Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
“ I ’ve always loved that house.” Abby pointed out the window as John turned into the Red River Ranch driveway.
“It’s cute. I like the porch.”
“When I was a little girl, I’d sit on the tire swing out in front of our house and look over at that porch. I’d pretend I lived there.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Always thought it would be fun to walk out onto it at dinner time and call my kids home from a day of playing outside.”
“That paints a really pretty picture. I’m imagining you doing that, just barefoot and pregnant.”
His hand slid onto her thigh, and he squeezed.
Abby laughed. “I thought your need to carry me was bad, but this pregnancy thing is starting to take over.”
“I won’t apologize for knowing you’ll make an amazing mom one day. No, scratch that. You’ve been stepping into that role with Katy and she’s so happy. You already are an amazing mom and I won’t apologize for wanting to fill up our house with a bunch of babies who have their mama’s beautiful eyes.”
“Do we have to do this today? I’d much rather practice making babies with you.” Her voice held just a tinge of a whine in it.
“Nice try. Although, we don’t have to pick up Katy from Jackson’s until this afternoon. There might be some time left over depending on how well your mom and brother take the news. But we do need to tell them. You ready?” John asked as he parked the truck in front of her mom’s house.
She closed her eyes, letting her head fall back against the rest. “I’m not the one who’s going to get punched if Sam doesn’t take the news well.”
“Do you honestly think your brother would hit me?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t hesitated. Sam had always taken the protective big brother role seriously, but after their dad passed away, he hovered like a mother hen.
“Sweetheart! I didn’t think you were coming by today. I’m so happy to see you.” Her mother’s arms wrapped around her tightly as they stood on the front porch. “John, how are you, honey?”
“I’m good Ms. Sylvie. My mom says hello and she hopes you’ll make it to the Christmas pageant.”
“Oh, well, you tell her I said hello, too, and that I’ll try my hardest. I imagine Katy and Jack will be in it this year?”
John removed his hat as he stepped into the house. His hand ran through his hair, pushing it back into place after his hat ruffled it. The move was so incredibly sexy Abby had to bite the inside of her cheek and search for Sam just to stop herself from pulling him upstairs to her old bedroom.
“Yes, ma’am. She roped the grand kids in. Katy’s playing an angel and Jack is a sheep. They got Hank and Daisy to let them use Sunny as the baby Jesus.”
“How precious. I don’t know how I can say no to that.”
“She’ll be happy to hear you’re going.”
“So, is that why you both are out here? To invite me to the pageant? Are you helping with that sweetheart?”
“No, Mom. I mean, I’ll be there, but John and I came out to talk to you and Sam.”
“Oh.” Her mother’s eyebrows rose towards her hairline. “So, it’s about the two of you?”
“Is Sam around?”
“No, he’s out working with Zeke and Derrick. Is everything okay? I mean, is John here as a deputy or…”
“I’m fine, Mom. John and I are dating, and we wanted to share that with you.”
“Oh honey! I’m so happy for you. I saw this in the cards this morning.” Her mother picked up an old deck of tarot cards and began shuffling them. “I am surprised it’s this news… I saw something about a long term change for our family, but it hadn’t felt like this. But I’m so happy! It’s amazing news! Maybe in a few years my own grandbabies will be in the Christmas pageant.”
“Mom…” Abby’s face flushed as her mother held the cards close to her chest.
“Of course, when you get married, Katy will be my granddaughter. Oh my goodness, I’m so excited. Have you told your parents about you two being together, John? If I call your mom will it ruin the surprise?”
“She knows,” he laughed. “And I’m sure she’d love a phone call to discuss it. That woman is already planning our wedding and honeymoon.”
“She is?” Abby whispered. Nellie had been so lovely when she’d found out they were seeing each other, but did she really already want Abby as a part of the family?
“Please. You know my mom. She’s been planning it since the day she came to pick up Katy from school when you had your migraine.”
“Abigail Cooper. You told me you weren’t having headaches any more.”
Her eyes rolled and landed on her boyfriend, who was about to be in serious trouble for dropping that information in her mother’s lap.
“John…”
“Sorry, baby.” The smile on his face told her he wasn’t sorry at all.
“Mom, look, we need to know where Sam is so that we can break the news to him, too.”
“Make sure the cattle prod is out of his hands before you do. The branding iron too. Your tattoos are lovely, John, but I’d really hate for you to get stuck wearing the Red River Ranch logo for the rest of your life.”
