her speechless. As he sauntered out, he drew a point in the air and heard her grumble behind him.
He wore a smile and a spring in his step. He stopped to talk to one of her customers who was seated at a picnic table, but then his phone buzzed and he had to excuse himself to take the call.
The instant he saw Crossroads Manor flash on his caller ID, his heart plunged. He brought the device to his ear. “This is Dominick Cole.”
“Oh Dom, I’m so glad I reached you. This is Jodi calling from the Manor.”
“Is everything all right with my grandpa?”
“That’s why I’m calling. He had a fall this morning and has just been taken by ambulance to the hospital.”
He tore the hat off his head, staring into space but not seeing anything but his grandpa injured. “I’m on my way.” He started across the road and car tires shrieked. His pulse spiked, and he waved a hand at the driver. “Sorry!”
“Dom! Dom, are you okay?” Jada’s frantic voice followed him into his parking lot, and she sprinted up and grabbed his forearm.
Seeing he was on a call, she searched his gaze with concern in her warm brown eyes.
“I’ll head to the hospital now,” he said to Jodi over the phone and then ended the call.
“What happened?” Jada demanded.
“Grandpa fell. They took him by ambulance.”
“I’ll come with you.”
They rushed across the lot to his truck and both jumped in.
“I’m going to call and get the report.” Jada pulled out her phone. “Who called you? Was it Jodi?”
“Yes.” He carefully checked for traffic before pulling out onto the road this time.
She made the call and he listened to her say, “Yes. I see. I understand. Okay. Yes,” before she hung up.
He threw her a sharp look. “What happened?”
“He fell getting out of the shower. I guess the bath mat was rolled up and he tripped.”
“How bad is it?” Dom hated that his once strong grandfather was in this stage of life where a fall could put him down so easily.
“They suspected broken bones and he should just now be arriving at the hospital for x-rays.” She touched his arm. “I’m so sorry, Dom.”
He nodded.
“You walked right out in front of that car and I knew something was terribly wrong. You’re never so distracted.”
“Stupid,” he said absently.
She squeezed his arm. “It’s going to be all right. They didn’t tell me he hit his head or anything like that. At the worst, he’s in a cast or has a broken pelvis and returns to the Manor for rehab.”
“Bad enough.” He compressed his lips and shook his head.
“Don’t buy trouble. We’ll face it head on together.”
The rest of their drive he made in silence, and as soon as they entered the hospital, Jada took the lead by asking the status of his grandpa and when they could see him.
“As soon as the x-rays are completed and we have him more comfortable,” the nurse told them. “The waiting room is through that door. Have a seat and I’ll be in shortly.”
Dom’s stomach churned with worry. Jada led him to a chair and sat holding his hand tightly while he worried through several scenarios.
“Jada, I didn’t tell you, but I entered the barbecue competition. I don’t think I can go.”
She blinked at him. “Dom, that’s weeks away.”
“I know, but I can’t even think about leaving town. What if something happens while I’m not around? I’d have to rush back, and it would take me hours of driving.”
“You don’t need to make this choice right now.”
“It’s more than the distance. I need to spend more time with Grandpa. I know how he gets when he’s injured or ill—he’ll fight the doctors and nurses. I’ll need to put more energy and time into him and I won’t have time to plan my strategy at the competition.”
She rubbed his hand with her fingertips. “You have some time to decide, Dom. But…I have an idea. What if I do all the planning, and we go in as a team. Team Crossroads. Not Mortimer’s or Savage’s.”
“No way. I can’t let you make all the plans.”
“It will be equal partners. You can be in charge of hauling all the food there, and we’ll both cook. But instead of balls-to-the-wall, anything-goes-in-competition, we will work together. Let’s put Crossroads on the map for barbecue, Dom.”
He studied her heart-stoppingly beautiful face for a moment. “God, you’re incredible. Do you know that?”
She cupped his jaw and then sucked in a sharp breath. “I just