Roadside Assistance (31 page)

“I’m sorry for taking off without telling you where I was last night,” I said. “I’m not sorry for what I said to Darlene, but I’m sorry about our fight.”

“Let’s not talk about this now,” he said.

“I have to,” I said, swiping the tissue across my cheeks. “I have to go home to that house tonight and so much is not settled.”

He sighed. “Emily, we’ll get through this, one day at a time.”

I studied the metal bed railing, avoiding his stare. “I bet Darlene hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” he said. His voice was a little stronger, but he still didn’t sound like himself. “Now you’re just being ridiculous. I know that you have some issues with her, but you went about it all wrong by yelling at her last night. We could’ve sat down with her at another time and discussed it. I was upset that you went off on her and were so disrespectful.”

“I shouldn’t have gone off on her like that, but you both pushed me, and I snapped,” I said. “Once I started unloading, I
couldn’t stop.” My lip quivered. “I thought I was going to lose you today, like I lost Mom. I couldn’t bear it if I lost you too.” I leaned over and hugged him gently, the tears flowing again.

He ran his good hand through my hair. “It’s okay, Baby Doll.” His voice echoed in his chest with my ear resting next to it. “I’m going to be fine. We’ll figure everything out when I get home. Right now I need you to be strong.”

Sitting back down, I nodded.

“And you’re still grounded for taking off and scaring me last night.” He lifted his good finger and wagged it slightly. “Don’t think this gets you out of your punishment.”

I gave him a half smile. “You know, you’re not good at the whole strict parent thing. Mom played that role much better than you.”

“But I’ve been thinking about something you said,” he told me. “You wanted to know if you could work. What if you worked on Saturdays, like Zander does?”

My eyes widened with surprise and excitement. “That would be great, Dad.”

“I realized that I’ve accepted help from Darlene, but I’ve never let you contribute,” he said. “Let’s talk about the job when I get home, okay?”

“Absolutely.”

“And also,” he continued, “you were right about how I’ve suppressed my feelings about losing your mom. I need to open up to you more.”

“Dad, please don’t worry about that.” I held his hand in mine. “You don’t need to push yourself to open up to me. It was unfair of me to insist you talk to me.”

“No, you were right.” He gave me a weak smile. “We’re in this together, Baby Doll.”

A knock sounded at the door and Dr. Stewart stuck his head in the room.

I stood. “Hi, Dr. Stewart.”

“Hello, Emily.” He entered the room clutching a clipboard. “How are you feeling, Brad?”

“I’ve been better.” My dad forced a smile. “I guess I messed up my arm a bit.”

Dr. Stewart hugged the clipboard to his white coat. “That you did.”

I studied his features, wondering if that was how Zander would look in twenty or so years.

“I did my best to put your arm back together. You severed some vessels and muscles.” Dr. Stewart shook his head. “I’m not going to lie to you. You did some serious damage, but you should regain full function after some rehabilitation. It just might take some time.”

“When can he come home?” I asked.

“It might be a few days,” Dr. Stewart said, glanced through the pages on the clipboard. “We need to be sure he’s on the right path with his healing.”

I pushed my hair behind my ears and wondered what this would mean for our future. Would my dad be able to go back to work? Would we ever get to move into our own place? But at least he’d finally decided to let me work, so I could make a contribution. I had to trust it would be okay.

Dr. Stewart checked the bandage and listened to my dad’s heart and lungs. He then started for the door. “My son wants to come back and see you. Would that be okay with you?”

“Of course,” my dad said. “Your boy is family. Right, Emily?”

I nodded.

“I’ll direct him back.” Dr. Stewart gripped the doorknob. “I’m going to head out, but I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow. Do you need more pain medication?”

My dad cupped his good hand to his forehead. “I think it’s time. It’s starting to throb.”

“I’ll send the nurse in. Good night.” Dr. Stewart disappeared through the door and the nurse came in a few moments later with some pills, which my dad took with a small glass of water. After quickly eying his vitals, the nurse disappeared as well.

