Читать книгу The Second Son - Joanna Wayne - Страница 15

“It’s Mom!” The explanation spilled out of Ryder’s mouth before Branson had a chance to question him. “She was having chest pains. Langley called Dr. Ramirez and he sent an ambulance for her. He’s meeting her at the clinic in Kelman for now. If it’s serious, they’ll stabilize her and move her to San Antonio.”

Branson handled the bad news like he handled everything. Outwardly, he was calm. Inside, the dread burned like acid. “How long ago was that?”

“They probably haven’t been gone a good half hour yet.”

“Where’s Langley? I saw his car out back.”

“He rode with Mom in the ambulance. She was still insisting she’d be fine, but she looked scared. She was pale as a sheet. And shaky.” Worry pooled in Ryder’s eyes. “I’ve never seen her like that before.”

Branson rolled the news around in his head. Other than the winter she’d had pneumonia, he didn’t remember his mom ever going to bed with an ailment. If she’d willingly left Burning Pear in an ambulance, she had to be in serious pain.

He buried his hands in his pockets, hating the feeling that there was nothing he could do. “Why didn’t you go with them?”

The answer came from the newly created nursery in the form of a high-pitched wail. Betsy. In the panic of the moment, he’d forgotten all about the baby. And Lacy. He glanced toward the back door. Apparently she hadn’t followed him in.

Betsy’s cries increased in volume.

Ryder backed toward the hall door. “Mom’s in good hands, Branson. Good spirits, too. She was still giving orders as they strapped her to the stretcher.”

But in spite of his attempts to reassure Branson, Ryder’s lips were drawn into tight lines, his muscles bunched, as he turned to walk toward the crying infant. He stopped at the door and turned back to face Branson. “Mom will pull through this. She has to.”