Chapter 23

twenty-three

ANDREW

I looked over my shoulder at Jesse and his mom. We were nearly at the hospital, which was just as well considering how lethargic the little boy had become.

Before we’d left Sunrise Bay, Jenny had given us a cooler full of popsicles. Barbara had encouraged her son to suck on the frozen treats, but it was a struggle for him to do anything.

With the air conditioning turned on, Jacob was hoping the cold air would help lower Jesse’s temperature. If nothing else, we arrived in Boulder without any vomiting.

Jacob glanced at me. “I’ll stop in the drop-off zone by the emergency entrance. Would you be able to find a parking space while I take Jesse inside?”

“Sure. If you’re not in the waiting room when I arrive, I’ll send you a text.”

“If you don’t get a reply right away, don’t worry. I’ll come and get you as soon as I can.”

Barbara leaned forward. “I don’t know how to thank you both for everything you’ve done.”

“You don’t need to thank us,” I said. “I’m just glad we were at The Welcome Center when Jesse became sick.” I’d known for a long time that the world worked in mysterious ways. Driving to the hospital twice in three days had to be more than a coincidence. If Jacob was looking for a reason to stay in Sunrise Bay, he didn’t have to look far.

“Here we go,” Jacob murmured.

When the truck stopped, I unclipped my seat belt.

Jacob reached across the cab and held my hand. “Thank you.”

A lump formed in my throat. I had no idea why he was thanking me. All I’d done was talk to Barbara and made sure Jesse had everything he needed. If anything, I’d talked too much. But filling the tension inside the truck with random snippets of conversation seemed to make the journey a lot easier.

While Jacob gathered Jesse into his arms, I held open the door. “Don’t worry about your backpacks, Barbara. I’ll bring them with me.”

Barbara took a well-loved toy rabbit off the seat. “Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

As soon as everyone was clear of the truck, I slid into the driver’s seat and drove toward the parking lot. Hopefully, Jesse wouldn’t have to wait long to see a doctor, especially with Jacob holding him.