by Carrie Elks
“So, have you and Logan found anywhere to live yet?”
“We haven’t had a chance. Not with the restaurant opening. Hopefully things will calm down now.”
Maddie turned to look at Courtney, earning her disapproval from the stylist. “I bet you’ll miss that place. Presley and Marley loved it when we came over last week. They haven’t stopped babbling about the hens.”
Courtney had shown them around, introducing them to Ellis and Mary, whose faces had lit up at the smiling, toddling little boys. Ellis had even taken them for a ride in his tractor, much to the twins’ delight. It had given her a little insight into how excited they’d be when her own baby arrived. That thought warmed her inside.
“We loved having them there. And they can still come over after I move. I’ll still be working on the farm.”
“You will?” Lainey’s brows lifted. “How are you going to manage that?”
“I’ll take the baby with me, at least at first. Mary has offered to help. And then I’ll look into daycare.”
“How does Logan feel about Mary taking care of the baby?” Lainey wrinkled her nose. “It has to be strange since they’re Shaun’s parents.”
Courtney shrugged. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet. But it makes sense. I can go and feed the baby on demand and still work. There aren’t many jobs where you can do both.”
“It could feel a bit emasculating though,” Lainey pointed out. “I’d check it out with him first.”
“I will. We’ve got a lot of things to sort out. But there’s plenty of time. I’m only eighteen weeks.”
“Enjoy them,” Maddie said darkly, though her lips curled up. “You’ll never know how good it feels to pee in solitude again.”
“Any time you want to pee alone, I’m happy to look after the baby,” Becca called out. “And you know I’ll look after the twins, too,” she added to Maddie. “I love spoiling them. It’s the best thing about being an auntie.”
“By spoiling them, she means giving them each a huge candy bar, then laughing in Gray’s face when she hands them back in the middle of a sugar rush,” Maddie told Courtney. “Don’t be deceived by her sweet face. She’s evil.”
“That’s why your boys love me,” Becca called out over their heads.
“And that’s why Tanner and I aren’t having kids yet,” Van said, deadpan. “Not until Becca gets this auntie thing out of her system.”
“I’m never getting it out of my system,” Becca said gleefully. “You should just go ahead and get pregnant. Give in to the inevitable.”
“We’re so going to get you back when you meet someone,” Maddie told her. “Gray can’t wait to do the big brother act on the lucky guy.”
Becca was notoriously unlucky in love. She blamed it on the fact that her brothers loomed so large in Hartson’s Creek. It would take a strong man to deal with them.
“Tanner’s already made an album up of your baby photos,” Van added, laughing at Becca’s outraged expression. “I’m not lying. He claims he’ll get it out the first time you bring a guy home.”
“I’m not scared of Gray and Tanner,” Becca said, laughing. “I know all their darkest secrets. And I’m more than happy to spill them for a fee.” She rubbed her hands together.
“I might take you up on that,” Van said, pretending to twirl a moustache. “Tanner played a prank on me yesterday, and I owe him one.”
“What kind of prank?” Becca asked. “Tell me more.”
Courtney smiled as Van related Tanner’s antics of the day before, when he’d jumped out of the closet, wearing a Freddy Krueger mask. Van had apparently screamed and hit him before he could run away from her. When she described chasing him around the house and yard with the first thing she could lay her hands on – a wooden spoon – the women all collapsed into laughter.
It was hard to remember the last time Courtney had spent time with girl friends like this. Of course she had Lainey – and she loved her to bits – but these women were wonderful. It was nice being able to talk about the Hartson men – or the Heartbreak Brothers, as Van insisted on calling them, much to Becca’s amusement. It was fun to listen about Van and Tanner’s teasing relationship, and Maddie and Gray’s love of being parents.
When her phone buzzed in her purse down by her feet, her first inclination was to leave it and check later. But then it buzzed again, and she realized it was ringing. “Ugh,” she said, meeting Lainey’s eyes with a grimace. “Will you hate me if I answer?”
“Don’t move. I’ll get it.” Lainey held the lock of hair up in her right hand, angling her left side downward to pick up the purse. Courtney bit down a smile at her friend’s awkward movement.
“Thank you,” she said, as Lainey dropped the purse in her lap then wrapped the lock of hair around her fingers before pinning it. Courtney rifled through her bag and lifted the phone out, blinking as she saw the name on the screen.
Ellis Roberts. He was calling from his cellphone, something he so rarely used it gave her a jolt to see the number.
She accepted the call, wincing as Lainey pulled her hair too tight. “Sorry,” Lainey whispered.
“Hello?” Courtney said, as the call connected. “Ellis? Is everything okay?”
There was a sob that cut right through her. It was high and soft enough for her to know it was Mary, not her husband.
“Courtney,” she gasped. “Can you meet us at the hospital? It’s Carl. He’s been shot.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Courtney rushed to the hospital on pure adrenaline, her heart hammering against her chest as she parked in the lot. It wasn’t until she got out of the car that she began to feel light headed.
It felt like déjà vu. Memories from years ago assailed her. A different brother, the same hospital, the same fear. The same horrible, horrible guilt that the last time she’d seen him, he’d looked broken. Because of her.
