Covering the Carolinas

by Casey Peeler

  Water begins to creep into my eyes. “I love you, Grandaddy, and life tossed us a big curveball, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  Grandaddy tries to divert his eyes from mine, but I catch a glimpse of them shimmering. “Sunshine, dang right. I’m glad God saved me for you that night. We’ve been on this road a long time, and I know we don’t know the future. I do, however, know I feel better knowing you have Emmett in yours.”

  I’m unable to control the waterworks as I shake my head in agreement. No matter what those doctors told him, or he says they told him, I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me something different.

  Grandaddy stands. “Come here, Sunshine.” I stand and walk toward him, and he holds me as we both cry. When there aren’t any more tears to shed, he pulls back and looks at me. “No more tears, Sunshine. For both of us.”

  “Okay,” I say as he gives me one more squeeze before we call it a night.

  As I walk to my room, I remove my accessories and feel completely drained emotionally. I toss on my pajamas, wash my face, and brush my teeth before sliding into the bed. Grabbing my stuffed bunny, I hold it in my arms like I did when I was five years old and cry myself to sleep.

  Emmett

  As soon as I make it out to the main road, I crank up the radio and smile, because I know Raegan feels a connection between us too. Once I’m home, I grab a drink and a bag of chips before watching SportsCenter on ESPN and calling it a night. At some point, I wake up to the TV still on and chip crumbs on the couch. Dang! Mom’s gonna kill me. I quickly clean up my mess and make my way to my room. Just as I’m about to meet Raegan in my dreams, the house phone rings, and everybody knows that a phone call this late at night can never be good.

  I hurry to the hallway to see what’s going on when Mom meets me halfway.

  “Em, Cole’s been in an accident. I don’t know much. All I know is it’s not real good right now. Throw on a shirt and let’s go,” she says with distress in her voice.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I hustle to my room, slide on the first shirt and pair of shoes I can find and meet George and her in the car. Rae. I’ve gotta call Rae!

  “George, can I call Rae? I think she and Mr. Lowery would wanna be there,” I say with a little hesitation in my voice.

  “Please,” he says.

  Chapter 11

  Raegan

  Waking up to the sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand, I see Emmett’s name, and I can’t help but smile, even though I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck.

  “Hey,” I mumble half-asleep, but attempting to sound like I’m awake.

  “Rae! It’s Cole! He’s been in an accident,” he races to say with terror in his voice. I realize it’s not morning, and I pray I’m not reliving a nightmare that occurred twelve years ago.

  “Em, we’re on our way. Do we need to get you?”

  “No, I’m with George and Mom,” he says.

  “I’m getting Grandaddy now.” I press End on my phone, toss it onto my bed, and run to Grandaddy’s room.

  “Grandaddy! We’ve got to go to the hospital. It’s Cole. He’s been in an accident.” Grandaddy sits up in a hurry when he hears the word “accident,” and I know he’s reliving more vividly what I barely remember.

  “Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen in five.”

  Shutting the door, I run to my room, toss on my shorts from tonight, a bra, tank top, and pull on my boots. I don’t bother with my hair, teeth, or anything. Instead, I grab a ball cap and hurry to meet Grandaddy. He walks in right after me. I toss him the keys, and we haul ass to get to Cole in time.

  Emmett

  Once we arrive at the hospital, George goes back to see Cole. Mom decides to give them a little privacy, and we take a seat in the waiting area.

  “Mom, you can go with him if you want. I can wait on Mr. Lowery and Rae out here.”

  She shakes her head no. “George and Cole are a pair. They have been each other’s rocks since his mom left all those years ago. They need time to themselves. George will assess the situation and come get us if he thinks it’s that bad.”

  I start to comment, but then I see the doors open. Rae looks pale as a ghost and almost on the verge of breaking. When her eyes meet mine, I see into her soul. She’s afraid of what might happen if she loses someone else. Running into my arms like I’m her saving grace, she begins to cry, and between sobs, she asks if he’s gonna be okay.

