En-GAGE-ment--Part 1
By Nancy F. Thysell (The Nifty Lady)
Author's Note: This is a sequel to "Malibu Nights." It's another story about Chris Martin and Johnny. You may want to read that story first, if you haven't already. There are references to events in that story and this begins shortly after the end of Malibu Nights.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris Martin paced the length of her small Venice, California bungalow's living room, impatiently, her aluminum crutch grinding into the hardwood floors. It was nearly seven o'clock in the evening. If her new fiancé, Johnny Gage, didn't get there soon, it would be too late. Finally, she heard his Land Rover pull up to the curb. Chris opened the door in eager anticipation. Johnny jogged up to the door with apologies written all over his face. He greeted her with a quick kiss.
"Sorry sweetie, traffic was a bear," he apologized. Chris wrapped her free arm about his waist and pulled him into the house. She could smell the scent of horses and hay in his clothing. She found it soothing.
"That's okay. It’s not like they're expecting the call but I don't want to call too late. Mom sometimes has the kids on Friday nights," Chris responded. It was two hours later back in Kansas where the rest of Chris' family lived. Her mother, Annie Martin, often babysat her grandchildren. Chris was the youngest of four and all her siblings were married and relied frequently on their mother for babysitting.
Chris and Johnny made themselves comfortable on the couch. Chris pulled the telephone into her lap and began to dial. Johnny was visibly restless. He had only asked Chris to marry him a few days earlier, after the Jimmy Chandler Trial had ended. Chris being rather old fashioned had insisted that Johnny ask her father for her hand in marriage, just to make things official and proper. Now it was Friday evening and they were placing the call. Chris' mother answered the phone on the third ring.
"Hello?" Annie Martin answered the ring.
"Mom? It's Chris." Chris placed the receiver so both she and Johnny could listen. She was so excited that she wanted to blurt out the news but she constrained herself.
"Chris honey! How are you?" Annie always enjoyed hearing from her youngest daughter. She constantly worried about her being in such a dangerous place as Los Angeles, especially after the things that had happened to her little girl.
"I'm doing great! The trial is finally over and that man got two life sentences," she informed her mother, deciding that the news about Jimmy Chandler and the trial was neutral ground.
"I'm so glad. And how is Johnny?" her mother asked. She knew that the two of them had been seeing a lot of each other.
"He’s just wonderful. Uh, Mom, is Daddy there?" Chris tugged on the telephone cord absentmindedly.
"I think so. He may have been checking on Danielle. You need to talk to him?" Annie asked with curiosity.
"Yeah. It's kinda important."
"Hold on, I'll see if I can find him." They both heard her put the receiver on the table and call for her husband, Doug. Johnny felt like he'd rather dash into a burning building than deal with this. Chris gave him an encouraging smile. After a moment or two, Doug Martin picked up the phone.
"Hello? Chris baby?"
"Hi Daddy!" She was definitely a "daddy’s girl." Johnny wetted his lips nervously with his tongue.
"Your mother said you needed to talk to me?" Doug couldn’t see his daughter nod her head.
"Well, actually it's Johnny that needs to talk to you," Chris admitted.
"Johnny? What about?" Doug’s curiosity was peaked.
"Hang on, I'm putting him on the line," Chris informed her dad and then pushed the receiver into Johnny's hand.
"Hello? Mr. Martin? John Gage here," he said somewhat apprehensively.
"Hello John. What can I do for you?"
Johnny swallowed hard but then he looked at Chris and he just knew it would be okay.
"Mr. Martin, I'd...I...well, I’d like to ask for Chris' hand in marriage." There! He'd said it. But the silence on the other end of the line was deafening. "Uh, Mr. Martin? Hello?"
"I'm still here, John," Doug responded slowly, trying to recover from what he had just heard. Not that he was entirely surprised but it was still a bit of a shock. "Give me a moment, would you?"
Johnny looked at Chris with questions in his eyes. Chris could only shrug. She didn't know what was going through her father's mind. Finally Johnny heard, "Let me talk to Chris."
