Page 88 of Kiss and Tell

She stood up and stepped out of the RV, stretching her back. Joey joined her, his hand gripping the back of her neck in that familiar, hot way she loved.

“Home again, home again, jiggety jig jig,” she said, repeating a silly line her granddaddy had always used whenever they returned home from town.

Miles climbed down the steps from the RV with her suitcase in his hand, and Lucy had to swallow down the lump in her throat.

“Thanks,” she said, when he placed it on the ground next to her, aware her voice sounded thin. She was about to return to the RV for the rest of her stuff—her backpack, laptop, and camera case—when the screen door slammed and her sister, Nora, stepped out onto the porch.

“You’re home,” Nora said in a weary tone, walking toward them.

“Is everything okay?” Lucy asked, suddenly concerned.

“Not really. We’ve been struck down by the plague,” she said in a monotone voice. Lucy frowned until her sister explained, “Half the family is in bed with the flu.”

“What? Who? Since when?” Lucy panicked, wondering who was running the farm and businesses if everyone was sick.

Nora rubbed her neck, the dark circles under her eyes revealing just how exhausted she was. “Aunt Claire and Uncle Rex got hit with it first. They’ve been in bed since the day before yesterday. Yesterday, Sam, Remi, and Mila all went down. It’s a nasty-ass bug. High temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, the works. I’m pretty sure Theo and Levi are coming down with it too, but they refuse to go down without a fight. You know how those guys are.”

Lucy hated that so many people in her family were suffering. “Oh my God. Why didn’t you call me?”

Nora gave her a tired smile and shrugged. “I didn’t want you to worry. And besides, you were already on your way back. Those of us still functioning,” Nora added, “have divvied up all the chores, pulling double and triple duty. We’ve moved everyone who’s sick here and I’m playing nurse. We’ve called in all the employees, offering overtime if they’ll work more hours. Unfortunately, a lot of them have the flu too. Luckily, there were only a handful of guests scheduled in the B&B and cabins, so I’ve been taking care of them, while the rest of the guys are handling everything else.”

“What about the brewery?” Lucy asked.

“Theo and Billy have been running things, with Sam coaching from bed—or the bathroom. But with Theo feeling bad now too, I’m glad you’re home to take over. Maybe now I can get Theo to rest.”

Lucy was racked by guilt. “Of course, I’ll take over at the brewery. And I can do whatever else you need too.”

Nora grimaced. “Sorry, Lu. Didn’t mean to hit you with this before you even made it into the house. Things are fine. Truth is, I got excited when the RV pulled up. I missed you.”

Lucy reached out to grip her sister’s forearm. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you guys needed me.”

“It’s just the flu. Nothing hugely dire.” Nora gave her a hug, then reached for the handle of Lucy’s suitcase. “I’m going to head back inside. I was making some tea for my patients,” she joked, “when I saw the RV.” Her sister returned to the house, wheeling her suitcase behind her. It spoke to her level of exhaustion that she didn’t remember to say hello to Joey and Miles.

Lucy turned back toward the RV, intent on grabbing the rest of her stuff.

“What do you need from us?” Joey asked.

“What?”

“We can help,” Miles added.

She shook her head, touched by their offer. “You don’t have time,” she reminded them. “You’re on a tight schedule, trying to finish the next episode before Thanksgiving. Filming starts tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but—” Joey began.

“It’ll be fine,” she reassured them. “I’m just going to be busy for the next few days until everyone gets better.”

Lucy thought that might be a good thing because she was going to need the distraction if she hoped to get through the next few days—weeks, months, years—without falling completely apart.

“We hate to leave you like this,” Miles said.

She shook her head, trying to alleviate their guilt. None of this was their responsibility. It was hers. “Don’t worry. I’m sure things will be back to normal soon.”

The realization that returning to normal felt like a life sentence wasn’t something she wanted to acknowledge.

She pointed to the RV. “Give me a second to grab the rest of my things.”

Joey and Miles followed her, closing the door of the RV behind them. She didn’t want to say goodbye. God, this was going to kill her.

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