“I think we have company,” I told Alex, who nodded.
We quickly got dressed and emerged from the tent to find Sawyer and Chase making coffee over the fire they had built in the center of the camp.
“Morning.” Sawyer lifted his mug to us. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please,” Alex said eagerly.
Chase was still drinking from his cup, and by the look on his face, I could tell he was about five minutes away from being fully awake.
“I assume the two of you made up,” Sawyer commented, dryly, his eyes taking in the fact that Alex was wearing my shirt and might have even had a visible love bite on her neck.
“You assume correctly,” I told him, taking a seat next to Alex and putting my arm around her. She leaned into me.
Everything was perfect.
I heard my phone ring in the tent, but I ignored it. Whatever it was, it could wait until we were on the road.
But it wouldn’t stop ringing.
“Just pick up your phone,” Chase demanded, the very picture of someone who was not a morning person.
I went into the tent to find that it was Hayley who was calling. And calling. And calling.
I picked up, hoping that it was one of her stupid non-emergency emergencies.
She was sobbing when I answered. My stomach dropped into the ground.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“Dad’s in the hospital,” she managed after a few moments of non-stop crying. “He had a heart attack.”
25
Alex
We got to the hospital in record time. Once Emerson had gotten off the phone with his sister and emerged from the tent, completely white-faced, it had taken Sawyer and Chase less than ten minutes to take down the campsite and get everything into the car.
I had stood around, feeling completely useless, until I noticed Emerson still standing there, staring at his phone. I slipped my hand into his and gave it a squeeze. Some of the color returned to his face as he gave me a squeeze in return.
“It’s going to be OK,” I told him, wishing that I could actually make that promise.
None of us spoke on the ride back, with Emerson and I in the back seats, his hand still in mine. He wouldn’t let go of me, and as we walked into the hospital together, I held on tight.
We went right to the nurse’s station, where they told us that Emerson’s father was asleep and resting.
“Can you guys wait here?” Emerson asked.
The guys nodded, and I was about to release Emerson’s hand, when he tucked it under his arm and against his chest.
“I need you,” he told me.
I nodded and followed him, the two of us weaving through antiseptic-smelling corridors as we looked for Henry’s room. I spotted Hayley and Portia first. Both of them looked exhausted, their eyes red-rimmed and puffy. Even Portia’s normally perfectly styled hair looked slightly out of place. Still amazing, of course, but more like a normal person and not a magazine ad.
The minute they spotted Emerson, they both fell into his arms, mother and sister crying once again. I stepped aside so he could comfort them, his broad shoulders enveloping them.
“I’m so glad you came,” Portia sniffed against his arm.
“Of course I came,” Emerson said quietly. “He’s my father.”
That just made Portia cry even more, and she was holding onto Emerson for dear life. He had to turn his full attention to her, which meant that Hayley was hugging herself, looking sad and forlorn.
Before I could second-guess my actions, I reached out for her, and she quickly wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
I caught Emerson’s gaze across his mother’s shoulders.
“Thank you,” he mouthed.
I could only nod. I was relieved I could offer some sort of comfort.
“What happened?” he asked, after a few moments, when it seemed as though his mother had calmed down some.
Portia sniffed and wiped at her eyes and nose with a tissue.
“I don’t know,” she said. “We were at the table, and all of a sudden he grabbed his arm and went completely pale. Then he keeled over.”
Emerson looked horrified, and I couldn’t blame him. No wonder Portia was in such a state. It must have been a frightening thing to witness.
“We got him to the hospital and he was conscious, but I haven’t heard anything yet.” Portia reached out and took Hayley’s hand. “Then I called Hayley and she met me here.” She looked at Emerson. “I’m so glad she was able to get a hold of you.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” Emerson told them. “We were camping with the guys.”
“I’m just glad you’re here,” Portia told him, her voice wavering a bit, but she took a deep breath and seemed to calm herself.
“The nurses at the front desk said that he was resting,” Emerson told us. “Has anyone been in to see him?”
Portia and Hayley shook their heads. “The doctor is still in there. We’re just waiting to hear what they found out.”
