by JoAnn Durgin
“Felipe gave me a gift.” Retrieving the book, Angelina held it up for her mother to see. “Look, Mama. It’s a Christian novel. Historical romance.”
Sheila moved her gaze to Felipe and, if she wasn’t mistaken, Angelina glimpsed a softening in her mother’s expression. “Th-that’s a l-l-lovely g-gift. B-b-but th-that st-still d-does-s-n-n’t ex-exp-p-plain wh-what y-y-you w-were d-doing.”
Angelina’s anger surged after that comment. “I’m not a child! I’m 14 years old.” She wanted to stomp her foot, but that would negate her point that she was growing up. “Most girls my age have kissed a boy. Or done a whole lot more than that. Kassidy Turnbull had a baby three months ago, so I don’t think kissing is such a big crime.”
“Way to go, Cupcake.” Felipe scooted closer.
“Don’t call me that,” Angelina hissed.
“Okay, truce everyone!” Dean held up one hand. “I think we all need to take a deep breath and step back. Angelina found a dirty book and learned a valuable lesson. Felipe smuggled vodka into the camp but didn’t drink it. You two kids need to be careful and respect Sheila’s wishes as Angelina’s mother.”
“I respect your wishes, Mama, but I’m not a little girl, anymore. You can’t protect me forever or keep me from making my own mistakes.” When her mother met her gaze, Angelina glimpsed nothing but love. Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked hard so they wouldn’t fall.
Dean cleared his throat. “I think the important thing to remember here is that none of us are perfect. The sooner we acknowledge that and move forward, the better. I hope we can all be friends when we get back to San Antonio, but we need to communicate with each other. Felipe, do you have anything else to say?”
Felipe stared at the ground for a long moment before nodding to Mama. “Look, I know my track record isn’t the greatest, Mrs. Morris, and I meant no disrespect with that comment I made. I’m sorry, and…uh, I hope you can forgive me.”
Angelina breathed a sigh of relief when the tension in her mother’s features relaxed, especially since she’d seemed on the verge of exploding a few minutes ago. The expression on Dean’s face was priceless, as if he couldn’t believe he’d heard an apology from Felipe.
Felipe moved his gaze to hers, and Angelina’s breath caught in her throat. “Angel’s beautiful on the outside, but she’s just as pretty on the inside. She’s the best girl I’ve ever known. And yes, I’d like to kiss her. But you TeamWork people are doing something right when it comes to marriage and relationship stuff, so I figure I should pay attention.” Felipe shuffled his feet on the ground and looked back up at Mama with a grin. “If you could give me a heads-up as to how long that might be, that might be kinda good.” He shrugged. “Before I can kiss her. Once. I’d be real gentle.”
If Mama and Dean hadn’t been standing with them, she’d grab Felipe and give him a kiss. A nice long one right on the lips. She wouldn’t know what she was doing, but she’d sure try.
Sheila stepped forward and offered her hand to Felipe. “I-I f-f-forg-g-ive y-you.” After only a moment’s hesitation, Felipe reached out to her.
“I know what we could do.” Dean nodded to Sheila and then angled his head toward the dining hall.
Angelina stared at Dean and then back at Mama. Beside her, Felipe did the same. Some weird unspoken language must be going on between the two adults. She darted a glance at Felipe, and he gave her a wink. That was pretty daring with Mama standing right in front of them, but she appeared to be considering Dean’s suggestion, whatever it was.
Crooking a finger in their direction, Sheila indicated for them to follow. “C-c-come w-w-ith me.”
~~♥~~
“T-t-take th-that!”
Dean laughed as he launched a water balloon at Felipe. Once Sheila and the teenagers heard his plan, they’d grabbed the balloons and started filling them. Within minutes of starting their water fight, the other kids had come running.
All around him, the kids squealed with delight as Felipe took it like a man and then staggered around like he was dying before falling to the ground. Chloe and Gracie teamed up to pelt their dads, and Joe and the twins ran around in circles, chasing after Emily and Luke. When Emily teetered and fell over, Chloe ran over to her. After helping her baby sister to her feet, she held on to Emily’s hands, making sure she was okay before she let go. Like mother, like daughter.
