did you get here?”
“I found him outside,” William explained. “I think he has appendicitis, Annie. We need to get him to the hospital immediately.”
“Does it hurt, sweetie? This is all my fault.” Her voice trembled as she gingerly put her hands on James. “I didn’t think he was really that sick.”
“James!” a voice boomed. Sean was on the threshold, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled to his elbows, tie loosened around his neck. “I told you to sit your butt on that bench!”
“We have to get him to a hospital, Sean,” Annie explained as Joyce brought her her purse. She tore off her apron before accepting James from William’s arms, struggling with all her might to hold the clinging child.
“Hospital?” Sean scoffed. “He just yakked in my luxury sedan. If you had answered your cell phone, the school wouldn’t have had to call me. I had to leave a deposition early. Do you know how that makes me look?”
“He’s sick, Sean,” she said in a quavering voice.
“I’ll drive you,” William offered, shuffling Annie and James past Sean and out the front door. “My truck is right here. We can put James in the middle. Hang in there, buddy.”
Out on the sidewalk, Annie’s eyes pleaded with him in a way that made him ready to charge into battle. “He’s so hot, William. He’s so hot.”
“We’ll get you fixed up in no time, James. It’ll be okay, Annie. We’ll get him there in no time. Do you think—”
“Who the heck do you think you are?” Sean said, racing up behind them and shoving William aside. Sean steered Annie and James toward his BMW that was parked on the curb. William straightened his shoulders and aligned his jaw at the sight.
He knew it wasn’t the time or place to remind Sean of proper etiquette. All that mattered was getting James to the hospital as quickly as possible. But he certainly wouldn’t be forgetting Sean’s shove anytime soon. “Get in the car, Annie,” Sean directed, beeping the doors unlocked.
Annie carefully eased James into the back seat and snuggled in beside him, guiding his head to rest against her chest. William kept watch from the sidewalk, a twinge of helplessness tightening in his gut. As Sean flipped his sunglasses on, threw the car into gear and peeled away, Annie mouthed something through the window to him. He couldn’t be sure, as the late-morning sun had cleared the rooftops, making him squint to see. But as the car disappeared in a flash, he would have sworn it was thank you.
WILLIAM SQUATTED BESIDE Old Red, meticulously polishing the chrome.
“It’s really coming along,” Brandon offered, kicking his feet up onto an old bench.
“I took it for a spin earlier.”
“Then, you got it running?”
“Before you got here.”
“I snuck out of work just in time.”
“You only come over to drink my beer...”
“My beer.”
“...and drool over Old Red,” William supplied.
“That, too.” Brandon flicked his pop tab into a trash bucket and heaved a sigh. “So, how’s the little guy?”
“I haven’t heard. I’m sure my mom will have an update soon.”
“Is that it?” Brandon asked.
William glowered. “Well, his dad is a first-rate jerk.”
“Is he ever.”
“I don’t know what Annie saw in him.”
“Money,” Brandon said, taking a swig of beer.
“Really? That doesn’t seem like her...unless she changed a lot since I knew her.”
“Well,” Brandon said, “more like...security.”
“Security?”
“She and Betsy were practically destitute when Sean made his move. Didn’t you know that?”
William squatted next to Old Red, his back to Brandon. “Why would I know that?”
“Right, I guess no one would have called to tell you.”
“I wouldn’t have answered anyway.” It pained him to imagine Annie so desperate that her best option was to marry Sean. If only William had been there to help her...
He shook his head at the thought. He’d had his own problems back then and wouldn’t have been able to offer much assistance. In fact, he would have probably caused her more harm. It was no use wondering what might have been, since she certainly didn’t have feelings for him anymore.
“How is Annie?”
William scoffed at the question. “She’s a piece of work, man.”
“Really?”
“She has it out for me—bad.”
Brandon chuckled in disbelief. “What?”
“Oh, yeah. She can’t stand the sight of me.”
“Annie? She’s the sweetest person I’ve ever met.”
“I have yet to meet this amazing Annie Curtis you gush about so often. The last time I saw her, I was eighteen years old.” He neglected to add and in love.
Brandon laughed. “Let’s start with what you did to her.”
“I’ve been nothing but nice to her since I got back,” William said.
“What about before that?” Brandon asked. “I’m not judging,” he quickly added when William shot him a glare. “You had to do what you had to do back then, but...”
“Yeah?”
“Some folks have a long memory.”
* * *
AFTER BRANDON LEFT, William retrieved his cell phone from the workbench and stared at it for a few minutes, pressing the button to illuminate the screen every few seconds after it had gone dark.
One new voice mail.
“Will?” his mother called from the back porch. William tucked the phone in his pocket and locked the shed for the night. With the bike finally running, he could be ready to leave by morning if absolutely necessary, though he’d be out the money for his truck.
“Yes, ma’am?” he asked, shuffling up the back porch steps.
“Would you lend a hand tomorrow? Annie’s taking the day with James.”
“I...guess. Is that really necessary?”
“It would help me out so much,” Joyce insisted. “I’m too old to pull another double shift.”
“Don’t you have anyone else to wait tables?”
“Karrin and Mia are both coming in, and Bobby agreed to pull a double shift busing. I’ve been meaning to hire on more staff, but...”
“What?”
“Coulda, shoulda, woulda, you know? That’ll teach me for putting it off.”
“Wait,” William said before Joyce could retreat inside the house. “What happened with James?”
“It was a virus. Annie’s pushing fluids and popsicles. He’ll be shipshape in a few days.”
“That was it?”
“Fevers come on quickly with little ones.”