Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(76)

“This wasn’t your fault, son. We had to be told about the investigation, and I don’t know what got into my husband.” She squeezed his arm. “If Jimmy Shelton didn’t kill my Stephanie, I want you and Brad to find out who did.”

He covered her hand with his. “We will, Mrs. Hollister. I promise you that, but I still don’t think I should go to the hospital.”

“You can keep us company, if nothing else.”

“Yeah,” Brad said. “You don’t have to go back and see Dad. At least not until he figures this thing out.”

Will couldn’t bring himself to look at Andi.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “Come with us.”

He looked up, and their gazes collided.

“Besides, we both know Dad was way off base—on everything he said.”

He released the breath he’d trapped in his chest. He and Andi could go back to normal.

So why didn’t that make him happy?





24


ONCE THEY MADE IT TO THE HOSPITAL, it became a waiting game, and Andi hated waiting. As soon as her dad was stabilized, her mom was allowed in the unit to be with him, and Andi paced back and forth in front of the darkened window. Why was God allowing this to happen?

She’d struggled with that question when Steph died. Why did God take the ones she needed? She didn’t know how Brad could stand so calmly and talk to Will.

The doors to ICU opened, and her mother hurried toward them.

“They’re taking him to the cath lab soon, and Dad sent me out here to tell you both he’s going to be all right,” she said. She nodded to a beige phone on a nearby table. “They’ll call us as things progress.”

Relief turned Andi’s legs to rubber, and with tears stinging her eyes, she found a chair and sat in it. Her mother joined her and handed her a tissue.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Andi dabbed her eyes and nodded. She didn’t trust her voice. Her dad had always been bigger than life, her rock when her sister died. He was the one who told Andi after her heart surgery that she could be anything she wanted to be, that nothing should stop her from conquering the world.

Will handed her a cup of water, and she gratefully sipped it. That he’d seen her distress and wanted to do something about it touched her. She lifted her gaze, and the pain in his eyes almost undid her. “I’ve seen the way you look at Andi. Same way Jimmy looked at Steph.” Was it possible? She pushed the thought away.

“He’s not going to die,” Will said softly. “I’m here if you want to talk.”

Not now. She couldn’t. “Thanks. But I’m fine.”

Will nodded and walked back to where Brad stood looking out the window.

Her mom squeezed her hand. “Our Will has turned out to be a fine young man.”

Andi’s gaze followed him. Broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist . . . he had indeed turned into a fine specimen . . . Wait, that wasn’t what her mother meant, and where had that thought come from?

Her own devious heart, that’s where. Falling in love with Will was a dead end. Too many complications—like he was her brother’s best friend and she knew from Brad that Will never dated anyone for more than a couple of months. She didn’t believe for one minute that the breakups were his fault. No woman in her right mind would reject Will. And if there was one thing she didn’t want to be, it was one of his rejects.

Refocus. “Do you really think Dad will be okay?”

“Now that he’s here, I do. I’m just thankful the doctors discovered he had a blockage before . . .” She shook her head. “The doctor said it’s in his main artery. Said he was lucky it happened when he was close to a hospital with people who knew what to do.”

Andi jumped when the beige telephone rang. Brad snatched it up and listened intently. “Thank you,” he said and hung up. “Someone came in worse off than Dad. There’ll be a slight delay before they start, but it shouldn’t be long before they take him.”

Andi tensed. She didn’t like this. Not one bit. Every few minutes she glanced up at the clock on the wall as she paced the room. Fifteen . . . twenty . . . sixty . . . Time ticked off slowly. Finally, her mother motioned for her to sit beside her.

“But what if something happens to Dad while they’re waiting?”

“Your pacing won’t stop it. Nothing is going to happen to him. God has this,” her mom said, “and he’s here with us.”

Was that supposed to give her comfort? God had Steph too, and look how that turned out. Andi didn’t ever remember a time when God was there for her, anyway. Her mother gasped, and Andi realized she’d said the thought out loud.

“Honey, you know better than that.”

Andi ducked her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see God here.”

“He’s here, honey, and this is one time you can’t run ahead of him,” her mom said gently.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about all the times you’ve gotten tired of waiting for something, so you make it happen. And things don’t turn out like you think they will.”

Even though the words were spoken gently, Andi sensed the restraint in her mother’s voice. She traced her finger over a crack in the vinyl chair. Chloe. That hadn’t turned out like she thought it would. She stiffened when her mom put her arm around her shoulders, and then forced her body to relax.