This was all because of her.
She hardly managed to keep it together long enough to give Carl’s name at the desk.
“Are you a relative?” the officious-looking woman behind it asked.
“His sister-in-law.” It was almost a truth.
The woman nodded and looked him up on the computer in front of her, then gave Courtney directions to the ER waiting room. It was crazy that she even needed to be told how to get there. The way should have been etched in her memory from the last time. But her mind felt fuzzy, as though the connections weren’t firing the way they should. She couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything except try to remember to breathe.
Carl had been shot.
That’s all Courtney had heard before Mary had hung up. But then, she didn’t need to hear any more. The tone in Mary’s voice was enough to send a shot of ice cold fear through her veins.
Mary and Ellis were losing another son. This time, Courtney didn’t know if they’d survive it.
They were in the far corner of the waiting room, both staring into the air in front of them, their hands tightly clasped together as though afraid to let go. Courtney hurried over, blinking away the tears as she hugged them both.
“Is there any news?” she asked. “How is he?”
“We’re still waiting for the doctor to come out.” Mary’s voice was a whisper.
“Do you know what happened?” she asked them, trying to swallow down her panic.
“There was a robbery at a gas station,” Ellis said, his voice bleak. “That’s all we know.”
Courtney looked away so they couldn’t see the tears in her eyes. She couldn’t crumple in front of them. They didn’t need to be worrying about her when she should be the one doing the consoling. Her leg muscles felt weak. Enough for her to sit down heavily next to Mary.
From the corner of her eye she could see the old woman’s lips moving rapidly. It took Courtney a moment to realize she was saying a prayer. Begging for her son to stay alive. The only child that she had left.
Touching her bump, Courtney closed her eyes and sent up
a prayer, too. Mary and Ellis didn’t deserve this. Not again.
Her phone buzzed, and she opened her eyes to look at the caller. Maddie Hartson. Shooting a rueful glance at Mary, she lifted it up. “I should take this. They’re worried about Carl.”
“People are so kind,” Mary said softly. “Yes, you should answer it.”
“Hello?” Courtney’s voice was quiet as she walked to the far window in an attempt not to disturb anybody in the waiting room. Every single person sitting here had their own sad story. They didn’t need to hear hers.
“Courtney? How’s Carl? Is there any news?” Maddie asked, her voice full of concern.
“Nothing yet,” Courtney murmured. “We’re waiting to hear from the doctor.”
“Oh no. We’re praying so hard for you all.” Maddie sighed. “Are you sure I can’t come be with you? We’re on the way to the airport, but I could ask the driver to turn around.”
Courtney’s heart clenched. “No. It’s fine, but thank you for the offer. You have a flight to catch.” The thought of it made her stomach flip. She was supposed to be catching that airplane to Boston, too.
What if this had happened a few hours later, while she was in mid-air? The thought of Mary and Ellis coping alone made her breath catch in her throat. She would have let them down.
Again.
“I could ask Gray to delay the flight,” Maddie suggested. “Or I could catch a later one?”
“No,” Courtney said quickly. “Please go. Logan’s expecting you all. I don’t want him to be let down.”
“Okay,” Maddie replied softly. “But please let me know of any changes. You take it easy, okay? Look after yourself and that baby.”
“I will. Thank you.” She tried to keep her voice even, saying goodbye before she ended the call. With her lips pursed, she switched her phone off altogether, not sure she had the strength to speak to anybody else right now.
Not even Logan. Or maybe especially not him. She swallowed hard, but it did nothing to calm her stomach.
When she walked back to where Mary and Ellis were sitting, nausea washed over her again.
“I need the bathroom,” she whispered to them, not wanting to cause any alarm. “I’ll only be a moment.”
She made it to the stall just in time, though it was a close call. Leaning over the bowl, she threw up her breakfast, her body shaking until there was nothing left to come out. Tears ran hot down her face as she flushed it away, then walked over to the sink to clean herself up as best she could.
When she looked at herself in the mirror, she grimaced. Her hair was half-styled, with pins keeping her ringlets curled around the nape of her neck. Courtney pulled them out, throwing them in the trash as her hair spilled out over her shoulders.
She hated the reflection staring back at her. It belonged to a woman who ruined everything she touched. Two years ago, she’d told a man she wasn’t sure she loved him any more, and he’d ended up here, losing his life less than an hour later.
And today it felt as though it was happening all over again.
This time she wasn’t sure she could take it.
“Mrs. Roberts?”
Courtney looked up from the seat where she was next to Mary. It took her a moment to realize the doctor wasn’t talking to her. He was looking at Mary and Ellis with tired eyes.
“I’m she,” Mary said, trying to stand. Courtney reached for her arm, helping her up, as Ellis supported her on the other side. “Is my son all right? Where is he?”
Courtney swallowed hard. There was a clock on the wall in front of them, the second hand slowly ticking. They’d been here for less than an hour. If the doctor was coming out already, that had to be bad news, didn’t it? Otherwise he’d be in surgery with Carl.