Emerson nodded, his expression grim.
We all stood there, looking at each other. Then, I saw Hayley’s eyes light up.
“Oh my God.” She let out a small squeal that surprised all of us. Because she sounded happy all of a sudden. “Did you two get back together?” she asked, holding her hands to her chest, looking a little like a kid on Christmas morning.
Emerson offered a sheepish look.
“You did!” Hayley shrieked and yanked us both into a hug. “This is so great!” She pulled back and punched Emerson in the arm.
“Ow.” He rubbed at the injured spot. “What was that for?”
“Don’t do that again,” she ordered him.
“Do what?” He looked thoroughly confused.
“Break up with Alex,” Hayley told him, looping her arm through mine. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to you, and you can’t fuck it up again.”
“Don’t worry.” Emerson took my hand. “I plan to do everything in my power to keep from fucking up like that again.”
I blushed. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind, and now Hayley was looking at me like I was about to become her new sister. Which didn’t scare me as much as it might have in the past. This thing between me and Emerson was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before, and I was in the same boat as him. I would do absolutely anything to make sure we didn’t fuck it up again.
“Mrs. Hayes?” The doctor came out of Henry’s room, and tension immediately reappeared in everyone’s face.
“How is he?” Portia asked urgently. Both Hayley and Emerson were at her side, each holding a hand.
“He’s a very lucky man,” the doctor told them. “It wasn’t a heart attack.”
Portia sagged with relief. “Thank God,” she murmured, clutching her children’s hands. “What happened?”
“It was a warning,” the doctor told them. “Your husband needs to make some serious lifestyle changes—in his diet, his method of exercise, and the way he deals with stress. He’s not a man in his twenties anymore, and he needs to start treating his body appropriately.”
The doctor continued talking, telling them that Henry had put undue stress on his heart and now needed lots of rest and relaxation. And less red meat.
“Oh, Daddy is going to hate that,” Hayley murmured, and Emerson nodded.
“Most men his age experience a wake-up call like this,” the doctor said. “Some of them don’t get a warning, though, so we consider this to be the best-case scenario.”
“We’ll make sure he makes some changes,” Portia told the doctor firmly, and it was clear from the expression on her face that there was no way Henry was going to be arguing with her about this. “Can I see him?”
The doctor nodded. “Keep it short, though,” he told us. “Your father is still resting. We’d like to keep him here for another night or two just to make sure he’s in a good place before we send him home.”
“Of course.” Portia shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you so much.”
Then she disappeared into Henry’s room, leaving Emerson, Hayley, and I to process the news. Everyone seemed to let out a long breath at the same time. Hayley gave her brother a big hug, and then gave me one as well.
“I knew he’d be OK,” Emerson told Hayley. “He’s too stubborn to kick the bucket.”
“He’s going to be so mad about the diet change,” Hayley said.
“I’m pretty sure your mom can handle that,” I commented, and Hayley grinned.
“Oh, she definitely can.” Hayley gave me and Emerson a look. “So, when did you two get back together?”
Emerson put his arm around my shoulders. “Last night.”
Hayley frowned at him. “You waited that long?” She looked at me. “Did he at least come to you?”
“Excuse me!” Emerson crossed his arms. “I was about to go to her, when she showed up randomly at my campsite. Speaking of which, I never asked how you found us.” He glanced over at me. “Guessing you had some help with that?”
“Maybe,” I said coyly.
“You should buy me something really nice to thank me,” Hayley told him. “Because it kind of looks like I’m responsible for the two of you making up.”
“I’ll buy you a pony.” Emerson gave his sister a hug. “But not because you’re responsible for getting us back together. Because you’re my sister. And you should have a pony.”
Hayley opened her mouth, but before she could accept or reject the offer of a pony, Portia had opened the door to Henry’s room and poked her head out into the hallway.
“He wants to see both of you,” she said. “But he wants a word with Emerson first.”
Hayley didn’t look disappointed as she nodded. Emerson, on the other hand, looked extremely apprehensive.
“Maybe we should wait until he’s feeling better,” he said hesitantly. “You heard what the doctor said about stress.”