Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(94)

“She sounded shaken up.”

I was sure of it. On top of being concerned about Xavier, she didn’t drive much. She wasn’t used to snow-packed and icy roads. But my lady was strong—stronger than she gave herself credit for.

“What’s wrong with Xavier?” Please, don’t say heart attack.

“They hadn’t told Sofia yet.”

I gripped the wheel harder, driving as fast as I could for the conditions. Hazel sat stone still except for the nervous fidgeting of her right hand.

“Go ahead.”

“Go ahead, what?”

“Smoke.” I didn’t let people smoke in my truck, but this was a special circumstance. And it would calm her down.

But Hazel shook her head. “No. I quit.”

I risked a glance away from the road to see if she was serious. Hazel had smoked since she was in her twenties. “When?”

“Right now.”

If she was giving up smoking, that meant she was terrified for Xavier’s life.

My foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. He had to be okay. I couldn’t lose him too.

The rest of the drive was in panicked silence. Hazel and I had the same questions in mind. There was no need to ask. We said the same silent prayers. There was no need to voice them.

It was pitch-black when we arrived at the hospital. The air was ice, a deadly cold. My teeth chattered by the time we raced inside and stood at the reception counter, waiting to get Xavier’s room number.

“Xavier Magee. Room . . .” The nurse pushed the glasses farther up her nose, leaning into the screen like she wanted to torture us. “Room three oh nine.”

We were off like a rocket, Hazel leading the way to the staircase since neither of us had the patience to wait for an elevator.

Hazel took the stairs two at a time like she was my age, not in her early seventies. We broke through the heavy metal door to the third floor and jogged down the hallway toward Xavier’s room.

We heard his voice from two doors down and relief cascaded down my body.

“Do I need it?”

“No,” a man’s voice answered.

“Then take the damn thing out, and let’s be done with this.”

“It’s an organ,” Sofia hissed. “At least read the brochure. And wait for your wife to get here. Doctor, could we have just a minute?”

Before the doctor could agree, Hazel and I burst into the room.

My uncle’s eyes immediately went to his wife. “Hey, baby.”

“What’s going on?” Hazel snapped at the doctor, like this was his fault, as she walked over to Xavier’s bedside and clutched his hand.

“Gallstones,” Xavier muttered. “Hey, bud.”

“Hi.” I looked him up and down. Besides looking a little pale and wearing a green hospital gown, he looked fine. Which meant I could focus on Sofia. “Babe.”

She was standing in the corner of the room against the window. She held my gaze as I crossed the floor, and the moment I was close enough, she fell into my arms.

“You okay?” I kissed her hair as she burrowed into my chest.

“I’m holding it together. I can’t promise I will for much longer.”

“I’ve got you now.”

I twisted us both so I could hold Sofia and see the doctor, a middle-aged man who was waiting patiently for us to all get situated.

“So what’s wrong?” I asked him. “Gallstones?”

The doctor nodded. “The CT scan shows them clearly. Based on their size and how likely they are to reoccur, I recommend we remove the gallbladder.”

“Is it dangerous?” Hazel’s grip on Xavier’s hand tightened.

“It’s a routine surgery. He will have to be sedated, and there is always the risk of complications. I’d be happy to go over them with you.”

“I’ve heard them. I’m good with it,” Xavier said. “Like I said, let’s do it and be done with them.”

The worry on Hazel’s face eased as she shot her husband a scowl. “Well, I haven’t heard them. So you can just wait a damn minute while I get caught up.”

She dropped his hand, taking a step away from the bed. But then she stopped, spun around and dropped a kiss on Xavier’s mouth. With that, she nodded to the doctor and followed him into the hallway.

My uncle chuckled, but then winced and clutched his side. “Go with her, will you? Just so she’s not alone when he lists off all the stuff that could happen but won’t. I don’t want her freaked out.”

I made a move to leave, but Sofia stopped me. “I’ll go. You can stay with Xavier.”

“Okay.” Her footsteps were quiet as she left the room, but she was okay. They were both okay.

I breathed for the first time in an hour and went to collapse in the chair next to my uncle’s bed. “A deer?”

“Damn deer,” he huffed. “Wasn’t even watching for them, since it was snowing. I thought they’d all be hunkered down somewhere. That animal is lucky to be alive.”

“From the sounds of it, you are too.”

“It wasn’t that bad. Fishtailed on the road. Scared Sofia, though.”

“Scared all of us.”

He sighed. “Between me and you, scared me some too. Thought for sure I was having a heart attack. But the doctor seems to think we can get these gallstones under control. He’s putting me on a pill for the acid reflux too.”