Page 27 of Wanting You

Chloe: Love you too!

“Everything okay?” Tanner asked when she put her phone down.

“What? Oh, um…that was my sister. She was asking when I was going to get to the hospital.”

He nodded again. “Do you just have the one sister and a brother? I thought I remember you saying that your sister bakes for Books & Beans and your sister-in-law owns it, right?”

“I actually have two sisters and one brother. My older sister, Billie, is the one who bakes, and Ashlynn and I are twins.”

“Really?” he asked with a bit of wide-eyed interest. “That’s very cool. My older brother passed away when I was five. He had a heart condition that no one ever diagnosed and died while playing JV football in school.”

“Oh my goodness, Tanner! I’m so sorry!” And again, her hand went to his thigh. “I…I don’t even know what to say to that. Do you have any other siblings?”

He shook his head. “My parents were devastated and…” Shaking his head again, he let out a soft, mirthless laugh. “Sorry. We’re supposed to be distracting you and not talking about sad and depressing things.” Another pause. “Is that the hospital up ahead?”

It was and the rest of the ride was spent with mindless chit-chat about the town, the roads, and eventually, the parking. When Tanner actually pulled into a parking spot, Chloe was a little perplexed. “Um…you can just drop me off up by the door. I’m sure…”

“I’d feel better if I walked you in,” he told her as he climbed from the vehicle, leaving her no choice but to follow. Tanner walked around and opened the door for her and then placed his hand at the small of her back again as they made their way to the main entrance. She spotted Ashlynn as soon as they walked in.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here!” Ash said as she came over and hugged her. When she pulled back and spotted Tanner, she smiled. “And I want to thank you for making sure Chloe got here safely. I’m Ashlynn.”

“Hey,” he said. “I’m Tanner.” He shook her hand and looked between the two of them in mild confusion.

“We’re fraternal twins,” Ash explained. “People get confused all the time because we really don’t look anything alike.”

“No, but there’s definitely a resemblance there,” he confirmed. “So, um…is there anything you guys need? I can go and grab food or coffee or…”

“Thanks,” Ashlynn replied. “But I think we’re okay for now. My fiancé’s on his way up and so is our brother. And honestly, I don’t think I could eat or drink anything until we have some answers about our mom.”

Chloe nodded in agreement before facing Tanner. “I can’t thank you enough for getting me here, but I know you have things to do back at the school. We’re going to be here for a while and I can get a ride home from one of my siblings, so…”

“No problem,” Tanner said graciously. “I’m glad I could help. If you want, I can…”

He never got to finish because Levi and Reid walked in and then Billie stepped out of the elevator and called to them. “They’re bringing Mom back to the room and the doctor is going to talk to us! Come on!”

Before joining her siblings, Chloe turned and faced Tanner. “I…I really am thankful for everything you did today, Tanner. I guess I’ll see you on Tuesday.”

Nodding, he slid his hands into his pockets. “Glad I could help. And I hope your mom’s okay.”

“Chloe!” Billie called out again, her impatience clear.

“I need to go. Thanks again.” And with a small wave, she ran to join everyone in the elevator.

“Who was that?” Levi asked as the doors shut.

“Oh, um…he’s the new kindergarten teacher. Tanner Westyn.”

“Wait,” Billie interjected. “That was Tanner? The guy you called an icky jerk? What was he doing here?”

She inwardly groaned before explaining the situation.

“Well, I think it was very nice of him to do that,” Ashlynn said before giving her a sly grin. “Very nice indeed.”

This time, her groan was outward. “He was just being a decent human being because he saw I was too upset to drive.”

“You could have called me,” Levi murmured, but she was saved from responding when the elevator doors opened up on the fifth floor. They all filed out and followed Billie down the hall toward the ICU. They stopped in the waiting area, where there were several chairs and sofas.

“Wait, this wasn’t where she was yesterday,” Chloe said out loud. “Why did they move her here?” She and Ashlynn moved toward one of the doors, hoping it was Marie’s, and fortunately, it was.

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