the boys alone. We’ve got plenty of staff to work the kitchen. Shoot, I’m only one man.”
“One man who works like five.” Mama leaned over his bed and smoothed her hand over his cheek. “It’s what got you in here, Gib. We’re lucky you only had a minor attack.”
“Just take it easy on folks,” Daddy whispered, his eyes fluttering shut.
“All right,” Mama said, “everyone out. Let’s give Gib some rest.”
One by one, the family bid Daddy good night, promising to fill heaven with their prayers. Mama motioned for Avery to come around the bed.
“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you home. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
“Bye, Daddy.” Avery bent down to kiss him. “Sorry I called the ambulance.”
Daddy’s weak smile lit the room. “You did good, sweetie.”
“She sure did.” Mama tapped Avery on the behind as she leftthe room. “I’ll be back in the morning, Gib. Susanna, you too. Let’s go.”
“Stay.” Daddy motioned to Susanna with a small finger wave. “Talk … to … you.”
“Don’t stay too long, Suz,” Mama said, bending to kiss Daddy good night. “Get better, Gib. Hear me?” Mama. She who must be obeyed. Daddy couldn’t dare do anything but return to one hundred percent.
The door swung softly closed behind Mama as she left, the tenderness in her voice lingering. Underneath all her gruffness, Mama was passionate about Daddy. About her family.
“She loves you,” Susanna said, scooting into the chair Avery had vacated.
“She does. Bossy ol’ gal.”
“What would you do without her?” Susanna slipped her hand under Daddy’s, careful not to disturb his IV.
“Have a moment of peace and quiet.” He laughed then squeezed her hand. The heart monitor beeped, but when Susanna checked the screen, Daddy’s heart rate held steady.
“You gave us a good scare.” Susanna shifted in her chair, adjusting the constraints of her dress. The tight sheath was fine for standing and walking. Not so much for sitting.
“‘Tain’t nothing. Just a small blockage.”
“You know we’d all be lost without you. Especially Mama.” Susanna stroked her thumb over Daddy’s hand, her eyes ripe with tears.
She could endure losing Adam and the idea of happily ever after, but she could not endure losing Daddy.
“Angioplasty in the morning. I’ll be as good as new. Too stubborn to die. Only forty-eight. Planning on walking you down the aisle.” In that moment, Daddy’s eyes met hers with a clear focus. “I’m sorry about Adam, kitten. You always wanted the one true love, didn’t you?”
“He wasn’t it, I guess.” Tears again. Susanna picked at the threads of the cotton hospital blanket with her free hand. “But you know, it was getting kind of silly. Waiting, not moving forward, acting more like friends than lovers.” She reached for a tissue from the bedside table. “I can see it now. My fortieth birthday, and we’re all sitting on the back deck of the Shack, and Aunt Jen says, ‘Say, Suz, when you suppose Adam is going to propose? You’re getting a bit long in the tooth.’”
Daddy’s short laugh gave way to wheezing. Susanna rose up, ready to buzz the nurses as he fought for a good breath. “I guess … not so funny.”
She sat back down, rolling the tissue over her finger and dabbing the water from her eyes. “But it is. Go ahead and laugh. We could use it.” She cupped her hand under Daddy’s. “What I care most about now is that you’re okay.”
“I’ll be right as rain after tomorrow.” Daddy closed his eyes with a slow, filling inhale. “So what’s with your fancy duds?” He peeked at her through a one-eyed slit. “You look pretty.”
“I was at some benefit with Gage. He’s trying to get the job for the new hospital wing.”
“Gage Stone. Good man. Industrious. Owns his own business—”
“Stop right there, Daddy.”
His lips parted in a half smile. “You see right through me.”
“I do.” Susanna shredded the edge of her
“One man who works like five.” Mama leaned over his bed and smoothed her hand over his cheek. “It’s what got you in here, Gib. We’re lucky you only had a minor attack.”
“Just take it easy on folks,” Daddy whispered, his eyes fluttering shut.
“All right,” Mama said, “everyone out. Let’s give Gib some rest.”
One by one, the family bid Daddy good night, promising to fill heaven with their prayers. Mama motioned for Avery to come around the bed.
“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you home. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
“Bye, Daddy.” Avery bent down to kiss him. “Sorry I called the ambulance.”
Daddy’s weak smile lit the room. “You did good, sweetie.”
“She sure did.” Mama tapped Avery on the behind as she leftthe room. “I’ll be back in the morning, Gib. Susanna, you too. Let’s go.”
“Stay.” Daddy motioned to Susanna with a small finger wave. “Talk … to … you.”
“Don’t stay too long, Suz,” Mama said, bending to kiss Daddy good night. “Get better, Gib. Hear me?” Mama. She who must be obeyed. Daddy couldn’t dare do anything but return to one hundred percent.
The door swung softly closed behind Mama as she left, the tenderness in her voice lingering. Underneath all her gruffness, Mama was passionate about Daddy. About her family.
“She loves you,” Susanna said, scooting into the chair Avery had vacated.
“She does. Bossy ol’ gal.”
“What would you do without her?” Susanna slipped her hand under Daddy’s, careful not to disturb his IV.
“Have a moment of peace and quiet.” He laughed then squeezed her hand. The heart monitor beeped, but when Susanna checked the screen, Daddy’s heart rate held steady.
“You gave us a good scare.” Susanna shifted in her chair, adjusting the constraints of her dress. The tight sheath was fine for standing and walking. Not so much for sitting.
“‘Tain’t nothing. Just a small blockage.”
“You know we’d all be lost without you. Especially Mama.” Susanna stroked her thumb over Daddy’s hand, her eyes ripe with tears.
She could endure losing Adam and the idea of happily ever after, but she could not endure losing Daddy.
“Angioplasty in the morning. I’ll be as good as new. Too stubborn to die. Only forty-eight. Planning on walking you down the aisle.” In that moment, Daddy’s eyes met hers with a clear focus. “I’m sorry about Adam, kitten. You always wanted the one true love, didn’t you?”
“He wasn’t it, I guess.” Tears again. Susanna picked at the threads of the cotton hospital blanket with her free hand. “But you know, it was getting kind of silly. Waiting, not moving forward, acting more like friends than lovers.” She reached for a tissue from the bedside table. “I can see it now. My fortieth birthday, and we’re all sitting on the back deck of the Shack, and Aunt Jen says, ‘Say, Suz, when you suppose Adam is going to propose? You’re getting a bit long in the tooth.’”
Daddy’s short laugh gave way to wheezing. Susanna rose up, ready to buzz the nurses as he fought for a good breath. “I guess … not so funny.”
She sat back down, rolling the tissue over her finger and dabbing the water from her eyes. “But it is. Go ahead and laugh. We could use it.” She cupped her hand under Daddy’s. “What I care most about now is that you’re okay.”
“I’ll be right as rain after tomorrow.” Daddy closed his eyes with a slow, filling inhale. “So what’s with your fancy duds?” He peeked at her through a one-eyed slit. “You look pretty.”
“I was at some benefit with Gage. He’s trying to get the job for the new hospital wing.”
“Gage Stone. Good man. Industrious. Owns his own business—”
“Stop right there, Daddy.”
His lips parted in a half smile. “You see right through me.”
“I do.” Susanna shredded the edge of her
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