“How bad?” Josh’s dad asks.

“It’s broken,” Josh confirms. “But he’ll be okay.”

Sam Waters and his partner jump out of the ambulance and approach us. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Sam.” I offer him a shaky smile.

“We have to stop meeting under these circumstances, beautiful.” He winks at me and I flush.

“Thanks for all you did when the tree fell.”

“That’s my job.” Sam unfastens the straps on the stretcher that they’ve pulled out of the back of the ambulance. “Ready, Seth?”

“It’s gonna hurt again, huh?”

“Yeah, it is, but only for a minute. We’ll get you to the hospital fast, okay?”

“Okay.”

The guys lift Seth onto the stretcher, strap him in, and load him into the ambulance. Zack climbs in with Sam as Sam’s partner climbs behind the driver’s seat.

“Are you coming, Josh?” Sam asks before he pulls the doors closed.

“Absolutely.”

“Josh”—I grab his arm—“what do you need me to do?”

“You’ve done enough.” He still doesn’t look me in the eye. “I have to go take care of my family.”

And you’re not a part of it.

His response is a slap to the face. He climbs into the ambulance and they race out of the driveway to the highway.

“Cara,” Nancy murmurs, and takes my hand in hers, but I just stand and numbly watch the ambulance drive away.

“It’s not your fault, honey.” Jeff wraps his arm around me and hugs me to his side. He’s tall and broad like his sons, but he has fair hair and blue, kind eyes.

“I know,” I whisper.

“Come on, you can ride to the hospital with us,” Nancy offers.

I shake my head and back away toward my car. “That’s okay. I’ll meet you there. I need to change my clothes. Go on ahead and I’ll be right behind you.”

“Are you sure?” Jeff asks, his voice and face worried. “We’ll wait.”

“No.” I shake my head again and offer them a wobbly smile. “I’ll see you soon.”

I turn away and hurry into the house, grabbing my things and stuffing them into the suitcase I brought over Friday night when Josh asked me to spend the weekend with him.

An incredible, sexy, fun weekend.

And now, I’ve learned that he didn’t mean to invite me to live here and he blames me for his nephew’s being hurt.

I carry my things to the car and pull out. Josh’s parents’ car is gone.

I hit the highway and head to town, but when I get there, I turn toward my house rather than the hospital.

I told Seth I’d be there for him, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to show up where I’m not welcome. I’ll call Seth and check in on him later. I need a break from all this drama. I need some distance, and there is only one person I need to be with right now.

I pull up to my house, and as I pull my bag out of the car, I call Ty.

“Bob’s Pizza.”

“I need a favor.”

“Shoot,” he says with a chuckle.

“I need a ride to the airport.” I unlock the front door and step inside, toss my keys in their bowl, and stride quickly to my bedroom.

“Are you okay?” His voice has lost its humor.

“No. Can you give me a ride?”

“What time?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t bought the ticket yet.” I pull the dirty clothes from my suitcase and throw them in the hamper, then randomly pull clean ones from my drawers and closet and replace them.

“Text me when you know what time.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I hang up, zip my bag shut, and open my laptop, thankful that I just deposited my insurance check on Thursday, because this is going to be expensive.

Finding a flight out tonight, and feeling nauseous at the amount of money it costs me as I enter my credit card number, I text Ty with the info.

I need to leave in fifteen minutes.

Ty rings my doorbell in ten.

“Thank you,” I murmur earnestly as he takes my suitcase from me, watching me carefully.

“What’s wrong?” he asks softly.

I just shake my head, tears in my eyes. I have to hold it together until I get to Jilly.

He nods once and sighs. “Got it.”

Chapter Sixteen

JOSH

“Where is Cara?” Seth cries, his eyes wild and afraid as he looks around the small emergency room at the hospital. “She said she’d be here.”

“Seth, I need you to calm down,” Dr. Anderson tells him firmly as he examines Seth’s ankle. “Order X-ray, stat,” he instructs his nurse. “We’re going to have X-ray come see you to see what’s happening in there, Seth. I’ll be back with the results in a bit.” The doctor smiles at all of us and hurries out of the room.

“I want Cara,” Seth repeats, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling.

“Where is she?” I ask my mom, who is standing in the opposite corner of the room, leaning against my dad’s chest.

“She said she would meet us here.” She shrugs and frowns. “She should be here soon.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Cara’s number, only to have it go straight to voice mail. I redial, just in case she was trying to call me at exactly the same moment, but it again goes to voice mail.