Chapter 9
Kylie tried to calm Noreen down. “Spill it, Noreen. Which hospital? I’m there in a flash.”
As soon as she got the details from Noreen, Kylie clicked off the call.
She turned to her family, her expression a mix of regret and resolve. “Guys, Noreen’s in a bind. I gotta go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Amanda and the others knew the score with Noreen–she was tight with Felicia, their neighbor back in the sticks. So they just let Kylie go.
Once Kylie was out the door, Amanda let out a heavy breath. “The Lampard family are giving Kylie a rough time. I can see it in her eyes. She’s got something heavy on her mind, trying to keep us in the dark.
Ethan, the steady one, spoke up after a moment of silence, “I’m gonna check in on Kylie; make sure she’s holding up.”
“Same here,” James chimed in, worry creasing his brow. “She’s not in this alone.”
Hoard, all fired up, balled his hands into fists. “If they are messing with Kylie, I’ll make them pay.”
Kylie dashed into the hospital, her breath hitching,
Noreen’s frantic figure was easy to spot in the hallway, and Kylie bee–lined towards her. “Noreen,” she said, her voice steady despite the worry knotting her stomach.
Noreen’s face crumpled with relief as she saw Kylie. She clutched Kylie’s hand, her voice wavering. “Kylie, it was a nightmare. A car pile–up on the overpass. The one that got hit… it was just ahead of Trevor’s. That was so close!”
Kylie had seen the news flash on her phone–a massive pile–up involving more than a dozen cars. One of them, crushed under an overturned fuel tanker, had no survivors. The others involved were all injured and rushed to the hospital. The news didn’t give much more than that.
Seeing Noreen’s distress, Kylie’s heart clenched. Trevor must have been in the thick of it.
“He’s tough, Noreen. Mr. Walters is going to be fine,” Kylie said, her words a gentle promise.
Noreen’s eyes brimmed with tears, but she managed a nod. Kylie’s calm was a lifeline, pulling Noreen back from the edge of panic.
As Trevor stepped out, the first thing that hit his ears was Kylie’s voice, all soothing and soft.
“Trevor, what’s the doc say?” Noreen was right there, checking him out like a hawk, worried that something might be off.
Trevor just gave her a “don’t–worry” smile and said, “All good, Grandma. The doc’s given me the thumbs up.”
Noreen’s face relaxed, and she blurted out, “Thank God!”
Then, with a sudden thought, she clutched Kylie’s hand and turned to Trevor, “Kylie came rushing over the moment I called. You guys are newly hitched, and this accident happened before you could even throw a wedding party. It’s been a real shocker. Trevor, you should take her out and help her de–stress”
Kylie tried to chime in, “Noreen, I- She wanted to say she wasn’t scared and she was more worried about Noreen, but Noreen was already on another tangent.
“I’m beat from this hospital run, Noreen said, giving Kylie a playful nudge. I’ll go home. You two go have some fun.”
She was relieved Trevor was okay and figured it was the perfect opportunity to get the newlyweds to spend some quality time together. She knew from experience that love needed a little TLC.
Trevor got what his grandma was up to. He looked at Kylie and asked, “Ms. Thompson, how about we go grab something to
cat?”
Noreen wasn’t having any of the formal stuff. “Call her ‘Kylie,’ not ‘Ms. Thompson‘ She’s your wife, after all.”
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