Page 15 of Then Came You

“I’ll see you on Saturday morning, then.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He nodded and strode out of the office. He passed through the bookstore and gave Savannah a brief wave on his way out.

Once he got into the cruiser and pulled out of the parking spot, he immediately turned on the siren. He’d been called to the scene of a nearby car accident, which was a common occurrence. Oftentimes, it was just a fender bender, and nobody was seriously hurt. But there were also too many cases that involved negligent or drunk drivers who’d caused serious injuries, and sometimes death, to innocent victims. Those were the calls he hated the most since they reminded him of that fateful day ten years ago…

He’d been outside, playing basketball with his buddies on a hot summer day, when his mom had come racing out of the house, wearing a look of shock.

“Sam, we have to go. Say goodbye to your friends.”

He could tell by her expression and tone of voice that whatever had happened was serious and there was no room for argument.

His friends quickly dispersed, and he followed his mom to the car.

“Get in. I’ll explain on the way.”

“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked as she pulled out of the driveway.

She was gripping the steering wheel so tightly he thought her fingernails might break.

“It’s your cousin James. He was in a car accident. He’s at the hospital…”

His mom’s voice broke on the last word, and he knew then that it was really bad. Of all his cousins, Sam was the closest to James, partly because they were the same age, but also because they shared the same interests. They loved to fish, play sports, and chase girls, not necessarily in that order. They’d both acquired their driver’s licenses around the same time, and they’d been excited about the freedom that driving had afforded them.

Naturally, their moms (who were sisters) had worried about their safety, but so far, they’d had stellar driving records—until then.

His mom took a deep breath and then told him the rest of it. “He might not make it, Sam. I just want you to be prepared.”

Prepared? There was nothing anyone could say or do to prepare him for what came next. When they got to the hospital, he saw James lying in a bed with tubes coming out from everywhere and machines making irritating beeping sounds. He was still and pale, and it frightened Sam to see him that way.

Their relatives came in and out of the room, wearing matching expressions of disbelief, until, finally, Sam got to be alone with him. He was afraid to touch James for fear he’d break, even though his body was already broken. “I could kill the guy who did this to you. It’s not fair if he walks away from this and you don’t. You have to make it, James. Please make it.”

The full story of what had happened was revealed in bits and pieces. James had been driving to a friend’s house down a quiet two-lane road when a drunk driver, aged twenty-one, had crossed the line and barreled into his car head on. It wasn’t clear if James had been wearing his seatbelt or if it had been faulty. In any case, he’d slammed into the windshield, resulting in a major head injury.

The drunk driver had been hospitalized too but had sustained only minor injuries.

Despite Sam’s pleas, James never came out of his coma, and one week later, he died. After the funeral, instead of wallowing in grief, Sam found a new resolve.

He’d already considered going into law enforcement, but after seeing what had happened to James, his decision was solidified.

He would still take some college classes because they couldn’t hurt, and he would contact various police departments about a job. He might not be able to prevent the same tragedy from happening to someone else, but he would dedicate his life to trying.

Chapter 7

Gillian had just put the last chair in place when she felt someone come up behind her.

“That one looks slightly off-center.” His deep voice was teasing, and she turned to face its owner.

“Hello, Sam.”

“You’re not nervous, are you?”

“No.” She shoved her hands into her pants pockets so he wouldn’t see them trembling.

“They’re just kids, Gillian. What’s there to be nervous about?”

“Adults will be here too, and I want this to be a success.”