“No. I’m just walking back to the bus. Do you want me together?”
“No, that’s why Icalledyou.”
I could hear the stress in his voice and instantly sensed trouble. Tension settled in myshoulders.
“Why? What’swrong?”
Lukehesitated.
“Luke, what’swrong?”
“Okay, so…Mom’s in thehospital.”
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. My thoughts shifted straight to Casey. She couldn’t take much more. “Why? Whathappened?”
“Doctors think it might be a mild heart attack. With her high blood pressure and all the stress of the past few months, it’s taken its tollonher.”
“Jesus,” I exhaled. “Is she going to be allright?”
“Yeah, she’s doing okay. The doctors aren’t even sure if it was actually a heart attack yet. It’s possible she just had a panic attack. They’re running more tests. But Jake, regardless of what they show, Mom’s really run down. She needs a break, and I know that Casey’s not doing great herself, and you guys are on tour and everything” – Luke’s voice wavered – “but I think I’m really going toneedher.”
“Yeah, of course, but…” I hesitated, knowing Casey didn’t want her family worrying about her. “She’s pretty fragileherself.”
“I know but she has to be more help than Dad. He has zero patience withSydney.”
“Okay, let me talk to Casey. I’ll get her on aplane.”
“Thanks, Jake. Sorry to keep dumping all this on you. It’s more than you signedupfor.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll call youbacksoon.”
“Thanks,man.”
* * *
Casey tookthe news about as well as could be expected. Of course, she wanted to get to her mother right away, but she would have to wait a few hours for flights into Arizona. I’d been making plans to go with her when Luke called back to let us know Linda hadn’t had a heart attack but was suffering with an acute case of heartburn that simulated chest pains. She was expected to remain in the hospital a few days to undergo furthertesting.
I held Casey as we waited for her to board the plane. I’d brought along a small army of bodyguards with me today because I wanted to protect Casey from any further stress, and to be honest, I was in no mood myself to deal with a fanencounter.
“Sorry I didn’t get home sooner last night. We never had a chance to makeababy.”
“I know. Bart will just have to wait anothermonth.”
“Bart will have to wait a lifetime because I’m never naming mykidthat.”
We laughed at our shared joke before her face took a turn for theserious.
“Jake, I don’t know when I’m coming back. If my mom needs help, I might havetostay.”
I nodded solemnly. I knew it was coming, but hearing it from her made it more real. It’s not that I didn’t want her to help out her family; it was that so much distance between us probably wasn’t the best thing for our relationshiprightnow.
“What’s that look?” she asked, running her fingers alongmyface.
“Look?” I asked, adopting an air of innocence. “I don’t havealook.”
Casey touched the space between my brows. “Liar. I can always tell when something’s bothering you by the crinkled ridge thatformshere.”
“You’re scarily perceptive,” I replied, with the hint ofagrin.
