“Morning,” she says. “I woke up with the biggest headache,” she says. Walking to the coffee machine, she makes me a cup and then hands it to me. “I am never drinking sweet tea again.” I stand here in the middle of my kitchen, not sure if I should tell her what happened. Do I bring it up, or is she embarrassed by it? “I also need to get the recipe.”
I sit down and drink the coffee faster than I should, and the burning hits me all the way down. “Well, I’m sure Billy will give you the recipe.”
“Do you have a busy day?” she asks, and I nod. “I’ll make your plate and then go take a shower.” She prepares my breakfast, not saying anything about the kiss. I look at her, and she avoids my eyes.
“Why don’t you come down to the office for lunch?” I say, ignoring the awkwardness. “Bring Ethan.”
“Okay,” she says, walking away with her cup of coffee. I get dressed, and when I walk out of my room and go to her room, she is sleeping on the bed. I walk out of the house with my heart heavy, and my head going in all types of direction.
I pretend to pay attention when I have another meeting, but I’m not even listening. I’m sitting in the chair, looking out the window when the phone buzzes and Bonnie’s voice fills the room. “Beau,” she says my name. “Tony is here for you.”
I get up and walk out of the office. “Tony,” I say, turning to see him sitting in one of the chairs. “What can I do for you?”
“You …” He gets up and grabs the folder that is on the chair next to him. “Can sign this paper.” He opens it and hands me the paper that is a bill. “It’s for the work that is being done and will be getting done.” I turn to walk into my office while I check to make sure he’s gotten everything there.
“You need to include the windows at her house,” I say, and his eyebrows shoot up. “Yeah, don’t ask.”
“What the fuck is wrong with people?” he asks, and I grab a pen. “She works her ass off. She stays out of all the drama. She’s a good person.” I look down and sign the paper. “By the way,” he continues, and I look up, “I got a not so nice phone call from the senior last night.”
I shake my head. “He has no control over anything,” I say and then make a mental note to call my father. “Trust me, you’re all good.” I hand him back his folder, and I’m about to say something else when I hear the sounds of the sirens, and I walk out of the office. Grady pulls up at the curb, then puts his car in park and gets out, running up the steps.
“What is happening?” Bonnie asks from her desk, and the only thing I can do is look at Grady and wonder if something happened to my mother or my father. Maybe even Liam. The last thing I’m expecting is what comes out of his mouth.
“Beau,” he huffs, his chest rising and falling. “You need to come with me.”
“What happened?” I ask. He looks at me, and I see the turmoil in his eyes, almost like he doesn’t want to say the next words.
“It’s Savannah,” he says. My heart stops in my chest, and I feel my body turn to stone. “Someone ran her off the road.”
Chapter Sixteen
Savannah
“Don’t move!” Jacob yells when I try to turn around to see if Ethan is okay. My heart is hammering in my chest. My hands shake so hard I can’t pick them up. I look around, seeing grass everywhere.
“Is he okay?” I ask, sobbing out. “Jacob, is he okay?” I try to look in the back, but I can’t move my neck.
“He’s fine,” he says, and I look to the side and see that Jacob is climbing out of the ditch with Ethan in his arms. “He’s all good.” He hands Ethan off to the paramedic that has just arrived, and then he comes back down into the ditch for me. “Okay,” he says, opening the door. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
I look down and lift my hand, and Jacob grabs a hold of it to stop it from shaking. “My neck.” I move my neck, and he winces.
“Seat belt gash,” he says, and I look over to see if I can see Ethan.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m so sorry. I tried to avoid it. Ethan.”
“Hey,” he says to me, and I move my eyes to his. “He’s fine.”
“I couldn’t get to him,” I say between sobs. “After I crashed, I tried to get to him, but the air bag …” I close my eyes. “It disoriented me.”
“Jacob.” Someone calls him, and when he looks over his shoulder, I see a fireman coming down the ditch.
“Blake,” Jacob calls him. “You got here fast.” He moves to the side. “Did Grady call you?”
“Yeah, I got the call and came right out.” He sticks his head in. “How are you?” he asks.
“I’m okay,” I say. “Forget about me. Check on my son.”
“Ethan is doing okay,” Blake tells me. “He’s actually very worried about you.” He unclips the seat belt, and I wince. “You’re lucky you were wearing that.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, and I lick my lips that are dry. “I’m not sure how you consider me lucky,” I try to joke out.
“I’m going to put this neck brace on you,” Blake says. “To make sure that you don’t move.” I nod my head.
“Um, Blake.” I call his name, and he looks at me. “I’m not trying to rush you and all that, but I’m starting to get a bit claustrophobic, and I really need you to get me out of here.”
He laughs. “It’s the adrenaline going through you.” He puts one hand under my legs, and before I know it, I’m being lifted from the truck. He walks up the ditch and puts me down on the stretcher that is there.
I hear sirens in the distance, and I look over to make sure that I can see Ethan who is now sitting with a paramedic as she checks him out. Kallie comes running over and looks at me. We share a look, and she nods her head and walks over to Ethan who jumps into her arms. She listens to him say something and then points over at where I am, and he wipes the tears from his face.
“Savannah!” I hear Beau yell my name from somewhere, and then I see him run through a couple of people. He wears a look of worry on his face as he sees Ethan first and hugs Kallie and him, and then she must tell him where I am because he looks over. He rushes over, and Jacob has to stop him. “Let me go!”
“Go easy. They are checking her over,” Jacob says, and Beau walks to me. I feel my lower lip tremble when I see him, and I suddenly need him to hug me. I need him to take me in his arms and tell me that this is going to be okay. I just need him.
“Baby.” He calls me the name so quietly I almost don’t hear him, but then he steps in front of me, and I see the tears in his eyes. “I need you to tell me you’re okay.”
I look at him. “I’m okay,” I whisper, and then he grabs my hand and brings it to his lips.
“What happened?” he asks, then turns to look over at Jacob and Grady.
“I was coming to see you for lunch. I was going to stay home with Ethan, but he took a shower and said he felt better.” I start the story. “This truck was following close behind me, and I kept speeding up just a touch to get away from him, but the more I sped up, the more he was right there.” I swallow now. “Then he bumped me. At first, I didn’t know what happened, and I wasn’t sure, but then he bumped me again. The third time, he tried to pass me, and once he was beside me, he just kept coming closer and closer, and the road got smaller and smaller. The last thing I remember is looking back to make sure Ethan was okay.”