He’d been slammed all day. Customers from far away had filled the store, wanting information on the lures he’d showcased in the video he’d posted this week. Fridays tended to be busy, though. A lot of people stopped in to get all their fishing gear for the weekend. Randy normally could handle the nonstop questions and steady sales. Something was off with him, today, though. Something physical. And it worried him.
The sensation of light-headedness seized him again, and he gripped the edge of the counter, forcing himself to focus on the cash register. Ned had been chilling out behind the counter, but the dog came over and sat next to him. A sure sign whatever was going on wasn’t all in his head.
“Go ahead and insert your card.” Randy gestured to the man on the other side of the counter.
The retired couple from Sheridan bickered about how to insert the chip, with the wife insisting her husband had it in backward. Finally, the man snapped at her. “I know how to use a credit card.”
“It’s in wrong.” She glared at her husband. He glared back.
“The system’s been slow today,” he said. Just get through this transaction and you can sit down for a few minutes. “Do you mind trying again? The chip goes in first.”
The man’s face was already tomato-red, but he flipped the card around, and a chiming sound meant it went through. Randy bagged their items and thanked them for their business. “Come back anytime.”
“We will.” The woman beamed, already over the credit-card drama he’d just witnessed.
“How do you feel about this rod?” Joe Schlock approached the counter. He held a fly-fishing rod in his hand. “Good for trout?”
Randy’s hands were ice-cold, and his fingers started to shake. Ned licked his hand. He blew out a light breath. “Yes, it’s a good one.” He doubted Joe would buy a rod today. The man liked to come in and handle them all, but he typically purchased books and lures.
“Say, where did Finn run off to?” Joe looked around.
“He left early. He’s in charge tomorrow, so I told him to take the rest of the day off.”
“It’s too bad Hannah’s not working here anymore. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.”
“Yes, she really helped me out of a jam.” She did have a good head on her shoulders. And a pretty face. And a kind heart. And...another wave of light-headedness came over him. Ned licked the back of his hand. “What time is it?”
Joe checked his watch. “Almost four. Hey, weren’t you closing early today? I saw the sign out front.”
“Yeah. For Sawyer’s wedding rehearsal.” He felt funny, like he might pass out. Not now. Get through this. God, don’t do this to me.
“Well, I’d better get moving so you can lock up.” Joe walked back and put the rod away. “Have fun at the wedding.”
“I will. Thanks.” As soon as Joe left, Randy made his way to the front door and locked it, flipping the Closed sign on the door. Then he backtracked to the counter.
Normally, he’d tidy up for a few minutes, unpack the boxes that had arrived earlier and add up the receipts. But all he could do was sit on the stool and stare at the trembling hands in his lap.
Ned had followed him and was sitting right next to the stool, watching him.
When was Hannah supposed to get here?
Soon, he thought.
He didn’t want her seeing him like this.
No one else had picked up on his symptoms today, but she would.
Maybe he just needed to clear his head for a minute. Sit there and not do anything. Attempting a deep breath, he tried to concentrate.
Randy was glad Hannah had insisted he keep the dog all week. Every night she’d driven to the house for a few hours, and they’d sat on the back deck with the dogs and talked.
It had felt natural. Right.
They’d laughed about old memories of things that happened around town. They’d shared small things like their favorite colors—hers was lavender, his was dark blue—and their taste in music and favorite movies. He hadn’t been surprised to find out she couldn’t get enough of reruns of television shows like Law & Order and CSI. She wasn’t much of a reader—neither was he—but when she did read, she preferred whodunits.
They’d shared deeper things, too, like what it was like growing up and how their faith shaped them. Over the past six months, he’d grown more vocal about his deep love for Jesus, and she seemed to think it was a good thing.
The light-headedness and trembling sensation weren’t as bad now. He had a lot to do before closing the store, and he needed time to get ready for the rehearsal tonight.
As soon as it was over, he planned on telling Hannah two things. One, he had a heart condition that might or might not kill him before he grew old. And two, he loved her.
As soon as he stood, his fingers trembled again, and the woozy feeling slammed him. Ned licked his hand, nudging it. His heartbeat accelerated to the point he feared it might be out of control.
