“What’s up, Dad?” Matt put his arm around her shoulders as they walked into the driveway.
Her stomach dropped at the sad way Atticus looked at her. “I’m sorry, Mia. I have bad news. It’s your uncle. He had a heart attack and is in hospital.”
White noise rushed through her head. No. This wasn’t happening. Not again. Uncle Ryan was the only family member she had left and she wasn’t about to lose him like she’d lost her father. She refused to contemplate that option.
Her tongue felt thick in her mouth. “What happened?”
Matt held her tight. She resisted falling apart in his arms, but she appreciated his support.
Atticus sighed and leaned on the door of his car. He sounded as gutted as she felt. “I got a phone call from the hospital. He managed to call an ambulance and he gave them my number when he couldn’t get a hold of you.”
Her cell phone had been turned off for days. “Thank you.” Her words sounded hollow to her own ears.
“The next ferry is at eight so you have plenty of time to get packed and grab a ticket. If you like, I’ll go with you to Seattle.”
She lifted her head and stared at him. Why would he want to do that? She was capable of taking care of herself. Besides, if Ryan was out of commission, she’d have to take over running the company again. “Thanks, Atticus, for the offer, but I’ll be alright. I’ll call you when I know something.”
She hurried inside and ran upstairs to pack her bag. Just when she was getting comfortable being away from the office, this came to smack her in the face. Nothing better happen to Ryan or she didn’t know what she’d do. He complained about her working too hard, but it looked like he wasn’t doing any better. What a terrible pair they were.
She grabbed her toiletry bag and filled it with everything she could see that was hers and tossed it on the bed. As she was pulling her suitcase out of the closet and opening it so she could throw everything in, she heard footsteps.
“Can I help, Mia?” Matt stood at the door, a worried frown on his face.
“I don’t know. I’m in panic mode right now.” Her voice shook, despite how much she fought it. He was beside her instantly and wrapped her in his arms. She trembled and then the tears started. “I don’t want to lose him, Matt. I can’t. He’s all I have left.”
He whispered, “I know, sweetheart. I know.”
He held her tight until she stopped shaking. She rested her face against his chest, the fresh scent of his aftershave going a small way to help soothe her. Just when she was starting to relax and feel comfortable in Matt’s world, she was being yanked out and thrown back into her own. After a few moments of silence and controlled breathing, Mia pulled away and wiped her eyes with her hands. “Sorry. I didn’t meant to lose it like that. I’m just so damned scared for him.”
Matt held her at arm’s length and peered into her eyes. “Do you want me to come with you? I don’t think you should go alone.”
She stared at him. “You’d do that for me?”
“Sure, why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?” He smiled and wiped the single tear from her cheek. “I thought we were, and this is what friends do.”
Friends? She deserved that after stepping back from their budding relationship but now wasn’t the time to think about it. Ryan was her sole focus right now. To have Matt by her side through this would be amazing. She didn’t trust herself to make it to the hospital without losing it. “Thank you. I’d like that.” Mia turned to pack her clothes and had a thought. “What about the house and your other guest?”
His guest didn’t seem one for mixing and wanted to keep to himself, but Matt should still be here to look after him. He brushed that aside. “Aunt Gigi fills in for me when I need her. I’ll call her now and pack myself a change of clothes.”
He hurried from the room, and Mia did a quick change out of her running clothes and finished packing. Before she could carry her suitcase down from the bed, Matt was there to carry it for her. When he offered to drive her car, Mia was more than happy to hand over the keys. The way her hands were shaking, she worried she’d cause an accident.
By seven o’clock, they were at the ferry, their tickets in their hands. The trip over was stressful and Mia was grateful she had Matt with her. When they arrived at the wharf in Seattle, she was a bundle of nerves.
“Let me drive to the hospital as well. You give me directions, okay?”
“Thanks.”
Congestion was terrible. The streets were insane but it was still rush hour. They got caught in a slow lane. “Take a left next street and see if we can get around this traffic.”
“Sure.” Matt did as she suggested but a car blocked the road halfway down, waiting for another vehicle to move out of the park.
“Move it, pal.” Mia cursed under her breath.
Finally they got past the car only to hit a red light. She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. Goddamnit!
Matt put a hand out and grabbed hers. “Chill, we’ll get there.”
Mia had forgotten how bad the traffic was in Seattle this time of the morning. She had gotten so used to the limited number of vehicles on Hope Island that this was driving her crazy. Matt slammed on the brakes as a delivery truck pulled out in front of them, cutting them off. Tears of frustration threatened.
By the time they got to the hospital, she was ready to snap, more out of fear than anything else. She wasn’t sure what to expect when she got to Uncle
