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3. Tess has an allergy to snake venom, which she didn’t know about either, this being her first rattlesnake bite. An epipen would’ve been helpful, but we didn’t have the first-aid backpack.
4. Always bring first aid on a hike.
5. Never leave your phone in the car.
One other fact that I can’t say I learned today—because, of course, I already knew it—is that lots of other people love Tess. Half of Apple Valley is at the hospital.
Mac and Darby and Olivia are here. So is their mother, Remy McCoy. She’s pretty awesome, and she looks like her daughters. Side note: Tess will be beautiful forever.
All the Dodds showed up: Lucy, Fix, his Grams, and even Uncle Milty. Frank called my parents, and they all rushed over too. Since then, they’ve watched me pace the waiting room. I told them I’m fine. They don’t believe me.
You remember Jonah Clark and Valerie Kent? They’re Fix’s best friend and his ex-girlfriend, if you don’t. They work for Dodd Shipping and McCoy Construction now, and they were in town for meetings next week. When they found out what happened, they brought everyone sandwiches. Nice touch, right?
Dex from Dexter’s donuts came by with three boxes of apple fritters. Olivia’s been huddled with him for an hour. In other words, he’s a goner.
Of course, Mrs. Lockhart is posted up in the lobby, ready for a press release at any time. And as much as Jill wants to be here, she and Owen stayed back at the camp.
Between those two, Maddie, Daniel, and The Irony Chef himself, they should be able to manage camp tonight. They’re holding down the fort, so to speak.
Someone must’ve given me a set of hospital scrubs to put on, but I don’t remember changing. I’d left my shirt back on the trail, and my pants were ripped and bloodied.
Tess is in a room down the hall, hooked up to an IV. Her mom is in there with her. I’m officially jealous of Remy McCoy.
“Sit,” Lucy tells me.
“Can’t,” I say.
Mrs. Dodd hobbles up. “Would you like me to read to you from my book? That might be soothing.” She blinks her watery eyes. Her smile is so genuine and kind. All the emotions of the day—of the past several weeks—well up inside me. Tiny drops of it gather in the corners of my eyes.
Man. What kind of man cries when a little old lady is nice to him?
This kind of man. Spencer Crane.
Darby comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I know I’m not a doctor. Yet. But Tess is going to be fine. You totally did the right thing.”
Olivia takes the spot on the other side of me, holding up her phone. “Dex and I have been researching how to treat scars. Tess’s skin will be good as new.” As if I care. Tess’s skin could peel off completely and I’d still love her. I can’t wait to tell her that. I need to tell her.
Maybe she already knows.
My gut flips. What if she heard me shout I LOVE YOU back on the trail? What if she’s not ready for that level of … declaration? Yes, we’ve admitted to having feelings for one another. And we were planning to date as soon as camp ended. But eventhatwas a big step for Tess. Until recently, she was against any kind of relationship. And I’ve spent the past half a decade sabotaging my chances at romance.
Love is a big leap for both of us. Like jumping-out-of-an-airplane big. To me, that kind of sky-diving sounds thrilling. But the descent may be too hard for Tess. Too scary. It’s a risk.
The thing is, because we weren’t trying to impress each other before, we’ve already put our true selves out there. The ups and downs. Good and bad. Strengths and weaknesses.
Evens and odds.
Maybe we’ve already started building a parachute for the way down.
“Spencey,” my mom says, coming up to me, wringing her hands. “Can I get you a sandwich? Or a fritter?”
“I’m okay, Mom.”
My dad joins us. “You did good, son.”
“I guess we’ll see,” I say. That’s when Mrs. McCoy appears in the hallway. Everyone turns toward her expectantly, hoping for an update on Tess. But Mrs. McCoy heads straight for me. She takes my hand, gives it a squeeze.
“Tess is awake. She’s asking for you.”
