Free One More Day by Auryn Hadley Page A

but he was adamant that he was going to be the perfect gentleman.  Truth be told, Mack didn't mind the quick looks of the other women in the room, either.  For the first time in her life, she had the Super Hot Guy fawning over her.  She planned to live this up for as long as she could.
    The nurse led them down a narrow hall, to a small room looking over a grassy lawn.  Everything was made to be relaxing and comfortable, but it smelled sterile and antiseptic.  When Mack sat in the well padded recliner, Ryan moved to the chair at her side.
    "I'm Maria," the nurse said, then looked over at Ryan.  "Are you the husband?"
    "Boyfriend," he said, patting Mack's arm.
    "Good, so you're going to drive her home?"
    He nodded.  "Yep.  Wished she'd told me about it yesterday."
    The woman's face softened, and she patted his shoulder.  "I don't think we have you on the emergency contact list.  Did you want to add him?" she asked Mack.
    "Please," she said.
    "Easy enough.  Let me just draw some blood and get that started, then I'll bring back the form."  She turned over Mack's arm and shook her head at the bruise.  "I think that vein's blown.  Let me draw blood from the other arm, and we'll put the catheter in your AC on this side."
    Luckily, she'd never been afraid of needles, not like so many people.  The nurse drew three vials and taped a cotton ball to the inside of her elbow, then left.
    "Boyfriend?" Mack asked.
    "Yep, bosses don't get quite the same liberties.  Just go with it, Mack."
    "You're going to have every woman in this clinic jealous of - "  she stopped.
    "Oh no," he teased.  "Keep going."
    "Jealous of me," she said, feeling her face growing hot.
    "Don't think they'll be turned off by the freaky guy with all those tattoos?"
    "No.  I think it makes you look like a bad boy."
    He grinned.  "So you have a thing for bad boys, now."
    "Uh, wait," she said laughing.  "How did we go from privileges to me having a crush on you?"
    "You're laughing.  First time in twenty four hours."
    Mack hoped he'd missed what she'd said, and just let it all go.  Having someone with her did make it better.  The nurse returned with the form, and Ryan filled it out, passing it back.  Shortly after that, they came again to start the IV.  While it dripped, Ryan kept her mind off everything except his gentle smile and brilliant blue eyes.
    "So, what are we doing with your hair?" he asked, tugging at the end.
    "Shaving it probably.  I'm not sure what's easier."
    "Probably shaving it, so it's not as shocking when it starts to come out.  You know it's not just the hair on your head though, right?"
    "No," she said.
    He nodded, the right side of his lips turning up.  "The drapes are gonna match the carpet, baby."  As the words came out of his mouth, he shoved his hand across his face, refusing to laugh at his own bad joke.
    "Not much to lose there, but please tell me I can do something with my eyebrows!"
    "Wait." Ryan made a circular motion with his hand.  "Back the fuck up there.  What?"
    "Oh no," she said laughing.  "We are not going there."
    "You already slept in my bed.  This is something I should know!"
    "Nope.  I figure by the time you're having to help me shower, I can blame the chemo."
    He sighed and grabbed her hand again.  "I am, you know.  Colby and I, we're not letting you do this alone, ok?"
    "Thanks, Ryan."  She felt so very touched by that. 
    It wasn't just Ryan, but Colby, too.  She'd known them for a week.  One single week, and these two were the closest friends she'd had since childhood.  Sure, she might not know everything about them, but in one day she'd learned that they really would be there for her if she needed it.  Silently, she vowed to return the favor.  She wanted to be as good to others as Ryan was to her.
    That was the moment Mack decided she really had a reason to fight cancer with everything she had.  It might bring her to her knees, but each day was one more that it wasn't winning.  Ryan