Read Always You (A Magnolia Falls Novel) for Free Online Page A

more cheek-kissing and whispered in her ear, “I am working on an exquisite creation just for you. Do not disappoint me.” He flicked his green scarf over his shoulder and turned. “ Ciao .”
    Diana and Liz looked at each other and laughed. “What a character,” Diana said.
    “That he is. But he’s a brilliant designer.”
    “If that dress you are wearing is his, I’d have to agree. Not a feather in the entire thing.”
    That caused them both to laugh again.
    “Come on. I want to introduce you to my agent.” She took a step and stopped, put a hand to her head, the other on the wall to steady herself.
    Diana rushed to her side. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been a long day.”
    “Let’s find you a chair so you can sit down.”
    “No, really I’m fine. Let’s go meet—”
    Liz passed out before she could finish the sentence. Diana managed to catch her and lower her slowly to the floor. “Help me. Somebody help!” Diana shouted, hoping she would be heard over the cacophony of voices.
    “What happened to her?”
    Diana saw a man in tuxedo kneel down on the other side of Liz. She didn’t bother looking at his face because she was busy listening for breath and checking Liz for a pulse. Jessica stood behind her crying. Relief rushed through her when she found a pulse, a faint one. She was alive. “Call 911!” Diana snapped at the man. She reached for Jessica, pulled her into her lap, and held her tight. “She’s going to be okay, baby.”
    Let her be ok. Let her be ok. Diana repeated over and over in her head.
    “They’ll be here soon.” Diana looked up and saw the stranger who had been sitting next to them during the show.
    “Excuse me?” She asked.
    “The ambulance. I called. They’ll be here any minute.” He picked Liz up off the floor.
    “Hey. Where are you taking her?” Diana stood and took Jessica’s hand.
    “To a dressing room.” He didn’t wait for a reply, leaving Diana no choice but to follow him. She and Jessica had to practically run to keep up with him.
    Once he had Liz settled on a sofa and covered with a blanket he turned to Diana. “I’m Pete Wilson, Liz’s agent.”
    Diana nodded. She was too stunned to speak. She sat on the edge of the sofa, with Jessica sitting on her lap. She kept Liz’s hand gripped firmly in hers while she rocked Jessica. It seemed as if time slowed down and hours passed, when in reality only a few minutes had gone by when she heard the paramedics enter the room. One of them lifted her gently but quickly to her feet and out of the way.
    “What are they doing to her?” Jessica asked.
    “They are making her better.” Diana hoped it wasn’t too late, and that she would get well. They could not handle another loss in their small family.
    “Why isn’t she waking up?” Jessica wailed as they watched the paramedics check Liz’s vitals.
    “I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.” Diana held onto her tighter. She watched as they opened one eye and flash a light into it, then the other.
    Within a couple of minutes they had her on a gurney and were wheeling her out. The paramedic who had gotten Diana out of the way came to talk to her. “Are you with her?”
    “Yes. She’s my sister”
    “We are taking her to Mount Sinai Hospital.” He handed her a card with the address.
    “Okay. We will be right there. Please take care of her.”
    “We will do all we can.” He ran to catch up.
    Pete put his hand under her elbow and led her to the door. “My car is waiting. I’ll take you to the hospital. Would you like me to carry her? She looks heavy.” Jessica’s arms tightened around Diana’s neck.
    “I’ve got her, thanks. And thank you for the ride.”
    “No problem. I need to be there, too.”
    Diana and Jessica got into the back of a black SUV. Pete sat in the passenger seat, and his driver drove at breakneck speed, cutting people off, and breaking every traffic law there was to get them to the hospital in record time. In