Chapter 24
Marilyn
“Kandace,” I call as she and her husband, Dax, walk toward the elevators.
Kandace Richards, Justin’s sister, turns. She’s easy to spot with her bright auburn hair. Her eyes are puffy from crying. Seeing our group, she asks, “Are you here for Justin?”
I nod, wanting to get to her but needing to follow hospital procedures. “We are. Do you know where you’re going?”
“Surgery waiting room,” Dax says. “Second floor.”
“We’ll be up soon,” Todd says.
Jill leans into her husband and looks at me. “I’m surprised they weren’t already here.”
“I suppose they needed someone to watch the girls.”
“Oh, that kid thing,” she says with a half smile.
It’s nearly nine o’clock by the time we make it to the second floor. The first waiting room we come to is filled with people I’ve known all my life. Justin and Ricky’s friends were always older, but that doesn’t stop people from knowing one another. Scanning the group, I look for Devan.
She’s seated next to Bridget Sheers, Justin’s mom.
Todd stops to talk to a man from Riverbend I recognize, although his name is escaping me. Jill and I rush Devan’s direction, weaving through the sea of people.
When Devan sees us, her eyes fill with tears as she stands. Jill and I both wrap her in our arms. “How is he?” I ask.
Devan wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “We’ve only had one update since he went into surgery.”
“Can you tell us what happened?” Jill asks.
Devan turns toward her mother-in-law.
“Go and talk to your friends,” Bridget says. “Stay close.” She forces a smile. “I’m sure we’ll hear more soon.”
“Mrs. Sheers,” I say. “I’m so sorry.”
She reaches for my hand. “Thank you, Marilyn. How are you liking Indianapolis?”
I’m a bit surprised she knows that much about me. “I’m liking it better lately.”
Mrs. Sheers grins. “Devan was telling me.” She looks around. “Ricky is here somewhere.”
“Right now, I’m more concerned with Devan.”
“Thank you” —Mrs. Sheers turns to Jill— “and to you for making the trip. Friends we can count on are the most important.”
With Devan between us, Jill and I lead her to a small room with a coffeepot, a rack of snacks, and a table with four chairs.
Once we’re seated, Devan starts talking. “I don’t know for sure how long he was there—out in the barn. When I got home from school, I couldn’t find him and assumed he was working. It was weird because I hadn’t heard from him since after lunch. Usually, he sends me silly text messages during the day.”
“You found him?” Jill asks.
Devan nods as more tears slide down her cheeks. “I’ve never been more scared. I couldn’t wake him.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “His phone was in the pocket of the leg that was under the baler. It’s shattered. He couldn’t have called for help if he was awake. I just don’t know…”
I shake my head. “I don’t know much about farm equipment. Is the baler big?”
“About 23,000 pounds.”
“What happened?” I ask.
“I think he had it jacked up to work underneath, and something fell.”
“Have the doctors told you anything?” Jill asks.
“They think they can save his leg.” When our eyes open wide, Devan says, “I don’t understand it all, but there was fear with something like this that the leg loses blood supply. As bad as it was, I guess it could be worse.”
“How long has he been in surgery?” I ask.
Devan looks at her watch. “They finally took him back around four thirty.”
I cover Devan’s hand, and Jill lays hers over ours. “He’s going to be all right.”
“We just started our lives together. I can’t lose him.” Devan’s voice cracks.
I blink away new tears. “You won’t lose him. Justin Sheers has always been hardheaded and stubborn. That man isn’t about to leave you.”
“Devan?”
We all look toward the deep voice. My breathing hitches as I take in Ricky. He looks totally different than he did hours ago in my office. His new suit has been replaced by jeans, a thermal, and an unbuttoned flannel shirt. His shiny loafers are gone, hiking boots in their place. However, it’s his expression that is the biggest contrast. In the course of hours, Ricky looks as if he’s taken on the weight of the world.
Ricky walks into the small kitchenette. “Dr. Evans is out there. She wants to give an update, but she won’t until you’re with us.”
Devan nods, grabbing a napkin from the counter, and she wipes her tears. Ricky waits for me as Jill takes Devan’s hand, and they walk ahead of us.
Ricky wraps an arm around me and kisses the top of my head. “Thank you for being here for Devan.”
“I’m here for you too.”
Pressing his lips together, he nods. “Let’s go hear what the doctor has to say.”
As we join the others in the larger waiting room, a woman in scrubs is talking. Devan is standing next to Bridget, their hands clasped and fingers interlocked. Justin’s dad, Randy, is standing at his wife’s side. Everyone else is standing—Kandace, Dax, Todd, and more of Justin’s friends, Galvin, Cory, Harvey, and Nick.
“…through the first stage of the surgery…”
I hold tight to Ricky’s arm.
She continues. “Often in cases such as this, there can be severe damage to muscles, tissues, and circulation. The good news is that by a miracle, Justin’s circulation wasn’t impeded. His leg never lost blood flow. Repairing the muscles, nerves, and bone is time-consuming. He will probably be in surgery for another five hours.”
The whole room makes a collective gasp.
