Page 115 of Long Road Home

“Says who?”

“Uh, only everyone on the internet. I’ve been reading articles for the last ten minutes, firefighter testimonials, medical websites.” Maizie paused. “You don’t want your throat to get all swollen and close up. They’ll keep you overnight, you know?”

Kenna’s chest shook. Nearly a laugh, but the nascent expression died back to where it had come from. “There’s something seriously wrong with me.”

“But you have work to do, so you’re going to ignore it. Maybe you’ll tell yourself that you’ll deal with it later, but are you really going to do that? Or will you just shove it down and pretend it’s not that big of an issue.”

Kenna set one hand on the papers, so they didn’t slide to the ground, and closed her eyes. Took a moment to let her mind settle, so that she could at least process what had just happened. It was when she moved too fast to the next thing that she forgot key parts of what she’d witnessed.

A description. Something she’d seen.

Jax, shoved toward her. The gallery of murder. JenniferRayland’s perfectly civilized life, hiding a dark and twisted secret.

That firefighter, asking if she was one ofthosepeople.

“Everyone is probably annoyed by me never wanting to see a doctor,” Kenna said. “I probably sound like a broken record.”

She didn’t usually care what people thought, and she could brush off the idea of another opinion of how she lived or something she’d said or did. The combination of Jax being here and them both being past exhausted made a mess of her thoughts.

What she needed faded back into the case. Worry for Forrest and the question of whether her friend had been released—and if they were even still friends. The issue of where Jennifer Rayland had gone.

“You don’t have to grow as a person just because you think people are annoyed by you.” Maizie paused. “You grow because it’s what youwantto do. What people should do if they don’t want to keep the same issues their whole lives.”

“When did you become this sage of wisdom?”

Maizie chuckled. “I’m trying something new.”

“I’m not sure I’m prepared for you to have all the answers to my problems.” But was that only because, like with what they’d just been talking about, it would mean she was too aware that Maizie could see what her issues were?

She’d know that the teen saw the truth. Thelackin Kenna.

The things she should do but didn’t. Or what she could be but might fail to attain. Ways she could’ve grown and fell short.

Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold.

“Don’t worry, I still have a lotto figure out.”

Kenna felt the pull of the smile on her lips. “Love you, kid.” She felt someone move close and opened her eyes.

“Love you, too.”

Jax stepped into her space and kissed her forehead. “Bye, Maizie.” He took the phone and ended the call.

“I need to have the ambulance people check me out.” She cleared her throat and gathered up the papers. Then she got a look at his face. “Well, you don’t have to look so surprised.” She breezed past him and got herself ten minutes with an oxygen mask on. Or whatever they used to give her clean air to breathe.

The EMT shined a light in her eyes.

“Don’t use the C-word.” Kenna made a face. “Concussion.”

“Whether I choose to use it or not may not change reality.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” Kenna didn’t want to be slowed down. She didn’t want to not be able to work. Or worse, miss a threat that came at her because she wasn’t at a hundred percent. She could put an innocent life at risk because she failed to spot something.

She held on to the mask, the papers clutched to her front, and laid back on the bed. Eyes closed. She inhaled slowly, then pushed it out at half the speed. She could talk without coughing. She didnothave a concussion, thank you very much.

Please.

She continued, “If we’re going to the hospital, the sheriff should meet us there.”

---