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He tore his attention away from Ben, his lip curling up. “Ben told you?”
“Millie’s casserole cozy.” He lifted an eyebrow. “The fabric thing on the dish.”
“Oh, I hate those things,” he responded, eyes back on Ben.
“I don’t even really know what they’re for, but, yeah, that sort of gave it away.”
“You think he’s going to be alright?”
“He’s a fighter. He’ll pull through this,” I said.
“Good. I don’t want to lose my only friend.”
“That’s fair. It took you thirty years to make the one. I’m not sure you’ve got another friendship in you,” I teased.
He nodded. “Let me know, or Millie, when he wakes up.”
“I will.”
CHAPTER30
Thea
I finally convincedMartha to leave just before lunch. The promise of a warm shower and a soft bed provided enough temptation to get Martha and Pete to leave for a few hours at least. After eating a lukewarm dinner brought by a nurse, I pulled the recliner up against Ben’s bed.
I’d turned on the TV, but the gratingly loud food competition had drowned out the steady tones and beeps from the medical equipment, assuring me Benny was fine. Instead, I curled up beside him, stroking his hand with mine as I absently flipped through a magazine Martha grabbed from the gift shop.
“Thea?” Ben’s damp grip tightened.
I knocked the magazine to the ground, pitching forward. “Hey, I’m here.”
His eyes fluttered open, eyes on the ceiling, far away. “What happened?”
“A moose charged you,” I said, deliberately leaving out the internal bleeding and surgery part. For now, anyway. I had no interest in overwhelming him and wasn’t sure I could explain without bursting into tears, anyway.
“Is Dana okay?” He pushed against the bed, a vain attempt to sit up. His eyes widened as they took in the tubes and wires covering his arms.
“She’s fine,” I said, gripping his forearm and easing him back down. I grabbed a cup of water off the table for him to drink. “A black eye and some bruises, but you saved her. You pushed her out of the way. She got behind the tree before he could trample her, too. She called for help and pulled you to safety.”
He exhaled before taking a sip of water.
I squeezed his hand, forcing levity to push away the panic. “You were supposed to save yourself, too, Benny. Not let that thing run you over.”
The edge of his lip worked up into a grin before fading into a grimace. “It was my first time getting charged by a moose. Next time, I’ll know better.”
I hiccuped a sob, the crushing anxiety of the last twenty-four hours hitting me like a bombshell. I brushed my cheek with my hand, hot tears covered my cheeks. “No. No next time, Benny. You scared the living hell out of me. I can’t — I can’t be okay without you. I can’t grow old without you. I can’t raise this baby without you.”
I dropped my head on his arm, too worried that I’d pull out a wire if I allowed myself any more contact. Heavy sobs wracked my body as any reserve I’d built up came apart.
Ben’s hand brushed the back of my head. “Did I miss something while I was out?” he whispered. “What baby?”
“I planned to tell you last night,” I sobbed into his arm, my voice muffled by the itchy cotton blanket covering him. “But you went and got mauled by a moose, so really, you’re the one who ruined my big announcement.
“We need to talk?” He echoed the words I’d texted him the day before.
I kept my head down, not ready to read his reaction.
“I thought you wanted to call it off. I figured you wanted to back out,” he muttered, confusion clouding his voice.