“I didn’t want you to worry, Mrs. Sheers.” She’s talking to Devan. “Your husband has made it through the hardest part. I wouldn’t say we’re out of the woods, but you can breathe a sigh of relief.”
“Thank you, Dr. Evans,” Devan says.
As soon as Dr. Evans walks away, everyone surrounds Devan. She lifts her hands. “Thank you all for being here. I don’t think you want to stay another five hours. I promise to let you know as soon as he’s out of surgery.”
While everyone nods, no one leaves. Quietly, all those around us take a seat.
Ricky looks down at me and smiles. “This is Riverbend.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “It makes you wonder why we want to leave.”
Tugging my hand, he says, “Come with me. We need to talk.” He calls across to his sister and parents, “We’re not leaving. We’ll be back.”
I’m thinking about what he said—we need to talk. Has there ever been a more daunting sentence?
I brace myself for what Bryce said, for Ricky to break up with me because he didn’t get the job at Parker and Stevens. It’s selfish of me to be thinking about us instead of Justin, but Bryce’s warning upset me more than I realized. And then when Ricky didn’t call or show…
We’re quiet as we make our way down the hallways. At this time of night, few people are about. We spot a bench near a window. Beyond the glass, the sky is black. Lights down below in the parking lot shine as leafless trees and bushes sway in the wind.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner,” he says, still holding my hand.
“It’s all right. You didn’t have your phone, and your mind was on Justin.”
He inhales and nods.
“How did today’s meeting go?” I ask.
Ricky inhales and sits taller. “Very well. Mr. Parker offered me a job.”
It’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. My neck stiffens, and I open my eyes wide. “That’s great news.”
“I thought so too. Before my dad’s call, I couldn’t wait to tell you.” He drops my hand, spreads his knees, and leans back. His tone lacks the excitement I would have expected. “I’m supposed to meet with HR tomorrow and go through the paperwork. Mr. Parker said they’d have all the information about salary and benefits.”
“Why don’t you sound happier?”
Ricky rolls his eyes and stares up at the ceiling. “Randy and Justin have over a thousand acres of land to farm. Randy isn’t in the best of health. No one is talking about tomorrow, but there’s no way Justin will be able to do what he normally does this spring. Randy and Bridget were talking about Justin’s recovery time. They’re talking months, not weeks.”
“You’re going to put your dream on hold for your friend?”
Plopping his elbows on his knees, Ricky leans forward, cradling his forehead. “Farming is about making enough money to get to the next year.” He stands up, moving back and forth like a caged animal. “The agricultural wealth Mr. Parker is talking about is for maybe five percent of Indiana farmers. Hell, five percent nationwide of family-owned farms. The real wealth is in conglomerates. If Justin can’t get his fields ready, plant his crop, and maintain it, there won’t be a crop to harvest in the fall. That harvest pays for the next year.” He sighs. “They’ll lose the farm, not just the Dunn part but the Sheers’s farm as well.”
“You want to move back to Riverbend?”
Ricky rubs his palms over his beard growth. “Fuck. No and yes.” He points to the waiting room. “If I was in a car accident in Indy, there might be two people in the waiting room. Justin has half the town.”
I scoff. “It’s not half the town, and I think you’d have more than two people.” I stand, meeting him chest-to-chest and lean toward him. “You’d have me.”
“Even if I decide to tell Mr. Parker no?”
I take a step back, shocked by his question. “You would tell him no?”
Ricky stares at me, unblinking. “I can’t do both.”
I’m not sure if my disappointment is for Ricky or for me. Maybe it’s for both of us. “Please don’t make a rash decision.”
“What’s the matter, Marilyn? You don’t want to date a farmer from Riverbend?”
“I never said that. You said that about me.”
Ricky wraps his arms around my waist, looking down at me, and exhales. “I can’t take the GMAT with all that’s happening. I can look for a job in the fall when Justin is well. I’ve got money from the sale of the farm I’ve been stashing away. I can survive without this job. Justin’s farm won’t.”
“I wonder if there’s a compromise.”
“What kind of compromise?”
“Parker and Stevens wants you because” —I lay my hand over his chest— “you have a farmer’s heart” —I move my finger to his temple— “and a farmer’s knowledge. They don’t have applicants with your skill set every day. Tell them what happened. Be completely honest with them.” I tilt my head. “You have your dream in front of you, ready for the taking, and yet you’re willing to give it up so Justin can keep his dream. Maybe the partners will come up with a solution.”
“I can’t ask them to do that.”
“Yes, you can. And what about those other men in there?” I tilt my head toward the waiting room. “Don’t you think they are all thinking similar things?”
“Justin doesn’t work their family farm.”
“No, but they’re Riverbend born and bred. They’re all thinking about how they can help. Doesn’t Kandace’s husband help on weekends?”
Ricky nods. “It’s not their responsibility.”
“I admire your dedication, but Ricky, it’s not yours either.” I lift myself up on my tiptoes and brush my lips with his. Despite his nonresponse, I say, “I support your decision.”
Hand in hand, we walk toward the larger waiting room. Before we turn the corner, we hear the commotion.