“I’m good. Other than making a fool of myself by walking out of there, I’m okay.” He couldn’t even look her in the eye. Instead he focused on a sign posted by the entrance.Moose Falls. Established in 1868.
He felt a tugging sensation on the sleeve of his suit jacket. “Hey! You’re overthinking things,” True said. “Nobody noticed other than me… and I’m guessing Red.” She twisted her lips. “And considering I’m wearing boots because I left my cute little heels at home, I win the making-a-fool-of-oneself contest.”
Xavier’s eyes trailed down to her feet, then back up to her little blue dress. “I hadn’t even noticed the boots. And I guarantee you that most of the folks in that room only saw you wearing that dress.” He felt a grin breaking out on his face. “And youarewearing it, Miss Everett.”
“Aww, thanks,” she said, smiling at him. “Hattie gave me the moxie to go out of my comfort zone and wear it,” True admitted. “That lady is truly exceptional.”
“I wish we knew her better, to be honest,” he said with a shrug. “According to my mother, Hattie’s health was a big reason why her visits to Arizona stopped.”
“I’m sorry,” True said. “That must have been hard.”
“Not having Red in our lives was even harder. That type of absence leaves a gaping hole,” he admitted. “I admire my grandmother for trying to bridge the gap by inviting us back.”
“They don’t make ’em like Hattie anymore.” Her eyes misted over. “And they never will,” she added.
“Areyouokay?” he asked, noticing the swift change in her.
“I’m fine.” She drew in a breath. “Just thinking about her not being around anymore makes me emotional. She’s very special, not just to me but for everyone here in Moose Falls.”
Their eyes held and locked. Xavier felt a little hum pulsing in the air between them. He hadn’t experienced anything like it in years. After Heather’s betrayal he had sworn off women. What was the point when your heart had been trampled on by someone you’d wanted to be with forever? A person you’d given your all to?
“Something tells me you’re pretty special yourself. I like you, True.” The words slipped out of his mouth. Maybe it was the champagne or the frostbite he was currently experiencing. Perhaps it was being so far away from his failures back in Arizona, but he felt lighter. He had been in the same room with his father, and it hadn’t killed him. He was still breathing. His heart had been broken into a million jagged pieces. Yet he was still breathing.
And he did like True. Not only was she a knockout, but he liked a woman with a wry wit and a sense of humor. She had a self-deprecating air about her, as if she had no clue that she was sexy as all get-out. He wasn’t used to a woman not knowing her appeal. The women he had dated ever since college had been well aware of their charms. In some cases, their egos had been completely out of control.
True’s lips opened—wide, full kissable lips—and he couldn’t take his eyes off them.
Just then the doors were flung open. Landon was standing on the threshold, panic etched on his face. “Xavier. You need to get inside. It’s Granny Hattie. She just collapsed.”
Seeing Hattie in such a vulnerable position was agonizing for True. The sweet older woman was lying on the ballroom’s marble floor, her head propped up on her son’s lap. Caleb was fanning her with his hand. Xavier was on his knees by her side, murmuring words of comfort and squeezing her hand. Landon was frantically pacing back and forth, wringing his hands and muttering. People were crowded around her.
True motioned toward the crowd. “Please take a few steps back so she can breathe,” she commanded in a raised voice. Having a no-nonsense reputation helped in situations like this one. Everyone immediately complied and moved several feet away.
“Where am I? What happened?” Hattie asked, appearing confused.
“You fainted, Mama. We’re at the mayor’s mansion. You’re hosting a reception for the boys,” Red said, his features creased with worry. The resemblance between Xavier and his dad was uncanny. True hadn’t noticed it before, but now she couldn’t ignore it as they were mere inches away from each other.
Hattie beckoned Xavier closer, then whispered something in his ear. In one swooping motion, he lifted her off the floor and carried her out of the ballroom. Immediately the room began buzzing. Xavier looked like a freakin’ superhero coming to the rescue. It certainly wasn’t the time or the place to gawk at the man, but Xavier was quite a sight to behold. His buff arms strained against the fabric of his jacket while his strong legs powered him out of the room.
True trailed behind the family as they hustled out of the ballroom. Even though she wasn’t related by blood toHattie, she was family in every way that mattered to True. If this was something catastrophic, True wanted to be by her friend’s side as a source of comfort.
Xavier headed straight down the hall toward the mayor’s office. Red stepped in front of him and opened the door. Xavier gently placed his grandmother down on a velvet couch and propped a pillow behind her neck. “How’s that?” he asked, sounding tender.
“It’s just perfect.” Hattie patted his hand. “You’ve always been such a sweet boy. I’m glad to see that hasn’t changed despite all your challenges.” Although she hadn’t gotten all her color back, True thought Hattie seemed a bit better. She was speaking clearly and seemed to know her surroundings, since she’d led Xavier to this office.
“Let me get you some water,” True suggested, heading over toward the watercooler in the corner of the room and filling a plastic cup. When she turned around, Xavier was standing there looking frazzled.
“What just happened?” he asked, running a shaky hand across his face.
“She fainted. Maybe she’s dehydrated,” True suggested. When a person was terminally ill, it could be any number of things.
Xavier folded his arms across his chest. “But she seemed fine earlier.”
This wasn’t good. Had Hattie glossed over her illness? Xavier didn’t seem to have a clue about the fact that Hattie had been dealing with kidney failure for a long time. With renal failure the side effects were vast. Nausea. Loss of appetite. Fatigue and weakness. The list went on and on. Surely the Stone brothers weren’t of the belief that everything in Moose Falls would be kicks and giggles. Hattie was dying. There would be agonizing moments on the road ahead.
“She’s sick, Xavier. No matter how good she looks or how she manages to hold things together, Hattie’s living on borrowed time.”
The expression on his face gutted her. She hadn’t imagined that he truly cared about Hattie, but she instantly realized her mistake. Who was she to judge why he and his brothers had stayed away for so long? Obviously Hattie didn’t hold it against them. There could be a hundred reasons that had caused a divide. Although it was none of her business, she had a hunch that Red Stone had everything to do with it. The look on Xavier’s face when he had first seen Paul was even more tortured than the expression on his face right now.
