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He waved a dismissive hand. “I’m hoping to be released early for good behavior.”
“That’s not really how it works.” Panic swirled in her gut. “And even if that were true, you agreed to two weeks of inpatient rehab.”
His face contorted. “Yeah, definitely not looking forward to that. But I’m not worried.”
That made one of them. Swallowing her fears, Rose pulled a chair over and set her lunch box on her lap.
He peered at it. “What are you eating?”
“My usual ham sandwich.”
His face clouded. “They won’t let me have any meat. Can you believe that?”
“It’s temporary,” she assured him. “They’ll start varying your diet more the better you do in recovery. But don’t expect to have steak anytime soon. Red meat isn’t good for your cholesterol.”
“I know,” he snapped.
Stop nagging him. He’s been through enough. “I’m sorry.”
He heaved a sigh. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry.” He held out his hand, and she slid hers into it. “I know things are going to have to change, but sometimes, it’s a lot to take in. One minute, I’m young and healthy, and the next, I almost die.”
“We’ll get through it, I promise.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said, and the warmth she’d seen earlier returned to his eyes.
“Same here,” she said, her throat thick with emotion. The knowledge of how close she’d come to losing him weighed heavily on her heart. Clearing her throat, she tried a lighter tone. “But in order for me to not have to find out, I’m gonna need you to take it easy.”
Closing his eyes, he nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
She squeezed his hand. “That’s all I can ask for.”
His breathing slowed as he fell asleep. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead before returning to work. At least while he was in the hospital, she found it easier to check on him. She also found comfort in the fact that he was limited in what he could get away with there. Things would be a little more relaxed in rehab, but once they discharged him home, she wouldn’t be able to keep as close an eye on him. She suspected he would go right back to working himself into an early grave.
Rose drummed her fingers on the table as she stared at the door to Bea’s Diner, willing Lanie to walk through it. The longer she sat there waiting, the more she feared she might lose her nerve. Usually, the restaurant was comforting, with its nostalgic 1950s theme and the familiar scent of fried food, but not even the swaying Elvis figure on the wall or the miniature jukebox on the table could distract her that day.
When a familiar blond head cleared the entryway and swiveled to look for her, Rose breathed a sigh of relief before waving her friend over. Lanie smiled and slid into the booth opposite Rose, setting her purse beside her.
“So, what’s up?” Lanie asked as she opened a menu, though Rose couldn’t imagine why. Her future sister-in-law had been coming to the place her entire life, and as far as she could tell, the options hadn’t changed in that time. “More wedding details?”
“Actually, I wanted to discuss that with you.” Rose hated how hesitant her voice sounded. She squared her shoulders. “I think we should postpone the wedding.”
Lanie’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”
“We don’t know how long Steven’s recovery will take, and it’s smarter to start taking action now rather than move forward in the hopes he’ll be recovered enough to go through with it.” Rose removed her tablet from her bag and tapped the screen until she reached the document that contained their vendor contact information. “I figure between the two of us, we can call everyone this week and—”
Lanie raised her hand. “Wait. Have you talked to Steven about this?”
“Not yet,” Rose admitted, dropping her gaze. “I didn’t want to add to his stress level. But honestly, postponing the wedding will help alleviate his stress. Then he can focus on healing.”
“Except that it may be more stressful for him if you postpone.”
Rose frowned. “How do you figure that?”
“I know my brother,” Lanie replied with a shrug.
“But he hasn’t actually said that, has he?” Worry gnawed away at Rose’s gut, but she worked to keep her expression neutral.
“Not in so many words, but he has seemed rather preoccupied with something lately. I thought it was the law firm, but I spent a good hour going over his cases with him yesterday.” Lanie frowned. “While he was in better spirits by the time I left, I could tell something else was on his mind.” Her hazel eyes narrowed. “You need to talk to him before you do anything.”
