Page 63 of Sweatpants & Sweet Tea

Something was wrong. I could feel it. There was no way that I could leave.

I quickly messaged back that I was dealing with a family issue and they could go on to the airport without me and I’d get an Uber or a ride. I put my phone back in my pocket and closed the hatch.

“Aunt Rhonda!” I called out as I rounded the corner and faceplanted into someone.

My body knew who I’d collided with before it registered in my brain. Tingles raced down my spine as I opened my eyes and glanced up into the deepest brown eyes I’d ever seen. My fingers curled against his chest like a cat clinging to a screen door.

Harlan’s large hands wrapped around my upper arms as he demanded, “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find my aunt.”

His brows furrowed.

“I looked everywhere in the house, and she’s not here. But her phone and purse are here. She never goes anywhere withouther phone and purse. And there’s a full pot of coffee in the kitchen. She’s usually had two cups by now.”

“Have you looked in the barn?”

I shook my head, and we both jogged across the field to the barn, which sat about a hundred yards back from the house. I was right behind him when he approached the door, which was slid open a couple of feet.

When we entered, we found her lying on the ground in her robe and slippers.

“Aunt Rhonda!” I shouted as I rushed to her side.

Harlan kneeled down across from me. “Rhonda! Rhonda!”

She didn’t respond. He bent down over her so his cheek was above her mouth. “She’s breathing.”

“I’ll call…” I couldn’t even remember what numbers I was supposed to dial as I fumbled with my phone. It fell to the ground when I heard footsteps and looked over and saw Weston and several other people from the class. Before I could pick up my phone, Harlan had his to his ear.

“Rhonda Moore is unconscious but breathing. I don’t know for how long.”

As I heard him answering questions to the woman on the phone, I bent down next to my aunt. “I’m here. I’m here.”

What if I’d been on the plane? What if no one was looking for her?

No. I couldn’t go into a what-if spiral. I was here. She’s going to get help. She would be fine. She had to be. She was the only real family I had left.

30

HARLAN

An orange glow filledthe waiting room from the rays of light coming through the window. It was the last few moments of sunset. We’d been at the hospital for the past twelve hours. All day, Daphne had been updating me, either by text or coming out to see me every couple of hours or so. Each time she did, she’d insist that I should go home. I never argued with her. I just told her I was fine where I was.

There was no way I was leaving her by herself. I was worried about Daphne. Even though her dad was still alive, he wasn’t in her life. Her aunt was really the only family she had left. I knew something about that. Grandad was it for me. I had some second cousins in Florida and a few scattered around the country, but no immediate family and no one I was close to.

I was checking my phone for the dozenth time when I heard a familiar voice. “Hey.”

I lifted my head to find Zoe standing in front of me in purple scrubs. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she didn’t have a drop of makeup on. She looked like a teenager, not the mom of a preteen boy. She’d always looked young for her age. She blamed it on her round face and freckles.

“I heard you were here.”

I sat up a little straighter. “Did you see Daphne? Is she okay? How’s Miss Rhonda?”

“No, I haven’t seen her or checked in on Miss Rhonda yet. But you are the hot goss in the locker room.” Zoe made her voice several octaves higher to sound like a giddy schoolgirl. “Harlan Mitchell from Farm Strong is here. He’s so sexy. He’s been in the waiting room all day, and he smiled at me.”

“Ha ha ha,” I said flatly.

“Sadly, I’m serious.” She lowered herself down beside me. “When I dropped AJ off at Brent’s, Leanne told me what happened, so I figured you were here. But if I hadn’t known Harlan from Farm Strong was here, I would have found out as soon as I got here. It’s all the nursing staff is talking about.”

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