John laughed. “Actually, I don’t think I would mind that. I know how much the ranch meant to Abby’s dad, and how much he means to Abby. It’d be an honor to wear it.”
“Oh, he’s a keeper for sure, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, I think so too, Mom.” She looked through the kitchen to the backyard.
“Are you ready to try and track down Sam?” John asked as his hand slid across the small of her back.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“Good luck, honey. I’m sure he’ll be happy for you both.”
“Maybe stand by the phone just in case we need you to call for help,” Abby joked.
“I’m sure I could have Hank over here in a heartbeat if we really needed, but I don’t think you’re giving your brother enough credit.”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
She gave her mother a quick hug, and laughed when she saw her also pull John into an embrace before they walked out of the house.
“I’m glad your mom was so happy about the two of us being together. Maybe that is some positive foreshadowing to how Sam will take it?”
John’s hand was gripping her thigh as they bounced down the gravel road on their way to the south field. Of course her brother would be on the furthest part of the property. If he tried to kill John, how the hell would she get help out there?
“Baby? That had to have gone better than you were thinking.”
“It did.”
“So, the scowl is for…”
“I’m just trying to plan how to get emergency services all the way out here when Sam tries to kill you.”
John laughed, lifting his hand from her leg. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.
“Everything is going to be fine. I think Sam is going to be happy for us.”
“You’re the protective older brother.”
“What?”
“You’re the protective older brother. That’s why you don’t see how badly this is going to go. It’s because you’re the protector of your brothers. If Jackson or Jordan were here, they’d understand.”
“You’d rather Jackson or Jordan be here?”
She couldn’t help the way her head whipped to his, only to see the mischievous smile spreading across her face.
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m just saying, you’re not thinking clearly because you’ve never faced a protective older sibling. You’ve always been that.”
Their truck crested a small hill and Abby’s stomach dropped. Two ranch trucks were parked outside the remote equipment building her father had built, including the bright red one that Sam favored and drove each day.
“It’s now or never, baby.”
“Never, please,” she whispered, earning a chuckle from John.
They rode silently until John pulled next to Sam’s truck. Her brother, along with Zeke and Derrick, turned towards them.
“John? Abby? What’s going on? Why are you out here?” Sam asked as he walked towards them.
“Everything’s fine. I just needed to talk to you about something.” The sun beat down on Abby and she could already feel the sweat dripping down her back. It wasn’t just the sun’s fault, but she’d blame it on that rather than the nerves that churned in her stomach. John placed his hand in the small of her back and Abby watched as Sam’s eye widened at the gesture.
“Hey, Zeke,” Sam called out. “You and Derrick head back up to the barn and grab the wire we need to fix that section of fencing.”
“You got it, Boss.” Zeke gave a short wave to Abby, which she returned with a forced smile.
“Let’s get out of the sun.” Sam gestured towards the utility building with his head. Abby followed him into the small shed.
“Just come out with it, Abby.” Her brother was fidgeting with the edges of his hat looking between her and John with suspicion. Shit. She might as well just come out with it.
“John and I are dating.”
Sam stared between the two of them, his face going pale. Her stomach clenched when he didn’t say anything.
“This wasn’t some?—”
“When did it start?” he asked, cutting her off.
“It wasn’t any?—”
“I wasn’t asking you, Abby. When did it start, John?”
“I’ve had feelings for Abby since the first night I saw her. But I didn’t pursue anything with her until she moved into Bell Ridge.” He looked away from Sam, directly into Abby’s eyes. “I love her, Sam.”
“Love?” The word snapped out of his mouth. “And you just didn’t say anything to me because? Fuck.”
“We’re friends. I didn’t want you to think I was taking advantage of your sister, or holding some sort of power over her because of what happened when she was attacked.”
Abby squeezed John’s hand.
“It’s not like that at all, Sam. He’s literally been the most supportive, understanding, and kind person. He’s been teaching me self-defense moves an?—”
“Why the fuck do you need to know that stuff? Are you in some sort of trouble?” There was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
“No. I just don’t want to feel powerless if something happens again.”
“You should come live back on the ranch. I can protect you here. It’s my job.”
“It’s not anymore,” John said.
“What did you just say?”
“It’s not your job anymore, Sam. It’s my job. I’m all in when it comes to Abby.” John’s eyes never left Sam’s but Abby felt the tension slowly leave his body as he tucked her in closer to his side. “Look, we’ve been buddies for how many years? Practically our whole lives, right?”
