Bending down, she reaches for something, probably her purse. When she rises back up, she has a business card in her hand. “I’ve got an attorney.” Placing the card on the table, she slides it closer to me. “She says if you deny me my right to see my child, we’ll take you to court.”
Throwing my napkin down on the table, I push my chair out and stand. “Well,mylawyer calls you a deserter, andI’mway ahead of you.” I pull my wallet out and grab a twenty and toss it on the table. Raising my hand, I give her a two-finger salute. “Guess I’ll see you in court.”
Her mouth is opening and closing but only for a minute or two. She gathers herself quickly and turns her shock into a bright smile. “Nash, babe—”
“I’m not your babe.”
“Let’s not do this. Let me see Andrea.”
“It’s Andi. A-n-d-i.” God, that pisses me off.
“Doesn’t Andi want to see me? Have you told her I was home?”
“No.” I haven’t mentioned it, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know. Even little kids gossip around this tiny town.
“She’smychild. I want to see her.”
I scratch my scruff of a beard. “I’ll think about it.” And I will, after I hear Isabelle’s thoughts on the matter. Fuck. I wish she’d talk to me. “Later,” I say, stepping toward the door. I don’t look back as I exit. Why would I?
When my phone rings on my way back to the farm, I’m tempted to ignore it, but when I see it’s Isaac, I quickly answer. “How’s California treatin’ you, asshole?” Isaac and his wife, Kelly, are in San Diego this week looking for a place to live. God, it sucks. I’ve missed the hell out of him, and he’s only been in Omaha, Nebraska. Now he’ll be halfway across the country.
“Shit. Thank fuck, Nash….” There’s panic in his voice, something I’ve never heard before, and it scares the shit out of me.
24
Isabelle
“Isabelle!”
I hear someone shout my name as I walk back to my classroom after lunch. The voice sounds urgent and familiar, so I quickly turn around and see Nash rushing toward me at a fast clip. It’s not just the voice that’s urgent. It’s written all over his face.
I haven’t seen the man for over a week. Sure, I’ve been ignoring his messages, but honestly, I expected him to try a little harder to talk to me after the whole Sisters debacle, but I guess Nash isn’t the kind to make that kind of effort. Or maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m not the kind of girl worth the trouble. It certainly seems to be the case so far. In twenty-two years, no one has ever made an effort.
I look up and see that Nash has started to jog closer. He’s scaring me. “Nash? What’s wrong?”
When we reach each other, Nash wraps his fingers around each of my upper arms. “Isabelle,” he pants, “it’s your dad.”
My dad?“What about my dad?”
He doesn’t really answer me. “Get your things. They flew him to Iowa City on Life Flight.”
“Life Flight?” That’s the emergency helicopter that we see now and then.
“But—”
Nudging me, he says, “Go. Get your stuff. We’ll talk in the car.”
I’m in a fog. “B-but my classes.”
“I’ll run up to the office and let them know what’s happening. Hurry, Isabelle.”
My God, his voice. I feel burning behind my eyes. “Hurry” is the word that scares me the most. I turn and run to my room, push my door open, and scan the space. I’m attempting to figure out where my purse is when Rose walks by my room. With a chuckle, she says softly, “Hey, your boyfriend is here.”
I turn to face her, and my expression must look something like Nash’s because her demeanor changes. “What’s wrong?”
“M-my dad. Nash….” I don’t know what I’m saying. “I need my purse.”
Rose scrambles through my door and makes her way to my desk. Opening my bottom right drawer, she pulls out my purse. Next she turns, searching for something. When she bends to her right, I see my computer backpack. She shoves my laptop in first then the cord. With my purse and backpack in hand, she moves toward me, handing me my purse and ushering me out the door. “Come on. I’ll walk you up to the front.”
