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He headed for the hall. “Hetty, I’ll come back later once the wood filler is set?—”

A thump and a yell from the other room cut off his words.

He raced into the living room and found Hetty lying on the floor next to her favorite chair. The walker lay on its side next to her, one of the wheels still spinning. “Hetty! Are you okay? Can I help you up?”

Her face twisted in pain, she shook her head and pushed away his hands. “Call 9-1-1. I can’t move my leg.”

Asher reached for his phone only to realize it wasn’t in his pocket.

Hetty’s bed.

He raced back to her room and snatched it off the corner of her bed and called 9-1-1 as he hurried back to his friend. After giving his identity and relaying what had happened to thedispatcher, he remained on the line as he knelt next to Hetty and reached for her hand.

Her face twisted with pain as he tried to keep her calm. He pressed two fingers to the inside of her wrist and felt her thundering pulse.

Within minutes, the ambulance siren—one of the few vehicles allowed on island—split the air. He left her and opened the door as two EMTs guided a stretcher into the house.

While a female EMT named Emily talked to Hetty, Asher shared what little he knew with the paramedic, Simon, a broad-shouldered guy with tattooed sleeves on his arms.

Hetty sucked in a breath as the two EMTs worked together and lifted her onto the lowered stretcher. She reached for Asher’s hand. “Call Sadie. Tell her I’m fine. I don’t want her to worry when she comes back and finds me gone.”

He stroked the older woman’s silver hair off her forehead and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll call her from the medical center. I’m not leaving your side.”

Hetty made a face. “Asher, that’s not necessary. You have work to do.”

“My work can wait. You are more important.”

Fifteen minutes later, Asher stood in the tiny waiting room of the medical center’s emergency department. He pulled out his phone, texted Dani for Sadie’s number, and then made the call that tightened his gut.

Sadie answered on the first ring. “Hello?”

“Sadie, I’m at the medical center with Hetty. There’s been an accident?—”

“On my way.” She cut him off before he could finish.

The line dropped and Asher stared at the black screen, then stowed his phone in his pocket. Arms crossed over his chest, he stared out the window that overlooked Blueberry Boulevard and watched for Sadie.

Thank God he’d been there when Hetty fell, but he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that Sadie would blame him.

Chapter Eight

Sadie shouldn’t have left Gran alone.

Maybe if she’d been there, she could’ve kept Gran from falling. Then she wouldn’t have needed to be airlifted off the island and returned to Port Joseph where she’d had the initial hip replacement.

With the ferries done running for the night, Sadie had no choice but to remain where she was. First thing tomorrow, though, she’d get herself to the mainland, even if she had to hitch a ride on Cody Hart’s fishing boat or ask Pete to fly her to the hospital.

Arms wrapped around her waist, Sadie eyed Gran’s bike shoved into the rack in front of the medical center. She didn’t want to ride it back to the cottage and spend the night by herself. She wasn’t afraid of being alone, but she didn’t expect to get much sleep until she heard how Gran was doing.

A strong hand rested on her upper back. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.” She didn’t need to turn to know Asher was behind her. Not only was his distinctive voice on a regular loop in her head, but her skin tingled every time he came near.

That needed to stop.

“Then keep me company while I scarf down a burger at Martha’s. I haven’t eaten yet today.” Asher’s hands moved from her back to rest on her shoulders. “Besides, you don’t need to sit alone at the cottage and beat yourself up.”

“I should’ve been there.” She turned and pressed her forehead against his chest.