“Sorry to disappoint Zander, but these meds are potent. I think I’m going to close my eyes,” my dad said, his voice soft and weak. “You should go home and rest.”

“I want to stay for a while,” I said. “I need to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m going to be just fine,” he said, his voice fading. Within minutes, he was asleep.

I found the remote control and flipped channels until I came to the evening news. I was watching a story about a robbery at a grocery store when Zander and Darlene came into the room.

Darlene waved me over, and we stood in the hallway. “I spoke with Dr. Stewart. It sounds like your dad is going to be in here a few days.”

“Yeah, it does,” I said, hugging my arms to my chest.

“He may have a long road of recovery ahead of him,” she said, shaking her head. “He really did some damage.”

“But it could’ve been a lot worse,” Zander interjected.

I yawned and cupped my hand to my mouth.

“I think the stress is taking a toll on you, dear,” Darlene said with a knowing look. “We should head home.”

“No,” I said. “I’m not ready to leave him.”

“It’s been a long day,” she said. “You can come back tomorrow.”

“What if I sat with her for a few minutes?” Zander said, looping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t stay too late.”

Darlene looked unconvinced.

“I promise I won’t let her stay longer than an hour,” he
offered. “We’ll just make sure Mr. Curtis is resting okay and then we’ll head home. You have my word.”

She paused for a moment, considering it. “Fine,” she said, holding up her finger up as a warning. “But only an hour, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave a deliberate nod. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“All right then.” She touched my arm. “I’ll see you at the house.”

She disappeared down the hallway and I turned to Zander. “Thank you.”

He shrugged. “No big deal. I knew you wanted more time.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to return to that house. I said some pretty awful things to her, and I can’t take them back.” I shook my head. “I know we have to talk it out, but it’s going to be tough. Things are so messed up with her now.”

He put his finger under my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I think things are going to be just fine when you get home. She seems very supportive. Just talk things out with her.”

We stepped into the room together and found my dad still sleeping. Zander frowned, his eyes studying the bandage.

I sank into the chair and Zander carried the extra chair over and sat beside me. We watched the news in silence. After an hour, I turned off the television before standing over my dad. I leaned down and kissed his cheek, and he stirred but didn’t wake up.

Taking my hand, Zander led me from the room.

chapter twenty-one

I
think he looked okay, considering the accident,” Zander said as we drove out of the hospital parking lot. The sky was dark, and the clock on the dashboard declared it was approaching ten. I was stunned by how quickly the day had flown by.

“I guess so. He looked really tired,” I said, clasping my hands together. “Your dad seemed convinced my dad should regain full use of his arm, but he’ll have to go through rehab for a while. It could be a long road back.”

Zander put the Jeep in neutral, took my hand in his, and slowed to a stop at a stoplight.

“Thank you for everything,” I said.

He shrugged. “It was nothing.”

“No, it was everything,” I said, shifting in my seat and facing him. “You saved his life, Zander. He could’ve bled to death.”

“Like I said before, I just followed Shawn’s orders.” He seemed as nonchalant as if he were ordering a mocha latte at the coffeehouse.

“Without you, I wouldn’t have made it through the day.”

“That’s not true,” he said. “You had a waiting room full of people there for you.”

“But you were the one who really saw me through it.”

A horn blasted behind us, and Zander snickered while putting the truck in first. “We have to get better about paying attention at stoplights.”

We drove in silence for a few minutes, and I sorted through my thoughts. There was so much I wanted to say, but I had to find a way to express them coherently and without crying again.

“It’s been a long day.” Zander steered into the neighborhood. “How are you handling it all?”

I stared out the windshield, watching the street signs fly by. “I can’t explain it, but I’m kind of at peace. I feel like I learned a lot today.”

“What do you mean?” He gave me a sideways glance.

“Last night when I left the party, I called Jenna and then walked up to the coffee shop and met her,” I said. “She said something that made sense to me today.”

“What was that?” Zander asked, pulling into his driveway.

