To Forgive & Hold Safe (The Broken Men Chronicles Book 4) by Carey Decevito Page A

smiling.  “I’d like that.”
     
    Hannah shifted to lay on her side, watching me as I sat on my usual chair, Candace’s latest journal in hand.  I don’t know how long I read for, but when I finished the journal, I looked up, finding a silently crying Hannah and a window filled with sunshine behind her.
    It was morning.
    “Please don’t cry.” I reached over to grab her hand.
    “You’re right.”  She wiped at her cheeks and sniffled.  “She’s not worth the tears.  I’m crying for you, dummy.”  She hugged my hand under her chin with her free hand.
    “That doesn’t make me feel any better.  You have your own stuff to deal with.”
    “How about this,” she began.  “I’ll cry about yours if you cry about mine?”
    I laughed, but it was more out of melancholy than humor. “I’d like it if neither of us cried at all.”  Silence filled the room as we looked at each other.  I cleared my throat.  “I should go.”
    “Okay.”  She squeezed my hand before releasing it.
    “Are you going to be okay?”
    “Mom and Dad will be here soon.  I could try and sleep for a bit until then.”
    “Sounds like a smart idea.”
    “Will you be back?”
    “Only if you want me to.” I looked at my watch.  “How does five o’clock sound?  I’ll bring dinner.”
    She nodded. “I’d like that.”
    I got up, grabbed Candace’s journals and paused before aiming my feet toward the door.
    “What, no kiss?”
    I felt my face heat up, but turned to her.  Pressing my lips to her forehead, like I had done on my last visit, I said, “I’ll catch you later.”

Chapter 1 7
    It was just about lunchtime when my cell rang in my pocket and I was rushing to complete orders with the suppliers that Derek had forgotten to place yesterday.  When I looked at the caller ID, I began to panic.
    “Is everything okay?”
    “Ben, it’s Hannah.”
    “Are you okay?”
    “Not really.  I know you have a life, and Mom and Dad are here, but-”
    “I’ll be right there.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said.  “I can’t do this alone.  They want to do the D & C right now and I just… I can’t, Ben.”
    “It’s okay.” Damn, I hated hearing her sound like that.  “I’m on my way.”
     
    Hannah wanted me in there with her when the doctor went through the procedure’s description prior to having her sign the consent forms.
    It wasn’t the longest procedure from what we were told, but the wait was unbearable nonetheless. I found myself pacing the waiting room, wondering when the doctor would come and announce that Hannah was back in her room.  Anne and Adam were there with me too.
    Hannah’s mother stepped in front of me, halting my mission to wear out the floor. “Thank you, Ben.  She was damn well near catatonic when the doctor came in.”
    “It’s nothing.  I meant what I said when I told her that I’d be here.”
    “Are you sure that this isn’t too much for you?” she asked.
    I thought about it for a split second.  “It may be hard to understand, but being here, feeling needed… I actually feel like I’m at the right place for once in far too long.”
    She smiled.
    I returned her gesture and reached out to rub a comforting hand on the side of her arm when Adam spoke. “Guys…?” His wife and I turned to find the doctor walking toward us.
    “How is she?” Anne asked.
    “She’s a little groggy, but she did great.  We’ve put her on a heavy course of antibiotics to ward off any possibility of infection and, aside from slight cramping, she should be fine.”
    “What about scarring?” Anne asked.
    I looked over at the woman whom Adam now had his arms firmly wrapped around.  Her sad eyes looked as if she had seen her fair share of hardships in this area.
    “She’ll be fine.  We didn’t find much scarring and what’s there isn’t cause for concern.”
    Hannah’s father breathed out a sigh of relief, but I noticed that her mother didn’t seem completely convinced.
    “When can we see