  Raegan

  I swear, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think my grandaddy was a NASCAR driver. He puts the truck in the wind, and we are at the local hospital in a matter of minutes. We find a parking spot and hustle to the front doors. As they slide open, I see Emmett and his mom standing there. I run to his arms.

  “He’s gonna be okay, right?” I ask as I sob in his arms.

  “We don’t know. It’s a waiting game. His dad’s back there right now,” he answers as I pull back and wipe the tears.

  Grandaddy turns to Emma, Emmett’s mom. “Can I go back there?”

  “I’m sure, Dover. You’re family,” she says quietly.

  “Sunshine, I’ll be right back.” He looks directly at Emmett. “Don’t let her outta your sight.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Grandaddy makes his way to the nurses’ desk and into the back. Emmett pulls me close, and I take a seat with him and his mom. Never in my life did I expect to sit in the hospital waiting room, waiting to find out a family member’s fate from another car accident.

  We wait for what feels like an eternity before George and Grandaddy walk out. Cole’s dad looks like hell, and Grandaddy is putting on a show, but I can read his emotions like a book.

  “How is he?” I ask. They don’t’ say anything; they just walk toward us. Please, God, no! “Grandaddy?!” I scream. He walks up to me, squeezes my hand, and looks me in the eye. Oh my god! Please tell me he’s not gone. I feel my breathing increase, and I’m on the verge of hyperventilating.

  “Sunshine, slow down. Take a deep breath,” he says calmly. I try to do as he says, but fear consumes my body. I can’t do this again. “He’s gonna be a’ight. It’s gonna take a while, but he will pull through.” I crumble in Grandaddy’s arms as tears of joy pour from my eyes. “Do you wanna go see him?”

  “Yeah, but shouldn’t Em and his mom go first?” I ask as I look around to his family. His dad informs us that Emmett and I should see Cole now, because they are going to be here all night and will see him when we come out.

  I look at Grandaddy as Emmett waits for me. “It will be okay, Sunshine. I promise.” Then, Emmett takes me by the hand, and we walk to face Cole in a hospital bed.

  Once Emmett and I are alone in the hallway, he turns to look at me. “Are you okay?” I shake my head yes. “I don’t believe you.”

  “I just never pictured coming back to this place for another accident. It’s like someone’s playing a sick joke on us,” I say. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulls me close, kisses my forehead, and we make our way to Cole.

  Chapter 12

  Raegan

  As we walk into Cole’s room, I brace myself for what I might see. Trying to make it the worst-case scenario will at least lighten the actual results, even if they are bad.

  When Emmett opens the door, I take a deep breath and see Cole lying in a hospital bed looking lifeless. There are cords attached everywhere, the room is dimly lit, and I stare at his chest to see if it is moving.

  Walking toward the bed, I see his eyes are opening, and he’s trying to look at us. I let go of Emmett and hurry to his side.

  “Cole, it’s me,” I say as I grab his hand in mine. He starts to speak. “Shhh…Don’t talk.” He ignores me.

  Softly, Cole says, “Rae, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to be here like this again.”

  “Stop, Cole. I’m just glad you’re all right,” I counter as I begin to cry again. Emmett walks closer and pulls me tighter while I continue to hold onto Cole’s hand. We don’t say any
thing else; we just silently pray he’s going to be okay. After about twenty minutes of silence, Emmett says we probably should let the others come in. I shake my head and lean over Cole, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Cole.” He tells me he loves me, too, and Emmett informs him he will return later.

  Grandaddy, George, and Emma are waiting for us when we walk back into the waiting area. We don’t say a lot, but his parents go back into the room after they insist that Emmett goes home.

  As the three of us make our way out to the parking lot, we all slide into Grandaddy’s truck. We drive toward Emmett’s house, and after we drop him off, I’m taken back in time to when I made this journey with my grandaddy after the funerals, but instead of Johnny Cash, I hear Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer,” and I’m blessed that Cole is still with us. Grandaddy doesn’t say a word; he pats my thigh, letting me know he understands and assuring me it’s gonna be all right.

