Page 56 of Rumors in Bayberry
“Tell him we hope he gets better.”
“I will and Mom, how’s the newspaper?”
“Honey…” There was a distinct catch in her mother’s voice.“It’s all gone.”
The words echoed in Sadie’s mind as tears ran down her cheeks.If this was a nightmare, she desperately wanted to wake up.
“I’ll make up your old room for you,” her mother said.
“Thanks, Mom.I don’t know when I’ll be there.”
After she ended the call, Sadie didn’t know how long she sat there when she heard her name being called.She jerked out of her stupor.She swung her head around to see that instead of a hospital attendant or nurse, Wesley was standing there.
He sat down next to her.“I thought you would be in the back with Reed.”
“I did, too, but they won’t let me back there yet.They said they would send someone out when he was ready for a visitor.”She looked at him.“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you weren’t sitting here alone.”
Really?“That’s very sweet of you.”But something told her there was more to his return.“Did you talk to Kate?”
He sighed.“Fine.It was Kate who told me to come back.She’s worried about you…and Reed.”There was an awkward pause, and then he said, “I guess you won’t be needing a ride to the airport tomorrow.”
She shook her head.“My editor is reassigning the article.”
This year Sadie had given her editor reason to doubt her dedication to chasing the next story.The thought hurt.She didn’t like to fail at anything, and she didn’t like to give away her work.She was competitive that way.But it had to wait.Reed was more important.
She lowered her gaze to the gray tiled floor.She was so worried.Reed was back there, and she didn’t know how he was doing.He wouldn’t be in the hospital if he hadn’t been trying to help her.
Realizing that Wesley was settling in for the wait, she said, “Wes, you don’t have to stay.Go home to your wife.I’ll be fine.”
He shook his head.“I can’t do that.”
Sadie rolled her eyes.“Let me guess.Kate ordered you to stay.”
He nodded.“She’d be here, but she promised you that she’d take care of Binx.”
“Binx.”She looked directly at Wes.“How is he?”
He averted his gaze.“I don’t know.”
She studied him.“Wes, what aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed.“Kate made me promise I wouldn’t tell you.She said you have enough on your mind.”
“Wes, just tell me.”
“Apparently he’s hiding under the bed, and she can’t get near him.”
“And…”
“And that’s all.”
She expelled a relieved sigh.“Under the bed is his safe space.”
Wes’s eyes widened.“Really?”
Sadie nodded.“When he’s scared or mad at me, he goes under the bed.He’ll come out when he’s ready.”
