Page 37 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
That’s when a vision of what she’d look like in that tiny two-piece sears my brain, and all the air blasts from my lungs. It’s a good thing she’s fully dressed now, otherwise I’d be asphyxiating. I grunt out something that sounds like, “Hrrrgh.”Real smooth, man.
“What’s wrong?” Natalie chews her full, pink lip.
I’m desperate for an answer. “You’ve got freckles,” I mumble. “But that’s a good thing.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I’ll take your word for it.”
I want to reassure her freckles aren’t a flaw. That they make her evenmorebeautiful. But we’re supposed to be keeping our distance from each other, and telling Natalie she’s beautiful crosses another kind of boundary. Either way, my phone’s buzzing in my board shorts, so I’m saved by the call. Slipping the phone from my pocket, I check the screen.
Dr. Swanson.
Why is he calling? He gave me the week off for the wedding, so my pulse speeds up. “I’ve got to take this,” I say.
Natalie puts a finger to her lips and mouths,Of course, before turning back around to collect her things. While I head off to answer the call, the sound of everyone else packing up hums in the background.
“Hey, Dr. Swanson. Everything okay?”
“Hello, son. Sorry to bother you.” There’s an edge to his voice, so my instincts must be right. Something’s definitely wrong.
“What’s up?”
“It’s Wendy,” he says. “She was feeling a little out of sorts at the clinic today. Dizzy spells and such. Then she collapsed. She was out cold for a couple minutes. So I called an ambulance and threw the CLOSED sign up. We’re on the way to the hospital now.”
A siren wails on his end, and my heart starts really rattling. “What do you need from me?”
“I’m sure you’re busy with the wedding, so I hate to ask—” Another shriek of the siren.
“You’re not asking. I’m telling you, I’m on my way to the clinic.”
“Thank you, son. You’re a lifesaver.” Under the circumstances, I don’t feel worthy of the title. “We’re still boarding a few dogs right now,” he says.
“Yeah. I know. Willa and Gator.”
“They should be low maintenance, but I’m worried about LuLu. She’s so fragile. When Wendy collapsed, I was about to change her dressing and do some follow-up bloodwork.”
“I’m on it, Doc.”
“If you can, examine her right away, and check her chart afterward. Compare her earlier stats. See if she’s improving. Or at least, hopefully, stable.”
“No problem. I’ve got this.”
“And would you call to let me know how she’s doing? Otherwise I’ll be worried all night.”
“Of course.”
“I’m not sure when I’ll be able to leave Wendy. Or evenifI’ll be able to leave her. And we’re totally booked up tomorrow.”
“I’ll call everyone to reschedule. You just take care of your wife.” My throat goes tight. “Mrs. Swanson’s a strong one. Tell her I said so, and that I’ll see her soon.”
Before we end the call, I’m already shoving on my flip-flops. My towel’s slung over my shoulders, and I’m prepared to sprint to the parking lot. Then Natalie grabs my forearm.
“Where’s the fire?” Her mouth spreads into a crooked smile. “Shouldn’t Ford be the one rushing off?” The thrill of her touch is jarring, and my whole body floods with guilt. “You know.” Her lips twitch. “Because he’s a firefighter. Get it?”
“Yeah.” She’s got no idea this situation is serious, or that I’ve already gone into fight-or-flight mode. Sure, I can handle the animals by myself. Even LuLu. But I’m worried about Mrs. Swanson. “I don’t have time to talk,” I say. “Doc Swanson’s on the way to the hospital with Mrs. Swanson.”
Nat sucks in a breath. “That doesn’t sound good.” A cloud of concern descends on her face.
“I’ve got to get to the clinic and take care of the boarded pets. Reschedule all the appointments for tomorrow.” I start to pull away, but Natalie increases her grip.
