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Kayla thought wildly, there was a part of her
half-expecting J.D. to sit up, laugh that booming laugh of his and tell everyone
it was all a joke. A prank.
    But he didn’t move and as seconds passed and the sounds of
approaching sirens grew louder, Kayla hugged her friend tighter, knowing that
nothing was ever going to be the same for any of them again.
    * * *
    At the hospital, Kayla felt absolutely useless. She
couldn’t help J.D. Couldn’t help her friend. Couldn’t help herself.
    Angie was bereft, huddled against Evan’s chest, her quiet sobs
echoing in the eerie stillness of a cold, antiseptic waiting room. Colleen sat
beside Marlene, offering what comfort she could while Sage and Dylan paced
relentlessly across pale green linoleum. No matter what happened with J.D.
tonight, Angie had already made the decision that the wedding would be postponed
indefinitely.
    No one could think of a wedding right now and Kayla had
promised to make all the necessary calls as soon as they knew what was
happening.
    Until then, Kayla was grateful for the warmth and strength of
Matt’s arm around her shoulders. It felt good to have him with her. Even though
it tore at her to think that soon he would be gone again, right now, he was
here. With her. And she knew somehow that as long as
she needed him, he would stay. All night if necessary. Even longer. As that
thought slid through her mind, she realized that she believed in him.
    She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but Kayla was convinced
now that he really did want her in his life. How that would work out, she didn’t
have a clue, but maybe together they could find a way.
    As an anonymous voice bristled over the loudspeaker, Marlene
cried into a tissue and Dylan offered to bring everyone coffee. But before they
could respond, a doctor strode into the waiting room and everyone there leaped
to their feet. They had been waiting so long—now they would finally have
answers. But judging from the look on the doctor’s face, Kayla knew none of them
was going to like what he had to say.
    “Ms. Lassiter,” he said, stopping directly in front of
Angie.
    She stood up, with Evan, Sage and Dylan flanking her in a
protective half circle. “Yes?”
    “I am sorry,” the doctor offered, his gaze shifting between the
family members before coming back to Angie. “We did everything we could, but
your father passed away.”
    Angie swayed in Evan’s arms, Marlene cried out and even Colleen
had tears streaming down her face. The Lassiter men, including Evan, were stoic
but pain gleamed in their eyes.
    Kayla was stunned. Shocked. J.D. had been ill, but to die like
that? The night before his daughter’s wedding? To go so suddenly, so quickly. In
one moment, everything had changed.
    It was staggering to realize that life, so wonderful, so
precious, could end in the blink of an eye. Kayla’s heart hurt for her friend
and the rest of the Lassiters. Their world had just changed forever. But maybe
it was a lesson, too. To not waste time. To be sure to tell the people you love
while you still had the chance.
    Now, she looked up into Matt’s green eyes and saw that he too
had been hit hard by this news. But he only held her tighter, closer, as if he
could somehow protect her from anything else that fate might throw at them.
    * * *
    A few days later, Kayla was still fielding phone calls
from people wanting to know how Angie was dealing with her father’s death. She
wanted to shout, How do you think she’s feeling? But
she didn’t, because she knew that others felt just as helpless in the face of a
tragedy as she did.
    To make it worse, she hadn’t seen Matt since the night J.D.
died. He’d spent the night, and in the darkness they’d held on to each other,
each of them giving and taking comfort.
    But just like nine months ago, in the morning he was gone. No
word. No kiss goodbye. Nothing. She hadn’t heard from him since. For all she
knew, he’d already left and gone back to L.A. At the thought,