This time Johnny didn't try to listen in. His head was reeling. What if he didn't give Chris his blessing? Would she call it off? Perspiration began to form on his forehead.
"Yes Daddy…I know…Yes, I know…I do love him," Chris responded to his questions. After listening for a moment without saying a word, she finally returned the receiver to Johnny. He took it reluctantly.
"Yes?" Johnny’s mouth felt dry.
"John, I'm honoring your request. You have to promise me you'll take good care of her."
"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Martin," Johnny promised earnestly. "I'll take very good care of her. I love her."
"Well, I know you make a decent living as a fireman but isn't that a bit dangerous," Doug queried.
"Yes sir, it can be. But, we try to make it as safe as possible for ourselves and the public."
"Hmm, well, I just hope you'll be extra careful from now on."
"I will, sir. I will. You can count on that," Johnny assured his future father-in-law. He was feeling a bit more relaxed. But then, for the next half hour, Mr. Martin grilled Johnny on his finances, his family and background, his education and just about anything else he could think of. Johnny was beginning to think this was more complicated than when he applied for his home mortgage. But then, this was his future father-in-law and he had every right to be concerned about his daughter. Then he asked to speak to Chris again.
"Yes Daddy?" Chris listened for a moment and Johnny watched her turn beet red. "Yes Daddy. I am." She turned her head slightly away from Johnny in embarrassment. "No sir. He's been a perfect gentleman. Daddy! No!"
Sheepishly, she handed the phone back to Johnny, "He wants to hear it from you."
"What?" Johnny mouthed as he took the receiver.
"That I can still wear white at my wedding," she told him, blushing anew. Johnny swallowed hard.
"Uh, Mr. Martin? I just want you to know that your daughter has every right to wear white at her wedding," he stammered. Then he thought Chris looked cute the way she blushed, especially on the topic of sex. He really couldn't believe he was having to go through this or that he was going be waiting that long. Maybe they'd have a really short engagement. Yeah, that's it. He smiled and then he heard Doug ask, "Have you set a date?"
Johnny turned to Chris and whispered, "He wants to know if we've set a date."
Chris took the phone, "No, Daddy, we haven't set a date yet. I’ll call as soon as we do…What? I suppose. I'll get back to you on that. Okay…Thanks Daddy…I love you too. No, tell Mom I'll call her later when she has more time to talk…Okay…Bye now." Chris hung up the phone and released a sigh.
"Whew! I'm glad that's over!" she said with a smile.
"Me too," Johnny agreed. "What was all that last part about?"
"Oh, Daddy wants to know where we want to hold the reception because he wants to get it booked as soon as possible."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when my sister got married, we almost didn't have a place to hold the reception because almost everyplace in town was booked," Chris explained.
"But, LA has thousands of places we could use."
"Uh…Johnny. My folks expect me to get married at home."
"You mean in Kansas?"
"Uh huh. Is that going to be a problem?"
"Well, no…I mean, I don't know. Everybody I know is here." Johnny was beginning to feel frustrated.
"But my whole family is back there!" Chris countered. "And all of my siblings have been married at our church back home. I never thought of getting married anyplace else." Suddenly, Chris felt on the verge of tears. Johnny enveloped her with his arms and held her tightly.
"Shhh, sweetie. It'll be okay. We'll work it out. Don't cry. Okay?" He felt her nod her head against his chest. At the moment, though, Johnny couldn’t imagine getting married without his shift mates or Roy and JoAnne and their kids, and the hospital staff. This was more complicated than he ever imagined it would be. His kissed the top of Chris head and rocked her gently. Somehow they’d figure it out. All that mattered was that they were getting married.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Roy DeSoto put the rescue squad in gear and they pulled away from Station 51, en route to Rampart Emergency Hospital for supplies. Johnny had been unusually quiet that morning and Roy figured it was only a matter of time before the discourse would begin. He wasn’t sure if he should feel guilty for appreciating the silence or not. Sometimes when Johnny got going, well, there was no stopping him.
Getting supplies was accomplished quickly as Johnny was uncharacteristically quiet. The dark-haired paramedic picked up the box of supplies and headed down the hall to the squad.