Gracie and Chloe seemed every bit as tenacious as their fathers as they teamed up on Luke and Joe. Dean smiled as the little boys retaliated. Luke showed signs of a good pitching arm and Joe’s aim was spot-on.
Splat! A red balloon hit Dean in the face, soaking him. “You’re going to get it for that one!” Laughing, he glanced down at his soaking wet shirt and started after Felipe.
“Hey, it wasn’t me!” Felipe held up his hands with a big grin and then pointed to Sheila.
“Y-you r-r-ratted m-me out!” Sheila’s eyes were bright as she grabbed a green balloon from the supply on the ground and launched another one at Felipe. The balloon hit him square in the chest, exploding and spraying water all over him.
“Ah, you got me! I’m a dead man. Again.” Felipe staggered backward and slumped to the ground. Chloe ran over to make sure he was okay. Bless that kid’s heart. Wiping water off his face, Felipe smiled and assured her he was fine. He’d never noticed how good Felipe was with kids. Maybe he should pay closer attention.
“This is war!” Gathering a balloon in each hand, Dean charged Angelina and Sheila. For a fleeting second, he wondered if he should have mercy on them. Nah, they could handle it. Angelina had already soaked him too many times to count. The same for Sheila.
“This is for felling my comrade!” Taking aim, Dean whipped a green balloon at Sheila’s lower legs and, within a split second, sent a yellow balloon sailing toward Angelina. He might be out for revenge, but he’d never purposely pelt a woman anywhere above the knees.
He caught the glance shared between mother and daughter before they both reached for a fresh supply of balloons and came running after him. He was in trouble now, but oh, how he loved it.
Chapter 31
~~♥~~
Standing in front of the mirror, Lexa twisted her new necklace this way and that, admiring the lovely setting featuring the birthstones for the twins and Joe. She didn’t wear much jewelry, but the few pieces she had were well-made, including this one. She’d commented on a similar necklace a friend at church had worn on Mother’s Day, and Sam must have remembered. He’d probably spent too much money on it, but she loved it and would wear if often.
Earlier in the afternoon, he’d slipped into the kitchen while she washed pans in the sink, lost in thought and humming away. Sneaking up behind her, he’d moved his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She’d elbowed him and squealed so loud that Eliot came bursting through the door at a run. Before she knew it, the kids were all crowded in the kitchen doorway, staring at her with wide eyes. She’d let Sam explain his way out of that one.
When things had calmed down, they’d shared a good laugh. “I hope I didn’t hurt you, but that’s why you sent the TeamWork ladies to that self-defense class,” she’d told Sam.
“Right. To ward off amorous husbands. The other guys got things for their wives, too.”
“That’s one way to make sure everyone’s in a good mood tonight,” she’d told him. “You are such a romantic.”
“I do my best. I write books about keeping wives happy, so I need to set the example.” Giving her a wink, he’d swiped a few fresh vegetables from a serving tray and departed.
Lexa’s gaze fell on the pale pink nightgown she’d found draped across her pillow when she returned to their quarters after dinner. That gift was more for his benefit, and the sight of it made her smile.
Glancing at her watch, she called to Sam in the bathroom. “Sam, we need to get moving or we’ll be late for the prayer circle. Are you still planning on saying a few words before your dad gives his devotional?” Not hearing a response, she knoc
ked on the bathroom door. “Sam? Are you ready?”
“Lexa…”
Opening the door, she gasped. Curled in a fetal position on the floor, Sam clutched his stomach and writhed in pain.
“Sam!” Kneeling beside him, Lexa wasn’t sure whether or not she should touch or move him. He’d been fine 20 minutes ago. “What’s wrong? Tell me.” Food poisoning immediately came to mind. She prayed they hadn’t served food that had spoiled or they could have a nightmare on their hands if sickness spread through the TeamWork crew.
“My neck,” Sam rasped. “Something bit me.”
“Let me take a look.” Sure enough, he had a small but distinct red welt on the left side of his neck. He’d had mosquito bites before but nothing that prompted this kind of reaction. His forehead was damp with sweat and his face was flushed.