“Yeah. So I’m not sure how you thought getting into a relationship with my baby sister was a good idea.”
“She might be your baby sister, but she’s not a child. I would fucking lay down my life to protect her, Sam. Abby and Katy are my whole world. They’re my girls.”
Sam remained pale, his emotionless face looking as if it was carved from pure granite. “I need a minute with my sister.”
John didn’t leave her side. Instead, he squeezed his arm around her even tighter than he had been before. She could tell Sam had something to say, and he wouldn’t get it off his chest until John left. The sooner he said it, the better the whole situation would be.
“It’s fine, John. I’ll be out in two minutes.”
He nodded at Sam and placed a kiss on Abby’s cheek before ducking out of the building and closing the door behind him.
Abby’s eyes drifted back to her brother.
“Are you mad?”
Sam walked directly up to her, right until their boots were touching, and then he pulled her into a hug.
“I’m not mad. I’m happy for you, Abby. John is one of the most respectable guys I know. He wouldn’t be my friend if he wasn’t. And I know how much you love kids, so I’m sure you’re over the moon about being in Katy’s life, not just as her teacher.”
She could hear the smile in his voice and instantly relaxed.
“Mom told me she saw this in her tarot cards this morning. How ridiculous is that?”
“According to her, those cards never lie.”
“I’m sure she also thinks the pink quartz stone she gave me to sleep with under my pillow is the reason John and I are together.”
“Isn’t it?” Sam laughed as she scowled.
“How is it possible that our strict as hell, cowboy-through-and-through father fell for the hippie chick who thinks the universe is talking to her through cards and gemstones?”
“They were quite the couple.”
“I miss him so much, Sam.”
“I know you do, dove. He loved you so much.”
She sniffled as he pulled her back into another hug.
“So, we’re okay?”
“Yeah. Of course we are. I just wanted to make John sweat a bit. Well, more than wanted. I needed to. You and I can pretend we’re fighting for a few more minutes while he paces around out there. A little payback for not telling me what was going on right away.”
“That’s not nice.” Abby playfully pinched his arm as she pushed away from him.
“It’s all in good fun. I’m sure he’s outside right now wondering why I acted like that. John is a great guy. A little old for you, but I guess I’m just going to have to deal with that. I know he would never do anything that would hurt Katy, and the way he talked about loving you… yeah, I know he’ll protect you the same way.” Sam sucked in a sharp breath and looked around the shed.
“You okay?” Abby asked.
He nodded. “Look, John broke bro code, and he knows it. Let him stew in the worry for a minute before we let him know everything’s okay. No one ever said I… Ow, shit.” Sam swayed, the last bit of color draining from his face. His fist went to his chest, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body fell to the ground.
“Sam!” Abby dropped to her knees and frantically felt her brother’s neck for a pulse.
She couldn’t find it.
Was he…
Had he just…
They were going to be fine. Sam knew he was an honest man. John was being one thousand percent honest when he said he loved Abby. She was the best thing that had happened to him since Katy was born.
He didn’t love that Abby asked him to walk away, but he got it. Hell, how many times had he gotten into a fight with Jackson or Jordan? How many times had he needed to just sit down and work it out brother to brother. He had Grace now as a sister, but he never got in an argument with her. Probably because he knew he’d lose no matter what.
Wildflowers in the field next to the building Abby and Sam were still in caught John’s eye. His girls would love them, and he knew Abby wouldn’t be able to resist the gesture if she needed some cheering up after her conversation with Sam. Things would be okay, that was for sure, but he worried about the tension that may linger between Sam and Abby because of him.
He’d managed a pretty solid bouquet for Abby and started gathering smaller flowers for his daughter. The way Katy’s eyes lit up earlier when Abby sat down to do her hair was still such a special thi?—
A scream ripped through the air and John turned towards the shed. He dropped the flowers without a second thought, running back as fast as he could.
The door nearly ripped off the hinges from how hard he pulled, but his mind didn’t register that. All he could see was the terrible scene in front of him. Sam, laying on the ground pale and unresponsive while Abby sobbed, trying to perform chest compressions on him.
“What happened?” John asked as he jolted forward, falling to his knees on the other side of Sam.
“Thirty-three… thirty-four… thirty-five…”
“Abby. Move your hands. I’m going to take over.”
“Forty… one… two…”
“Abby. Let me take over. You need to call for help. You’re not going deep enough, baby. I need to take over.”
