis about expecting too much from a twelve-year-old, but with Gemma so sick, emotions were running high.

Gracie went over and gave Charlie a hug. “You stay with Uncle Mike, and tomorrow morning, I’ll pick you up with donuts, and we will come right back here to check on your mom.”

“Okay, but can I see her now?” Charlie asked.

“Sure, bud. Let’s go back.” Travis addressed the rest of them as a group. “They only allow three visitors to a room, so…”

“It’s okay,” Gracie said. “I can come back tomorrow and pester her. Will you just tell her I love her and if she ever scares me like that again, she’ll be sleeping with the fishes?”

“You got it.” Travis and Charlie disappeared behind the doors, and Gracie released a gigantic sigh of relief. She didn’t know what she’d do without her best friend.

Gracie pulled out her phone and snapped a selfie of her making a sad face. She texted it to her with the message:I love you. See you in the morning.

Her phone beeped seconds later with a picture of Gemma, who had dark circles around her eyes and a tired smile.I love you too.

Gracie hated to leave without seeing Gemma, but with Gemma’s sister waiting and all she’d been through, Gemma needed rest instead of reassuring the rest of them she was going to be okay.

“If you’re ready…” Eric seemed hesitant to press her, but she wasn’t mad. She was drained.

“Yeah, if you could give me a ride back to my car, that would be great.”

“Sure.”

Gracie hugged Mike and Dawn and then followed Eric out the double doors to the parking lot. The temperature had dropped and the sky was an ugly gray as the mass of clouds gathered above.

“Feels like snow,” Eric said.

“Yeah, my weather app showed it was coming.” Gracie pulled her jean jacket closed over her breasts, but the thin material was meant for style, not warmth.

Eric pressed a button on his keys, and his car roared to life.

Gracie smiled as she waited for him to unlock her door. “Automatic start, huh? That’s nice.”

“Especially on days when it’s too cold to function.”

“That’s why God invented coffee,” she said as she climbed inside.

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