Page 2 of Protecting What Is Mine

“You’re joking, right?” Sam blankly stares at me. “Wait. Are you being serious?”

The mildly harsh tone behind her words catches me off guard. “Yes, I’m serious. That’s not a small thing for anyone to do, much less an eighteen-year-old.”

“Mol.” Sam plops onto the bed next to the mound of clothing. “Uhh, what about Mom? And… it’s worth remembering she didn’t just take on the burden of one additional mouth to feed. Something she was under no obligation to do, by the way. No, no. She took on two bratty mouths. All while trying to pay for lawyers for your dad, and rent, and food, and…”

I slide off a puffy yellow dress that makes me feel like a marshmallow Peep and hand it to Sam. “Maybe it’s time we start a donation pile. I volunteer this thing to be the first item.” Sam nods as she walks it over and tosses it in the corner. When she returns to her seat on the bed I continue, “Mom definitely burned the candle from both ends to do what she could for us, but that’s what family is all about, right? Besides, you were never anything but a blessing. The little sister I never would have had otherwise, and you were no brat. You did all you could to help make sure she didn’t have to worry about stuff around the house after working a double shift at the diner. Clinton, on the other hand. I mean, you two were a package deal, but sheesh.”

Sam nods in agreement but before she has a chance to speak, my phone buzzes and vibrates around on the dresser. I go to pick it up and stop, frozen, when I see who’s calling. I look at Sam. “Oh no. It’s Hank.” Lip chewing fully engaged.

“Well, answer it. You don’t know if it’s good or bad until you see why he’s calling.”

Seeing as she’s always my voice of reason, I take a deep breath and pray she’s right. “Hey you,” I say to Hank. “What’s going on? Huh? Oh my God! Are you serious?”

My hand covers my mouth as I try to process what I’m hearing. “Is he okay? No, no. Of course, I understand. You’ve got to be with your family right now. Okay. Yeah. Uh, let me know if there’s anything I can do. Okay. Bye.” Tears begin to fall before I can end the call.

“Mollie?” Sam is off the bed and standing in front of me in a flash. “What happened? What’s the matter?”

“It’s Hank’s brother…Chet.”

“Yeah? What about him? Babe, what is it?”

“They’re rushing him to the emergency room. I guess the family found him out on the ranch, barely alive.”

“Oh. My goodness. What happened?”

“Hank said they don’t know, just that he’s in real bad shape.”

Sam wraps me in her arms. “Hon, I’m so sorry. If it wasn’t for bad luck, we just wouldn’t have any luck at all, would we?”

Realizing that I’m standing in my bra and underwear like an idiot, for something that’s no longer going to happen, I wipe my eyes and grab my comfiest pair of sweats from the bottom drawer of my dresser. “I think a situation like this calls for ice cream,” I say, trying my best not to think about another almost with Hank Wilde. “Mind if I tag along with you and Nessa for fireworks tonight?”

“You know how that girl feels about her Aunt Mollie. She’ll be ecstatic.”

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