Free Operation: Married by Christmas by Debra Clopton

to the story than you know.”
    â€œAnd if you don’t tell me what it is then I won’t know what that is, now will I?”
    Haley hesitated to share her personal life with anyone. Even her granddad. “Look, you’re just going to have to believe me. Will Sutton was never the right man for me. I’ll find the right one some day. Until then, don’t get your hopes up. And don’t think I haven’t picked up on the fact that you and the ladies are having romantic ideas about the two of us. That’s nonsense.”
    Applegate sliced a piece of apple and took the whole piece into his mouth, chewing slowly. She was not fooled. He was thinking of the right response. But she wasn’t waiting around. “You have been evading the issue of your health for the past two days. Tell me exactly what the doctor said about the problems you’ve been having. Tell me, please. I don’t like being in the dark. I’m worried sick.”
    â€œWell,” he sighed and shook his head. “I didn’t want ta tell ya, but I’ve got the Zackly disease.”
    Haley slid her feet to the ground as alarm shot through her. “Zackly disease? What is it? Can it be cured? Are you in pain?” All kinds of questions bombarded her as she racked her brain for anything she’d ever heard about the disease.
    Applegate suddenly looked pensive. “Now, don’t go gettin’ all riled up. I told ya it ain’t nothin’ to worry about.”
    â€œGranddad, I worry, okay? Tell me what’s wrong with you.”
    He dropped his gaze to the floor and mumbled. Haley’s ears perked up.
    â€œ What did you say?” Haley asked, catching a few of his mumbled words. Enough to know she was about to be madder than a hornet.
    â€œI said, I don’t zackly have nothin’ wrong.”
    â€œApplegate Thornton!” She shot out of her chair. “How could you do that? This is not funny. It’s not. Stop that chuckling.”
    He chuckled harder, his drooping face coming alive with laughter. She slammed down into her chair and, despite her anger at him, found herself smiling. He always had been a prankster. Her grandmother always said there were times in their marriage he’d almost driven her crazy with his jokes. Especially the times he’d told her something and then forgot to right it. Like the time he said that the singer Phil Collins was the same guy who played the character Ernest T. Bass and threw rocks at everyone on The Andy Griffith Show. Her grandma Birdie hadn’t believed him for the longest time, then he’d finally convinced her he was telling the truth. She’d promptly told all of her friends and, despite most of them telling her she was wrong, she’d argued the fact. Applegate sure had hated to face the music when he’d realized a week later he’d neglected to tell her it was a joke.
    â€œHas all this just been a big joke?” Haley asked now, knowing the truth before she asked the question.
    At least he had the decency to look slightly ashamed. “Haley Bell. Come on, now. The doctor told me he thought I had an ulcer, but he didn’t know fer sure. He had to do some test to know exactly. I didn’t thank it was nuttin’ to be gettin’ all riled up about. Certainly didn’t figure ta tell ya about it on the phone, but then you broke the news that you was thinking about gettin’ married again—and well, I gotta bad feeling and needed a reason to try and git you home. I been wanting to see you ferever anyway.” His face drooped back into a frown once more. “It ain’t right that a poor old grandpa has ta fib about being sick to git his granddaughter to come see him.”
    Shame melted Haley’s heart. “You’re right, Grandpa.” She hopped from the chair and hugged him tight. “I am so sorry. I’ve been so busy trying to prove myself…I just forgot what was