Hometown Star by Joleen James

Author:Joleen James [James, Joleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Joleen James, Contemporary, Alaska
Publisher: Joleen James
Published: 2013-04-30T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“What?” Star took in her mother’s disheveled appearance: the bed–head, the short black robe. “John’s here? Again?”

“In the bedroom.” Destiny grabbed Star’s arm. “He needs help.”

“Wait,” Star said, remembering Cade. She turned, relieved to find him still sitting in the driveway. Star waved Cade in before following her mother to the bedroom.

“I think John’s having a heart attack,” Destiny said in a rush. “We were, well, you know, and he suddenly stopped. He’s clutching his chest.”

Star found John in the bedroom, flat on his back, the sheet twisted about his hips. The stench of booze and sweat gagged Star.

“John, what’s happening?” Star asked.

“A pain.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “My chest. Get aspirin.”

Star spun from the room, nearly running into Cade in the hall.

“What’s going on?” Cade asked.

“It’s John,” Star said. “Possible heart attack.”

“John?” Cade shook his head, heading for the bedroom.

In the medicine cabinet Star found a bottle of generic aspirin. She heard Cade asking John questions. She raced back to John with the pills. Fingers shaking, she shook out a tablet.

“Under my tongue.” John opened his mouth. Star placed the tablet inside.

“Destiny,” Cade called over his shoulder. “Take my truck. Go to the house and call 911.”

For a second Destiny didn’t move. Star said, “Go, Mom.”

Destiny ran from the room. The front door banged shut.

“How can I help?” Star asked Cade.

“Let the aspirin work,” John said.

Star wracked her brain, trying to remember the one CPR/First Aid class she’d had.

“Hang on,” Cade said, the voice of reason. “Help will be here soon.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” John said, his words sounding more like a wheeze than actual words.

“It’ll be okay,” Cade told him. “Try not to worry. Relax.”

But in the back of Star’s mind she saw Patsy having her own heart attack. She hadn’t survived. Would John?

Sweat beaded John’s brow, his upper lip. Star retrieved a dry washcloth from the bathroom. She blotted the moisture from his face.

“Is the pain any better?” Cade asked.

“Some.”

“Hang on, John,” Star said. “Mom’s sure to be at Cade’s by now. Help is on the way. An aid car can make it here in minutes.”

He nodded, clearly too spent to argue with her.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” she droned on, not sure what else to say. She exchanged a concerned look with Cade. Thank God, Cade was here. Silently, Star prayed that John would live, that he’d be okay. Destiny would never recover if she thought her sexual prowess had killed a man.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the slam of a car door. Destiny was back.

“Help’s coming,” her mother called out.

To Star’s untrained eye, John looked better. His face wasn’t as pinched, and he didn’t seem to be sweating as much. Had the aspirin worked?

From outside the faint whine of a siren cut through the night.

“Here they come,” Star said. “I’ll go and flag them down.”

“Thanks, Star,” Cade said, a long look passing between them.

Star ran from the room. Her mother sat on the couch, Star’s blanket wrapped around her body, Destiny’s pretty face, ravaged by tears.

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