Page 56 of His North Star
“Sounds good.”
“Did you see that shooting star?” James asked, pointing to his left. We stood on the grass down by the dock. He was behind me, his arms wrapped around my shoulders.
The vibrant sky purposely showed off for James. We spent half an hour looking through my telescope. James drilled me on any and every fact about outer space. He repeated his fascination several times throughout the night. The view at our place was spectacular, but I couldn’t wait for Ty to take me to the observatory at Glacier. A lightness swirled within me as I imagined what unseen mysteries awaited me.
“Did you make a wish?” I asked.
“Is it too juvenile to admit I did?”
“You’re never too old to wish on a star.”
“Okay, good.” He lightly chuckled. “Want to hear it?”
“No,” I blurted. “It won’t come true if you tell me.”
He tugged me down to the quilt I’d put out earlier. I lay flat on my back. He settled on his side, peering at me. “Well then, my lips are sealed.”
Desire reflected in his eyes. My stomach swooped in anticipation. I would keep us in the slow zone physically, but that did not mean no kisses. First base one kisses packed plenty of heat if executed correctly.
I bit my lip, eyes locked on his. I slowly rose up to meet his mouth. The air sizzled the closer I got to James. He reeled me in, and I allowed it. I closed my eyes, leaning toward him until we were an inch apart. His warm cinnamon-scented breath dusted against my mouth. The second before we made impact, a long wail cut through the air.
James jerked back. “Do you hear that?”
The siren grew louder. A red, swirling glow flashed across the black pine trees.
My chest grew tight.
James jumped up and ran toward our driveway, where an ambulance screeched to a stop. Was it a guest? Or my family? I shot after him. My legs protested the long race across the four acres to the front of the property.
I skidded to a stop at the entrance to my parents’ house where Dad stood pointing EMTs toward the stairwell.
“Dad,” I sputtered, stumbling into him. My lungs seized. I gulped for air. “What’s going on?”
His eyes were wet, puffy. His hair stuck up in random places like he’d run a hand through it too many times. “Mom fell down the stairs and she won’t wake up.” His voice cracked. Sheer agony etched itself on his features.
My body went rigid. It was as if someone had wrapped a straitjacket around me, making it hard to breathe. Dad and I followed the paramedics inside the house where Mom lay haphazardly on the stairs. Her skin had lost all color, making her look like a ghost. Blood plinked in a soft drip from under her head onto the wood stair nose where her temple balanced. Her dark hair fanned behind her. Her eyes remained closed.
I watched in a daze as the medical staff checked her pulse, heartrate, and I didn’t even know what else. After a moment, one of them grabbed the stretcher from the back of their vehicle.
“Kitty,” Dad said tenderly, choking back his emotion. “Kitty, wake up. Is she going to be okay?” His voice wobbled.
It was my undoing.
Tears filled my eyes. My legs trembled as the EMTs loaded Mom onto the stretcher. She hadn’t responded to their voices asking her if she could hear them.
James stood next to me with a hand on my lower back. “Take a deep breath,” he said calmly.
Had I been holding it? I exhaled, then inhaled when James did, matching my breaths to his.
They wheeled Mom into the back of the ambulance. Dad’s long legs climbed in right after.
“Call me when you get there,” I choked out as they shut the first door.
Dad nodded, hair standing up at odd angles, and shouted back, “Call Landon, will you?”
“Yes. Love you, Mom.” I held out a hand, desperately hoping she would be all right, as they drove off. James and I stood frozen. Our gazes locked on the vehicle taking my parents away until it turned the corner, out of sight.
I turned to James. “You should go. I need to deal with this.” I pointed to the lodge behind me.
