Free Smolder (St. Martin Family Saga) by Gina Watson Page A

left Camp asleep in their bed and went to check in with her brother. She wanted to confirm he was dealing with the significance of this day in a healthy manner and to let him know that if he wanted smiley-face pancakes, she would make them. It was high time he gave up the Oreo fetish.
    When she opened the door to his room, he wasn’t there. She checked the bathroom, but he wasn’t there either. She frantically started opening all the doors along the hallway and calling out his name.
    ≈
    When Camp heard the alarm in Jenny’s voice, he was up in a flash. He grabbed a pair of jeans and ran to the sound of her voice.
    “Camp! I can’t find Andrew.”
    He took the stairs three at a time. He searched the kitchen, living areas, den, dining room, and solarium. From the enclosed glass solarium at the back of the main house, he saw that the stable door was ajar. He knew he had latched it last night, and no one else would have left it open.
    Camp hurriedly made his way to the stables. He called for Andrew, but it was no use. Dreamer was gone. He did a quick search and saw the saddle and helmet on the wall. Maybe Andrew was simply walking the horse. Camp jumped on an all terrain vehicle and set out in search of the horse and boy. They weren’t in the paddock and Camp thought Andrew must be riding the horse. That would not be good. Andrew had only ever sat the horse in the paddock in full dress and with Camp leading.
    Camp drove far out on the property and was about to head back when he saw Dreamer. The horse was on the other side of the fence, indicating that Andrew must have jumped the horse. Camp screamed Andrew’s name as loud as he could. He jumped from the ATV and searched the field. High grasses and bushes compromised his vision. He strode toward Dreamer and saw something dark against the green of the grass. Nut-brown hair.
    He ran to Andrew, finding him unconscious. He didn’t move him in case his neck or back had been injured. There was blood near his head and on a nearby rock. Andrew’s head had landed on the rock.
    “Andrew?” He called loudly, but Andrew didn’t move. Camp, hands shaking, checked his pulse. It was steady. His chest was rising and falling. “Andrew?”
    His father’s truck was driving across the field. It stopped and his father and Jenny ran toward him. When Jenny saw her brother she went down on her knees and screamed his name. His dad was already talking to emergency services.
    Camp eyed Jenny, who was sitting in the grass, stroking her brother’s hand and whispering, “I caused this.”
    A shiver raced through Camp. Like Andrew, she didn’t move when he dropped next to her. She just whispered again, “I caused this.”

8

     
     
    C amp was towing Jenny through the hospital corridor behind Andrew’s gurney. He felt the halt in their progression the moment she froze in place.
    “Jenny?” He gently tugged her forward, but she fought and escaped his grip. “Baby?” She was shaking her head. He drew her tightly into his chest. “Jenny, I’m here. Nothing matters right now but helping Andrew. No matter what happens, know in your heart I’ll be here to help you through it.”
    They followed Andrew into the bowels of the hospital until they finally stopped at a door with a biohazard sign. They were shown into a small office and asked to wait there for the nurse.
    Jenny was nonresponsive, so Camp spoke with the nurse, doctor, and a social worker. He related exactly what had happened. He was speaking with the social worker when she pointed to Jenny and said she didn’t think she, Jenny, was capable of caring for Andrew’s needs. Then the woman grilled him hard about the responsibilities of parents with special needs kids.
    She went on and on until Camp wanted to throttle the woman. Had that been what it was like for Jenny since she’d been eighteen, everyone judging her when they had no idea what it was like to raise a child with autism? God, she’d taken on a little brother and his