finally spied him standing with a regal, silver-haired woman wearing an elegant cream gown. Carlene Butler. He caught sight of her and waved her over.
“Excuse me.” Susanna wove through the thick crowd. There had to be no less than three hundred people in the petite ballroom. “Pardon me.” She drew up thin, trying to pass between small clusters of women.
Why were they congealing together instead of making way?
“Just let me through here …” She smiled at the backs of heads. Was something interesting happening by the entrance? Heat radiated from warm body to warm body. Susanna began to feel like she couldn’t draw a pure breath.
Have … to … get … out
.
“He’s here.”
“Where?”
“Is that him?”
“Oh, my …”
Her head pounded with the force of their whispers. Who’s here? Finally, a sliver of an opening appeared amid the thicket of tuxes and gowns. Susanna broke free into a cool pocket just as three tall, dark-haired men with a palatable air of authority parted the awed guests. Susanna was pressed out of her free zone and back into the whispering heat.
“It’s not him.”
“Oh, such a shame. Are you sure?”
“By golly, it’s him. Mercy a-mighty, he’s here.”
Yeah, well, she was out. Forget Gage and schmoozing, Susanna craved fresh air. It wasn’t just the crowded hot ballroom, it was life, crowding in on her and pressing down. When her phone rang from her clutch, it was the perfect escape.
“Excuse me. Please, excuse me.” Cutting east toward the ballroom’s single-door exit, Susanna left the mysterious guests and the crowd behind. Besides, the special guests had captured everyone’s attention and all schmoozing had temporarily stopped.
Gage should’ve made better use of his dinner and compliments with the event planner and found out about the special guests. But knowing him, the only information he wanted was the names of the power players on the hospital building committee.
“Hello?” Her voice echoed in the high, domed foyer as she exited the ballroom. Her heels clicked against the sleek floor.
“Suzy, w–where are you?” Avery.
“Out with Gage. At some benefit at the Butlers’. Aves, are you okay?” Susanna left the house and stepped into a hazy pink night. At seventeen, her baby sister was athletic, smart, popular, and a bit spoiled, but the pang in her voice was more than teen melodrama. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Daddy. He was in the kitchen working … next thing I knew, he was on the floor, holding his arm.”
“Call 9-1-1.”
“Catfish already called, but Suz, Daddy says he won’t go to the hospital, and Mama isn’t here.”
“Remind him that she’ll come back sooner or later and—”
“Daddy.” Avery’s voice came muffled through the phone. “Suzy said Mama will come back sooner or later.”
Susanna could hear her father speaking in the background.
“Okay, he’ll go.” Avery’s voice buoyed with tangible relief.
“Call me when you get on the ambulance. I’m on my way to the hospital.” She swung around to head toward the Butlers’ massive double front doors. She needed to find Gage.
“Suz, I’m scared.”
“It’s going to be all right, Avery. Let the paramedics take care of him. You just stay calm.”
“I will, but pray. Please pray.”
Susanna leaned against a porch column and fixed her thoughts on the Healer. Her prayer was short but full of the wind from her own heart.
Heal Daddy
.
She could hear Avery crying and the wail of a siren through the phone.
“They’re here.”
“You go. Be with Daddy. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
When Susanna entered the foyer again, guests were clapping, leaning and pushing forward to the front of the room.
All right, Gage. Where are you?
Smiles lit the warm faces of the guests and their dubious whispers were now filled with belief.
“Can you believe it? Right here on St. Simons Island.”
“Such a marvelous speech.”
“Brief and to the point. The way I
“Excuse me.” Susanna wove through the thick crowd. There had to be no less than three hundred people in the petite ballroom. “Pardon me.” She drew up thin, trying to pass between small clusters of women.
Why were they congealing together instead of making way?
“Just let me through here …” She smiled at the backs of heads. Was something interesting happening by the entrance? Heat radiated from warm body to warm body. Susanna began to feel like she couldn’t draw a pure breath.
Have … to … get … out
.
“He’s here.”
“Where?”
“Is that him?”
“Oh, my …”
Her head pounded with the force of their whispers. Who’s here? Finally, a sliver of an opening appeared amid the thicket of tuxes and gowns. Susanna broke free into a cool pocket just as three tall, dark-haired men with a palatable air of authority parted the awed guests. Susanna was pressed out of her free zone and back into the whispering heat.
“It’s not him.”
“Oh, such a shame. Are you sure?”
“By golly, it’s him. Mercy a-mighty, he’s here.”
Yeah, well, she was out. Forget Gage and schmoozing, Susanna craved fresh air. It wasn’t just the crowded hot ballroom, it was life, crowding in on her and pressing down. When her phone rang from her clutch, it was the perfect escape.
“Excuse me. Please, excuse me.” Cutting east toward the ballroom’s single-door exit, Susanna left the mysterious guests and the crowd behind. Besides, the special guests had captured everyone’s attention and all schmoozing had temporarily stopped.
Gage should’ve made better use of his dinner and compliments with the event planner and found out about the special guests. But knowing him, the only information he wanted was the names of the power players on the hospital building committee.
“Hello?” Her voice echoed in the high, domed foyer as she exited the ballroom. Her heels clicked against the sleek floor.
“Suzy, w–where are you?” Avery.
“Out with Gage. At some benefit at the Butlers’. Aves, are you okay?” Susanna left the house and stepped into a hazy pink night. At seventeen, her baby sister was athletic, smart, popular, and a bit spoiled, but the pang in her voice was more than teen melodrama. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Daddy. He was in the kitchen working … next thing I knew, he was on the floor, holding his arm.”
“Call 9-1-1.”
“Catfish already called, but Suz, Daddy says he won’t go to the hospital, and Mama isn’t here.”
“Remind him that she’ll come back sooner or later and—”
“Daddy.” Avery’s voice came muffled through the phone. “Suzy said Mama will come back sooner or later.”
Susanna could hear her father speaking in the background.
“Okay, he’ll go.” Avery’s voice buoyed with tangible relief.
“Call me when you get on the ambulance. I’m on my way to the hospital.” She swung around to head toward the Butlers’ massive double front doors. She needed to find Gage.
“Suz, I’m scared.”
“It’s going to be all right, Avery. Let the paramedics take care of him. You just stay calm.”
“I will, but pray. Please pray.”
Susanna leaned against a porch column and fixed her thoughts on the Healer. Her prayer was short but full of the wind from her own heart.
Heal Daddy
.
She could hear Avery crying and the wail of a siren through the phone.
“They’re here.”
“You go. Be with Daddy. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
When Susanna entered the foyer again, guests were clapping, leaning and pushing forward to the front of the room.
All right, Gage. Where are you?
Smiles lit the warm faces of the guests and their dubious whispers were now filled with belief.
“Can you believe it? Right here on St. Simons Island.”
“Such a marvelous speech.”
“Brief and to the point. The way I
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