THE SPACE BETWEEN

Chapter 1

(Missi's POV)

I desperately needed a reprieve in the comfort and privacy of home. I had a plan for the day. I wanted to cuddle up with Maggie and shut out the world for a while. Shannon put a damper on that first thing by hounding me about making a doctor's appointment. My hope for a short visit into the realm of denial was crushed. I could tell he wasn't going to tolerate any further delay in finding out what was making me so sick.

I wrapped my arms around him when I joined him in the shower, but he shrugged me off. 'Call the doctor.' He snarled and left me standing there alone and dumbfounded.

I understood his concern, but he didn't have to be nasty conveying it. I could deal with being shut off if that was his new strategy—what I couldn't deal with was additional tension between us. We'd both been through the wringer over the past week and the stress was weighing on us heavily. The problem was my ulcer—it had to be—I couldn't face anything more serious. Not now. Even with the disaster in Spain, I was now married to someone I loved to the moon and back and I couldn't bear losing him.

Feeling somewhat defiant after he pissed me off, I took my damn time showering and set a new record for how long it took to get dressed. Procrastination finally got the best of me. I realized that prolonging this was freaking me out more the longer I delayed making the call. I took a deep breath and looked down at my phone lying on the nightstand. It seemed to be taunting me to pick it up and my hand hovered over it shakily. Doubts started bouncing in my mind like tiddlywinks. What if I only had a short time left to live? Would I even want to know if that was the case? I took a deep breath and made the call.

I was given an appointment for the next day—giving me less time to drive myself the whole way to crazy town. I rewarded myself for good behavior by calling Chelsea. I told her how fabulous the honeymoon had been before lowering the boom on the tragedy that unfolded.

Her response was very direct. 'I'm not upset in the least that man is dead!'

The way she blurted it out gave me a chuckle. 'Tell me how you really feel Chels.'

We discussed Brittany's plight and I told her how fortunate we were to have come across Rosanna. 'Hopefully her testimony will help Brit's case. How could it not?'

'Hopefully Spain's justice system isn't in the dark ages.'

I told her the last piece of bad news regarding my health and she was quick to offer assistance.

'Do you want me to go with you? Afterall, I've been through almost every medical test known to man?'

'That sounds really good actually. Shannon's concerned looks stress me out even more than I already am.'

'I'll pick you up then.'

'Thanks, Chels.'

Shannon and Maggie returned home from the dog park as I entered the kitchen. He was sporting a stern look and a raised eyebrow. 'Make an appointment yet?'