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“Mr Chambers is stable. He’s undergoing some tests,” Lynda replied.
“Arson? Summer, do you have cameras?” Slick asked.
I nodded dumbly, trying to absorb everything. Uncle Brian was hurt. Tick. The garden centre was arson. Tick. But why had Slick taken so long to arrive? Surely, when he’d reached the garden centre, they’d have told Slick where I was?
“You don’t have to be here,” I mumbled to Slick numbly.
Slick frowned.
“Honey, I got your message tonight loud and clear, but even so, I wouldn’t leave anyone alone at a time like this,” Slick replied.
“What? I told Mom to tell you I was heading to the centre. I thought you’d meet me there,” I said plaintively.
“That is not the message I received,” Slick growled. “Your Mom claimed that you didn’t want to go out and that you’d left the house so you didn’t have to deal with the drama.”
“No!” I exclaimed, horrified. “That’s not true. Look, I was wearing a nice dress! I asked them to tell you to meet me at the centre. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the fire was there, although I knew it was coming from the same direction. And when I arrived and realised I could lose the greenhouses, I just snapped into surviving. Then I found Uncle Brian and…” My voice broke.
“Those damn bitches,” Slick muttered, drawing me closer. His hand rubbed my back in a soothing motion.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Summer, you never answered, and it could really help. Do you have cameras at the centre?” Bill Hawthorne asked.
“Yes, I do, and I have the greenhouses covered, too,” I responded, resting my head on Slick’s shoulder.
I couldn’t deal with the two wicked witches and their nasty plan to break my date. For now, I had to worry about Uncle Brian and the garden centre.
“I’ll call the officer on scene. I think it’s Detective Lucas,” Bill said, and I felt Slick’s body jolt.
“Can’t get used to Bobby being a detective,” he muttered.
“No, we’re all still missing Justin,” Bill responded softly.
“Yeah, we are, too,” Slick replied.
I wondered who Justin was. My brain was trying to tell me something as I recognised the name, but a doctor approached our small group.
“Family of Brian Chambers?” he announced.
“That’s me,” I answered, looking up.
“He’s stable for now. Mr Chambers has some broken ribs and several cuts and lacerations. His arm is also broken. The head wound is worrying, but there’s no swelling yet, although that may change. He’s unconscious, and we are keeping Mr Chambers sedated in case the brain does begin to swell. You can see him, but he won’t be able to respond. Mr Chambers is also on a breathing machine as his lungs have taken in a lot of smoke, and we’re monitoring for damage,” the doctor explained.
I took it all in and nodded. “Uncle Brian is going to be okay?”
“Yeah, with time and rest,” the doctor answered.
The tension I’d been feeling left my body in a rush, and I slumped against Slick. “That’s a relief,” I murmured. “When can I see him?”
“We’re moving him to a ward now. A nurse shall fetch you,” the doctor stated and, with a chin lift, left.
“Slick, why don’t you go and see what’s happening at the centre, and I’ll stay with Summer, and then I can take her home,” Lynda suggested.
“Nah, thanks, honey, you get off to Wild. I’ll wait while Summer sees Brian and then take her home. I’ll check in with the cops later.” Slick squeezed my hand in reassurance, and I revelled in how nice it felt to have somebody present who only wanted to support me.
???
We were walking up the path when the front door flew open. It was the early hours of the morning, and dawn wasn’t far away. The garden centre would be shut today, and I was grateful, as I was so tired. Slick had borrowed a car from someone to bring me home as I was dead on my feet. So clearly, Mom was expecting me to be alone.
“You little whore!” she hissed. “What time do you call this?”
