Her Only Son by Shawna Platt Page A

She’d call her mom tonight before Tessa’s visit and check in. She also had to check in with Sheila.
    She lost track of time reading and early evening crept in. She went back to her room to call her mom. She sounded upbeat when she answered the phone.
    “Hello, sweetheart! How are you doing?”
    Kinsey loved hearing the happy tone in her voice. “I’m doing well, Mom. How are things going there?”
    “Just wonderful. We got fantastic news today. Brianna’s lung is healing well, quite fast actually.”
    Kinsey’s heart leaped. “Wow! That is fantastic news! I’m so happy to hear that.”
    “Yes, we are, too. So everything is comfortable on your end? You getting settled?”
    “Yep. This place is amazing and I’m going to learn a lot here. They have some interesting classes I’ll be taking.”
    “That’s wonderful, honey.” Kinsey heard a pause as her mom shifted her attention to someone in the room. She returned to Kinsey. “I’m sorry to cut you off, sweetie, but Brianna’s doctor just came in and wants to discuss something with us. Can you call again tomorrow?”
    “No problem. I have a meeting to prepare for anyway.” It wasn’t a complete lie. “I’ll touch base by the end of the week so I can check on Brianna, okay?”
    “That sounds good. I’ll talk to you then. Your dad sends his love.”
    “Tell him I love him, too.”
    “Enjoy your meeting. I love you.”
    “Thank you, I will. I love you, too, Mom.”
    Kinsey disconnected the call and breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, Brianna would be free of the breathing tube soon.
     
    She was about to walk out on the patio when a buzzer went off at her front door. She looked through the peephole and saw Tessa. She opened the door and greeted her with a smile. Tonight she would do some digging and hoped Tessa was willing to share her experience and what she knew about Operation Vala and Hakon.

Chapter Twelve
    Kinsey and Tessa sat at the table out on the patio, enjoying some small talk, and watched a handful of women enjoy the park area. The table was set with a healthy dinner and drinks from Kinsey’s kitchen. After an appropriate amount of time had passed, Kinsey turned to Tessa.
    “So, tell me, what do you think of this program?”
    Tessa swallowed her mouthful of drink and smirked. “Hmmm…that’s a loaded question and I’m not sure how to answer it.”
    Kinsey gave her a look. “How about an honest response.” She paused. “You can trust me, Tessa. I think you and I have a lot in common here.”
    Tessa looked confused on how to respond, so Kinsey redirected the question. “Okay, why don’t you tell me about you and your life outside the program?”
    Tessa smiled. “That’s a good place to start.” She grabbed a handful of pita chips and nibbled on one. “Well, you know my name is Tessa Sloane. I’m twenty-four years old and live in Texas on my family’s farm.”
    “You live on a farm?”
    Tessa laughed. “I do. Mainly horses. I’m currently in vet school, so I’m still living with my parents. They’re helping me until I finish school.”
    “That’s great. You must like horses to live on a horse farm?”
    “I love them. Actually, I love all animals, but horses are my favorite. When I was sixteen one of our horses died; it was then I decided to become a vet and hopefully be able to save the lives of animals.”
    “I’m sorry about your horse. That must have been hard.”
    “It was, but it was also a turning point for me. It helped me decide what direction to take in my life.”
    “So, how were you chosen for the program? Did you just get a letter in the mail?”
    Tessa shook her head. “I wish it was that easy, but no.”
    Kinsey nodded. “I didn’t think so.”
    “Did you just…get a letter in the mail?”
    Kinsey laughed. “No.”
    “I didn’t think so, either.” Tessa paused and took a sip of her drink. “I saw the way Hakon looked at you during the welcome meeting. I didn’t like it.”
    “To be