When we got to his shiny gray Corvette, he walked over to open my door.
“You don’t have to do that.” We needed to hurry.
He shrugged. “Blue would kill me if I didn’t.” Blue always had been a gentleman. Called everyone ma’am and sir. Lemon hated it. Said it made her feel like an old lady. But he wouldn’t quit.
I slipped inside and let Madden close the door behind me. Under absolutely no other circumstance would I get in a car alone with a man I’d just met. But Madden seemed like a good guy. I could tell by the worry that hadn’t left his face since the minute he walked up, regardless of how cool he was trying to appear. And he was taking me to Blue.
He got in, cranked the engine, and we were out of that parking lot in thirty seconds.
My phone buzzed in my purse. I shut my eyes for a moment. I didn’t want to deal with Jonah right now but I pulled it from my bag anyway. My heart climbed higher up my throat when I read the caller’s name.Blue’s Mom—Missy Bishop.Her name was exactly how I’d listed it in my contacts back in ninth grade. This whole thing felt like an otherworldly time warp.
I hit the green accept call button. “Hello?”
“Anna?” She sounded frantic.
“Hi, Ms. Bishop,” I said, glancing at Madden.
“I need to know how Blue is. I saw you at the game. I was watching on TV. Can you tell me how my boy is?”
“Yes, ma’am. I was at the game.”
“Put her on speaker,” Madden said.
So I did.
“Hey, Missy, it’s Madden. Anna and I are on our way to the hospital right now.” From those two lines I knew this wasn’t just one of Blue’s friends. He was one of Blue’sbestfriends. Maybe he’d even been to Seddledowne before.
“How is he?” She choked on a sob, sounding helpless. Missy was a really good lady. She’d always been so kind to me. She loved her boys intensely, and I could only imagine how hard this must’ve been for her.
Madden glanced at me, worry in his face. “We’re not sure yet. He’s probably at the hospital already. I think he’ll be fine. But he probably has a concussion.” Did he really think Blue would be fine? I didn’t know him well enough to tell.
“Oh.” She sobbed. “I hate that stupid sport.” Then she let out a breath loud enough that we could hear it. “I’m already in the car. Colt’s with me. We’ll be there in…six hours and…” She whimpered. “Thirteen minutes.”
“It’s okay,” Madden said. “He has a lot of people here to help until you arrive.”
“Anna?” Missy said.
I straightened. “Yes?”
“You’ll stay with him until I get there?” It caught me off guard. Ever since I got in this car, I’d asked myself what I was doing. Blue and I weren’t a couple anymore. We weren’t even friends. I felt like an imposter up in the middle of this. I didn’t belong here and at some point, someone was going to tell me exactly that. But I couldn’t turn Missy down, and truth be told, this was exactly where I wanted to be.
“Yes. Of course. And we’ll let you know as soon as they tell us what’s going on.” I forced authority in my tone, even though I felt small, weak, and as powerless as she sounded.
“Thank you, darling girl.” She sounded calmer. “Oh, and you two?” Her calm was replaced with fire. “Don’t let Shane anywhere near him until I get there.” Then she hung up.
“Blue’s dad is here?” I asked Madden. “Does he live in Knoxville now?”
“Yup. He goes wherever Blue goes.”
Unreal. But not surprising either.
Blue’s dad was a force to be reckoned with. His disdain for anyone who got in the way of what he wanted was unparalleled. And what he wanted was for Blue to go pro and make him millions. Looked like his plan was working out so far. I didn’t want to see what this hitch was going to do to him.
Madden let out another chuckle. “Not sure how she thinks we’re supposed to keep Shane away from him. I don’t wear a cape. Just a mere human over here.”
I chewed my lip. “Same.”
Madden flipped his blinker, passed the slowpoke in front of us, and gassed it.
