“I think I’ll have a root beer float,” Shelby decided. “But I’ll get it, Mom.”
“Don’t be silly. Talk with your friend. I’m back here, anyway.”
She served them efficiently, cut a slice of apple pie and another slice of lemon pie for another couple who’d wandered in, then leaned on the counter to chat with Aaron and Shelby.
“C.J.’s had some short ribs in the smoker all day today,” she told Aaron. “We’d love to have you join us for dinner later, if you like.”
“I do love ribs,” he admitted. “I’d be pleased to join you, if it wouldn’t be an imposition.”
Sarah laughed softly, looking very much like Shelby when she did so. “You’ve spent half your time with us helping Steven and Bryan—and probably Shelby,” she added with a meaningful look at her daughter. “Feeding you a few ribs is the least we can do. Besides, we’d enjoy having you. Everyone’s going to be there except Maggie. She had plans with friends this evening, and she’s already left. We’ll eat after C.J. closes the marina at seven.”
“This pie should’ve just about worn off by then,” he said, making a show of checking his watch. He had time to shower and make some calls before dinner.
C.J. rushed into the grill then. Aaron felt his stomach tighten after one look at the older man’s face. Sarah set down her pie server. “What’s wrong?”
C.J.’s voice was grim. “Steven’s hurt. An ambulance is on its way. We need to go.”
Both Aaron and Shelby were on their feet now.
“What happened?” Shelby asked, one hand at her throat.
“He flipped the mower over on himself. I don’t know how bad it is. Bryan just called and said come. They’re at Site Thirty-eight.”
Sarah gasped and rushed around the counter just as Linda entered, the look on her face making it obvious she knew what had happened. “Go,” she said to Sarah. “I’ll work the grill until I hear from you. If anyone needs anything from the store, I’ll just run back and forth.”
Aaron shook his head. “I can run the store and the marina. I’ve worked a cash register before. The rest of you go. Take care of Steven.”
They didn’t even linger to argue with him. He saw Lori rush through the entryway just in time to join the rest of her family as they ran from the building.
Aaron turned to Linda then. “How bad is it?”
“I don’t know,?
? she murmured, her eyes haunted. “Bryan said he was unconscious when they found him. Bryan’s gone to tell Mimi and Pop, then he’ll head over here to help out until we know something.”
They looked at each other when they heard a siren pass outside the building. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Aaron said, wanting to reassure himself as well as Steven’s aunt. He liked Steven. He didn’t even want to consider the possibility of a bad outcome.
Glancing across the entryway, he saw two middle-aged women going into the store just as a young couple with a toddler entered the diner. “I’ll handle the store,” he said to Linda. “I’ll let you know if I need any help.”
She nodded, pushed a strand of graying brown hair from her face and pasted a taut, fake smile on her face before turning to wait on the newcomers.
Chapter Seven
It was just after seven-thirty that evening when Shelby stood in the doorway of the store, her arrival not yet noticed. She watched as Aaron chatted easily with a middle-aged couple she recognized as first-time visitors to the resort who’d checked in a few days earlier. A few canned goods and bottled waters sat on the counter beside the register, and he rang up two candy bars while Shelby watched. The store should have closed half an hour ago, along with the grill and marina, but her aunt and uncle had made the call to leave them open a little longer this evening. Shelby suspected it was because both of them had been too anxious to wait patiently for word about Steven’s condition, preferring to stay busy instead. Obviously Aaron had agreed.
From the snatches of conversation she overheard, the couple was telling him about their morning at a nearby golf course, boasting about their scores. She didn’t know if Aaron played golf or had any interest whatever in the sport, but he listened politely and congratulated them with obvious sincerity on their morning’s achievements. They left with their purchases stashed in reusable canvas bags, smiling and greeting Shelby as they passed her on their way out.
Spotting her then, Aaron moved toward her, searching her face. “Your aunt told me Steven’s going to be okay?” he asked, the question at the end seeking confirmation.
She nodded wearily. “He has a concussion and a broken bone in his leg, some nasty bruises and a couple of cracked ribs. They’re keeping him overnight for observation, but he should be fine. It was a clean break, so he didn’t need surgery for his leg, and it should heal without any complications, but he’ll have to stay off it for a few weeks. He’s going to hate that.”
Aaron let out a deep exhale of relief. “I’m glad to hear he wasn’t seriously injured. I know you were all terrified for him. I was, myself.”
She rested a hand on his arm. “Thank you for helping out here.”
“Your uncle took over the marina after Steven was transported to the hospital. I just ran the cash register in here,” he said self-deprecatingly. “I wasn’t very busy, though I think your aunt has been kept hopping in the diner. You weren’t even gone very long.”
“Mom and Dad sent everyone away as soon as we knew Steven was out of danger. I’m going to close the store while Aunt Linda wraps up in the grill. Lori and Mimi are at Mom and Dad’s, getting dinner ready. Dad will join us for dinner, but Mom insisted on spending the night at the hospital with Steven. There’s a pullout bed in his room for family.”