  Once we get to the farm, we make our way inside and back to bed. It won’t be long before the sun comes up. I set my alarm, because I know even though it’s Sunday, there is still work to be done before church.

  I wake up to the sound of my alarm, and my body feels as if it has just fallen back asleep. I take a deep breath before pushing the cover aside and doing what has to be done.

  Emmett

  Watching Raegan and Mr. Lowery leave in the truck is rough. I know I’m walking into an empty house and unsure of when things will return to normal. When I can no longer see the taillights, I close the door and make my way inside. I don’t bother going to my room; I just sprawl out on the couch.

  As I try to drift off to sleep, my mind wonders to Cole and how things are going to change in his life. Not being able to work is gonna be rough on him, but Raegan, I just don’t know if I can handle seeing her hurt like I did today. It killed me to watch her in pain. When she hurts, I feel it in my soul. Finally, when my eyes can no longer stay open, sleep consume me.

  Chapter 13

  Emmett

  As the sun begins to peer through the curtains into my eyes, I roll over on the couch, feeling like I’ve been sleeping on a piece of plywood and a transfer truck has run over my body. It’s no use to try to get comfortable. I look at my phone to see if I’ve missed anything, but nothing’s there.

  Sitting up, I take a moment to rub my eyes, and call Mom to see how Cole is doing.

  “Hey, Mom. How’s he doin’ this mornin’?” I question.

  “Better. They hope he’s gonna be able to go home in a few days, even though he won’t be able to go to work for at least a week or more. I don’t know how we’re gonna keep him from the farm,” she says with a hint of laughter in her voice, and that’s how I know it will all be okay. After telling her I’ll be by in a little while, we hang up. I toss my phone onto the table and lie back down, closing my eyes for just a few more minutes.

  Somehow I drift back to sleep, but wake up to the buzzing of my phone. Still half-asleep, I fumble around the table, trying to grab it. Got it! I look down to see Raegan’s name, and I’m suddenly awake and feeling like a million bucks.

  Raegan

  Grandaddy and I feed the animals and gather the eggs and once we’re finished we clean-up for breakfast.

  “Rae, are you up to church this mornin’?” he asks between sips of coffee.

  “Yeah, but after church, I think I might need a nap,” I say.

  “I’m right there with ya. We can go visit Cole on our way home from church. Maybe we should take George and Emma lunch. I think I’ll call and see if that works for them.”

  “Okay.” We finish breakfast, and I clean the kitchen before getting ready for church. I want to call Emmett, but I’m afraid he might be sleeping. I’d hate to wake him if he was, so I decide to shower and get ready first and then call him.

  As the scalding water runs over my body, I feel a wave of relief and refreshment. I could stay in this spot forever, but eventually, I’d turn into a prune. Then, the relief is replaced with memories of last night. I try to push them to the side, but I can’t. Closing my eyes, I see Cole lying in the hospital bed, and when I open them, I can still hear Emmett’s voice in my head. Tears begin to stream down my face as I try to escape my current situation. Yet again, someone I love is hurt due to an accident. I just pray this is where it ends. I don’t know if I can be strong much longer, especially if something happens to Grandaddy. As a sob expels from my lungs, I reach deep within my soul. I have to be strong. They both need me. I take a deep breath and hold it as the water pours down my face. As I exhale the air from my lungs, I turn off the water, grab a towel, and dry off quickly before getting ready for church. Once I’m finished, I pick up my phone and text Emmett.

  Me: Em, just wanted to let you know you were

  on my mind. Call me when you wake up.

  Within minutes, my phone rings, and I hear the raspy, yet tender voice of Emmett on the other side.

  “Mornin’, Rae. Are you okay?” he asks.

  “I’m okay, but the question is, how are you?” I hope he can’t sense what I have been feeling all morning.

  He doesn’t say anything for a moment. “I feel like I’ve been run over, but hearing your voice makes everything better.” I smile at the thought of my voice making him better.

  “I understand that completely. I’m goin’ with Grandaddy to church and to see Cole after. Have you heard anything this mornin’?” I question.

