Finding Hope (Love's Compass Book 2) Read Free Page A

her blood to every part of her body. She realized Doctor Yates was still talking and forced herself to focus on his words.
    “Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll come back in with some information.” He paused, studying her closely. “Are you okay?”
    Lexi stared at her legs, no longer seeing the flimsy paper gown. Minutes ago, covering her legs had been a priority. Now, she felt exposed in an entirely different way. There had been many things she’d taken for granted in her life, including her health.
    The doctor was waiting for a response. She nodded and watched as he walked out of the room followed by the technician.
    Was she okay?
    Not remotely.
    She got dressed again, her fingers numb as she tried to smooth the front of her shirt. A twinge in her side made her cringe. She’d always pictured a cyst on her ovary. Now, in her mind’s eye, she imagined a nasty little monster clinging to her organ and sucking the life out of her body.
    There was a knock on the door and it swung open. Lexi jumped and folded her arms.
    Doctor Yates handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s the name of the oncologist I’m referring you to. She’s in the Dallas area, but it’s worth the drive. Her office will call you back this week to schedule an appointment. If you don’t hear from them, call them on Monday.” He handed her a pamphlet. “This has information about the process you’ll be going through to determine what the mass might be. As a nurse, I’m sure you’re familiar with all of it and you may have resources where you work that other people might not have access to.”
    Lexi reached for the information. “I appreciate that.”
    Five minutes later, she stepped out of the doctor’s office and into the sunshine. It was an unseasonably warm summer, and she could feel the heat on her arms. It did little to thaw the chill inside her. Somehow, she managed to put one foot in front of the other until she was enveloped within the safety of her car.
    She tossed the information onto the passenger seat. The words at the top of one piece of paper — Cancer Center — seemed to leap off the page. She moved the pages so that it ended up at the bottom and the words were no longer visible.
    Her shift at the hospital didn’t start until that evening. All of the plans she’d had for the rest of the afternoon seemed trivial.
    What was she supposed to do now?
     
    ~
     
    The mix of emotions in Lexi’s gut were swirling as she pulled up in front of the Chandler house Sunday evening. She had her own apartment in Kitner, but coming here always felt like home.
    Until today.
    Church had been a blur that morning. She’d tuned everything out and had counted the minutes until she could escape before her family noticed something was wrong.
    Lexi sat up straight and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. How could she appear the same on the outside, when everything she knew about her life had changed in the span of a doctor’s appointment?
    She worked to smooth her hair and get the wayward strands under control. If only she could rein her thoughts in so easily.
    She would focus on the welcome home party and get through the evening.
    Lexi couldn’t wait to see Tuck and Laurie again. It was going to be fun to interact with them as a married couple and to tease them about their honeymoon at a dude ranch. She had every intention of keeping the visit light.
    She wasn’t about to mention her doctor’s visit or that she had an appointment with the oncologist in Dallas the following week. But her family was close and she prayed they wouldn’t notice that something was wrong.
    The last thing she wanted to do was talk about it and see the expressions on their faces when they got the news.
    Taking in a deep breath, Lexi closed her eyes and prayed for strength. God knew she needed a steady spirit and a large dose of courage if she was going to get through tonight.
    She reached for the two bags of chips in the passenger seat, straightened her shoulders,