“I told her I thought God had abandoned me, and she said that maybe God had been here all along.”

Zander parked the Jeep in front of his garage and turned to me. “What do you mean?”

“I think I’ve missed that God has been here, and he’s appeared to me through you, Chelsea, my family, and everyone who came to the waiting room.” I touched his hand. “He’s been watching out for me, and he’s sent me wonderful friends to guide me. He sent Darlene and Chuck to take care of my dad and me too.”

He smiled. “I think you’re right.”

“And there’s something else I finally understand.” I took a deep breath. “The night of the Halloween party when we fought, you said that I deliberately close out everyone who cares about me.”

He shook his head. “I just meant —”

I touched my finger to his lips to stop him from speaking.
“Zander, you were right. I built a wall up around myself when I lost my mom. I did it to shield myself from heartbreak, even though Tyler managed to break it anyway. But in the past twenty-four hours, I realized that I was keeping everyone out— including God and you.” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “I owe you a thank you for showing me the way back to God.” I lifted my bracelet and examined the cross. “You were right all along.”

“I don’t know how much I actually did, but I’m glad I could help you.” He pushed his door open. “I think you need to get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.”

I climbed from the Jeep and met him at the hood. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Thank you, Zander. Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” His lips brushed the top of my head. “See you tomorrow?”

I snorted. “I’m grounded until next year, remember? Literally. Even after nearly cutting his arm off and being all drugged up after surgery, my dad reminded me tonight.”

He grinned, his adorable dimple appearing. “You have to go to the hospital, right?” He gestured toward the Jeep. “The guys won’t be bringing your dad’s truck home from the shop until tomorrow.”

I smiled. “I guess you’re right. I can’t walk to the hospital, and my hand-me-down Honda needs some work. Whitney made some comments last week that make me think I’m in for some transmission work.”

“Then I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll charge my phone and text you when I get up.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against mine, sending liquid heat through my veins. “Sleep well,” he murmured against my ear. “Your dad is going to be fine. It might take some time, but I believe he’s going to
be okay.” Looking down at me, he winked. “See you tomorrow, my Chevy Girl.”

I watched him saunter toward the house and I grinned. How ironic that despite all of the stress of the day, I finally was Zander Stewart’s girlfriend. I headed toward the house and stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted Darlene on the deck.

“Emily,” she said. “Let’s talk for a moment.”

It’s now or never.

I took a deep, cleansing breath and climbed the deck stairs. “Yes, Aunt Darlene.”

She sank into a chair at the table and motioned across from her. “Join me.”

Sitting across from her, I suddenly felt the most overwhelming urge to apologize.

Her expression was contrite, but I could tell this moment was hard for her. “I’ve thought about what you said last night.”

“Wait.” I reached across and touched her hand. “Before you speak, I have to say something.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry.” My voice was beginning to thin. “I said some horrible things last night, and I’m truly sorry. You and Uncle Chuck were generous to take Dad and me in, and I’m sorry for not appreciating you. So, thank you.”

She looked stunned. “You’re welcome, dear. That’s what family is for.”

I folded my hands in front of me, wishing my voice would stop quavering. “I should’ve realized sooner how much of an effort you’ve made to help my dad and me —feeding us and letting us live here for free. I’m sorry for not appreciating it. Thank you also for the car, the phone, and the clothes. You’ve gone out of your way, and I’ve never really acknowledged it.”

“It’s okay.” She touched my hand and then took a deep breath. “I need to apologize too. This morning when Whitney
and I went shopping, she pointed out a lot of things I’ve been doing wrong lately.”

My eyes widened with surprise. “She did?”

She cleared her throat and clasped her hands together. “She told me that I haven’t been behaving like a Christian, and she’s absolutely right. I was wrong to criticize how you wear your hair and how you dress. You’re a beautiful girl, and nobody’s perfect. Maybe I was wrong to make the comment about giving you the Honda in front of all of your friends at the party. Whitney said that it was horrifically embarrassing for you. I should’ve considered my words before opening my mouth.”