Tethered (A BirthRight Novel) by Brandi Leigh Hall Read Free Book Online Page A

pretense of composure. I’ll never hear the end of it if Dhelia finds out how big of an ass I made of myself in front of such a gorgeous guy.
    With hesitation creeping up my spine, I walk back to where my family sits with expectant grins. I stop at the edge of the waiting area while they do their best to appraise my demeanor. In light of why we’re here, perhaps I should allow them the distraction. It certainly seems to have them intrigued. Anticipation spreads across their smiling faces.
    I suppose I can handle the ridicule, as long as it takes their minds off Pap. I’ll call it my penance for the day.
    Dru moves over on the bench, eagerly patting the area beside him. As my butt makes contact with the metal seat, he nudges my arm. I wrinkle my nose in an attempt to dissuade him, but he just bats his thick lashes while pretending to fan himself. “Why so red, Sis? You look all hot and bothered.”
    Oh crap. I might as well tell them the embarrassing truth. “Well, let’s just say...nothing instills confidence like making a complete ass of yourself in front of the most gorgeous guy you’ve ever met.” I emulate a sob, sticking my head between my knees in an attempt to achieve the proper dramatic effect.
    The sound of their laughter warms my heart.
    Yes, without a doubt, I made the right choice.
    “Tell us everything, and don’t leave out one painful detail,” Aunt Morgan gleefully chimes in.
    We spend the next twenty minutes rehashing every second of my encounter. The good, the bad, and the very ugly. Most humorous to everyone, including myself, is the fact that he rendered me speechless.
    That never happens.
    I’m the girl who always has something to say, and guys never affect me. Sure, I’ve liked guys. I’ve had boyfriends. I even thought I was in love once. But my heart wasn’t broken when it didn’t work out. I was fine. If you’re in love, it should hurt when it ends, right?
    Everyone knows I don’t daydream about a knight in shining armor rescuing me.
    I don’t fantasize about getting married and having children.
    I’m not against it or anything—I know it sometimes works. My grandparents are proof of that.  I may even decide one day down the road it’s something I want, but until I finish school and start my career, I won’t be able to focus on anything else. It’s not part of my five-year plan.
    The morning crawls by once we finish discussing my entertaining encounter. But the longer we wait, the antsier we get while we wait for word on the surgery. Patience is not something anyone in our family was blessed with. Not even close.
    It’s just past lunchtime when we see the doctor walking towards us, bringing us to our feet. Nerves on end, we wait to hear what Dr. Gaslightwala has to say.
    “How did everything go, Doctor?” Gram wrings her hands against her stomach.
    He hesitates before answering, but rebounds with a polite, yet serious smile. “We just finished Samuel’s surgery and they’ll be moving him into recovery momentarily. It went well, but due to its location, we weren’t able to remove as much of the tumor as we’d hoped.” He slides a blue Bic in the breast pocket of his white coat. “Unfortunately, it does seem to be spreading. We’d like to begin radiation and chemotherapy as soon as he’s strong enough, which will hopefully be in a few days. A week at most.”
    Dr. Gaslightwala pauses, readjusting his trendy, small-framed black glasses. “This type of tumor grows at an incredibly rapid rate so we’ll need to be aggressive with our next course of treatment. We’ll know more once he wakes up and we’re able to ascertain how he’s handled the surgery. I’m sorry I don’t have better news.” His eyes volley as he takes in our troubled faces. “Does anyone have any questions?”
    There’s a long silence.
    “Thank you.” Gram manages to find her voice. “I’m afraid we’ll need a little time to digest the information. We know where to find you if we have any