Cowboy Baby Daddy

I shoved her clothes into her arms and pushed her toward the door, not even letting her stop and change even though I could only imagine what the town would say if she tumbled out there nearly naked. I just needed her away from me and away from Emma, who was starting to cry, her eyes fearful.

I shut the door firmly behind Georgia, and for good measure, I locked it as well. Then, I turned back to Emma, moving to comfort her even though I was still shaking with rage.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Olivia

Wednesday morning, I went to the hospital to visit Mom again. I had spoken to Harlan's mom the night before and told her that I wasn't able to keep the daycare open for the week, something that I should have done on Monday when Mom first went into the hospital. But I had thought, somehow, that she would be coming home, that this was just a routine problem and that everything was going to be all right. Then, by the time I'd gotten home that evening, it had been too late to call over and tell Mrs. Ambrose that I couldn't watch Harlan the following day.

I didn't know what Eric was doing with Emma for the week since I knew he couldn't leave her with Helen anymore. But he hadn't brought her in, and I hadn't called to ask. I was still so upset with him, and I couldn't believe the things that he had said to me.

“Ah, Ms. Sable,” one of the doctors said as he entered the room. I recognized him vaguely from my trip to the hospital on Monday. He shook my hand as I stood up. “I'm Dr. Halsey, one of the leading oncologists here, and I've been keeping an eye on your mother. Could we step out into the hallway for a moment to discuss our options at this point?”

I looked back at Mom, but she smiled tiredly up at me. “I need to take a nap anyway,” she told me, her voice raspy from the coughing that she'd done and slurred from the sedatives they were giving her to help treat the pain.

I nodded at her, blinking back tears, and stepped out into the hall.

“I'm afraid things aren't looking very good for your mother,” Dr. Halsey said, looking sympathetic. “At this point, we only have two options.”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Eric—or rather, Dr. Jones—mentioned something about operating on her, to remove the tumors from her lungs. But he didn't seem to think that was a good idea.”

Dr. Halsey frowned. “It's a risky operation,” he told me. “And I can't guarantee that it would be effective. However, if we were successfully able to remove the tumors, we could try to start radiation therapy to get rid of the cancer.” He paused. “But I don't want to mislead you: the chances are slim, even if the operation did go well. And as I'm sure you know, surgery and chemotherapy can be very expensive.”

“I understand that,” I said, nodding my head. “But you said there were two options, didn't you? Maybe some sort of experimental treatment?”

Dr. Halsey sighed. “I'm afraid that option B is to make your mother as comfortable as possible and realize that she won't be long for this world.”

“Oh,” I said in a small voice. So it was exactly what Eric had already told me, albeit in kinder words than he had used. I glanced back toward the door to Mom's room, wishing that I could talk it over with her. But that was out of the question, in her given state

. The sedatives were too strong, and she couldn't talk very much given the difficulty that she was having with breathing.

I considered talking things over with Dr. Halsey, but I didn't like the idea of Mom's life resting in the hands of someone who was so impartial. Dr. Halsey didn't know Mom. He couldn't possibly weigh in on what she might want.

“I know it's a difficult decision to make, but it's important that you make the decision soon if you want to try to undergo surgery,” Dr. Halsey reminded me. “The longer we wait, the more time the cancer is going to have. Soon, it could be impossible to even attempt to remove her tumors. Because you have power of attorney, and given your mother's current state, it's up to you to decide on her behalf.”

I nodded distractedly, still thinking of who I could talk to about this. But I knew there was only one option: Eric. I bit my lower lip, wondering if he would even agree to talk to me. I had to call him, though.

“Thank you, Dr. Halsey,” I said. “I'll let you know as soon as I've made the decision.”

As he turned away and walked down the hall, I pulled out my phone, finger hesitating over the call button. Finally, I shook my head and headed out to my car, driving back into town. It would be better to do this in person.

I knocked on the door of Eric's office before poking my head inside. He was alone, but it looked like he was just on his way out the door. I pushed down a surge of disappointment.

Eric looked surprised to see me. “How's your mother?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No change,” I told him. I paused, wondering if I should apologize. But I couldn't feel sorry for yelling at him, not when he'd said such mean things to me. I decided to just push past it. “I was wondering if I could talk to you about the surgery. I don't know who else to talk to.”

Eric's face looked sympathetic for a moment. Then, he looked at his watch. “I was just headed out for lunch,” he told me. “And I have appointments all afternoon.”

“Maybe we could talk over lunch?” I asked, feeling desperation surge inside of me. If he refused to talk to me about this, there was no way I'd be able to make a decision.

Eric studied my face for a long moment. “Why don't we grab a picnic lunch and drive up to the lake, where we won't be disturbed?” he suggested. “I'll cancel my afternoon appointments.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“You head to the grocery store and grab provisions,” Eric instructed. “I'll reschedule my appointments. I should be ready to go by the time you get back.”

I nodded, glad to have something to do, and scurried out of the doctor's office and over to the general store.