  “Yeah, Mom called and said he is comfortable and making some improvements. They said they hoped he would go home in a day or two if his improvements continue. I’m goin’ by there in just a few.”

  “I’ll see you there in a little while then. We’re bringin’ lunch, too.”

  “Y’all don’t have to do that,” he says.

  “Yeah, we do. Y’all need to eat, and I’m sure you can only eat so much hospital food.” We both laugh, and that feels good.

  Relieved that Cole is going to be okay, Emmett and I talk for a few minutes. I enjoy living in the present and not thinking about last night. Cole was lucky; I was lucky because he’s the only one that knows the secret, and I can’t make it through this without him.

  Chapter 14

  Raegan

  Grandaddy and I enjoy church and are asked a gazillion questions about Cole. Of course, everyone thinks alcohol was involved, but it wasn’t. Cole’s smarter than that. I swear, some people are just idiots.

  Once church is over, we pull through KFC for a family meal and make our way toward the hospital. I sneak a potato wedge from the bag.

  “I saw that, Sunshine,” Grandaddy says. “Now, pass one this way.” I smile and hand him one. I love him more than life itself.

  Once we arrive at the hospital, we carry the food inside and head to Cole’s room. He’s now been moved to a room that will allow more than two visitors at a time, and he’s sitting up when we enter.

  “Cole!” I exclaim as I drop the food onto the counter by the sink and rush to hug him.

  “Rae, I’m okay, girl. No need to freak out,” he says lightly.

  “If you weren’t lying in a hospital bed, I’d hit you right now!” I say as I put my hands on my hips. He starts to laugh until it hurts too much.

  I hear Emmett laughing in the background. My eyes meet his, and I walk to him. His arms open, and I fall right into them. I sure hope Grandaddy doesn’t kill him! He gives me a light kiss on the top of my head, and it reminds me of Saturday night. My cheeks start to creep red, but I try to hide it because I don’t want any questions.

  When we pull apart, I walk back to the food. “Y’all ready to eat?” I ask.

  “Thank you so much, Dover and Raegan. Y’all didn’t have to do this,” Emma says.

  “Yes, we did,” Grandaddy answers.

  Once we eat, Emma and George go home while we visit. When Cole becomes too tired, we tell him we’ll see him later, and the three of us make our way outside.

  “Sunshine, why don’t you ride with Emmett? This old man can handle it
by himself for a while,” Grandaddy says as we reach his truck.

  I look at Emmett, and he smiles. “Are you sure?” I question.

  “I’m sure. Go have some fun.”

  “Okay,” I say as I hug him goodbye, and then I lace my hand in Emmett’s, and we make our way to his truck. He opens the door for me, and we drive out of the parking lot. “So, what are we gonna do?” I ask him. He looks at me and gives me that panty droppin’ smile. Oh, lawd!

  “Whatcha wanna do?” he banters back.

  “Doesn’t matter to me, but I wanna get outta this dress!” I say without thinking about the words that just left my mouth. Emmett’s mouth drops, and I can see that he’s a total guy. It makes me laugh. “Get that mind outta the gutter! Would you wanna stay in something like this all day?” He shakes his head no.

  “How ’bout I take you to change, and then we can do whatever you wanna do?”

  “Works for me,” I say, and Emmett takes me to the farm. Grandaddy is shocked when we pull up behind him, but it takes him no time to realize why we are here. Once I change, I tell him goodbye again and hurry back to Emmett in the truck.

  Emmett

  When Raegan comes jogging out of the house in a pair of Daisy Dukes and a tank top with her hair pulled back through a ball cap, I about lose my shit. Not to mention, how I almost lost it ten minutes ago, when she told me she wanted to get out of her dress. This girl is making me go crazy, but heck, it’s a good kinda crazy.

  As she makes her way to my truck, I lean over and open the door for her. She smiles and hops inside.

  “What do we do now?” she questions with a cute little grin.

  “What’s there to do fun ’round here?”

  “Well, we could go fishin’, hang out by the creek, or just cruise out in the country. That’s ’bout it.”