“Can you take in deep breaths?”
I shook my head. “It feels like sharp…” I took in a short breath. “Shooting pains.”
“Could it be your heart?” she asked, reaching for the phone.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” I sat on the stool and braced myself against the counter with both arms extended in front of me. “I can’t believe this.”
“I can’t either, but don’t think about it. Just focus on breathing.”
Easy for her to say.
“Please don’t call 9-1-1.” I said in short bursts.
“You could be having a heart attack,” she hissed, pressing the last 1.
“I’m barely thirty.”
“Shush.” she put the phone on speaker and I scowled at her.
“Please. I don’t need this going around the island.”
“And I don’t need you dead.”
“9-1-1. What is your emergency?” the operator asked.
“My friend is having chest pains and shortness of breath.”
“Is there a history of heart disease?” the operator asked.
I shook my head and glared at Sophie.
“No.”
“What is your friend’s name?”
“Natalie. Natalie Jennings.”
“Address?”
Sophie relayed the address and paced as I braced myself from the pain.
“An ambulance is on the way. Can you take her pulse?”
“Yes.” Sophie’s fingers came for my neck, but I was in too much pain to fight them off.
She checked the clock and reported back to the operator just as the ambulance pulled up in front of the shop.
“They’re here,” she told the operator. “I need to unlock the door.”
Sophie ran over to the door and flung it open. I tried to straighten up, but the pain worsened as the medics came inside.
“How are you doing?” Jeff asked, walking in with his bag. He was a few years older than me and really sweet. He had a wife and a one-year old at home and had been working for the fire department for five years.
“Been better. I think I pulled a chest muscle or something,” I mumbled.
“Always better to be safe than sorry,” Jeff said, unzipping his bag as another medic worked a gurney through my shop. I shot Sophie daggers and watched Jeff unwrap the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. He had me relax my arm, and I tried to steady my breathing.
“Do you have a history of high blood pressure?” he asked.
“No, never.” I shook my head. “Why?”
“Are you feeling light-headed?”
I nodded.
“We need to get you to the hospital.”
I flashed my eyes to Sophie’s. “I need you to finish the orders.”
“I need to come with you.”
I shook my head. “Please, just finish the orders. I can’t leave people without their flowers.”
“I’ll call your mom..err…maybe I shouldn’t.” Sophie looked like a deer in the headlights.
“Call her. It’s fine. What’s done is done.” Another stab took my breath away, and Jeff lifted me onto the gurney and rolled me out of the shop.
It wasn’t until the double doors of the ambulance shut that I wondered where I took the wrong turn to get me to this moment?
“Who knew the floral industry was so tense?” Jeff teased, prepping my hand for an iv. “Now’s probably not the time to ask if you got my order.”
I chuckled, feeling the pain in my chest lessen slightly. “I did and it’s already in the cooler, waiting for delivery tomorrow.”
“Quick prick,” he said.
I barely felt it and tried taking another deep breath with no success.
“Well, today’s your lucky day.”
“How so?” I whispered.
“You just might run into the island’s local celebrity. He’s at the hospital. Just broke his leg, actually.”
We had no local celebrities.
“Who?” I asked.
“Anthony Hill.”
“Oh, shit.” My eyes went into the back of my head and I passed out.
“I can’t believe that old man told her after all these years. Why in the world would he do such a thing? Is he senile? Should he really be dispensing pills? Now look what’s happened to her.” My mom’s voice sounded muffled and distant, but I knew she was right next to me.
Afraid to open my eyes, I stayed still and pretended I was asleep.
“I’m glad he told her,” Sophie said calmly. “She deserved to know. At least she can put everything behind her once and for all. This has all gone on far too long.”
Wasn’t Sophie at the shop? How long had I been here?
“All he did was cause her pain and now she’s sick.” My mom’s tone changed. I knew she felt bad for picking on Mr. Harten. He didn’t do anything wrong, and he was an incredibly smart man with all his faculties. He knew exactly what he was doing, and for that I’d always be grateful. And his kindness was never an act. It was a way of life. He even dispensed medicine to people who couldn’t afford it, knowing he’d probably never get paid in return. He was just that kind.
“Listen, you wanted nothing more than to protect her. I’m sure it’s tough seeing your little girl’s heart broken. She’ll be fine. These last few weeks have been pretty rough on her, and I don’t think she’s even given herself the chance to decompress.”
“I have the discharge instructions for Miss Jennings once she wakes up.” A woman informed my mom.
My eyes flashed open, and I glanced around the tiny hospital room with only curtains separating me from the rest of the patients. I must still be in the emergency room.
“Miss Jennings, how are you feeling?” An older woman with kind blue eyes smiled and glanced at my mom and Sophie before walking over slowly. Her hands gripped a clipboard, and she reached for something above my head and switched it off. It wasn’t until the oxygen stopped blowing up my nostrils that I realized I’d even been hooked up.
“Do you remember what got you here,” the nurse asked, leaning over the hospital bed.
