Page 99 of That One Heartbreak

“So did I.” He passed her the bowl of salad he’d made.

She tipped her head to the side, looking right at him. “You checked the house after I told you everything was fine.”

“I needed some peace of mind, that’s all. You did a good job.”

“Thanks, I think. But I could handle it, you know.”

“I know.” His gaze was soft. “I know you can, Kate. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in you. I just sleep better knowing you’re all okay.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Being independent had been a hard fought battle. She’d gone from living with her parents to college, then only a few years later she was a wife and mom. These last few years had been difficult but maybe she’d needed them to prove something to herself.

That she could take care of her family alone.

But maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to. Or need to anymore.

Before she could say anything else, her phone started to ring, the shrill tones cutting through the silence of the country air.

Shana’s name lit up the screen, a picture of her sticking her tongue out at Kate beneath it.

“Sorry.” Kate grimaced. “She’s probably having trouble getting the kids to bed.”

“Take it. It’s fine.”

“Hi Shana,” she said, answering the call. “Is everything okay?”

For a second there was no sound at all. As though the call hadn’t connected properly. And then she heard a sob.

From her friend who never cried about anything.

“I’m so sorry,” Shana cried. “Kate, I didn’t know he was going to do that.”

An ice cold shiver wracked through Kate’s spine.

“What happened?” she asked, the blood draining from her face.

“It’s Ethan. He’s hurt. We’re on our way to the hospital in the ambulance right now.”

Kate’s eyes met Marley’s as panic overwhelmed her.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Even with emptyroads all the way it would still take them two hours to get to the hospital. Kate couldn’t talk, could barely breathe. All she could do was stare out at the dark night, peppered with yellow stars, and think about what a terrible mom she was. Ethan must be in so much pain.

And she wasn’t there to comfort him.

It had taken Marley ten minutes to get all of their things into his truck so they could leave. She’d spent that time on the phone, talking to Shana, then arranging for somebody to watch Addy overnight.

All through the conversations, her stomach felt so tight she was certain she was going to vomit. Her hands were shaking, her breath was shallow.

Her baby was hurt.

She should have known that Ethan would have wanted to cook smores. The kid was obsessed with them. And Shana had told him no, because she didn’t want to pull the grill out of the garage and get it all set up for just a few little sweet treats.

Of course, he’d taken that as a challenge, and he’d managed to connect the grill to the propane, then turned on the burners,and put some marshmallows on the rack, thinking he’d impress his aunt.

He hadn’t banked on the garage filling with fumes. In his panic to take the marshmallows off the grill, he’d managed to catch his pajama sleeve on fire.

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