Page 50 of Shine On Oklahoma

A car went by. She heard it slow, andreverse, and then someone was beside her, holding one hand, puttingan arm around her back. “Hang on, hang on, I can have you at DocSophie’s in two minutes. Quicker than an ambulance. Come on,now.”

She recognized the voice, the pear-shape evenmore. Allie Wakeland.

Her own car’s door slammed. “I’ve got yourkeys. Your car will be fine.” Then she was beside her again,helping her into the passenger seat of her vehicle. She slammed thedoor, and hurried around to get behind the wheel.

Kendra sat there with her hand on her chest,bent forward, gasping as Allie drove. She thought she would diebefore they made it to Doc Sophie’s. She couldn’t catch her breath.Her heart was racing like a runaway train. She was bouncing allover the seat, holding on for dear life. “You drive it…like youstole it,” she managed between gasps.

“Just breathe nice and slow,” Allie said asshe sped back up Main then turned right. “In and out, nice andslow. You’re safe. Everything’s all right. We’re already on DocSophie’s road. See?”

“I think it’s my heart,” Kendra said. It wasbroken, that was what it was. Dax had broken it. She’d ruinedeverything with him and he’d left her and he was never comingback.

“Hey, hey hey, easy now, come on.Breathe.”

“I can’t get any air. I can’t get any—”

The car stopped. Allie tapped the horn twice,then jumped out and came around. Kendra got out too, seeing the BigFalls Family Clinic sign on the lawn. Her legs were shaking so hardshe could hardly stand on them. Allie pulled Kendra’s arm aroundher shoulders, and helped her up the front steps and onto the porchof the big white Victorian. She tried not to lean on the small,pregnant woman too much. The door opened and a redhead came out totake over.

“I’ll call her sister,” Allie said.

She tried to say no, don’t do that, but therewasn’t enough air in the whole place to fill her lungs andconsciousness seemed to be swimming away.

#

“Hey, sweet sister mine.” Kiley’s voice wassoft, and so was the hand that stroked Kendra’s hair up off herforehead. She was lying on a bed, but this wasn’t a hospital. Thewindows were floor to ceiling, forming a curve in an alcove with apadded Victorian settee. A hanging ivy trailed all the way to thefloor. Kiley was smiling down at her. “How do you feel?”

“Fine. I’m fine.” She pushed herself up ontoher elbows. “Where am I?”

“Sophie’s clinic.”

Right. Allie had brought her. She was at DocSophie’s. “Did I have a heart attack? Shouldn’t I be in ahospital?”

“It wasn’t your heart, Kendra. Sophie says itwas acute anxiety.”

Kendra begged to differ, but as she lookedaround the room, she saw a little heart monitor blipping away, andshe figured if it had been her heart, Doc Sophie would know it.Being a McIntyre, she’d probably had the best education therewas.

“What happened this morning, Kendra? Rob saidyou came to the stable looking for Dax, then left without evencoming in to say hello.”

She looked sharply at her sister. Did she notknow, then? Had Dax not told her?

No, of course he hadn’t told her. Daxwouldn’t tell a pregnant woman that her father might’ve beenkidnapped and her sister was trying to scam him to save his life,unless she was lying about that. He probably thought she was.

“Kendra?” Kiley was waiting for an answer.“Did you find Dax? Did you guys have a fight?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I think he’s…I think…Ithink it’s over.” Saying it out loud made her throat close, and shehad to swallow hard before she could speak again. “He can nevertrust me again after what I did. I should’ve known that.”

Kiley sighed heavily, and finally said, “Youreally…felt something for him this time, didn’t you?”

“I did then, too. I always have. I just…” Sheshook her head rapidly, pushed herself the rest of the way up, andswung her legs off the bed. “I am who I am, you know? I’m notashamed of it.”

There was a tap on the door, and Sophie camein. “Hey girls. Kiley, can I have a minute with your sister?”

“Sure.” Kiley leaned in and kissed her on theforehead. “I’ll be right outside.”

“Good. I’ll need a ride back to my car.”

“Your car’s at The Long Branch.” She left theroom before Kendra could ask how it had got there.

Sophie said, “Do you wanna talk aboutit?”

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