He began to tremble. Was he having a seizure? Fear shot through her since Sam was rarely sick and she’d never seen him suffer from anything worse than the flu. That’d been bad enough. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get help.”
“Joe!” Lexa ran through the bedroom and into the kids’ bedroom. Her son glanced up from where he played with a set of blocks. “Can you run over to the dining hall and get Mimi? Tell her Daddy needs her and that Mommy said to come quick. If Mr. Mitch is there, ask him to come, too. Then I need you to stay over in the dining hall with your sisters and Angelina, okay?”
“Yes, Mommy.” Without another word, Joe took off at a run.
Lexa returned to the bathroom and soaked a washcloth with cool water. Sitting on the floor, she cradled Sam’s damp head in her lap and pressed the cloth on his cheeks and forehead, hoping it would give him relief. “Lord, be with him. I pray it’s nothing serious,” she murmured under her breath.
“Ohh… I’m going to be sick.”
Moving out of the way, she felt helpless as Sam crawled over to the toilet and lost the contents of his stomach. After he was done, she mopped his brow again with the damp washcloth and stroked his hair. Other than taking CPR certification classes for TeamWork, she didn’t know how to deal with many medical emergencies. She was thankful Sarah was in the camp, and likewise Mitch, since he’d had medical training.
“Not now,” he said, shaking his head.
“What?”
“The hair. Not now.”
“Oh. Sorry. Force of habit.” Lexa withdrew her hand. “I’ll go get you a water bottle. You need to stay hydrated, and hopefully you can keep it down.”
“That’d be good.” Sam’s voice was hoarse. No doubt his throat felt pretty raw.
“It looks like a nasty spider bite,” Sarah said a few minutes later after she’d examined the spot on her son’s neck. “Sam, do you know how long you’ve had it?”
“Not a clue. Sometime today, I guess, but it hasn’t bothered me until now.”
Sarah lightly touched the welt and the surrounding skin. “Does this hurt?”
“Yes.” His features creased in pain. “Like a little sledgehammer. My head hurts and my entire chest aches. It’s crazy that such a little bite can bring me to my knees.” Sam’s gaze fell on Lexa. “Like you, baby. You’re little, but you brought me to my knees.”
Lexa stared at him. “Maybe it’s best if you close your eyes and rest now.”
“We should take him to a medical clinic or an ER to have them check him over,” Sarah said. “We can’t know what bit him, and we need to make sure that it wasn’t a brown recluse. My best guess is that it was a brown widow spider. The good news is that they’re rarely poisonous to the point of being life-threatening.”
“That’s comforting,” Sam mumbled. “You’re discussing me like I’m not right here.” He pointed to himself. “Tall guy on the floor.”
Mitch had taken his pulse and finished a quick assessment. “It appears the bite on his neck is the only one.”
“Thank you, Lord,” Lexa said.
Sam began to sing. “The first bite is the deepest…”
Mitch laughed and shook his head. “Sam, I never would have believed you’d be singing a Rod Stewart song, wrong lyrics or not. All the more reason to get you checked out.”
Sam waved one hand in the air. “Would you let the man have his music, people? That song’s been around a long time.”
“So has Rod Stewart,” Lexa said. “I’m relieved you’re apparently going to live, but I think you might be a tad bit delirious.” When both Mom Lewis and Mitch smiled, that went a long way toward easing her trepidation.
Groaning again, Sam crossed his arms over his midsection. “Lexa, I have all the respect in the world for you having to go through childbirth. I’m sorry I did that to you, baby.”
“No, you’re not, but thanks for the empathy.” Lexa exchanged an amused glance with Sarah.
Mitch rose to his feet. “I’ll go get the guys to help with Sam and then I’ll run out and get my car.”
“No need,” Sam protested. “I’ll walk on my own speed. Better give me a bag, though.”
Lexa pressed the cold cloth over his forehead again. “I’ll go get a bag, but you rest until the men come to take you out to the car.”
“Lexa, are you telling me to shut my trap?”
“No, but I think the Corny Spider bit you.”
“I’ll stay with Sam,” Sarah said. “Mitch, you go get the car and Lexa, you go round up a few of the guys to help get him in the car. That way we’ll get Punchy Sam to the hospital faster.”
