Slow Ride (Riding with Honor) by Rebecca Avery Read Free Book Online

as much…that there was something more or someone else in her life besides him.  He was her Daddy!  Not Ms. Atkinson.
    Dana kept an eye on Gretchen as the other students came into the class and got situated.  Gretchen kept to her task and retrieved the book that Dana had purposefully dropped behind the bookshelf.  Sometimes distraction was a great tool for dealing with separation anxiety.
    When morning play time rolled around and the boys were busy playing with trucks on the rug of the play area, Gretchen made her way over to where she sat at her desk.
    “Are you going to visit the baby again today?” Gretchen asked her.
    “Yes .  Actually I wanted to go over at lunchtime too but that would mean leaving the boy’s with Miss Radcliff.  That is an awful lot to ask of her without any extra help,” she said, eyeing Gretchen hopefully.  Perhaps if the child thought she was helping her behavior for the other teacher would be good.
    “I could go with you so that only the boys have to go with Miss Radcliff ,” Gretchen offered.  Smart little cookie.
    She was impressed with Gretchen’s ability to logically offer a solution that wasn’t necessarily what she’d been trying to get from her. 
    It showed the child’s ability to think for herself and not go along with the most obvious solution. 
    “That’s just it.  If I was taking the boys with me I wouldn’t worry because I know as a student leader I can count on you to behave, but they can get pretty rowdy…” she said.
    “I guess I can stay here and be the student leader for them in Miss Radcliff’s class and then I could go later.  Ok?” she asked hopefully.
    “That’s a great idea , Gretchen!  I’ll go at lunchtime while you help Miss Radcliff and then you can visit the baby later,” she said. “I knew I made a good choice making you the student leader,” she whispered to her in confidence.
    Gretchen smiled and before she knew it the child hugged her waist and then ran over to where the boys were playing.  This was the child that Susan and Tina had been so leery about?  It just didn’t make sense. 
    The child was downright sweet at times and way too cute.  Sure she could be a handful but what child didn’t have moments.  Dana was an adult and had moments…like yesterday when she’d nearly assaulted the hottest man…the only man…to ever really kiss her.
    As she got off the elevator on the NICU floor Tommy was pacing as though he had been waiting for her to arrive.  He looked worried and she hurried over to him.
    “What’s going on?” she asked.
    “She’s the same as last night, not keeping her food down and crying.  The nurse is checking to see if we can visit ,” he said running his hand through his windblown hair.
    One of the nurses that had been working the night before came out and upon seeing him she smiled.
    “Did you bring your guitar this time?” she asked.
    “Um no…it’s in the truck though.  I didn’t’ think the doctor was serious,” he replied.
    “Well it can’t hurt to try, singing to her last night worked so well that Doctor McGinis signed off that he would allow it if it worked.  At this point, it can’t hurt.  We have tried the radio and it does work for little bits at a time but not as well ,” she said.
    “Ok , it’ll just take me a minute but I’ll be right back,” he said.
    She followed the nurse into the secured area and after washing up she headed into the small room and over to the incubator where the child lay.  The baby was crying but not quite as badly as the day before.
    “Do you want to hold her?” the nurse asked.
    “Yes, please ,” she replied, pulling the rocking chair over and sitting down.
    The nurse lifted the baby out and tried for a few minutes to calm her and then realizing that it was not working, gave up and laid her in Dana’s arms. 
    She began rocking in the chair and humming which did little to calm the crying infant.  She stood up and tried walking with the