Chapter 48
Archer
Juliet’s hand on my arm goes limp, and I turn in time to see her falling. I launch forward, catching her in my arms.
“Juliet,” I call out.
Alarm strikes through me as I cradle her in my hands and bring her gently to the ground, kneeling beside her.
Her dad comes to her other side, a hand against her brow. “Jules?”
She doesn’t stir. Concern digs to my core.
“What happened?” Mr. Monroe asks.
“I don’t know. She’s been fine all night.”
Did our arguing break her? Guilt swirls in me. I look up at the mayor, and for the first time in our lives, an understanding passes between us.
We need Juliet to wake up.
Patting her cheek gently, I say her name over and over again. Mr. Monroe does the same as he smooths her hair back from her brow. A crowd gathers around us, but I couldn’t care less.
“Juliet,” I say again.
Finally, she stirs, shaking her head. “I can’t see,” she moans, her words slurred. “It...sm...foggy.”
Relief floods through me that she’s awake, but I know we’re not out of the woods.
“She needs to get to the hospital,” someone says from behind us.
Mr. Monroe stands. “I’ll take her.” Then his eyes fall on me. “Will...Will you sit with her?”
I know how difficult it is for him to ask, but I agree at once, scooping Juliet’s petite body in my arms as she smacks her lips together, half-asleep.
“Keep her awake,” the same voice from somewhere in the crowd says. It sounds like Maven Walker, but I can’t be sure. “Get her legs elevated. Try to get some water in her.”
I nod, following behind Mr. Monroe as I pass by Sadie, a look of concern in her eyes.
“I have to go,” I say helplessly, but she instantly waves me on.
“I’ll take care of everything.”
I remind myself to give her a raise, then fly to Mr. Monroe’s SUV. Sitting in the back with Juliet, her weak body leaning into mine, I click on the overhead light to make sure she stays awake.
“Archer?” she whispers as the mayor speeds off my property.
“Here,” I say, gently bringing to her lips a bottle of water the mayor had in his front seat.
She takes a sip, then pulls back. “Archer?”
“Yes, darlin’?”
“I don’t feel good.”
“I know, sunshine. Your dad’s taking us to the hospital now. You just keep drinking this water, okay?”
“Archer?”
“Yeah?”
“I...I don’t feel good.”
“I know. What can I do?”
“I need...a bag.”
Finally understanding comes over me as her flesh turns green. I look around, finding a spare Keller’s Bakehouse bag in the backseat and lunge it toward Juliet just in time. I hold her hair back and grasp her tightly until she’s finished.
“Sorry,” she whispers, her voice quivering as she leans into me.
I set the bag aside and shake my head. “Don’t apologize. I’ve gotcha. You’ll be okay. We’re almost there.”
Mr. Monroe makes a call, and soon, a police car with flashing lights pulls in front of us, leading the way to Burlington to get us to the hospital in half the time.
Guilt stirs inside me, knowing this is the second occasion me and Juliet have made this trip together. I can only hope this time it really isn’t my fault.
When we finally arrive at the ER, I carry her in, and they wheel her into the backroom with her dad at her side. Of course, they don’t allow me past the doors.
Mr. Monroe looks back at me, his eyes lingering as a conflicted look crosses his features. Then he disappears, and I’m left alone in the waiting room once again.
This time, I’m not leaving.
I’m waiting for Juliet.
Juliet
After I’m helped into a blue gown by nurses, I’m poked and prodded in the hospital bed, my exhaustion helping me sleep in between the door opening and closing and the questions from the doctor.
When I’m left alone for a few minutes, however, the silence of the room and the gentle beep-beep-beep of my heart monitor rouse me.
My eyes wander around the empty room before finding Dad sitting beside my bed, his fingers laced together, his head bowed.
“Dad?”
He swings up. “You okay?”
I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, but I nod. “Do they know what happened?”
“Your vitals look good, but they’re running some tests to see what went wrong.”
I shift against the bed so the ties at the back of my hospital gown move off to the side.
“You need to rest,” Dad says, his hand over mine.
I shake my head. “I need to talk.”
He doesn’t deny my words.
“I’m not doing this again,” I whisper.
“Doing what? Passing out and coming to the hospital?”
I try to crack a smile through chapped lips. I lick them with an even drier tongue. He grabs a cup at the side of me and holds the straw to my mouth as I sip.
When I lean back, he replaces the cup and stares over at me.
“I’m not arguing with you again,” I clarify. “Especially about Archer. It’s time...it’s time for you to listen.”
He doesn’t say a word, his features soft and sober, his brows drawn high as I begin.
I can’t keep this to myself any longer. I tell Dad what Archer shared with me—about his actions, his grief, and his efforts to help the family he inadvertently hurt. I speak openly about my feelings for him, what he’s done for me the last few weeks, and how my life has brightened because of him.
