But there was another part of her that couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him, that couldn’t stop thinking about the way they just seemed to work together, that couldn’t stop thinking about the way he made her feel. Now, as she sat in the plane, halfway back to DC, it all seemed like some stupid fantasy. It was like Ethan awakened some ache deep in her heart that she had long forgotten, and now as she headed back to reality, the ache felt like a dull pain throughout her entire body.
Soon, she’d be back in her real life, and all of that silliness, all of that flirting and joking and pretending would be gone. It would be a nice memory, something for Amy to think back on after all of this had passed, when she was alone again, doing what she knew best: fixing other people’s messes. If fixing her own problems were as straightforward as her job, she’d know what to do.
Realizing that she wasn’t going to get any rest, Amy got up from her seat and walked back to the bathroom. She ran the cold water and splashed it on her face as she tried to prepare herself for the landing. She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to smile. She stood up straight and stared at herself. “You’ll be fine, Amy” she whispered. “You’ll make it through this. If Vi can handle a heart attack, you can handle falling for Ethan.”
***
A few hours later, after a private car brought her from the airfield to the city, Amy made her way to Violet’s hospital room. It was still dark outside when she reached the low-slung modern building where Vi was being treated. As Amy made her way to the elevator, she wondered what time it was back out west. As she rode up the three stories to Vi’s wing, she wondered if Ethan was asleep, or if he had stayed up, after her departure. She imagined him driving the SUV down the deserted predawn streets of Jackson Hole as he processed everything that had just happened. What did all of it mean to him? Amy wondered. Was he just having fun or was there something more between them?
Before Amy could fully consider the question, the elevator doors, opened, and Amy could see clear down to the end of the hall. A moment later, she was looking in through the door to Vi’s room. Amy felt a wave of emotion as she saw her aunt, lying in a hospital bed, an IV in her arm and an oxygen tube in her nose. Her eyes were closed, and she looked so much older than Amy remembered, paler and smaller than she had seemed just a few days ago. As Amy walked into the room, she saw Callie sitting by the bedside. Callie raised a finger to her lips to keep Amy from talking, but the sound of footsteps in the room woke Vi.
Amy watched as Vi opened her eyes slightly. “Amy, is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” Amy said softly, trying to hold back tears, “you gave us quite the scare.”
“You came back from your honeymoon? I must be in worse shape than they’re letting on.”
Amy walked over to the bedside and placed her hand next to Vi’s. She wanted to lean in and wrap her arms around her and never let go. “It wasn’t a honeymoon. It was just a trip.”
“It’s ok, dear. You don’t have to pretend with me. I know what happens on honeymoons.” She gave Amy a wink, and Amy could see that familiar spark in her eyes. “So was he any good?”
“Vi!” Amy said as she raised both hands over her face in embarrassment. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“If you can’t tell,” Callie said, “it was a minor heart attack, and Vi is feeling much better this morning.”
“How do you know?”
“She kept asking the male nurse for a sponge bath.”
“What?” Vi said. “He’s cute. Can’t I derive any benefit from my condition?”
Amy and Callie both shook their heads. “I think she’ll be fine,” Callie said.
“What did the doctors say?” Amy asked.
“Bed rest. No stairs. Limited physical activity for a while. They say she can go home or to a rehab facility today or tomorrow if she holds steady. Oh, no more alcohol and no fatty foods.”
“A fate worse than death,” Vi chimed in. “They want to ship me off to some room where I’ll have to eat cardboard for the rest of my life. Maybe I can put in to have my nurse transferred with me.”
“I don’t know if the hospital would look too kindly on that,” Callie said.
Vi cleared her throat and continued. “Speaking of handsome men, where is yours?”
“Wyoming,” Amy replied. “He’s finishing up some business.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Wyoming, what a funny place for a honeymoon.”
“Vi, It wasn’t a honeymoon, but it was lovely.” Though if it made Vi feel better to call it a honeymoon, Amy wasn’t about to argue with her.