12. Hadley

12

HADLEY

H adley stormed through the double doors at the long-term care facility. Her determined stride almost pushed her straight past the check-in desk, but she jerked to a stop at the last second.

Jody was manning the desk, and her dark eyes and usually welcoming grin were strained. "Go on. They're waiting for you."

Shoot. That wasn't a good sign. "Thanks."

Hadley kept her quick pace down the hallway, only slowing when the door to her mother's room came into view. A twisting in her chest had her gasping for air.

Lord, please help Mom. Help her to be strong. Help me to be strong. Help me to understand.

She could stand outside the room praying for help all day long, but her mom needed her right now. She pushed open the door, determined to face the music.

Her mom's room was bright and welcoming. Hadley and Cheyenne made sure their mom had all the comforts of home. Cheyenne sat in a chair, and their mom sat up in the bed.

Mom looked fine but a little tired. Some of the tightness in Hadley's chest loosened. Every time something went wrong with her mom's health, it triggered a massive response from Hadley. Her mom got a hangnail, and Hadley was transported straight back to the day she got the call about her mom's stroke.

"Hey. How do you feel?" Hadley asked as she sat on the side of her mom's bed.

"I'm fine," her mom said slowly.

"She's really okay. Sorry I worried you," Cheyenne said.

"What happened?"

"You remember when she bumped her leg on the doorframe a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah." Of course she remembered. Every detail of her mom's life took up space in Hadley's head and never let go. Her mom's mobility wasn't great, and bumps and bruises were common occurrences.

Cheyenne pulled back the blanket draped over their mom's legs. A gauze patch covered most of their mom's shin, and blood was starting to seep through the cotton.

"She developed a blood clot, and it burst," Cheyenne said.

Hadley rubbed her temples, trying to recall everything she knew about blood clots. What little she did know wasn't making the situation clearer. "I was just here an hour ago."

"They decided to drain it," Cheyenne said.

"That sounds bad. How bad is that?"

Her mom's hand reached out and rested on Hadley's shoulder. "It's not bad. They're taking care of it."

"Are you sure? What are the possible complications? Will you be okay after they do that?"

Cheyenne took Hadley's hand and squeezed it. "It'll be okay. The doctor seemed very certain about what it is and what they should do."

Hadley took a deep breath and nodded. One of the things she loved about this facility was the attentiveness of the doctors and nurses. They'd been so good to her mom ever since she arrived. "Okay. Sorry I freaked out."

Cheyenne chuckled. "You should have seen me when I got here."

Their mom let out a chuckle that mirrored Cheyenne's. "She's right. But we prayed, and we both feel better about everything now. "

"I prayed too, but maybe I need to do it again," Hadley said.

Cheyenne looked at their mom with a true smile. If she'd been worried, it was all gone now. "Ava said she's got everyone at the ranch praying."

The vices around Hadley's spine started to loosen. Just knowing they had a group of friends praying for their mom's condition soothed some of the tension in Hadley's body.

What would their life be like if they hadn't ended up in Blackwater? They'd probably still be in Tennessee struggling through every paycheck and terrifying diagnosis. Their mom wouldn't be cared for like this. Cheyenne wouldn't be marrying Ridge, and she wouldn't have met and bonded with her dad.

They wouldn't have found God and turned over their lives to Him. That was for sure. They'd still be struggling along on their own. The emptiness of that life still haunted Hadley from time to time, and she'd been running at break-neck speed toward God ever since.

There was a knock at the door, and Doctor Estes walked in. His stethoscope draped over his shoulders, and he wore a green plaid button-up with khaki slacks. "Morning." He stopped at the foot of their mom's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Great. My flowers are here." Their mom gestured to Hadley and Cheyenne .

"How's your pain? One to ten."

"Six," their mom said.

Doctor Estes explained the procedure and recovery. He explained the status of the clot and warning signs he would be watching out for during the draining. The longer the doctor talked, the more at ease Hadley became.

Doctor Estes promised the nurses would be by soon to prep their mom for the procedure, and waved farewell. Cheyenne talked about wedding plans until the nurses came to move their mom to a different room.

When they were the only ones left, Cheyenne sighed. "Whew. It's been a day."

Hadley and Cheyenne moved to the sofa by the window and got comfortable. "Tell me about it. I need to think about something else for the rest of the day or I'll start worrying again. How are things going with Ridge?"

Cheyenne's gorgeous smile lit up her face. "Great. He's been so supportive with all the stuff going on with Mom. He's not complaining about wedding planning, which I think is a major win. We're getting things ready for the youth program to start back up soon."

It was great to see Cheyenne happy and loving life. As the older sibling, most of the burdens fell to her after their mom's stroke .

Cheyenne bumped Hadley's elbow. "What's up with you? You disappeared after church."

A few people on the ranch had come together to have a church service at Hadley's house this morning, since Thea was hiding out at the ranch. It was good to see her getting to fellowship when she'd been missing her church family since she'd come back to Blackwater.

"Thea needed me to do something," Hadley said. She'd agreed not to tell anyone else she was meeting with Gage, and withholding the truth from her sister had a heavy weight sitting on her shoulders.

