Secrets in the Sand - Carolyn Brown Page 0,58

to propose a toast to my new bride. To my Merrie, who has made me happy at a time in my life when I thought happiness was just a dream I had lost forever. May we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary together,” Tom winked at Meredith and clinked his glass against hers. “I love you, darlin’.”

Everyone took a sip, and then Tom raised his glass again. “I’ve got another toast,” he said. “This is to Clancy and his Angel. They were high school sweethearts, and now they’re back together again. To you two kids. May you find the same happiness Merrie and I have found.” He raised his glass high toward them and then polished off the rest of what was in it.

“Thank you.” Clancy rose to his feet. “And a toast from me if anyone has anything left in their glasses. If not, raise your hand, and the caterers will be around to fill it again. To my mama, who’s been my friend as well as my parent. I thought my father was the most wonderful man in the whole world, and I have to admit, I didn’t think I’d ever like anyone else taking his place. But Tom has made a place of his own, both in Mama’s heart and in mine. So, to Tom, my new friend. And to Angel—my one and only.” Clancy clinked his glass with Angel’s and tossed back the rest of his champagne in one swallow.

He had barely sat back down when one of the caterers brought him a cordless phone. “For you, sir. The phone rang in the kitchen area, and one of my helpers answered it. The caller asked for you.”

“Hello?” Clancy pushed the button and waited.

His eyes suddenly filled with tears and his chin quivered. Angel looped her arm in his. “Is everything all right?”

He shook his head. “We’ll be there as soon as we can get there,” he said. “Angel is right here beside me. I’ll bring her with me. Tell him we’re on our way.”

“What’s wrong?” Angel asked.

“That was Anna. Red’s had a heart attack. They’ve got him in the hospital in Denison, and he’s asking for the two of us. I was wondering why they weren’t here. Mama would have invited them for sure.”

Tears ran down Angel’s cheeks, dripping off her jaw. “I’ll get my things together.”

“Here, take this.” Clancy pressed a white hanky into her hands. “I’ll tell Mama and Tom and be right behind you.”

Chapter 15

Red’s wife, Anna, met them at the hospital door. Her makeup was smeared from all the tears she had cried. Her trademark skintight jeans had long since lost their perfect crease from top to bottom.

“How is he?” Angel hugged her old friend tightly and felt Anna’s thin shoulders shudder as she gave way to a whole new set of sobs.

“Red’s goin’ to make it. The doctor’s said this heart attack was just a little one, but it sure scared me. While we were waiting for the ambulance, I realized that I didn’t even know how much I loved him until I nearly lost him. I thought he was gone, Angel. I really thought he was gone.” She wept even harder. “Oh, Clancy.” Anna broke one arm away and brought him into a three-way hug. “He started asking for you a couple of hours ago. I told him to wait until we saw the doctor, but Red said to call you right now. Only immediate family is allowed in intensive care, but he’s pitched such a fit, they said you two could go in if it will calm him down.”

“Are you sure?” Angel drew back and looked at her. “We don’t want to upset or worry him. Most of all, we don’t want to excite him. Maybe we ought to wait till tomorrow morning.”

“Nope. Red intends to see Clancy tonight,” Anna said. “I’ll go with you up to the floor where he is and wait in the lobby until he visits with you. The nurses sure wouldn’t allow all three of us in there at once. They said you could only stay five minutes. He’s done told me what he intends to say, and I agree with him, Clancy. So, listen to him. And besides, he’s afraid to go to sleep before he speaks his mind.”

They found Red in a room at the end of the intensive care ward. An oxygen tube was stretched around his freckled face and attached under his nose. An IV dripped into his sinewy left arm, which