I Want to Hold Your Hand Read Online Free Page B

and handsome, had once asked Hannah to dinner, but she’d declined. Despite her rejection, he’d been a source of great comfort to her as Homer slipped into old age. With a stethoscope in his ears, Myles listened to Homer’s chest. “His heart rate is extremely low.” Myles looked at Hannah, sadness reflected in his gaze. “We can wait and see, or we can help him along. It’s up to you.”
    “Is he suffering?”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “What should I do?” Hannah asked.
    “I can’t tell you that, Hannah,” Myles said kindly.
    “Could we make him more comfortable?” Nolan asked.
    “That we can do.”
    With Hannah’s approval, the two men worked together to gently move Homer to the sofa in the sitting room, the spot he’d claimed as his own the day he came to live with Caleb.
    Stirred by the movement and activity, Homer woke briefly, sighing when he landed on the sofa before going back to sleep.
    Hannah sat with his head on her leg, petting and stroking him so he’d know she was there. Tears ran freely down her face when she thought of how much Caleb had adored Homer, how in tune the two of them had been with each other, how Homer had followed Caleb around like a shadow whenever he was home and waited by the door for him to return when he was away. Caleb’s deployments had been as hard on Homer as they’d been on her.
    Nolan sat next to her on the sofa and took hold of her free hand.
    Myles occupied the easy chair next to the fire that had burned down, leaving the room chilled.
    “Would you mind lighting the fire, Nolan? I don’t want Homer to get cold.”
    “I’d be happy to.”
    Nolan soon had the fire warming the room and casting a cozy glow over Homer.
    “Should I help him along, Myles?” Hannah asked after a long period of quiet.
    He got up to check Homer’s heart again. “I don’t think you’ll need to.”
    That news started the tears flowing again.
    Nolan put his arm around her and offered silent comfort as she focused on the slow rise and fall of Homer’s chest.
    So many memories came flooding back to her, of the years she and Caleb and Homer had spent moving around with the army as Caleb advanced through the officer corps and the leave time they’d spent at home in Vermont. Each time Caleb deployed, Hannah and Homer came home to be with her family. She and Homer had propped each other up and gotten each other through the long absences.
    On the day they lost Caleb, they’d been here in Vermont passing an ordinary day at home until the army chaplain showed up with two other officers, all of them wearing the telltale class A uniforms, and shattered her world. Somehow Homer had known . . . He’d understood and had grieved right along with her.
    The front door slammed open, startling Hannah from her memories. Hunter came into the sitting room, looking harried and a bit undone, which was wildly out of character for her calm, cool, collected twin. “I came as soon as I got Nolan’s message. Is he . . .”
    “No, but soon,” Hannah said, resigned now despite the overwhelming sadness. Losing Homer truly marked the end of an era for her as well as Caleb’s friends and family. “Come see him.” She held out a hand to Hunter, who wrapped his hand around hers as he knelt on the floor next to Homer.
    Tears filled Hunter’s eyes as he bent to kiss Homer’s sweet face. Then he reached for Hannah, hugging her tightly. “Are you okay?”
    “I’ve been better, but we knew this was coming.”
    “Still . . .”
    Her twin knew her better than just about anyone, so he understood how hard the loss of Homer would hit her. “Still,” she said, forcing the hint of a smile to reassure Hunter. He worried about her endlessly.
    Their parents came in a short time later, followed by Hannah’s brother Will and his girlfriend, Cameron, who’d just returned from New York City.
    “We came as soon as we heard.” Will hugged and kissed Hannah, before bending to kiss and pet Homer. “How is