I looked over at my mom and Mr. Harten’s words flashed into my mind, and I slowly nodded. It would be very hard to forget.
“I think I had a panic attack.”
“That’s exactly what you had,” she agreed. “All of your blood work came back just fine, and your heart is as healthy as a ten year olds’. Have you had an increase of stress in your life?”
I worked my way up in the bed and glanced at Sophie and then my mom.
“Not that I knew of, but I’m starting to see the light.”
The nurse looked at me rather confused and peered at her clipboard.
“The doctor recommends these,” she handed me a page of breathing techniques. “And there are several ways to work through stress that the doctor would like you to explore. Lucky for you, our island is known for yoga retreats and transcendental meditation workshops, which can help as well. If these episodes continue or increase, there are drugs that have been known to decrease the occurrence of anxiety attacks, and sometimes it takes a combination of cognitive and drug therapies.”
I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was not going to be my new way of life.
If only it were that easy.
“Do you have any questions?”
I shook my head. I wanted to get out of here.
“Take it easy over the next few days,” the nurse said.
Not with Valentine’s Day coming up, but thanks anyway for the advice.
“Sure.”
“And call your regular physician for a follow-up.”
She had me sign something as Sophie brought over my clothes. My mom kept rubbing my knee, and I knew she wanted to say something, but it wouldn’t be easy for her, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to listen. The nurse turned around and shut the curtains as I untied my hospital gown and tugged my top over my head.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” my mom said,
bending over to hug me. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I was wrong.”
“Things always work out the way they’re supposed to. It obviously wasn’t meant to be. Something else would have gotten in our way if it hadn’t been you hiding letters.” I wasn’t sure if I believed what I was saying, but in time I would. That was what time was good for…until it wasn’t.
“Did Jewels know?” I asked, wiggling my jeans over my knees.
Sophie glanced at my mom, waiting for her reply, and my mom shook her head.
“Absolutely not. She wouldn’t have been able to keep it a secret.”
I knew I loved my sister, and my mom was right. Jewels would not only have told me, she would have driven me to Georgia. We were both romantics at heart.
“I heard what you said about Mr. Harten, and I know you didn’t mean it, but I doubt very much if you’d enjoy Jewels or I insulting your intelligence because of your age. We’re all gonna get there.”
“I know.” My mom rubbed her face, which looked more drawn than usual. “I didn’t mean it. I just never expected him to say something. I’d actually planned on telling you.”
“When?” My brow arched.
“I hadn’t figured that out yet.” She smiled.
“Exactly. He was only trying to help and please don’t say anything to him.” I looked at my mom. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“This was obviously a wake-up call that I need to take a few minutes now and then for myself. I thought seeing Cole wasn’t that big of a deal, but I think I never really unpacked a lot of the baggage that kept my hopes and dreams tied to a man who won’t ever be able to provide those for me. The truth of it is that I shouldn’t expect any man to help, and I really never have. I’ve always been independent and happy so I don’t know why the last few weeks have been so hard on me.”
Sophie scooted next to me on the hospital bed. “Because you’re still in love with him.”
My gaze dropped to the floor. I didn’t like hearing that from her. After eight years, I wasn’t in love with him.
“I’m in love with the idea of him,” I said softly.
My mom came over and kissed the top of my head. “You’re such a smart woman and you’ve built an incredible life. I would never have been able to accomplish what you’ve managed. Maybe there was a part of me that worried you’d put your goals on the back shelf if you stayed with Cole and moved to Georgia. That wasn’t fair of me to make that judgment call, and I’m sorry.”
“How’s my girl?” my dad’s voice boomed into the room as he slid the curtain to the side.
“Barely hanging on by a thread,” I moaned. His eyes widened in horror, and I shook my head. “Kidding. I’m doing fine. I think I was taking on too much.”
“You’re a hard worker. Always have been and this is your busiest time of the year.” I glanced at my mom, who didn’t attempt to correct him, and I was grateful. I was ready to move on from this slight bump in the road and didn’t need my dad getting all worked up over me and boy trouble. No matter how old I got, my dad still saw me as his little girl and there were some topics best left alone.
“I got the rest of the arrangements finished and in the cooler for the driver tomorrow,” Sophie informed me and I slid off the bed.
“I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I called in to the Loxxy, and they’re going to find someone for my shift so I can help you.”
My heart swelled to the size of Texas for the girl standing next to me. I could never repay her for everything she’d done for me over the years.
“How’s she doing?” Nick popped into the room, his eyes falling to me.
“She is doing fine,” I said, smiling. “But the show is over.” I started walking toward the curtain and Nick stood in front of me not budging.
“What are you doing?” I asked, as he attempted to block my exit.
My dad flashed him a funny look and Sophie seemed completely confused.
“Now’s not the time, Nick. I’m pooped.” I tilted my head up to make my point, but he shook his head.
“You should take a seat for a few more minutes. You look flushed.” He put the wrong part of his hand to my forehead to check my temperature, but it was the thought that counted.
