Page 68 of New River Gorge(ous)
Brooke
Meemaw’s appointment is today. Did Mom tell you?
Matt responds almost immediately.
Matt
Call me when you’re done. How are you doing?
My twin brother might be the world’s biggest idiot at times, but I love him, and I know that no one will ever know me quite like he does. And it’s not like he doesn’t care about Meemaw either.
Brooke
Ok. How’s Melanie?
Matt
Amazing. How’s your hottie doctor?
Brooke
Ew. Don’t call men hotties, Matt. It’s weird. Also, he’s great.
Matt
Yeah, I know, he called me.
The phone slips out of my hand as I reach for a glass and thumps onto the table.
“Everything ok in here?” Beck’s deep voice asks from behind me.
It’s my turn to startle. The glass drops to the floor. It’s only lightning-fast reflexes honed from years of being determined to beat Matt in everything that allow me to catch it before it hits the ground and shatters.
“Uh … yeah.” I stumble over my words a little.
Why would Beck call Matt?
“Why’d you call Matt?” I blurt.
Beck’s brow creases, and he chews his lip a little. “I wanted to know if it was ok … if …” He sighs. “I just wanted them to know about me from me, not from June’s post.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
“Of course, Brooke.” He brushes my hair behind my ear. “I want to do this right.”
“I want to do it right too.” I bite my lip, then turn away from Beck’s warm gaze to deliver the lemonade.
38
Beck
I shift the truck into park in the dusty lot next to the rehab center I “rescued” June from after her surgery. Brooke and June climb out, and Brooke holds June’s hand as we all cross the pavement to the office building.
June stops for a moment, takes a deep breath, and squares her shoulders before stepping into the revolving door with determination. Brooke’s steps falter at the door as well, but I give her an encouraging nod, and she follows her grandmother into the building.
The waiting room is all tacky chairs, posters about memory loss, and outdated magazines, but I know the specialist is highly recommended.
“June MacCord,” a nurse in sky-blue scrubs calls over a clipboard from her sentinel position in the door to the exam rooms.
