Page 91 of Love You
Darcy had just finished hiking to the other end of the zip line when her cell phone rang. The reception was bad but she could still make out Nana’s voice, just not the words.
“Nana? Nana? Hello?” She’d lost the call.
Pacing the forest, searching for a better spot, she was finally able to get through. But her grandmother’s phone just rang and rang. Darcy’s incoming call log showed it was the same number from which Nana had called. Her heart started to race as she tried several more times.
Pick up.
Panicking, she dialed Colt’s number. She’d never called him before unless it was for work and her hands shook as she held the phone. It was probably his day off.
“Darce? Everything okay?” He sounded out of breath—and worried.
“It has nothing to do with GA,” she stammered. “It’s my grandmother. She tried to call me a few minutes ago and now I can’t reach her. Her health hasn’t been too good and . . .”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at the zip line place. Win took Madison De Wolk up. I’m waiting for them but don’t have a car and Win’s got the keys to his.”
“Okay, hang tight. I’ll have someone do a welfare check or I’ll go myself.”
“You’ll call me, right?”
“As soon as I know something. Cell reception there is shoddy. So stay where you are.” He hung up.
She couldn’t wait. There were a couple of zip-line employees waiting to help customers rappel down after their flight. One she recognized as a part-time guide at GA. A lot of college kids came for the summer for seasonal work and to enjoy the Sierra and patched together enough hours from various jobs to support themselves.
“Hey, Darcy.” He waved.
She walked over to him. “Jamal, do you know anyone who could give me a ride to town? Win’s got the keys and he’s up there.” She pointed at the line. “It’s an emergency.”
“I’ve got lunch in twenty minutes. Can you wait that long?”
“I can’t. You think there’s anyone else?”
“I’ll check.” He got on his walkie-talkie and had a conversation with a lot of static in the background. Jamal signed off and said, “Billy can take you. He’s waiting up at the office.”
Thank God. She didn’t think she could stand here a minute longer and hiked back the way she came. Billy had an old Honda Civic with more dents than a crushed soda can. She got in and prayed it made it the eight miles to Garner Adventure.
“I really appreciate this,” she said.
Billy was about Jamal’s age, twenty, twenty-one, with a hipster beard and red bandana tied around his head. “Sure thing. Where do you want me to drop you?”
“Garner Adventure on Main Street. Do you know where it is?”
“The big log lodge near the Morning Glory?” His car hiccupped on an incline and she crossed her fingers that they didn’t stall on the mountain.
“That’s it.”
Billy seemed unfazed by the Honda’s sluggish performance, easing some of her concern. She spent most of the ride firing off a text to Colt that she was on her way home. As soon as Garner Adventure came into sight, she rushed out of the car before Billy even came to a complete stop. Thanking him again, she ran behind the building to GA’s small lot, got in her car, and took off. Colt still hadn’t called and a million images flashed through her head.
There were so many damned cars on the road, tourists up for the weekend, that it took Darcy twice as long to get home. When she saw an ambulance, a fire truck, and Colt’s pickup in the driveway her heart dropped. She wedged her Volkswagen next to her grandmother’s car and rushed to the house.
Colt met her halfway, his face grim. “They’re taking her to Sierra General. She’s unresponsive.”
What does that mean? “She’s not—” Darcy couldn’t say it.
“No. But it’s not good, Darce.” He rested his hands on her shoulders.
“She has hypertension.” She pulled away. “I have to tell the paramedics.”