"What’s up with Johnny?" Head Nurse Dixie McCall asked as she watched the retreating figure.
"Oh, I think he has a lot on his mind," Roy commented. A sly grin crossed his lips as he confided, "He just got engaged."
Dixie arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "Our Johnny? Engaged? Wow, I never thought I’d see the day! Why is he being so quiet about it?"
Roy chuckled, "I think he’s afraid to ‘jinx’ it by telling anyone. This is a big step for our boy."
Dixie nodded in agreement. "So, I suppose you want me to keep this news under my hat?"
"Yeah, I guess you’d better. Johnny’s got to work it out in his mind, then I half expect to see him shout it from the rooftops."
"So, who’s the lucky girl?" the nurse asked just as the handi-talkie in Roy’s hand came to life.
"Squad 51, what is your status?" the dispatcher’s voice inquired.
"LA, Squad 51 available," Roy responded into the HT.
"10-4 Squad 51. Standby for response."
Roy waited as he listened to the tones and then to the dispatcher’s directions.
"Station 51, unknown rescue. Automobile in the Lake. 541 Lake Front Drive. Five four one Lake Front Drive. Cross street, Griffith Park. Time out 10:17."
Roy made a face as he listened. It sounded like a complicated rescue. He gave Dixie a quick nod and a wave of the HT as he hurried for the squad. She realized as he disappeared that he hadn’t told her who Johnny was engaged to but she had her suspicions.
Johnny was ready and waiting for Roy by the time he slid behind the steering wheel. Roy shifted the truck into gear with lights and sirens and headed for the lake.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Engine 51 had reached the scene just a few minutes ahead of the squad. Police Officer Vince Howard had arrived just before the engine. Now he crossed over to Captain Hank Stanley and the rest of the crew as they stood looking on at the unusual circumstance of the rescue.
A two-door sedan had by some means rolled down the pier and almost off the end. Somehow, the under carriage had gotten hung up on the pylons and the car was tipped precariously into the water, half submerging the front end of the vehicle. There the vehicle sat with no apparent means to reach the driver who had remained slumped over the steering wheel. At least the driver’s upper body was above the water but who knew how long that would last.
Roy pulled the squad to a stop in front of Big Red and the two paramedics jumped out.
"What’s up Cap?" Johnny asked not believing his eyes as he assessed the situation.
Hank just gestured his hand at the scene before them.
"Any suggestions?" the Captain finally asked his rescue men. Roy and Johnny moved closer to the pier to determine the best approach.
"Any idea how deep the water is there?" Roy asked the Captain.
"We'll find out. Marco go ask over at that stand and see if anyone knows how deep the water is there," Stanley directed. Marco Lopez took off for the buildings near by. A small group of onlookers was forming. Vince left the rescue to the fire department to take over crowd control. Hopefully, someone there might be able to tell him how the car had ended up on the end of the pier.
Johnny stepped onto the floating pier, it moved with his weight, the car wavered ominously, and Johnny jumped back.
"Well, that’s not going to work," he commented to Roy with a concerned frown. "We’re going to have to get out to that driver before he wakes up and starts moving around."
Marco came running back.
"Cap, the guy over there thinks that it’s maybe ten to twelve feet deep at the end of the pier."
"Can we get a boat or something?" suggested Roy looking around. The area was suspiciously lacking in boats for a marina. He saw a small rowboat about a hundred feet away but that didn't seem promising.
"I don’t know Roy. I don’t see any," Hank responded honestly.
"Cap? Why don’t we see if we can secure a line to the bumper and tie it off to the Engine?" Mike Stoker offered thoughtfully.
"Well, how are we going to get a line out there?" Johnny wanted to know.
"Perhaps if we take it real slow, we could ease out there. Let’s face it, Johnny, worse case scenario is that the car goes all the way in. But we’ve got to get to that driver and soon." Roy’s calm voice belied the concern he felt.