What was happening?
It was beating too fast. He swayed. Reached back to brace himself against the wall, but nothing was there.
Was this it?
His vision blurred. His knees buckled.
And he didn’t register Ned’s tongue on his hand. He no longer comprehended anything as his body crumpled to the floor.
Tonight was the night! Hannah’s pulse raced with anticipation as she parked behind Randy’s store to pick up Ned. In a little while, he’d be taking her to Tess and Sawyer’s wedding rehearsal. She was thrilled for them.
She was also thrilled to have a date. A real date! With the most gorgeous, incredible guy she’d ever met. Their relaxed conversations on his back deck all week had revealed the truth.
She was halfway in love with him.
Maybe all the way.
And why not? There was nothing to fear. Randy was single, and so was she. They got along great. They had the same values.
Grinning, she stepped into the hot sunshine and opened the door to let Barley out. He trotted on his leash beside her as they closed the distance to the back door. She opened it, calling, “Hello? I’m here.”
With confident strides, she made her way down the hall. Where was Randy?
Ned raced to her side and barked, then disappeared behind the counter. Her stomach plummeted, and her heart started pounding. Something was wrong. She dropped Barley’s leash, and he, too, ran behind the counter.
The instant she saw Randy’s body, she dropped to her knees, cradling his head on her lap. Ned was licking his hand and mouthing it.
“Randy, can you hear me?” Panic flooded her. She’d been trained in CPR, but what was she supposed to do? She couldn’t remember a thing. Think!
Barley barked and licked Randy’s face.
God, I don’t know what to do. Help me! Help him!
A calmness overtook her, and she bent so her cheek hovered above his mouth and nose. He was breathing. It was shallow, but the breath was there. She pressed her fingers to his neck and felt a faint pulse. Thank You, Jesus!
She stroked his hair. “Wake up, Randy. Can you hear me? Wake up.”
Tears dripped on her cheeks, and she barely noticed. Ned came over and used his nose to push her purse closer.
“Good boy.” She stroked Ned’s neck with one hand and retrieved her cell phone out of her purse with the other. “You’re such a good boy. You’re getting extra treats after this.”
Quickly, she called her brother. He was a doctor. He’d know what to do.
“What’s going on?” David answered after two rings.
“Randy’s unconscious. I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t know what to do!” She was getting upset and couldn’t help it.
“Hang tight. I’ll be right over.”
“I’m at his store. Behind the counter. The back door’s open.”
“Be there in five.” And he hung up.
Randy’s eyelashes fluttered, and he moaned.
“Shh...just stay where you are. You’re going to be okay.” She continued stroking his hair, and both dogs sat next to each other a few feet away, playfully rubbing necks with each other. The fact Ned wasn’t glued to Randy’s side was a relief. She had no doubt he’d be right there if Randy was still in danger.
He pressed his elbow to the floor to sit up.
“I told you to stay where you were.” She tried to press him back down, but he wasn’t having it.
He wiped his palm down his face. “What was I doing on the floor?”
“I don’t know. I think you might have passed out.”
“What?” He looked and sounded confused.
“I stopped by to pick up Ned.” She knelt in front of him. “David’s on the way.”
“David?”
“My brother. He’ll be able to help.” She attempted a smile. With so many questions sprinting through her brain, she was doing her best not to fall apart.
“Hey, don’t cry.” He reached up and brushed her cheek with his thumb.
She was crying? Didn’t surprise her. She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Randy, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.” His voice grew stronger. “Just passed out. No need to worry.”
No need to worry? She’d found him unconscious on the floor! Of course she was worried.
The sound of the back door opening had her scrambling to her feet. As soon as David appeared, she hugged him tightly and led him to Randy.
“What’s going on?” Her brother wore a button-down shirt with dress slacks, and he carried a medical bag.
“I don’t know. One minute I was locking up. The next, I was on the floor.”
David pulled out a stethoscope from the bag. “Hannah, do you mind giving us some privacy? Maybe take the dogs outside for a few minutes.”
Privacy? But...she wanted to know what was wrong. The way her brother stared at her, though, she knew nothing more would be said between them until she left. She nodded, gathered the dogs and went outside.
