I envied him right then. He was sleeping in a warm bed and dreaming. I couldn’t remember a day when I was able to sleep in. Instead, I was up every morning, walking in mud and pig slop, shoveling horse poop, and doing everything else that came with living on a farm. I loved my animals. I loved my parents and growing up on a farm, but it would be nice to have a day off.
Maybe I could sleep in when Carter and Liam came home for the holiday.
So many good things were happening. Daddy hired someone. Maiken was home. And my brothers would be too, which meant fewer chores for me.
Once the pigs were eating and happy, I headed toward the gate, but I didn’t see the bucket until it was too late. My arms flew outward, gravity took over, and I was falling backward. I squealed like one of my dear pigs as my butt hit the mud first, then my back and head hit with a thud.
Motherpucker.
Beast came up to me, and his wet nose tickled my ear as he sniffed me. I laughed as the snow fell, and more pigs joined Beast in the fun.
Oh my word. It would take years to get the stench out of my hair. Manure was definitely not the right pheromone to lure Maiken to me.
Sighing heavily, I was about to get up when a tall figure loomed over me.
The man angled his head. His green eyes were like two high beams in the early morning light. “Do you always fall in shit?”
I glared at the boy who was wearing a ball cap and dressed like he’d come to work his tail off in boots, gloves, and even a flannel shirt. “Are you the one my dad hired?”
Trevor grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “The one and only.”
“For real? You want to work on a farm?” I wasn’t shocked Daddy had hired him. Trevor certainly had the muscle to do the heavy lifting around the farm, something Daddy needed desperately. I was, however, miffed as to why a clean-cut boy who didn’t have a callus on his hands wanted to work on a farm.
“I need the money. I saw the flyer at school, and I decided to check it out.”
My Spidey sense was screaming at me for some reason. Yet so far, Trevor had shown me nothing but niceness and respect.
He stabbed his thumb in the direction of the horses. “Your dad wants me to start cleaning out the horse stalls. He’s going to meet me in the barn.”
Daddy and I needed to chat. The way Momma had talked, I thought Daddy would hire someone who would be permanent, as in someone who would stay years, not months.
Trevor took long strides, leaving me standing in shock.
I shook off the mud, or tried to. It was useless to clean the muck out of my hair or off my body since I still had chores. So I wiped my hands on my jeans, not caring that the pig stench was making me a little queasy.
I jogged up to Trevor. “Where have you been? You missed our session last week, and I haven’t seen you in school.”
“My old man had some business out of town, and he wanted me to go with.”
“Your final exam is this week in algebra. Right? Are you ready?”
“I will be. Can we meet after school? I don’t have basketball practice this week.”
I had plans with Maiken. “Why can’t we meet at our usual time after lunch?”
“Mrs. Flowers wants to meet with me.”
Our guidance counselor had returned a few weeks prior. I needed to talk to her myself and discuss college options. I hadn’t decided yet on whether I would change my major. I really had to figure that out soon.
“I can do an hour at most. My boyfriend is home from the academy.”
“Maiken is? I would like to meet him. Coach Dean talks about him all the time.” His tone led me to believe he was truly serious and somewhat infatuated with my boyfriend. Or maybe he wanted to meet Maiken to see why Coach Dean put him up on a pedestal.
“Why?” I asked as we walked into the barn.
But my question flew out of my brain when my gaze landed on the floor.
I gasped.
Trevor took off in an all-out sprint, dropping to his knees to help Daddy, who was laid out like he was dead.
No. No. No.
A silent scream left my mouth as the barn began to spin. I shook my head hard and blinked several times, hoping I was having a nightmare.
Trevor felt along Daddy’s neck. “Quinn!” His deep voice snapped me out of my trance. “Call 911.”
I fumbled in my pockets for my phone. No! I left it in my room. I rushed over to Trevor, feeling light-headed. “I need your phone.”
He whipped it out, held it up to his face to unlock it, and shoved it at me. “Hurry. He has a weak pulse.”
My fingers shook as I punched in the number.
“Nine, one, one. What’s your emergency?” the sweet lady asked.
“M-my d-dad n-needs help.” Not a time to be stuttering, Quinn Thompson.
Trevor snatched the phone from me. “I have a man in his late forties who has a weak pulse and is passed out.” Trevor lifted Daddy’s eyelids. “Pupils somewhat dilated. Thompson farm. Yes, ma’am.” He pocketed his phone.
I watched in horrid fascination at how well composed he was and how he knew what he was doing.
Trevor tapped my dad’s face. “Mr. Thompson.”
Tears flowed hot and fast down my cold cheeks.
“Get your mom,” Trevor ordered as though he were in charge.
Hell, he was, because I couldn’t even craft a damn sentence or thought. All I kept thinking was that Daddy wasn’t going to make it.
Don’t think like that.
Mom? Crap.
Trevor felt for a pulse. “Oh shit.” He began CPR. Trevor was giving my dad CPR.
I slapped a hand over my mouth.
“Get your mom!” Trevor said again in a tone that could scare a rat.
I heard him, but I still couldn’t move. This couldn’t be happening.
Trevor blew into Daddy’s mouth then did chest compressions, counting to himself to kick-start Daddy’s heart.
That thought snapped me out of my haze. My body thawed, and my feet began to move. I spun on my heel and raced up to the house faster than sprinters on an Olympic track, crying and praying Daddy didn’t die.
I texted Quinn.
Me: Hey, babe. Hope you’re having a good day so far. I can’t wait to see you. I’m stopping by school around lunch to say hi and talk to Coach Dean. What time is your lunch period?
I set my phone down on the bathroom counter and was about to take a shower when my phone rang. Maybe Quinn was in between classes.
Liam’s name lit up my screen.
I tapped Answer and immediately asked, “Dude, are you coming home for Thanksgiving?” With the NCAA in preseason, I didn’t think Liam would make it home.
“I need your help,” he rushed out. “Can you and your brothers head to the farm and feed the horses?” He sounded frantic. “I’m trying to get a flight now. If I can, I should be there early tonight. Carter is on his way from Boston. He’ll be there before me. Please, dude. You got to go.”
I rubbed a hand down my chest. “Slow down. What’s going on?”
He sucked in a breath. “My dad had a heart attack.” His voice hitched on the last two words.
My eyes flew wide open as I gawked at myself in the mirror. “Is he…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word. I clutched my chest, remembering when the military had shown up at the door to break the bad news to us about Dad. I pressed my fingers over my heart. It felt as though I had a Mack truck sitting on me.