“Listen to Mom. She’s the TeamWork Queen.” Sam winked at Lexa. “Other than you, beautiful girl.”
“I’ll bring the car as close to the camp as I can.” Mitch darted out the door.
“Mom, would you tell Lexa it’s A-Okay that she colored her hair?”
“Sam! Don’t go spilling my secrets!” Lexa shook her head. What kind of spider was that, anyway?
“Mom doesn’t want anyone to know she’s colored her hair for years, so there you go. Another thing for my two favorite women to bond over. You’re both beautiful, and if coloring your hair makes you feel better, even to cover up one little white hair”—he aimed a pointed glance at Lexa—“then I say, go for it.” Sam’s eyes widened and the color drained from his face. “Look out. I think I’m going to be sick again.”
“You go get the men and I’ll take care of Sam,” Sarah said.
“I’ll be right back with reinforcements.” Lexa hurried out of their quarters and headed to the dining hall.
~~♥~~
Within five minutes, Marc crouched by Sam’s head and shoulders. Landon was at his feet, and Kevin and Josh were on either side of her husband. The men talked quietly together and then carefully assisted Sam to his feet.
“Sam, put your arms around Josh and Marc,” Sarah instructed.
“I didn’t know you cared.” Sam leaned his head on Josh’s shoulder. “The road is long…”
Lexa clamped a hand over her mouth. He was singing again? She’d never seen Sam drunk, but his behavior now came pretty close. Loopy Sam was actually kind of fun, but from a spider bite? Who knew? Even with Sarah’s assurances, Lexa was antsy and nervous. Getting him to the hospital was uppermost in her mind.
“Is he singing ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother?’” Marc looked about to burst with laughter.
“That’s right. He’s my brother!” Sam raised a fist in the air and then let it fall as he leaned heavily against Marc. “Feeling a little lightheaded.”
Josh readjusted Sam’s position from the other side. “Take it easy there, Sam.”
“Let’s get moving, slow pokes, or I’ll start singing again,” Sam mumbled. “I could be dying here.”
“No, you’re not. But you’re punchy and need to see the doctor.” Lexa held the door of their quarters while the men carried Sam onto the porch and then out to where Mitch waited beside the car. The motor was running and all the doors were wide open. After grabbing her purse, Lexa hurried beside Sarah and they climbed into the car. Sarah sat in the front with Mitch and Lexa sat in the ba
ck with Sam, cradling his head in her lap.
Mitch pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance a short time later. He’d told them it was the same hospital where they’d brought Beck. Asking them to wait in the car with Sam, Mitch darted inside and within minutes, a male staff member arrived with a wheelchair and assisted Sam from the car. Lexa took hold of Sam’s hand as they transferred him to the wheelchair and pushed him toward the automatic doors. From there, the nursing staff took over.
“Don’t worry. They’ll take good care of him, and Sam will be fine.” Sarah looped her arm through Lexa’s as they entered the quiet Emergency Room waiting area.
“I’m so glad you and Mitch are here,” Lexa said. “Thank you, Mom.” The area was quiet with only a few people scattered about the room, and instrumental music played quietly in the background. Most of the others were reading magazines or talking on the phone. A television was playing but no one seemed to be watching.
Lexa approached the desk and handed the insurance card to the nurse. “Am I allowed to go back with my husband?” she asked after taking care of admitting Sam. “They just wheeled him in.”
“Of course. He’s waiting to be seen by the doctor now.”
Mitch had joined Sarah and they sat in nearby chairs. “You go on, Lexa,” he said. “We’ll wait here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go,” Mitch and Sarah both insisted.
Following the nurse, Lexa walked through the large room with curtained-off patient areas and a large staff station in the middle. When she spied Sam, tears misted her eyes. He looked so tired. Sitting beside him on the edge of the bed, she smoothed a lock of dark hair away from his face. All the singing must have worn out Serenading Sam. He’d graced them with a medley of songs in the car, and Sarah had recognized them as camp songs from the old TeamWork missions.
Sitting beside her husband, Lexa held his hand, thankful for the quiet as she waited for the doctor.