As soon as her feet hit the pavement out back, she started to shake.
Finding Randy like that...she shivered. He always seemed so solid. So strong. So reliable.
He claimed he’d just passed out. What if this wasn’t the first time it had happened?
Was Randy in denial? Could he be sick?
Would he even tell her if he was?
She took the dogs to the Jeep and rooted around in the back where she kept dog supplies, including treats. She then gave Ned and Barley several each.
“My good boys. You two were awesome back there.” She crouched down to their level, petting them both. But she couldn’t stop the worries, couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was seriously wrong with the man she loved.
There wasn’t any question about it. The instant she’d seen him on the floor, she’d known she loved him. And she couldn’t imagine life without him.
She just prayed he would be okay.
“Walk me through what happened before you passed out.” Dr. Carr finished checking Randy’s pulse and listening to his heart, then stepped back and leaned against the counter, the stethoscope dangling around his neck. Randy stood, but his legs were still weak, so he sat on the stool.
He stared into David’s eyes, and he knew the jig was up. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—lie to Hannah’s brother. And by telling him, Randy would be forced to be truthful with Hannah. Because there was no way he’d tell her brother about his health situation without being up-front about it with her, too.
He loved her too much to be that cruel.
“I have a heart condition.” Randy stared down at his hands. “Same one that killed my dad.”
David widened his eyes and dipped his chin slightly for him to continue.
“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”
“Are you being treated for it?”
He nodded. “Started meds Tuesday night.”
“What medications are they?”
Randy told him.
“Do you know the dosage?”
“Not offhand.” He pressed his eyes shut briefly then opened them. “Wait, I took notes on my phone. Let me check.” His phone was on the counter near the register, so he grabbed it and scrolled through until he found the note. Then he read it out loud.
“That explains a lot.” David frowned. “Tell me about your symptoms again.”
“Cold hands. Shaky fingers. Light-headed. Dizzy. I felt foggy. Couldn’t keep my thoughts straight.” Hearing the words out loud made him realize how much he’d been ignoring what was happening.
“For how long?”
“The dizziness? Off and on for weeks. But the others—the cold, shaking hands, the mental fogginess—those are new.”
“How new? Since you started the medications?”
He tried to think back. “Yeah. I guess that’s right.”
David nodded. “Until you can talk to your doctor, cut the doses of both medications in half. My guess is your body is adjusting to them, and you’re dealing with natural side effects.”
“Do you think I’m going to have a heart attack?” He watched David’s face carefully to see if he thought he was being dumb.
“No, I don’t.” His tone was serious. “You said you didn’t have chest pains, heartburn, shortness of breath or pain in your upper body. The signs of a heart attack weren’t there. But you did have typical side effects from the medications you’re on. And since you recently started them, I’d say they’re the problem. I want you to take it easy tonight.”
“Can’t. Rehearsal dinner.”
“You’re going to have to miss it. And if you’re still feeling symptoms tomorrow, you’re going to have to do the bare minimum at the wedding.”
“Sawyer’s one of my best friends, man.”
“That’s why he’ll understand you have to sit this one out tonight.”
“He doesn’t know,” Randy practically growled. “No one knows. Not even my brother.”
David clapped a hand on his shoulder and looked deep in his eyes. “I won’t tell anyone. I took an oath.”
He nodded, feeling small and confused.
“I’ll let myself out. Call me anytime if you’re having symptoms.” David picked up his medical bag and turned to leave. “I’ll tell Hannah it’s okay to come back in.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate you coming here.”
“Don’t mention it.” And he left.
Randy braced himself for Hannah to return. He’d kept this secret for years and years, and now he couldn’t keep it any longer.
He’d tell it to her straight.
No sugarcoating it.
She deserved to know it all—and he wasn’t going to spare a single detail. Seeing her so upset at finding him, well, he knew how that felt.
He hadn’t wanted her to find out this way. He’d wanted...what?
He’d wanted to be normal. To have a normal life. With a wife. And kids.
But he wasn’t normal, and telling Hannah was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. He just prayed she’d understand why he’d kept it from her.