“She was talkin’,” I finally managed. “Just now. Said she saw someone bright and I’m…isn’t this what people do right before they die? Isn’t this what Grandma Hazel did, sayin’ she saw Mom out by the sundial?—”
“That doesn’t matter right now, Silas,” Rhett answered. “Just keep drivin’. You’ve gotta be gettin’ close to the clinic.”
I nodded, more to reassure myself than anything else. My eyes darted up into the distance, searching for the lights of Perry. He was right…it had been just about long enough, June was still here. We were gonna make it.
And then, over the horizon—lights.
“I see it,” I wrenched out. “Fuck, Rhett—I see it.”
“Good,” Rhett said, voice firm. “We’re getting in the car with Hazel. We’ll be right there.”
“You don’t have to,” I started, but he cut me off.
“We’re family, Silas. We’re coming. End of story.”
Then he hung up.
My tires screamed as I tore off the highway and into the parking lot. The clinic looked small, barely bigger than a post office—but the parking lot lights were blinding and two nurses were already running out the double doors, one of them holding what looked like a cooler and an oxygen tank.
I didn’t even stop the truck.
Just threw it into park and hauled June into my arms, cradling her close to my chest. She made a low, pained sound, her head lolling toward the crook of my shoulder.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered. “You’re safe. You’re safe now.”
The doors flew open as I staggered toward the entrance, and someone caught my elbow, guiding me inside. Voices barked orders—names, dosages, vitals. A stretcher appeared. I laid her down and stepped back only when someone physically moved me, her hand limp in mine.
Until that moment, it hadn’t even occurred to me that we were both half-naked, but now I felt this need to cover her up, to make sure she was safe and that her privacy was protected.
“Make sure—make sure she gets some clothes,” I rasped to one of the nurses. “She’s gonna be cold when she wakes up. She needs somethin’ soft, okay? She?—”
I stopped dead, words forgotten.
Because…holy fuck.
There wassomething there.
On the other side of the partition, following the stretcher down the hall, was a woman…or the shape of a woman. Not a nurse, not a doctor, not anyone really. A woman all in white, with long, dark hair cascading down her back.
Time seemed to stand still for a second, then she turned her head to look over her shoulder?—
“Mr. Ward?” a nurse was asking, gently touching my elbow. “Are you alright? Did the snake bite you too?”
I sucked in a breath, dizzy, gripping the edge of the intake counter like I would fall right over if I let go.
“No,” I said, voice raw. “No, I’m not—I’m not hurt.”
The nurse gave me a once-over anyway, eyes catching on the state of me: bare chest, blood on my hands. I was a fucking mess. I should’ve told Rhett to bring me a shirt.
“Someone will bring you a blanket,” the nurse said quietly. “And a shirt, if you want. You should sit down.”
I nodded, but didn’t move. My gaze was still fixed on the hallway.
Because maybe I was just having a shitty night…maybe I was still in shock.
But I could have sworn that woman was Amelia.
CHAPTER 9
