keep track of all your assignments at school, so you won’t fall behind. I think she said it because she’s jealous you’re going to miss a few classes, and wants to be sure you don’t get out of any of the homework.”
Ronnie couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked as if Dana Sue’s words stirred a faint hint of a smile on Annie’s face. He glanced up and saw the nurse motioning to them. He walked around the bed and laid a hand on Dana Sue’s shoulder, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Annie’s forehead.
“We have to leave you for a little while—they won’t let us stay,” he told her. “See you later, kiddo.”
Dana Sue stood reluctantly, her eyes filled with tears. “You’re going to be fine, sweetie. I promise. We’ll be back soon.”
Outside the room, she wobbled on her feet. As furious as he was at his daughter’s condition, Ronnie took her elbow and steadied her.
“We need to talk,” he said tightly.
“Not now,” she pleaded.
“Yes, now. We’ll go to the cafeteria. You look like you’re about to pass out. You need some food.”
“I can’t eat.”
“You can,” he said firmly. When her chin jutted stubbornly, he asked, “Do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you down there? I will, you know. As mad as I am, the prospect of causing a scene doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”
Her defiant gaze clashed with his, and for a second he thought she might test him. But she finally gave him a disgusted look and started down the hall on her own.
He followed her to the cafeteria, got a tray and began piling on food. Juice, fresh fruit, a bagel and cream cheese, scrambled eggs, pancakes and two cups of coffee.
“You feeding a lumberjack?” Dana Sue asked when he reached for a second plate of pancakes.
He studied the array of food on the tray and decided there was enough for the two of them. He knew Dana Sue. Despite her claim that she wasn’t hungry, she always ate in a crisis. And it had been a very long time since that fast-food dinner he’d had the night before.
“I guess this will do,” he conceded, paying the cashier. Then he led the way to a table just being vacated near a window. After all those hours in which time had seemed to drag, he was surprised to see the sun well up in the morning sky.
The cafeteria was bustling with visiting families and staff. It was a far cry from the few exhausted customers who’d been here when he and Maddie had come down for coffee earlier.
Ronnie put all the dishes on the table, then placed the empty tray on a neighboring one. He divided the eggs and pancakes between them, put a plate in front of Dana Sue and began to eat. When she continued to sit perfectly still, her food untouched, he grinned at her.
“You’re going to need fortification to fight with me,” he commented. “Eat. The pancakes are good. The eggs are edible. They won’t be once they get cold.”
“Now there’s a reason to dive in,” she retorted, but she picked up her fork and tasted the pancakes.
“Well?” he asked.
“Not as good as the ones I do for Sunday brunch at Sullivan’s.”
He bit back a smile. Even under these circumstances, her competitive streak kicked in.
“Once Annie’s well, I’ll have to come by and try yours,” he said, taking a sip of orange juice. “I seem to recall they were pretty spectacular when you made them for us on holiday mornings.”
“Don’t start dredging up ancient history, Ronnie,” she said. “I have no desire to stroll down memory lane with you.”
“Okay, then, let’s talk about something more recent,” he said, looking directly into her eyes and removing the kid gloves with which he’d been treating her. “How the hell did Annie get into the shape she’s in?”
“A lot of teenage girls have eating disorders,” Dana Sue said defensively.
“I only care about our teenage daughter. How did things get this bad without your taking some kind of action?”
Dana
Ronnie couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked as if Dana Sue’s words stirred a faint hint of a smile on Annie’s face. He glanced up and saw the nurse motioning to them. He walked around the bed and laid a hand on Dana Sue’s shoulder, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Annie’s forehead.
“We have to leave you for a little while—they won’t let us stay,” he told her. “See you later, kiddo.”
Dana Sue stood reluctantly, her eyes filled with tears. “You’re going to be fine, sweetie. I promise. We’ll be back soon.”
Outside the room, she wobbled on her feet. As furious as he was at his daughter’s condition, Ronnie took her elbow and steadied her.
“We need to talk,” he said tightly.
“Not now,” she pleaded.
“Yes, now. We’ll go to the cafeteria. You look like you’re about to pass out. You need some food.”
“I can’t eat.”
“You can,” he said firmly. When her chin jutted stubbornly, he asked, “Do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you down there? I will, you know. As mad as I am, the prospect of causing a scene doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”
Her defiant gaze clashed with his, and for a second he thought she might test him. But she finally gave him a disgusted look and started down the hall on her own.
He followed her to the cafeteria, got a tray and began piling on food. Juice, fresh fruit, a bagel and cream cheese, scrambled eggs, pancakes and two cups of coffee.
“You feeding a lumberjack?” Dana Sue asked when he reached for a second plate of pancakes.
He studied the array of food on the tray and decided there was enough for the two of them. He knew Dana Sue. Despite her claim that she wasn’t hungry, she always ate in a crisis. And it had been a very long time since that fast-food dinner he’d had the night before.
“I guess this will do,” he conceded, paying the cashier. Then he led the way to a table just being vacated near a window. After all those hours in which time had seemed to drag, he was surprised to see the sun well up in the morning sky.
The cafeteria was bustling with visiting families and staff. It was a far cry from the few exhausted customers who’d been here when he and Maddie had come down for coffee earlier.
Ronnie put all the dishes on the table, then placed the empty tray on a neighboring one. He divided the eggs and pancakes between them, put a plate in front of Dana Sue and began to eat. When she continued to sit perfectly still, her food untouched, he grinned at her.
“You’re going to need fortification to fight with me,” he commented. “Eat. The pancakes are good. The eggs are edible. They won’t be once they get cold.”
“Now there’s a reason to dive in,” she retorted, but she picked up her fork and tasted the pancakes.
“Well?” he asked.
“Not as good as the ones I do for Sunday brunch at Sullivan’s.”
He bit back a smile. Even under these circumstances, her competitive streak kicked in.
“Once Annie’s well, I’ll have to come by and try yours,” he said, taking a sip of orange juice. “I seem to recall they were pretty spectacular when you made them for us on holiday mornings.”
“Don’t start dredging up ancient history, Ronnie,” she said. “I have no desire to stroll down memory lane with you.”
“Okay, then, let’s talk about something more recent,” he said, looking directly into her eyes and removing the kid gloves with which he’d been treating her. “How the hell did Annie get into the shape she’s in?”
“A lot of teenage girls have eating disorders,” Dana Sue said defensively.
“I only care about our teenage daughter. How did things get this bad without your taking some kind of action?”
Dana
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