Page 3 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

She checked the screen and frowned at theunfamiliar number, which bore her hometown area code.

Her stomach sank like a lead weight. Had something happened to her mom? Her stepdad?

“I have to get this,” she announced, then headed toward thedoor for the relative quiet outside. She answered the call as she went.

“Laurel?” a man said.

It was so noisy in here. “Yes?”

He said something else, but someone’s boisterous laughter drowned out the words.

Laurel pushed through the door, navigating around a group on their way in. As the door swung shut the noise level dropped considerably. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Go ahead.”

“This is Cooper Robinson. I’m afraid I have some bad news. There was a plane crash near Marshall early this evening, and I was called to the scene. It was Mike Clayton’s plane, Laurel. I’m sorry to tell you that he didn’t make it.”

A sudden coldness hit her core. Traveled outward, all the way to her fingertips, numbing them. Mike was dead? No, that couldn’t be right.

“Mallory was with him. She survived the crash, but she’s in real bad shape. She’s being airlifted to Mission right now.”

Laurel opened her mouth but nothing came out. Was this even real? How could this be happening? She’d just FaceTimed with Mike and Mallory on Wednesday. They were happy. They werealive. “What about Emma?”

“She wasn’t on the plane. She’s home with a sitter.”

Mike is gone.Kind, generous Mike.He’d been so patient, lending his wife to Laurel for days at a time when she went through the divorce. Mallory propped her up and kept her going through the worst of it. And even though Gavin was Mike’s best friend, even though he surely sided with him, Mike never seemed to hold a grudge against her.

“Laurel? Did you hear me?”

She tried to clear the boulder from her throat. “I—yes. I should—Mission Hospital you said?”

“She’s probably arriving about now. They said something about internal injuries and—I’m gonna be honest, Laurel—it didn’t sound good.”

Dear God in heaven.“I’ll head there now. Thank you for calling, Cooper.”

She disconnected, unable to process that she’d just spoken with her former brother-in-law for the first time in three years. Much less the fact that Mike was dead and Mallory was in critical condition.

She pocketed her phone and headed back inside for her purse. She had to get it together. Because her dear friend would need her now more than ever before.

What seemed like an interminable time later, Laurel parked her Civic in the ER lot and rushed toward the doors. Mallory would be fine. She had to be. She had a beautiful little girl to raise.

Was she conscious? Did she know Mike was gone? Would Laurel have to tell her?Please, no.The two of them... they were what marriage was meant to be.

The double doors split open, emitting a rush of cold air. Laurel headed to the front desk where a middle-aged woman greeted her with a placid smile. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here for Mallory Clayton? She was just airlifted in from a plane crash.”

“Are you a relative, dear?”

“I’m her best friend. She doesn’t have any family except her husband, but he died in the crash.” Her voice broke on the last word. “I’m her emergency contact.”

The woman’s face softened. “Let me see what I can find. Just a moment.” She clacked on her keyboard while Laurel waited.

Seconds passed. Minutes. What was taking so long?

Finally the woman looked up from the screen. “She’s in surgery right now.”

Still alive. That was good news. “Can you tell me what’s wrong with her?”

“Someone in that department might be able to help you. I can give you directions to the waiting room. A doctor will come out when it’s over and give you an update.”

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