Page 15 of Beautiful Dreamer

“This is Devyn.”

“Who knows where the action’s at?” an enthusiastic female voicesang into the phone. Devyn was instantly sixteen years old again. Nostalgic andtingly.

“Who knows where the parties are?” she sang back with a slightsmile.

“Who jumps, and jives, and is made up of five?”

She knew the answer like it was yesterday. “The senior DreamerStars.”

“You bitch, I hear you’re back in town and didn’t call. I don’treally mean the bitch part. Well, maybe a tad.” Cricket. They’d been part ofthe same five-person friend group and were co-captains of their high schoolcheer squad. “And I know it’s not under the best circumstances. Bless yoursweet heart. We were all so sorry to hear about Jill’s accident. She’s going topull through, right?” She said the words in that overly earnest voice peoplesometimes employed to communicate their abundance of sincerity.

“She will,” Devyn said. “Recovery is going to be an uphill climb,though.” She scratched her forehead, still not quite sure what lay ahead butknowing it would be a lot.

Cricket made a clicking sound at the back of her throat. “I justfeel so awful about that. On an unrelated note, I have spin this afternoon, butmaybe we can grab a bite after. You’ll need to get out of the hospital to keepyour sanity. Lisa, Heather, and Coco are all free and dying to join us. We’veall secured babysitters. You in?” Devyn dropped her hand from her forehead,leaning into the head trip it was to be talking to Cricket and hearing thosenames all said in a row together. They had been a tight group back in the day,the senior girls on the squad. The Senior Star nickname felt so ridiculous now.

Devyn hesitated. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for me to be awayfrom Jill right now.” In fact, she couldn’t imagine it.

“Well, shoot,” Cricket said. “Rain check, then. We’ll put thebabysitters on standby and later this week we can revisit this possibility.We’re all just dying to see you and hear about all you’ve been up to.”

Devyn took a breath. “I feel the same way and I’m confident thatat some point we can make that happen.” Hell, she’d probably be here longenough to need a night out.

“This will be insane.” Cricket crowed. “The Senior Stars backtogether again in the same place. Just think of the trouble we can get into inthis town. Get ready, Dreamer’s Bay. We’re coming for ya.”

“Pretty crazy,” she said, finding it hard to match Cricket’sexcitement level or her strange overconfidence. Devyn wondered about her ownability to find enjoyment in shallow get-togethers and gossip. She lived afaster-paced life these days and rarely slowed down enough to eat, much lessshoot the breeze. Did she even remember how, outside of schmoozing a client?Still, there was a part of her that was curious about her old friends, who helda special place in her heart for those playful memories.

“I’ll give you a call soon, sweetie. Love to Jill. We’ll send overa basket of something to munch on.”

“Oh, no, no. No need. You don’t have to do that.”

“Already done, so don’t you fuss one little bit. Bye, now.”

Devyn was left holding the phone to her ear after a call that felta little bit likeTheTwilight Zone. She climbed into the tiny Spark, her own personalclown car, and on the drive back to the hospital, surfed the local radiostations, of which there were three. She learned that Dr. Dan and Loud Louise,the morning show hosts from back in the day, were still on the air after allthese years. How was that possible? She thought of all she’d done in thattime—college, fledgling career, advancement, real estate domination—and Dan andLouise were still spouting off on the airwaves every day. She wondered if LoudLouise had ever snagged that husband she so often pined for publicly, or if Dr.Dan ever really admitted that he was not, in fact, a doctor at all.

“Gonna be a warmer one in Dreamer’s Bay today,” Dr. Dan exclaimed.“You got your kiddie pool all set up, Louise?”

“You know it, Dan. Now if I can just get my eight-year-old towatch the little one and someone to watch that husband of mine, I can get init.” Sounded like Louise now had a loud little family of her own. Well done,Loud Louise.

“Don’t forget, Dreamers, we’ve got the Springaling coming up nextmonth in Bountiful Park, and you simply do not want to miss out. Dig out yourkiller recipes for the bake-off and get to work. I, for one, will be there witha fork and bib ready to try everything fried before I cool off in the dunkingbooth.”

Devyn shook her head and smiled. Of course the Springaling wouldstill be going strong, full of food and games. This town loved their cookies,brownies, and cakes and made sure any and all events revolved around them. Itseemed that hadn’t changed either.

When Devyn arrived back in Jill’s hospital room, she was shockedto see a nurse standing over her sister, who blinked back up at her.

“You’re awake,” Devyn said, much louder than she’d meant to. Thatwasn’t supposed to happen for another couple of hours. She moved quickly to hersister’s bedside and smiled down at her as warmth and relief took their turns.It was Jill. God, it felt good to see her. The nurse took a step back andallowed Devyn her space.

Jill stared back at her in mystification, almost as if she didn’tbelieve what she was seeing. “Dev? You’re here?” Her voice was weak, but shewasthereandshe recognized Devyn, which was everything.

Devyn misted up right on cue, feeling a lump in her throat. “Yes.I’m here. I hopped a plane as soon as they called. Do you know where you are?”

Before answering, Jill gestured to the nearby tray and the cup ofwater the nurse had left. Devyn put the straw to Jill’s lips and held it as shedrank. “Hospital,” she said finally. “The nurse said…an accident.”

Devyn nodded and ran a hand through her hair to distract herselfand channel the coursing adrenaline. Somehow, talking to Jill made it all sovery real. “A pretty bad one.”

“I’m hurt.”

“Yes. But you’re going to be okay. I promise.”

Jill blinked and glanced down at her own body with her eyes,apparently not strong enough to raise her head fully. The bruise beneath her eyewas now a painful-looking mixture of purples, blues, and reds. “My legs?”

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