"What's it like having a roommate again?"

"Well, I miss having you and Mom around all the time, and I was getting lonely. I like Thea a lot, and it's been great having someone to hang out with. She doesn't deserve all the bad things that are happening to her."

"Life isn't about what we deserve."

"I know, but I hate seeing her struggling. Thank goodness she had Brett."

Cheyenne clasped her hands at her chest. "He's so sweet to her. I love watching them together. It's clear he loves her."

"I think she loves him too. I just don't see how things can work out between them."

"Love finds a way," Cheyenne said.

"I think the line from Jurassic Park is ‘life finds a way.' "

"Love finds a way too. If you'd told me I'd be marrying Ridge Cooper just nine months ago, I'd have laughed in your face. Things shouldn't have worked out between us, especially after I betrayed him. But look at us now. I can't imagine my life without him."

Hadley looked at her hands in her lap. She couldn't tell Cheyenne or anyone about her unwanted feelings for Gage. She barely knew him, but what she did know placed them on opposite sides of every line. Brett didn't trust Gage yet, and Thea wasn't sure about her brother either.

Gage didn't come with good references. He had a rap sheet, not a stable retirement plan.

A few hours later, Dr. Estes came by to give Hadley and Cheyenne an update on the procedure. They were able to safely remove the blood clot, but it would take every bit of Hadley's willpower to push away thoughts about what could have happened to her mom if the doctor and nurses hadn't taken care of the clot when they did.

It was full dark before Hadley started on her way home with Cheyenne leading the way back to the ranch. The whole day had been a series of highs and lows that had Hadley fighting off yawns on the long drive.

Hadley parked in front of the cabin a little after nine, but there was no sign of Brett. He'd been sleeping on the couch so Thea and Hadley would feel a little safer, and he usually tried to spend his time hanging out with Thea if possible.

Inside, Thea was washing dishes at the kitchen sink with her booted leg resting on a chair beside her.

The sight of Thea with her leg stuck straight out sent Hadley into a laughing fit. "What are you doing?"

"Dishes. I can't sit anymore, but my foot swells every time I stand up."

"Then maybe that's the Lord's way of saying you can sit down."

Thea tossed the dish rag onto the counter and grunted. "I need something to do. I'm bored to tears."

Hadley picked up the dish towel and gestured for Thea to sit. "I'm sorry. I know it's frustrating. I just want your recovery to go well."

"It doesn't help that Brett and I had an argument today. I don't know if he's coming tonight."

"I'm sure he will. Whatever it is, I think the two of you can work it out."

Thea rested her head on the table. "I don't think so. Actually, I don't know if we should even be trying to work it out. This won't ever end well."

Hadley started scrubbing the pan in the soapy water. "I'm not saying I know everything, but there are good men and bad men. Brett is one of the good ones, and he wants to protect you. "

Which category did Gage fall into? The jury was still out on him, but her heart was leaning toward good.

He asked about her today. That had to mean something if he was curious. Still, she didn't want his slight interest to go to her head.

Gage at least got points for his concern for Thea. Had he protected her when they were growing up?

If only Hadley had a brother. Maybe she wouldn't have been her dad's punching bag for so long.

"I know, but I think I messed everything up," Thea whispered.

Hadley dried off her hands and turned to Thea. "Let's get you to bed. I'll text Brett and let him know you're turning in."

Thea accepted Hadley's offered hand and got to her feet. "Thanks. I'll see you in the morning."

"Don't worry about a thing. I know Brett will be here."

Thea closed herself in the bathroom just as Hadley got a text from Brett.

Brett: Is Thea asleep?

Hadley: Close. You can come on when you're ready.

She'd been right about Brett. He'd show up for Thea, even if he was upset with her. That was the kind of devotion Hadley wanted. It would be stupid to settle for anything less than a complete partnership .

At this rate, she might be carrying the load on her own for a while. It wasn't as if men were lining up at her doorstep. Granted, she hadn't gotten out in town a lot since she moved here.

Another text came through as she ducked into her own bedroom for the night.

Gage: Are you ok?

Interesting. It was the first text she'd received from him that wasn't a single word or a plan to meet at the garage.

Hadley: Yeah. You thinkin' bout me?

She fell onto her bed with a smile as her phone dinged again with Gage's quick response.

Gage: No. Just wondering why you looked worried when you left.

Oh yeah. She'd gotten the text from Cheyenne about their mom's blood clot and hightailed it to the hospital.

What did it mean that Gage noticed she was worried?

Her thumbs hovered over the screen, but she didn't move. What would it be like to confide in him? She wanted to open up her heart, but what if he didn't care a thing about her heart and broke it?

Hadley: Nothing to worry about.

Gage: You sure?

No, she was not sure at all. She spent eighty percent of her days terrified her mom's health would take a turn for the worse and she'd lose what little family she had left.

Hadley: I'm sure. Thanks for checking.

She waited a few more minutes, but Gage didn't reply. It was for the best. She needed to keep her walls up. Gage wasn't the kind of guy worth risking her heart over.