Page 55 of Aviator
The girls have mostly passedout, so I step into the doorway instead of letting Margaret in. “Is everything okay?” I ask, worried about Dean and Luke.
“You have to come with me. It’s Luke. He’s in the hospital again. I can’t get ahold of Dean.” Her voice is frantic, and she’s near tears.
My heart leaps into my throat. “Of course, let me get some shoes. I’ll be right back.”
“Hurry,” she urges.
I close the door behind me, leaving Margaret pacing in the hallway, and move around the hotel room as quickly and silently as possible.
“Kenna? What’s wrong?”
I slip into a pair of sneakers. I don’t have time to change out of Dean’s sweats and T-shirt that I threw on after my shower. “It’s Dean’s grandpa. He’s hurt, and she can’t get ahold of Dean. I have to go. Can you watch the girls?”
Riley hands me her new phone. “Take this in case you need it. Call me here at the hotel if you need backup.”
“Thanks. I’m going to try to call Dean.”
I dial the number from memory as I tug on my jacket. But the voice that answers isn’t Dean. It’s Luke.
“Hello,” he says in a cheerful, ambling tone. Not at all the sound of a man at the center of a medical emergency.
“Luke?” I ask, dumbfounded. My mind grinds to a halt, and I feel like I’m back in the mountains, my thoughts frozen in my head.
“Kenna, sugar, is that you? I was wondering where you went. C’mere, Sunny, and eat this here tuna.”
“Luke, are you okay?” I ask, my voice breathless.
“Fit as a fiddle, no matter what that damn doctor says,” he answers.
“But Margaret said you’re sick.”
“Margaret? I haven’t seen Margaret since you two got back. Are you sure you heard right?”
There’s no doubt about what she said. She said Luke was in the hospital again. “Where are you?”
“At home feeding Sunny. Is everything okay, sugar? You sound upset.”
I take a breath. “I’m fine. Where’s Dean? This is his number, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. But he gave me one of those fancy watches connected to his phone account. He didn’t answer, so I answered in case he’s flying and it’s an emergency.”
“Flying?”
“Ye-ep,” he says, drawing out the word. “He went up to the airport. Couldn’t sleep, is what he said. I tried to sleep, but this doggone cat kept yowling until I fed him.”
“Thanks, Luke. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Later, sugar,” he says before he disconnects.
“What’s wrong?” Riley asks as soon as I hang up.
“Margaret wanted me to come with her, said Luke was at the hospital. But that was him on the phone, and he’s fine. Why would she lie?”
“That’s freaky. I have no idea.”
“She’s married to Dean’s boss, who owns the airfield. That’s where Luke says Dean is right now. I have to go to him.”
Riley’s eyes go wide. “Girl, are you sure? That could be dangerous. Something about this doesn’t feel right.”
