Fit for Love (A Stand By Me Novel Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

the hospital in less than five. I race into the main entrance and ask the woman at the night desk for directions to ICU.
    She points and hands me the hospital’s paper map.
    “Thanks for the ride,” I say to Makenna. I grab one of the hospital’s pens from a container. “Your number? I want to pay for the ticket,” I add as an excuse.
    “I’ll come with you. You shouldn’t go alone. Just in case…” She doesn’t finish her thought and I’m glad.
    “All right.”

    * * *
    N onna lies unmoving on the hospital bed. She looks small and frail, like a wrinkled child. The equipment on each side of her unnerves me with all the beeping and humming. Lights and readouts. Wires and tubes everywhere.
    I shift closer to take her cool hand in my warm one. The IV needle has bruised the delicate skin of her hand. I press a light kiss to her wrinkled forehead.
    Makenna hangs back. I look at her questioningly. Is she uncomfortable here? She answers my unspoken question with a smile.
    Her eyelids flutter open. “Antonio?”
    This alarms me more than anything, as Antonio was my grandfather’s name.
    “It’s me, Nonna. It’s Aiden.” I sweep her hair from her face. “Why are you here?” I tease. “Are you trying to catch a doctor now? Is that what this is about?”
    Her lips tip into a smile on one side. “Aiden.”
    “Yes. I came right away.”
    Makenna waves at me and points toward the door to let me know she’s stepping outside. I nod at her.
    Nonna’s gaze flicks to the foot of the bed where Makenna stands. “Who is this?”
    Makenna smiles at Nonna. “Hi,” she says softly. “I’m Mak. I was just leaving so you two can have some privacy.”
    “Come closer.” Nonna motions. “Let me see you, Mak.”
    Makenna looks to me and then to Nonna as if unsure of what to do.
    “Now, before I’m dead.” Nonna rolls her eyes. There’s the woman I know. Sassy and demanding, no matter the circumstances. She could lead an army from a hospital bed.
    Mak tilts her head at me with wide eyes. “OK, then.” She walks forward. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
    “You may call me Nonna.” She reaches out to take Makenna’s hand.
    I sit on the side of her bed and look out the glass walls. I count three nurses at the oval desk in the center of ICU. I scan the area for a doctor. Absently, I glance at Makenna. “Nonna means grandmother.”
    “Nonna,” she repeats. “That’s beautiful.”
    “Finally,” my grandmother says. “He is finally granting my dying wish.”
    My head jerks back to Nonna. Dying wish? My palms grow sweaty and I rub them on my thighs.
    She turns away from Makenna but still holds her hand. “This is the one, isn’t she?”
    Nonna’s eyes—eyes that still seem as sharp as they did the last time I visited her—fill with tears.
    “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you hurting?” I push off the bed and look to the nursing station.
    “Why did you keep this a secret? You are like your father. You didn’t want to tell me until I could meet her.” She gives a heavy sigh and looks away from me. “Mak. I know he is stubborn. But he is a good man. You will take good care of him. I can see that you love him. I don’t know why he didn’t tell me earlier. I don’t like surprises.”
    Ah, shit. Nonna is clearly confused. I look to Makenna to see her reaction. She winks at me and steps even closer to Nonna.
    Wow. The girl takes everything in stride. And her conspirator’s wink does something weird to my chest.
    “Tell you what?” Makenna says.
    “That he has finally found someone to marry.” Fat tears roll down Nonna’s thin cheeks. “He is a good man.”
    I shuffle nervously. How fragile is she in this state? “Nonna, I—”
    Makenna clears her throat to stop my words. “You’re right. He is a good one.”
    For a brief second, I stare at her. She sounds sincere.
    Nonna exhales, blowing the air out like she’s been running. “I’m so tired. And what happened to your face,