“I’m totally fine. I want nothing more than to crawl into bed because tomorrow morning will be here before I know it.” I pushed him aside and tugged on the curtain right when Anthony Hill got pushed by in a wheelchair with his plastered leg sticking straight out in front of him. I pinched the curtain with my fingers and flung it closed again.
“I told you that you should be resting,” Nick warned.
“Did I really see who I think I saw?”
“Who’d she see?” Sophie asked.
“What’s going on?” my dad asked. “Why are all five us squeezed into this ten-by-ten room with no one budging?”
I beelined for the bed and took a seat back down. I felt completely fine, but I really didn’t feel like bumping into a Hill brother at the moment.
“What’s going on?” Sophie hissed to Nick.
“Just a little complication that will be gone in a couple minutes,” he assured her, which did little to help Sophie’s curiosity so she slid the curtain open and spotted the back of Anthony being wheeled into the waiting room. But I highly doubted she’d recognize who the back of that someone was since it had been at least ten years since we’d seen him. He was a couple years older than Cole so he left for college two years before we did, and he never came back, which after what Cole had told me made complete sense.
“What? I don’t see anything?” she asked, turning around. “What am I missing?”
I stood back up and walked over to her. “Absolutely nothing. Let’s get out of here.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” my dad seconded.
We'd spread into the hall of the emergency room, and the nurses’ station was packed with excited nurses talking about their famous patient. It wasn’t every day a celebrity was wheeled around the hospital.
“Would you like me to drive you home?” my dad asked. He was such an amazing father. His presence alone would intimidate most, but he was a big teddy bear inside. His dark hair was trimmed short, and the hours of working in the sun had created deep lines around his eyes.
“You don’t have to,” Sophie said. “It’s totally out of your way. Her place is right on the way for me.”
“Are you sure?” my mom asked.
“Completely.”
I gave my parents a hug and watched them trundle into the lobby, hand in hand. My mom would probably fill him in on everything, but not until he’d had dinner and I was fast asleep.
“Can you believe the lead singer of Crimson Strings is here on the island?” one nurse asked the other, still thrilled by the earlier encounter.
“Not only can I not believe it, I can’t believe I pushed him around in a wheelchair.”
Sophie’s gaze flashed to mine. “What. The. Hell.”
I nodded. “Right before I passed out, Jeff mentioned Anthony was here. I think he broke his leg or something.”
“I don’t care about that. I want to know why the hell the Hill brothers can’t leave our poor island alone. It’s disrupting the energy or current or something.”
I laughed, loving how protective Sophie became, but worried what she might do if she met either one of them in a dark alley.
“I think we’ve given him enough time to get out of here,” I told her and Nick.
“Yeah, he should be gone,” Nick agreed.
I followed Sophie and Nick into the waiting room and, thankfully, didn’t see any sign of Mr. Rockstar.
“Let me go pick up my car. I don’t want you walking to it.”
“I’m not the one with the broken leg. I’ll be totally fine,” I promised her, standing inside the waiting room by the double doors.
“My transportation service. My rules.” She hugged me and took off for her car, almost runnin
g into the glass doors in the process.
“Want me to stay?” Nick asked, and a smile broke over my lips. He was up to something.
“Do you have a date?”
He glanced at his phone. “She’s on the ferry that’s docking now.”
“You can’t leave her stranded, whoever she is.” I pushed him away and chuckled as he nearly skipped to his truck. I had no idea how he had that much energy.
I walked slowly out the doors and took in a deep breath of the crisp February air. Grateful it no longer hurt to take deep breaths in, I scanned the parking lot for Sophie still not seeing her.
“Natalie Jennings?” a man’s voice startled me, but then I realized who it was. He sounded very similar to Cole, too similar.
I glanced in the direction of the voice and sure enough, there sat Anthony Hill in a wheelchair, leg up, and grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“Anthony, wow. I would ask what brings you here, but I can see.”
He bit his lip and shook his head, laughing hard. His laughter sounded so much like Cole’s it was eerie. “I don’t know what I was thinking getting on a ladder after a few beers.”
“I didn’t even know you were on the island.”
“Yeah. I needed to chill out for a while and lay low so I’ve been staying at my parents’ house. It’s empty. I wouldn’t be in it if they were.”
I nodded and took a deep breath in. Where were you, Sophie?
“So are you visiting someone?” he asked, his eyes settling on my wristband, and I looked down. “Or?”
“No. I just… um…I just had a little thing. I’m fine. Do you need a ride?” I asked, wishing the words hadn’t left my mouth.
“No. I’m good. My brother should be here any second.”
The moment he said it, I knew he regretted it and so did I.
Headlights blinded Anthony, and I prayed they were Sophie’s. I turned quickly, blocking the light with my arm, and it felt like the world was finally turning back in my favor as she pulled up in front of me.
“Okay, well if he doesn’t show up, you can call me. My number’s listed.” I smiled and walked over to the car and slid in.
“Who’s that?” Sophie asked, ducking so she could get a better look.
Love Redone in Hidden Harbor (Island County Book 2) Page 11