Abby snapped out of her daze and pulled her arms back. John immediately jumped on the compressions, silently begging his friend to come back.
“Baby, get your phone out of your pocket and call 9-1-1.”
“This is how he died,” she whispered. It took John a minute to realize what she was talking about.
Their dad.
He’d had a massive heart attack and passed away in front of Sam.
Fuck.
“I know, beautiful. I know. But Sam isn’t going to die. We’re here. We’ve got him. Call 9-1-1 so the paramedics can get here and get him back, okay? They need to get here fast though, Abby. So call now. And tell them we need a MedEvac flight for him, okay? It’s the only way they’ll reach us out here in time.”
Her hands were shaking, but relief flooded him as he watched her take her phone out. He continued compressions while she gave their location and begged for them to come. God, his fucking heart was breaking for her.
Sweat dripped down his face as he continued to pump Sam’s heart through the chest compressions. He was so fucking thankful that he’d just gone through his CPR re-certification at work. Jesus, he hated to think what this would be like for Abby if she had been out here all alone with Sam when it happened.
“I-I think I hear the helicopter.”
He wanted to answer her, but his mind was solely focused on the task at hand. John nodded, and Abby got to her feet and walked out the door.
Come on buddy. You can’t go now. You’ve got to be there when I marry your sister. You’ve got to be there when Katy becomes a big sister. You have to stick around to find your own person. It’s not time to go.
“How long has he been down?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
John looked up at the medic. “Fifteen to twenty minutes.”
“Get the AED on him, now,” another medic ordered as he rushed into the room with Abby trailing in behind.
“I’m going to take over compressions for you while we get him hooked up to the AED, okay? You did a great job.”
John lifted his hands and forced his body to move out of the way. He fell, landing on his ass. Damn, his whole body was drained, but that didn’t stop him from catching Abby as she fell into him. She was trembling, but her eyes were clear as they watched the paramedics work on Sam.
“Shockable rhythm. Clear!”
They watched in silence as Sam’s body jolted. One medic went back to inserting an IV into his arm while the other continued compressions as he monitored the defibrillator screen.
“Push that epi now!”
“Epinephrine in.”
The relentless chest compressions continued as Abby tightened her grip on John’s arms. He pulled her in closer, dread spreading through him as the minutes continued with no sign of Sam coming back.
“Charging again,” the medic at the defibrillator called out. “Clear.”
Sam’s body once again convulsed and the air in the building stilled as everyone watched the monitor.
“Normal rhythm restored!”
Abby turned her face into his chest and sobbed. John’s hand rubbed soothing circles across her back. The medics continued working on stabilizing Sam, and after a few minutes, they had him bundled up on the stretcher, ready to take him to the helicopter.
“He’s in good hands,” the medic who placed the IV said as he put one of their bags over his shoulder.
“Is he going to be okay?” John asked, standing while still supporting Abby.
“The doctor’s will be able to tell you more.”
“Where are you taking him?” He knew Abby would want to head there right away.
“Dallas Gen. They have the only cardiac care unit in this part of the state. He’ll be in good hands there.”
John nodded and turned to Abby. It felt like his body had been through a marathon, but he’d stay alert and get her to Dallas as fast as he could.
“My m-mom.” Her eyes looked at him, but they were unfocused. Shit. Was she going into shock? “We need to get her before we go. How do I tell her that her son died the same way her husband did?”
“He didn’t die, Abby. He’s got a heartbeat.”
“Now. He’s got a heartbeat now. He didn’t for… a long time. I don’t think…”
“Sam is going to be fine. You need to trust in that. One foot in front of the other, baby, okay?”
She doubled over, pressing her arms into her stomach.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“That’s the adrenaline, Abby. Just take some deep breaths and it’ll pass.” John placed his hand on her back and rubbed across the fabric of her shirt. It couldn’t have been more than two minutes when she took a final deep breath and straightened back up.
“I won’t let myself fall apart right now. I can’t. Let’s go.”
“You can fall apart whenever you need to,” John said as he cupped her cheeks. “I’ll be here to catch you.”
“I know you will. But we need to get to the hospital.”
Abby slipped her hand into his as he walked her back to his truck. He helped her step up into the cab and then jumped up to buckle her in. She turned her head and gave him the most beautiful smile.
“I love you, John.”
“I love you too, Abby.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and in that moment, he let his heart fill with hope that everything would be alright.