Page 62 of My Heart to Keep
Trevor grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “The one and only.”
“For real? You want to work on a farm?” I wasn’t shocked Daddy had hired him. Trevor certainly had the muscle to do the heavy lifting around the farm, something Daddy needed desperately. I was, however, miffed as to why a clean-cut boy who didn’t have a callus on his hands wanted to work on a farm.
“I need the money. I saw the flyer at school, and I decided to check it out.”
My Spidey sense was screaming at me for some reason. Yet so far, Trevor had shown me nothing but niceness and respect.
He stabbed his thumb in the direction of the horses. “Your dad wants me to start cleaning out the horse stalls. He’s going to meet me in the barn.”
Daddy and I needed to chat. The way Momma had talked, I thought Daddy would hire someone who would be permanent, as in someone who would stay years, not months.
Trevor took long strides, leaving me standing in shock.
I shook off the mud, or tried to. It was useless to clean the muck out of my hair or off my body since I still had chores. So I wiped my hands on my jeans, not caring that the pig stench was making me a little queasy.
I jogged up to Trevor. “Where have you been? You missed our session last week, and I haven’t seen you in school.”
“My old man had some business out of town, and he wanted me to go with.”
“Your final exam is this week in algebra. Right? Are you ready?”
“I will be. Can we meet after school? I don’t have basketball practice this week.”
I had plans with Maiken. “Why can’t we meet at our usual time after lunch?”
“Mrs. Flowers wants to meet with me.”
Our guidance counselor had returned a few weeks prior. I needed to talk to her myself and discuss college options. I hadn’t decided yet on whether I would change my major. I really had to figure that out soon.
“I can do an hour at most. My boyfriend is home from the academy.”
“Maiken is? I would like to meet him. Coach Dean talks about him all the time.” His tone led me to believe he was truly serious and somewhat infatuated with my boyfriend. Or maybe he wanted to meet Maiken to see why Coach Dean put him up on a pedestal.
“Why?” I asked as we walked into the barn.
But my question flew out of my brain when my gaze landed on the floor.
I gasped.
Trevor took off in an all-out sprint, dropping to his knees to help Daddy, who was laid out like he was dead.
No. No. No.
A silent scream left my mouth as the barn began to spin. I shook my head hard and blinked several times, hoping I was having a nightmare.
Trevor felt along Daddy’s neck. “Quinn!” His deep voice snapped me out of my trance. “Call 911.”
I fumbled in my pockets for my phone.No!I left it in my room. I rushed over to Trevor, feeling light-headed. “I need your phone.”
He whipped it out, held it up to his face to unlock it, and shoved it at me. “Hurry. He has a weak pulse.”
My fingers shook as I punched in the number.
“Nine, one, one. What’s your emergency?” the sweet lady asked.
“M-my d-dad n-needs help.”Not a time to be stuttering, Quinn Thompson.
Trevor snatched the phone from me. “I have a man in his late forties who has a weak pulse and is passed out.” Trevor lifted Daddy’s eyelids. “Pupils somewhat dilated. Thompson farm. Yes, ma’am.” He pocketed his phone.
