Page 29 of From the Start

“On my way.”

I’m already running before I hang up.

“I’ll handle the delivery,” Chloe shouts from behind me. I wave to acknowledge her.

I run all the way home. Why didn’t I drive today? I usually drive, but I decided it was a lovely day for a walk. No more. I won’t be caught without my car again.

I round the corner of my street and notice a crowd has gathered on my front lawn. I shove my way through everyone to reach Dad, who’s sitting on the grass.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

“The lawn mower attacked me.”

“The lawn mower? What were you doing with the lawn mower?” Dad shouldn’t be mowing the lawn. He needs a cane to walk for smuggler’s sake! “Jade’s son, Adrian, mows the lawn.”

“Look at the lawn. He hasn’t mowed in weeks.”

“I’m sorry.” Jade wrings her hands. “Adrian is away at rugby camp. He’s supposed to come home on the weekends, but he’s having a good time and…”

I hold up my hand to stop her. “This is not your fault, Jade.”

I offer Dad my hand. “Let’s get you up and in the house.”

He raises his left arm and I notice it’s bent at a strange angle. This is not good since his right arm never fully recovered from his stroke.

How am I going to get him in the car and drive him to the hospital? I don’t want to use an ambulance. Ambulance rides are not covered in my insurance.

A siren wails. Too late.

But when I glance over my shoulder, it’s not an ambulance arriving. It’s a police car. Lucas, Chloe’s husband, folds out of the police vehicle and makes his way to me.

“Chloe rang me. She thought you might need help.”

“Thank the smugglers for mermaid ghosts,” I mutter.

“Mermaid ghosts?” Dad asks. “I’m not the one who needs help.”

“Dad,” I grumble. “We’re going to the hospital. You need to have your arm x-rayed.”

“Stupid lawnmower. I told you to buy a riding lawnmower.”

“Our yard is the size of a postage stamp. We don’t need a riding lawnmower.”

“And you don’t need to be paying some kid to mow.”

“I am not doing this with you now, Dad.” I meet Lucas’s gaze. “Can you help me get him in my car?”

“I got this,” he says before kneeling next to my dad. “How do you feel about a ride in a police car?”

“Haven’t been in a police car in ages. Will you put on the sirens and lights?”

“I can even put you in the back seat.”

“Deal.”

Lucas makes it appear easy when he picks up my dad, unlike the last time I tried to carry my dad and nearly gave myself a hernia.

I rush to follow them but Jade stops me with a hand on my arm. “I’ll put the lawnmower away.”