Page 65 of Loved By Tandy

“I’ll just wait.” She takes my hand as we head inside. “When my house is finished, want to move in with me?”

“I do.” I drop onto the sofa and tug her into my lap. “What sort of wedding do you want?”

“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought. I stopped thinking about my dream wedding decades ago. But I’m for sure not going to waltz down the aisle in a big floofy white dress.”

“Maybe something with sparkles.” I poke her in the side.

“Don’t tempt me. I might just do that.” She tips her head back and lets loose a delicious laugh.

Now I just need those test results so I have a better idea of how long my happily-ever-after will last, not that anything is guaranteed.

Days become torturously longwhen waiting on test results. But Tandy has been more than helpful. She’s been supportive without constantly fretting over me. On the nights I can’t sleep, she rubs my back until I drift off. And when no one else is around, we talk about the wedding like there isn’t a black cloud hanging over our future.

I check my messages as I walk to the door. “Your house is close to done. The wrong flooring was delivered, and it’ll be a week or more until the right stuff arrives before they can install it downstairs. But it should be ready in three weeks to a month.” I’m anxious about my appointment, but talking about Matchmaker Ranch gives me a place to focus my energy and keep the building panic corralled. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Tandy stands beside the door with her arms crossed. She didn’t even respond to the news about her house, which signals how stressed she is.

I rest my hands on her shoulders. “If people see you going into an appointment with me at the doctor’s office, they’ll think something is wrong with me. And I prefer to maintain control over that news. No matter what the doctor says, I’ll be okay. You’ll still marry me, right?”

“Of course I will. Don’t be silly.” She gives me a quick peck. “Go. You don’t want to be late.”

As I drive, I try to think about things that need to be done on the ranch and what I want to say to Zach and Eli tomorrow night. We’re having lunch with Dallas to let him in on our engagement, and we’ll tell my grandsons that evening. But the big announcement will be this weekend when all my kids are in town. I haven’t seen Donna in nearly a year, so I’m looking forward to the visit.

Once I’m at the office, the nurse calls me back right away, which is good because I’m tired of waiting.

Instead of an exam room, she leads me to Bernie’s office. “He wanted to meet with you in here.”

“Thanks, Sally.” I close the door before taking a seat. “Please don’t make me wait, Bernie. Tell me what I’m facing.”

“You didn’t follow my advice, did you?” Hands folded on the desk in front of him, he gives me a smug grin.

I’m praying that smile is a hint that I’ll be getting good news. “I’m not sure how you’d know that, but no. I didn’t. I know this could be very serious.”

“It was a bit of a guess since I saw you leaving the law office last week.” He opens the folder. “But the reason I didn’t want you googling was because while it could’ve been something that would require extensive treatment, there were also otherpossibilities. Like passing a kidney stone. Which after ruling everything else out, I think that is what happened.”

“So I’m not dying. Won’t need chemo or anything like that.”

“I’m giving you a sheet on how you can help prevent kidney stones. Drink more water. Things like that. But everything else looks great. You’re healthy. Even if you are old.” He gives a chuckle. “I guess that makes me old too. Maybe I should think about retiring.”

“You sure Maggie is ready for you to be home all day?”

“She has a honey-do list that would stretch from El Paso to Texarkana. And I’m not sure I’m ready for that.” He hands me a sheet with tips for prevention, then closes the folder. “I’ve had a kidney stone. I know how painful they can be. So hopefully you won’t have to deal with that again.”

“I definitely prefer not to.” I stand and shake his hand. “Thanks. I’m truly relieved. And for the record, the appointment with my lawyer wasn’t just because of this. That was just part of the reason.”

Bernie laughs. “This town is growing, but it’s still too small to keep secrets.”

I hope he’s wrong about that because I’d prefer to announce my engagement at the family meeting and not have my kids hear it through the gossip chain.

Tandy is sitting on the front steps, waiting. And when she sees my truck, she springs up. Then as soon as I park, she rushes over.

I slide out of the truck and open my arms. “Kidney stones.”

“Oh, thank God.” She hugs me tighter than she ever has before.

We celebrate my good news with a kiss.

Pulling back, I pat her hip. “Now when we all get together, I only have good news to share.”

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