Page 22 of Loving Hard on the Highway

“You’ll be there tonight,” she said. “You’ll see him. That’s what matters.”

I nodded, then turned to Gabbie. A gentle kiss from her gave me some comfort. The distance between now and the hospital visit felt immense, not measured in miles but in uncertainty. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my jaw tight as I paused there, shoulders slumped.

Gabbie wrapped her arms around me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder. “You’re not alone in this,” she whispered.

I closed my eyes, allowing the simple weight of her to ground me. “Let’s get our little Ollie and hit the road.”

Gabbie was sweet enough to take the first shift driving. It was nice. Between holding Ollie and the low music, I drifted to sleep.

I only woke when I heard Gabbie’s phone ring. I opened my eyes to see a worried look on Gabbie’s face.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“No.” Gabbie swallowed hard. “Nobody has this number but Laurel and Evie. And they wouldn’t call. Do you mind answering it?”

I picked up the phone and put it on speaker. “Hello.”

“Oh, hi. I must have the wrong number. I’m looking for Gabrielle.”

“Mich.” Gabbie was relieved to hear her sister’s voice. “How’d you get this number?”

“Laurel gave it to me. Look, Gabs, when are you going to be here?”

“Umm, tonight, in like five hours,” Gabbie answered.

“I have bad news,” Michelle sighed. “Rick was here earlier. I don’t know how he found out you left, but he got a flight here and was being an ass. Lis and Mateo were here, and Mateo chased him off. I’m sure he’s probably watching us.”

“Mich, I am so sorry. I never meant to bring you any trouble.”

“We’re fine. But we had to find a place for you to stay. My friend Jess has a friend who is remodeling a B&B. Because she’s not operating yet, I don’t think Rick will know to look there.”

?

It was late when we pulled into the bed-and-breakfast. We apologized for bringing Ollie, but the owner, Skye, didn’t mind at all.

I was dreading saying goodbye to Gabbie when I finally got a call back from my brother.

“Are you here yet?” Max asked.

“I just got into town a few minutes ago,” I yawned. “I’m just going to grab a coffee and head to the hospital.”

“Grandpa was released an hour ago. He’s staying with me and Gemma for now. He’s sleeping in the spare room.”

“Can I see him?” I asked.

“Not until morning. The doctors only released him if we promised he’d get some sleep,” Max said. “Do you have a place to stay for tonight?”

“I’ll manage.” I smiled at Gabbie, relieved, and hung up the phone.

“How’s your grandfather?” she asked.

“Better. He’s home with my brother and resting. I can see him in the morning.”

“Oh,” Gabbie smiled. “So, what are your plans for tonight?”

The room was cute and cozy. Although there was still more remodeling to be done, this room was perfect. Gabbie put Ollie in his carrier, and the pup went right to sleep.

Skye made us some sandwiches with fresh grapes from the vineyard on the side, along with lemonade. It wasn’t much, but she promised breakfast would be better.

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