All the while, Dad remains silent, his gaze down, though every once in a while, tears brim in his eyes.
“He’s not the same as he was before,” I say. “He’s worked for all he has and has been honest in every way. He’s good, and kind, and treats me with respect. I love him, Dad.”
I finish, resting my head against the pillow as I wait for his response.
He nods, does a quick sniff to hide his emotion, then lifts his head. “That was...enlightening. And humbling.”
Hope captures the dim light in the room and brings it to my soul, increasing its brightness as each second ticks by.
“I’ve only ever wanted what’s best for you,” he says, his eyes still glimmering as his voice cracks.
“But in forcing my protection, I lost sight of the fact that you’re your own woman—and you’ve grown into exactly the sort of woman I am incredibly proud of.
Exactly the sort of woman your mother was. ”
A lump forms in my throat, and I tug at Dad’s hand until he stands, leaning over me and pressing a loving kiss to my forehead.
“I’m sorry for everything, Jules.”
I cling to his arms as he cradles my face in his warm hands. “Love you, Dad.”
He gives me another kiss, then returns to his chair, holding my hand in his again. He helps me take another sip of water, then we share a smile, and the walls that had been built up around us crumble to the hospital floor.
“Dad?”
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“Can I be honest about something else?”
He nods.
“I hate business school.”
He chuckles. “I know.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Well, good. Because I’m staying home from BU forever and have zero intention of ever leaving Autumn Ridge again.”
“I didn’t want you to leave in the first place. Your mom and I wanted big things for you. That’s why I encouraged you to go. But who’s to say you can’t dream big in a small town?”
Another weight lifts from my chest.
Dad shifts in his seat and averts his gaze. “What if...what if I told you I found a dream of my own I want to pursue?”
I wait with bated breath as he stares down at our hands.
“I am dating someone, Jules.”
I don’t respond, allowing him time to release everything he’s clearly bottled up for weeks—if not months.
“It’s new,” he goes on. “I’ve been on a few dates, but we’ve really hit it off, and I like her. A lot. I know this must be strange for you, and it’s going to change things, but I just...”
He trails off when our eyes connect, tears flooding my own. “Dad, I’m so happy for you.”
His lips pull in, and he frowns—a sign he’s trying to hide his own emotion. “You’re sure?”
“More than sure. You’ve been alone long enough. I know it’ll be different and change will come, but...change is gonna come no matter what. We may as well both be happy with it.”
“How did I end up with a daughter as special as you?”
“You’re just blessed I guess.” He chuckles before I continue. “So...Do I get to know who it is?”
He hesitates. Pictures of Sharon, Genevieve, and Lisa flash by me from the bulletin board in the library, the measuring bars beneath them raising and lowering in my mind’s eye. I hold my breath with anticipation, praying I’ll respond happily, even if it’s not the woman I want for my dad.
“I...don’t know,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “Oh, come on. I’m gonna find out eventually. It can be only one of three. There’s a whole board at the library for people to vote who it is.”
He looks confused, then his eyes widen. “That’s what all those pink I Voted stickers were for?” He looks away with an unimpressed look. “I’ve a mind to put a higher tax on the library.”
I laugh. “It’s all in good fun.”
His eyes take on a look of intrigue as he thinks for longer. “Who’s on the list?”
“Genevieve Hazelton, Lisa Ellis, and Sharon Price.”
He makes no response, but my knowledge itches. “I can take it. Tell me.”
Still, he hesitates. “I will. Soon. I need to talk to her first. Make sure she’s ready.”
While I’m filled with insurmountable impatience, I nod all the same. Whichever woman it is, she deserves that respect, and I admire Dad all the more for showing it.
“Just don’t make it too long, okay?” I ask, closing my eyes for a minute as I yawn. “I’ve been dying over here.”
He pauses. “Did you vote?”
I smile. “Not yet. But you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going to.”
He attempts a casual manner. “Who will you vote for?”
“I’ll tell you when you tell me who you’re dating.”
He leans back in his chair. “Fine. I guess we’ll both be disappointed or pleasantly surprised.”
“Only pleasantly surprised, Dad. I could never be disappointed if you’re happy.”
I close my eyes again as he squeezes my hand in his. “You’re my everything, Jules.”
Before, I was.
But now, he has someone else who could become even more of his everything. And I’m okay with that. Because I’ve found someone else to complete me, too.
“You get some sleep now, okay?” he whispers, pulling up my covers.
“I will. But I’m gonna talk to Archer before the night ends.”
“Jules...He might’ve gone home.”
“He’ll be in the waiting room,” I say assuredly, sleep creeping ever closer. “You’ll see.”
“Okay.” He kisses my forehead, and his chair scoots across the hospital floor before I drift asleep.