The Marriage Rescue by Shirley Jump

Author:Shirley Jump
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-12-02T20:00:17+00:00

Chapter Seven

“What were you thinking, Dad? You could have killed yourself.” Beth stood in the hospital room beside her father, who seemed to grow paler and thinner by the minute. After the doctor called, Grady had broken all speed limits rushing her back to the hospital outside Stone Gap. He’d dropped her off, then gone to park the car while she’d beelined for the emergency room and found her father, who looked far frailer than before. He had a bandage on his left arm from trying to put out the fire he’d accidentally started when he’d knocked a newspaper into the stove, trying to reach one of the upper cabinets for the good wineglasses he’d wanted to clean.

“I was just working on the house a little. Trying to stay useful.” The cardiac monitor above his head displayed a steady stream of heartbeats, and a constant check of oxygen levels, blood pressure and resting heart rate. The nurse had just come in to draw more blood and run enzyme tests to see if her father’s chest pains had been a heart attack.

Lord, please, no. His heart was already weakened from the first two heart attacks. How much could one man take? She dropped onto his bed and took one of his hands in hers, then leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple. “You need to take it easy.”

“I’m tired of taking it easy,” Reggie said. “We have a big event coming up, and I want to be ready.”

“Dad, it doesn’t have to be a big event. Grady and I haven’t even set a date yet—and neither of us want anything splashy.” The lies slid off her tongue far too easily, leaving a trail of guilt running into her gut, piling onto the regret she felt about leaving him home alone tonight. She never should have agreed to the date. This was why she had no time for a relationship.

Her father leaned back and held her hand up. “That’s one hell of a beautiful ring,” he said. “Grady did good.”

Beth had forgotten about the fake engagement ring. The moment when he’d given it to her seemed ten years in the past, not a few hours. This charade was spiraling out of her control. Somehow, she had to end this entire thing. But...

Telling the truth was out as an option. The last thing Dad needed right now was another shock.

Her father’s cardiologist came into the room, a young man with dark hair and dark glasses, and a serious expression that sent icy dread through Beth’s veins. “You gave us quite a scare there, Mr. Cooper,” Dr. McCall said.

Reggie waved that off. “Just doing some housework. I’m sure it was nothing.”

“That’s not what the EKG is saying.” The doctor sighed. “We’re running blood tests to be doubly sure, but you almost caused yourself another heart attack. When I say take it easy, I don’t mean move a recliner or redecorate the kitchen.”

“You tried to move your chair, too?” Beth let out a gusty sigh.

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