“He’s still in the ER, ma’am, but I’m pleased to say he’s doing well. The bullet went clean through his arm. It didn’t hit any bones or tendons. He’s being cleaned and stitched up, then we’ll want to monitor him until tomorrow.” He gave her a small smile. “You’ll be able to see him once he’s admitted to the floor. Hopefully within the hour.”
Mary blinked, as though she didn’t quite understand. “He’s all right?” she whispered, her hand fluttering at her chest.
“He lost some blood, which we’ve replaced. And he’s shocked, of course. But yes, he’s doing pretty well considering.”
“I thought… I thought…” Mary let out a sob. Her legs gave way, and Courtney just managed to catch her before she slumped to the ground. She blinked away her own tears, sending up a silent prayer of thanks.
“He’s okay,” Courtney said, exhaling raggedly. “Carl’s okay.”
Mary nodded, her face contorted with emotion. Ellis patted her arm, his own expression stoic. He never was a man to show emotions.
“I’ll have a nurse come for you once he’s ready for visitors,” the doctor told them. “But as I said, it might take a while. Feel free to go to the cafeteria in the meantime if you need a break.”
But none of them were in the mood for food or drink. Instead, they sat and waited, all three of them silent until Mary suddenly turned to look at her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be flying to Boston?” she asked, her voice steadier than it had been.
“I was.” Courtney shrugged. “But I’m not going anymore. It’s fine.”
“Oh sweetheart. But you were so looking forward to it.” She looked up at the clock. “What time are you supposed to catch the flight?”
“It should have taken off ten minutes ago.”
“Oh no.” Mary’s voice rose. “Can you catch a later flight? You shouldn’t miss this.”
Courtney shook her head. “I’m staying right here with you. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Her heart ached at the thought of not going. But what could she do? Even if Carl was okay, Mary and Ellis would want to be with him. And somebody had to take care of the farm.
No, she wasn’t going to Boston. Not when she had responsibilities here. And in a little while, when she found the guts, she’d let Logan know what had happened.
But right now, the thought of hearing his voice made her eyes water. Because he’d be another person she’d be letting down today.
And she hated being the cause of anybody’s pain.
Logan grimaced as his call went straight to voicemail again, leaning his head back against the restaurant wall. “Court, it’s Logan. Again. I hope you’re doing okay. Call me back when you get a chance, all right? Just let me know you’re hanging in there. Okay, bye.” He ended the call and sighed. This was the fifth time he’d called. He’d even tried calling the hospital, but they’d refused to give out any information.
He glanced at his watch. Gray and the others would be arriving any minute now. It had been Maddie who’d called him before they took off and told him about Carl’s shooting. It had taken Gray’s soft, reassuring tones to stop Logan from catching the first flight out to be with Courtney.
“Just wait,” Gray had said over the phone. “I know you want to be with her, and it’s right that you should. But at least wait to hear how bad it is. You’ve got a damn restaurant opening tonight. Get busy sorting everything out in case you need to leave, okay?”
Gray was right, but it didn’t stop Logan from feeling absolutely fucking useless. Especially when Courtney wasn’t answering her phone. He couldn’t even ask one of his family to go and check on her, as they were all on their way to Boston.
He gritted his teeth, walking through the backdoor and into the kitchen. It was full of staff leaning over steaming pans and calling out directions to each other. He could see Ryan muttering to his sous-chef, something about the carrots being cut too thick. Logan nodded to him in greeting, then walked back into the main restaurant, where Paris and their event organizer were supervising the décor.
“Everything okay?” Paris asked, her face bright.
“Fine.” Logan gave her a curt nod. He hadn’t told her about Courtney. He didn’t really want to talk about it. Just wanted to
find out what the hell was going on.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He lifted it out, exhaling audibly when he saw Courtney’s name on the screen. Without saying a word to Paris, he accepted the call, turning on his foot and retracing his steps through the kitchen and back out to the alley.
“Hey,” he said softly. “You okay? I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I know.” She sounded far way, her voice a gentle echo down the line. “Sorry. I was caught up at the hospital.”
“How’s Carl?” He almost didn’t want to ask. Maddie’s phone call had made it sound bad.
“He’s okay,” she told him. “It was a flesh wound. The bullet got him in the arm, but went clean out the other side. I guess they’re looking for it at the gas station right now.” She breathed out. “He’s going to need to rest his arm for a while, and they’re keeping him over night, but no permanent damage.
Logan’s body sagged with relief. “That’s amazing news. God, I thought it was bad when Maddie told me.”
“I did, too.” Her voice was rough. “I thought the worst.”
He ran his tongue across his lip, thinking out their next move. “Does that mean you still might be able to make it to the opening?” he asked. “I could check the flights for you. What are you, about thirty minutes away from the airport? You’d probably arrive a bit late for the first course, but you wouldn’t miss too much. And tomorrow I can make sure you are able to rest.”
“Logan…” She sighed. “I don’t think I can make it.”
He swallowed. “I’d really like it if you could. I want to make sure you’re okay. Pamper you a bit. You’ve had a hard time. You could do with some relaxing.”