Page 107 of The Apple Tree

The phone rang, and I stiffened.

“Breathe,” Erin said.

I took a long breath and wiped my tears before picking up the phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, Eve. It’s Anne. Sorry it took so long. Kyle is out of surgery. It went well. All of his other injuries are minor. He’ll be here for a couple of days, but then they anticipate releasing him. Your dad just headed home. And I’ll leave soon too. Fred is staying the night with Kyle. How’s Josh?”

The tension released from my body, and it sagged in relief. “That’s really great news. Josh is asleep. He asked me to stay here tonight. So if it’s okay with you?—”

“Of course. That would be great. If you’re going to stay, I might hang out here a little longer. Fred hasn’t eaten anything, and I want to get him some food.”

“Take your time,” I said.

“We don’t want to wake you, so you can sleep in Kyle’s bed if you don’t want to sleep on the sofa. I don’t know if there are clean sheets in the upstairs linen closet, but you could check.”

I didn’t need clean sheets; I wanted them to smell like him.

“Thanks. If he wakes up, tell him …” I paused.

Tell him I love him.

“Tell him I’m taking good care of Josh, and we can’t wait to see him.”

“I will. Thank you, Eve.”

After she disconnected the call, I slowly hung up the phone. “He’s out of surgery, and he’s going to be okay.”

Erin nodded. “That’s a relief. Are you going to go see him at the hospital?”

“Would that be weird?”

“No. It wouldn't be weird even if you weren’t in love with him. You babysit for him, and he’s a good family friend.”

I nodded. “Maybe I’ll go after church tomorrow.”

“Good idea.”

It was a good idea if my heart could survive seeing him in a hospital bed without wanting to hug him and expose all of my feelings in front of his family.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

PAUL YOUNG, “EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY”

Eve

“Wake up, Eve,”a soft voice whispered above my face.

I was tangled in Kyle’s sheets, hugging his pillow, and I peeled open my eyes.

“Good morning,” I murmured to the smiling face before me.

Josh pulled the pillow away from me and slid under the covers so I’d hug him instead. It was the perfect trade. My poor heart was so invested in Josh and his daddy.

Clifford jumped onto the bed and licked my face.

“Aunt Anne is making breakfast,” Josh said.

“That’s nice of her. Think we should go help?”

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