step forward and put a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Easy, bro. You look a little pukey.”
The guy glared at Liam, sized him up, then stumbled out the door.
My eyes met Liam’s. “My hero.”
He shrugged. “I’m old-fashioned. It’s a vice.”
I laughed and held out my trap case. “Carry this for me?”
He took my case, and then he took my hand. As our palms pressed together, the tingling in my fingertips that had started during the show now spread up my arm.
Outside, the crowd had thinned, and most of the Harleys and pickups were clearing out. Liam and I set off across the parking lot, bathed in orange light. When we reached the relative darkness of the field where we had parked, my eyes took a moment to adjust—and then I noticed a misshapen shadow lying below the RV’s front door, which stood open. I picked up my pace, and the shadow resolved.
It was Dad.
CHAPTER 10
I DROPPED LIAM’S HAND AND sprinted toward my father.
He lay on his side, eyes closed.
“Oh my God!” I fell to my knees and tapped his shoulder hard. “Dad? Are you okay?”
Nothing.
Liam caught up and knelt next to me, but I paid him no attention. I placed my hands on Dad’s head and tilted it back to open the airway. I put my ear to his mouth. He was breathing.
“Dad!” I pressed down on his shoulder even harder. “Dad, wake up!”
Finally, he moaned, and my heart leaped into my throat.
“Oh my God, Dad. What happened? Are you okay?”
He blinked rapidly. “How embarrassing,” he said. “I got a little light-headed, and then . . .”
Liam put a hand on my shoulder. “We should call an ambulance.”
“No,” Dad said. “That’s not necessary. I only fainted. Probably just dehydrated.” He propped himself up on his elbows as if that proved he was perfectly healthy.
“He’s right, Dad. We ought to call 911. Your heart.”
“My heart is fine. See for yourself.” I put two fingers to his neck. He was right; his pulse was strong and regular.
“Okay,” I said. “But I still think someone should take a look.”
Liam got to his feet. “There was a guy inside earlier wearing an EMT uniform. Maybe he’s still here. Hang tight for a minute.” He turned and trotted back toward the roadhouse.
Dad watched him, smiling. “That’s quite a young man you’ve got there,” he said.
“I haven’t ‘got’ him, Dad.”
I helped him up and guided him into the RV, my hands shaking. He practically collapsed on the couch, and I struggled to stay calm; he was so pale. I rummaged through the cabinet over the sink and found his prescription bottle. There were only five pills left.
He swallowed one with a gulp of water from a plastic cup, and then a knock came at the door. Liam entered with a compact man toting a red backpack.
“This is Kyle,” Liam said. “Will you at least let him take a look?”
The EMT told us what we expected: that Dad’s pulse and BP were normal. That there was no immediate danger, but we should get him to an ER all the same.
While Kyle packed up his blood-pressure cuff, Dad gave me a look. I knew what it meant; we’d been to the ER before. They would charge us five grand to run a battery of worthless tests. Then they’d tell us he was all right, but that he ought to see a cardiologist. The cardiologist would charge us another grand to tell us Dad needed to reduce stress, eat better, and take his meds.
We thanked Kyle, and Liam said he’d wait for me outside. When I turned back to Dad, his eyes were glistening.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” he said in a choked voice. “I’m more than fine.”
I sat down, took his hand. “What is it?”
He smiled. “There are moments as a father when your child . . .” He blinked rapidly. “When your child reveals to you how very extraordinary she has become.”
My heart seemed to inflate. “I shanked the bottle production. I’m lucky the guy was drunk.”
Dad waved a hand. “That happens to everyone. You recovered. That’s the thing. Besides . . . the watch, the phone. Brilliant! And the doves, Ellie. The doves . . .” He shook his head. “You were elegant.” He laughed. The sound lit me up from the inside. “Your mother would have been proud.”
We sat in silence for a minute. Dad’s eyes got wet. Mine did, too. In that moment, I felt more connected than I ever had—to him,