Page 75 of Gabriel & Skye

My brother laughs at something one of the girls says, and I roll my eyes. Oh, boy. I do not want to be witness to my brother being hit on by not one, but two women. I shake it off as my phone rings in my back pocket. I pull it out and frown. Gran is calling me.

I motion to the girls I need to take the call as I head across the dance floor toward the door. The music is far too loud in here to hear my own thoughts, let alone a phone call.

“Gran?” I say, holding a finger in my ear to block out the noise from inside.

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry to have to call you…” Oh no, oh no…

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s your grandpa. He said he felt funny and went for a lie down, then when I went to check on him he’d fallen off the bed.”

“Oh, my God! Is he… is he okay?”

“The EMTs are taking him to the hospital. They think it could be a mild heart attack.”

I’m already walking back inside, looking for my brother. “Okay, I’m looking for Travis. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“I’m going with him in the ambulance,” she sniffs.

“I’ll see you soon. Don’t worry, Grandpa is as strong as an ox.”

“I know… he’s going to pull through. He has to pull through.”

“He will. We’ll be there soon.”

“Thank you, sweetie.”

We hang up.

Though I know my grandparents are not getting any younger and are in their eighties now, they’re both in good health and live active lives. I’m stunned as I race up to the bar and I don’t see my brother.

I turn to Gabe, frantic.

“Skye, what’s wrong?”A deep furrow forms between his brow.

I shake my head. “My gramps…. Gran rang. He’s been taken to hospital. They think… they think he may have had a heart attack.”

“Shit.” He jumps off the chair. “I’ll go get Trav, he’s in the men’s.”

“Thanks,” I say, gratefully.

He nods, taking off toward the bathrooms as I start to pace. Ignoring the looks the two women are giving me, waiting for Trav to come back.

Hurry! We have to hurry.

A few moments later, my brother and Gabe are racing toward me.

“Skye?” Trav looks frantic.

I reiterate what Gran told me and he grabs his keys off the bar. “Let’s go.”

“I should drive,” Gabe says. “You’ve had more to drink than I have.”

Trav is clearly not drunk, but it’s not gonna look great if the new sheriff gets done for DUI.

“Shit,” he mutters. “I wasn’t gonna have that shot, but the girls were just bein’ friendly.”

I roll my eyes, looking at them over my shoulder. “I bet they were. We need to hurry.”

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