Page 90 of The Long and Winding Road

“Yeah, how are they?”

“I don’t know.” Will sounded awful. “Cam and I are on our way to Burlington. We’re trying to hold it together.”

“You haven’t heardanything?”

“Not yet. I’m so sorry this happened, Max. They were having the best time, and then they both turned at the same second and slammed into each other. I was right behind them, but it happened so fast… So fast.” His voice broke on the wordfast.

“It was an accident, Will. It’s not your fault.”

“If anything happens to them… I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“They’re going to be fine. They have to be.” Max would simply cease to exist if that wasn’t the case. “Will you call me when you get to Burlington or if you hear anything?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“I’m on a flight to New York in two hours and will drive the rest of the way. I’ll be there by the morning.”

“We’ll keep you in the loop,” Will said. “I’m so sorry this happened when you were off on a well-deserved break.”

“This is proof that parents don’t deserve breaks. I should be there with him.”

Lexi’s heart sank. He would never forgive himself for not being there when Caden got hurt. If, God forbid, the worst happened… No, she couldn’t go there. But he was. He was imagining what his life would be like without his little boy, and he’d never be able to separate where he was when it happened from that event.

She already knew how cruel life could be, but this was almost too much to bear. All she wanted was him and his son, and to be in their lives, but he would go home and maybe never look back. Her heart broke for him, for Caden and for herself. The only thing that truly mattered was that Caden and his cousin were all right. But she hadn’t been happy like she’d been these last two weekends in so long, she’d nearly forgotten what it felt like. After having had this taste of perfection with him, how would she stand to be without it or him?

When Will endedthe call with Max, Cameron called her father.

“Hi, honey,” Patrick said. “How’s it going?”

“Not great, Dad.” She filled him in on the accident on the mountain. “We’re on our way to Burlington now.”

“Why there?” Patrick asked, sounding as panicked as Cameron felt.

“That’s the state’s only level-one trauma center.”

“Dear God, Cam. Is it that bad?”

“We don’t know.”

“Mary and I will be there in a few hours. We’re in Chicago for her cousin’s wedding.”

“I remember. Dad… Max is in Houston and on his way back to New York. He’s planning to rent a car to drive to Burlington.”

“I’ll make the chopper available to him.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Cam said, choking on a sob. “He shouldn’t drive all that way in a panic.”

“Send me his number, and I’ll make it happen.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“Anything for you, sweetheart. Tell me our Chase and Caden are going to be okay.”

“I will as soon as I know more.”

“We’re praying for them, and we’ll be there very soon.”

“Love you.”

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