Chapter 8 #3
It was Meggie. She was calling to tell them that Wylie had been in a car accident last night, but that he was all right.
Someone had run a red light, and he’d been in the intersection.
She kept telling her that he was all right, but she had a feeling that it was more than that.
When she took a breath to no doubt say more, she asked her where he was.
“In the hospital emergency room. They’re going to admit him soon.
It happened at about eight last night, just as he was coming home from the meeting at our house.
He’s fine.” She asked why they were keeping him.
“He bumped his head pretty good. No stitches, but they want to make sure he doesn’t have any concussion. ”
“He didn’t break anything? No ribs or his arms?” She said that they’d x-rayed his entire body and nothing was broken. “I’m glad that they’re keeping him overnight. Or should we say all day? Gleason and I are getting married at noon.”
“Everything is all planned out. Nothing to worry about there.” She asked if they could do it another day. “I’m afraid that the caterers are here now. To cancel would be expensive. Not that I can’t afford it, but I don’t want to have to do this another day. Is that all right with you?”
“Yes, of course. He’ll just not be there. I don’t imagine that Roise will be either.” She told her that she was staying with Wylie. “Good. That’s where she should be. We can take them in some food after the ceremony. Is that all right?”
“That sounds wonderful.” They talked a bit more about Wylie’s accident before hanging up. She did wonder why they didn’t call yesterday, but figured that there was too much going on.
This was the second accident that Wylie had been in, and he’d been lucky both times.
The first one had only bruised him up a bit, but this one he’d bumped his head good.
They were headed out the door when David called to let them know about the accident.
He was clearly upset about it and said that he was going to be driven to the hospital so he wouldn’t have his own accident.
“You know that I love those boys like they’re my own.” She assured him that she did know that, and they were headed into the hospital now. “I’ll have my driver pick you up. That way, you won’t have to worry about parking; you can just go in with me. I wish they’d have called me last night.”
“They didn’t call us until just now, either.
I guess there is a lot going on down there and they didn’t want to call us until they knew something.
” David said he’d have been there for them.
“We’ll ride with you now, and we’ll talk when we get together.
I’m sure they didn’t mean to leave us out.
Both Kinsey and Meggie called us about it at the same time. They’re letting everyone know now.”
“He’s a good man, that Wylie is. All of them are.” She agreed with him and told him that she liked him a great deal too. “Are you going to marry my Gleason? He’s about the best there is of all the men that I know. Got yourself a good one if that’s where this is headed.”
“We were going to get married this afternoon. At the courthouse.” He fussed about having a big wedding, and she laughed. “I have no family to speak of, and Gleason and I just want to be married so we can start on having kids.”
“I’ll be a grandpa again. Hot damn, that’s wonderful news.” He laughed a little, but she could tell that he was crying as well. “I’m leaving my house now. Alice is with me, and we’ll be there soon. Tell Gleason that I love him and I love you too, darling.”
“I love you too, David. And you can tell Gleason yourself when you see him in a few minutes.” She was glad that they all lived so close to one another.
Gleason lived the furthest away from them all, and it was only twenty minutes.
David lived closest to the town, having bought the family farm from the boys, as he called them.
He pulled into the driveway less than ten minutes later and came up to the door.
The limo was long and sleek and perfect for the four of them to ride to town in style.
As soon as they were at the hospital, it pulled up in front of the emergency department and let them out.
The driver would have to drive back to the house because there wouldn’t be any place to park the thing in the parking lot.
She was glad that she hadn’t had to find a parking space for even her own car, as the department seemed to be really busy right now.
They were taken back to see Wylie as soon as they asked at the front desk.
They were the first to arrive, and the others came in as couples as they got there.
Wylie had a cut over his left eyebrow, but nothing more that she could see.
He did look like he was all right, but it was hard to tell since he was laying in one of the tiniest beds she’d ever seen.
His feet were hanging off about a foot, and his head was above the top of the bed.
“I understand now why you have to order beds.” Everyone laughed, but she was embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything about that when I said it. I was just making an observation about how much taller he is than the bed.”
“You should have seen us trying to sleep in a full-sized bed. I don’t think I slept a wink trying not to toss Meggie to the floor when we were together.
” They each had a story about trying to sleep in a regular bed.
“Not even a regular king works when there is another person in the bed with us. And don’t get me started on having sex. ”
“Let’s not. She’s embarrassed enough.” Kinsey winked at her, and she smiled back at him. Not only were they very close, but nothing seemed to embarrass them either. “We have an appointment at noon for them to get married and then at my house. I’ll bring you in some food later. All right?”
“That would be good. I love it when you cater food. It’s the best kind of no-nonsense food that you can have.
And no clean up.” Wylie kissed the back of Rosie’s hand and looked at Meggie.
“Make her eat, will you? I know she wants to stay here, but if I can’t go to the wedding, I want her to be there for me. Can you please convince her to go?”
“Yes, you have to come. So that someone is there for Wylie.” Rosie said that they could do it without her. “It won’t be the same. It’ll be lopsided without Wylie there anyway. You have to come.”
“It’ll be lopsided if I do go. And I don’t want to worry about him while I’m gone.
I just got him where I think he’s going to be all right.
” Rosie looked at the rest of the people in the room.
“I know he kept telling me that he was all right, but you worry that he’s fibbing to you so that you don’t worry.
And until you touch him and feel that he’s all right, he’s on death’s bed, and you can’t stand it. ”
“I know what you mean. We’ll bring you food.
” Meggie made a list of what they wanted, and it was good.
She didn’t know if she could have left Gleason had the same thing happened to him, either.
When someone you love is hurt, you don’t want to leave their side because they might need something. She knew just how that felt.
They all made it to the courthouse on time.
David gave her away in the short ceremony, and she was happy for that.
He seemed to love being able to do it, so she was glad that she asked.
As soon as they were wed, Gleason kissed her.
She was so much in love with the man that she didn’t know what to do with herself.