Page 31 of One Southern Summer

“I’d like that.” Cole took in the stunning landscaped yard sloping gently down toward the water’s edge and the boat bobbing against the dock. Avery’s family had a lovely place here. He might’ve owned a lakefront house nearby if he’d stayed in his first career as an attorney. But that firm would’ve turned him into a miserable shell of a human. And he couldn’t stomach the thought of all the lives that wouldn’t have been changed for the better if he’d never joined forces with Imari’s Place.

Addison screamed, jolting him from his thoughts.

“My arm, my arm!”

“What happened?” He dropped to his knees in the grass beside her. Panic tore the breath from his lungs. Tears dribbled down her flushed cheeks and she cradled her arm against her chest.

“A bee stinged me,” she wailed.

Oh, no. He’d been daydreaming, oblivious to the fact that Addison might be in danger. “It’s okay. The bee’s gone now.” He scooped her up and awkwardly carried her back to the house. Her pathetic crying grew louder, making him feel even worse. He crossed the porch in long strides, flung open the slider and stepped inside. “We’ve got a problem here.”

Julene, Harper and Avery stood at the kitchen table, hovering around Avery’s laptop. They turned toward him, their mouths agape. Then they all pelted him with questions.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

“Why is she crying?”

Flustered, Cole turned in a circle. Mrs. Huntington stood beside the sofa in the living room, with Hayes nestled in her arms.

Heart pounding against his ribs, Cole eased Addison onto the kitchen counter. “We were looking at the flowers together. She says a bee stung her arm.”

“Mama,” she cried, stretching her arms toward Avery.

“Oh, sweet baby,” Avery swooped in, pulling Addison against her.

Cole stepped out of the way, pushing his fingers through his hair. How did he let this happen?

“There’s meat tenderizer in the cabinet by the stove,” Mrs. Huntington said. “That usually helps.”

“Is she allergic?” Harper crossed the kitchen to the cabinet. “I have students who carry EpiPens for stings and bites. Is she having trouble breathing?”

Cole’s stomach heaved. Allergic? Trouble breathing? He was going to be sick.

Avery leaned back, both hands clutching Addison’s shoulders. “Pumpkin, look at me. Breathe. I need you to breathe.”

Addison pulled in a shuddery breath then kept crying.

“Are her lips swelling?” Harper plucked the meat tenderizer from the shelf and brought it to Avery. “That’s always the first sign.”

“Harper, relax,” Julene scolded. “If she’s crying, she’s breathing.”

What had he done? Sweat trickled down his spine. This was his fault. He glanced toward his messenger bag and papers stacked on the kitchen table. His phone was somewhere in there, wasn’t it? If they had to call for help, that should be his job. He stood still. Unable to move. His arms felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each.

“She’s never been stung before.” Avery ran her fingers over the angry welt on Addison’s arm. “How am I supposed to know if she’s allergic?”

“Do you have any allergy medication?” Julene scrolled through her phone. “This says we should give her some.”

“If she has to go to the emergency room, I don’t think you should give her any medicine,” Harper said.

The flurry of activity made Cole dizzy. “I—I’m going to go...” He barely choked out the words. “I shouldn’t be here right now.”

Avery stared at him. “What?”

“I’d better... I’m going to go. I’m in the way. So sorry. I hope she’ll be all right.” He grabbed his bag and stuffed the papers inside then hurried toward the front door, carefully avoiding Mrs. Huntington’s gaze. Wow, he was such a coward running like this. But he didn’t know what else to do. Addison had been hurt on his watch. How could he possibly be a part of their lives if he couldn’t even keep the kid safe for three minutes?

“Huh. That was weird.” Avery glanced through the living room window toward the gate where Cole’s car had long since disappeared.

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