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“Not as happy as Mora’s strawberry rhubarb cobbler is going to make you. You got any of that special vanilla ice cream? The bean kind?” Bernie was looking like a hopeful puppy.

“I do. Kai, are you ready for cobbler?”

“I am.”

I watched Bernie watching Mora as she went into the cabin. He turned back to me. He started to say something when my phone rang. I saw it was Marlowe, so I answered.

“Hi, Sweetheart. What’s going on?”

“Chaos is in surgery. When a car tried to run me off the road, Chaos was knocked around in the backseat,” she paused. I heard her take in a deep breath, but it was full of tears. “She broke at least one rib and it punctured her lung. Kizzie told me to stay strong.”

“Kizzie?”

“The vet here in town. She’s the one operating on her. If you’re not busy, could you…?” Her voice trailed off.

“Marlowe, I’ll be there as quick as I can. I’m at Bernie Faulke’s house. He lives up the mountain. I hiked in. It’ll take me a little bit to get to you. But I’ll get there as fast as I can. I’m calling Lettie right now, so she can come and sit with you.”

“No, that’s all right, I’m fine.”

I could hear the wobble in her voice. Of course she would say she was fine. She always said she was fine.

“Hang tight for me, Sweetheart, okay?”

“I will,” she whispered.

When I hung up my phone, Bernie was standing close, holding out a set of keys.

“What are those?”

“The keys to your ATV. You’re going to be following me off the mountain. There are roads, you just need to know where to find them, is all.”

I nodded.

“Let me make one phone call, then let’s get going.”

I called Lettie.

14

I parked the ATV in the hardware store parking lot. It was as close to the animal hospital as I could get. Bernie was close behind me. I ran up to the door, but before I could open it, I stopped, because I saw Marlowe’s Jeep. The backend was beat to shit. So was the passenger side.

What the fuck?

Bernie came up behind me.

“Does this 4Runner belong to Marlowe?” he asked.

“Yep. And it wasn’t looking like this two days ago. Looks like someone rear-ended her. More than once. Sideswiped her, too.”

Furious, I turned and went into the animal hospital. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Nash Rivers, Lettie, Alice Draper, and some guy I didn’t know. Nash and the guy were hovering over Marlowe who was seated. I could tell she’d been crying. As soon as she saw me, she leaped up. I pushed my way between the two men and pulled her into my arms.

“Any news?”

“She’s been in surgery for over an hour,” she whispered into my shoulder. “Kizzie said it was bad when she examined her. Kai, I’m afraid she’s going to die.”

She started to cry.

I looked over my shoulder at Nash.