It was finally agreed that Johnny and Roy would secure a line to the bumper if they could do so without forcing the car into the water. Mike manned the big rig as Chet Kelly and Marco stood by on the safety lines. Roy and Johnny began a slow and cautious approach on the pier. The pier was on pontoons so it bobbed with every shift of weight. The two paramedics tried to keep their movements balanced as they inched forward. After an eternity of minutes, the two men reached the vehicle and made quick work of securing the ropes to the back bumper. On their signal, Mike began to slowly back the engine up and the line became taut. The car shifted backwards slightly. Water poured out of the door frame but the car was still hung up on the end of the pier. Once the car seemed stable, Johnny moved forward and reached for the door handle. The car bobbed with the pier but remained stable. Carefully, he swung the door open. Water gushed out the now open door. The unconscious driver started to shift with the movement of the water and before Johnny could react, she slipped out of the car and into the water beneath the pier and disappeared.
Johnny followed her into the water without a moment’s hesitation. Roy ran to the end of the pier and watch anxiously for his partner and their victim. A moment later, Johnny resurfaced with the female victim in a rescue carry. There was no way to pass the unconscious woman to Roy on the pier so he headed for the shore. Roy ran to meet them along with the rest of the crew. Many hands quickly helped to take the victim and Johnny out of the lake.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The woman was quickly placed on a yellow emergency blanket. Roy began assessing her vitals as the Captain set up the bio-phone. Marco wrapped another blanket around Johnny’s wet shoulders so he could dry off. By the time Roy had the vitals, Johnny was ready to transmit to Rampart.
"Rampart. This is Squad 51. How do you read?"
"Go ahead 51. We read you loud and clear," Dr. Mike Morton’s voice came through the bio-phone.
"Rampart, we have a female victim. Age approximately twenty-five. BP is 90 over 70. Respirations are ten and shallow. She is unconscious and has a contusion on her forehead probably from contact with the steering wheel. No other apparent trauma. Be advised that the victim was trapped in her car and partially submerged in water for about thirty minutes."
"10-4, 51. Start an IV with ringers lactate, TKO. Continue to monitor vitals and transport as soon as possible," Morton ordered.
"IV with ringers lactate, TKO and transport. 10-4 Rampart," Johnny confirmed the orders as Roy set up the IV.
The ambulance attendants arrived with the stretcher. The woman was quickly transferred to the stretcher and placed in the ambulance. Roy climbed in beside her and Johnny closed the doors. Two sharp taps on the closed door and the ambulance took off sirens blaring. As Johnny and Marco gathered up the squad’s equipment, a tow truck arrived to pull the car off the pier. The onlookers and the engine crew watched with fascination as the tow truck driver sized up the situation. The engine crew and Vince were stuck there until the car could be secured by other means. Johnny gave the Cap a lopsided grin as he climbed into the squad and took off. He was trying to imagine how in the world the woman and her car had ended up like that. It would certainly make for an interesting story. Since he was still drenched and had to pass the station on the way to Rampart, he decided he'd stop to change clothes before meeting Roy. More than anything, he hated the way the water squished in his shoes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Johnny finally arrived at Rampart in a fresh uniform. Vince had arrived as well and was waiting to get information on the driver for his report. Johnny gave him a nod as he entered through the automatic doors of the emergency room. He found his partner at the base station.
"Hey, partner," he greeted with a smile. Roy looked up from the cup of coffee he was sipping from.
"Hey Junior. You look a lot better," Roy commented noting the dry uniform.
"Yeah, I needed a change," Johnny grinned and helped himself to coffee. "How’s our victim?"
"Morton’s in with her now. She started to regain consciousness on the way in. Her vitals are quite stable, all things considered."
Johnny nodded and took a sip from his cup. "Hope she’s okay."
"Me too. Well, are you ready to roll partner?" Roy asked as he tossed his cup in the trash.
"Yeah, let’s go," Johnny complied as he threw his cup behind Roy's. The partners walked down the hall and out the ER entrance to the squad.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Roy?" Johnny began as they returned to the station.
"Uh oh," Roy thought as he glanced at his partner. Here it comes. "What?"
"Is it crazy for me not to want to go to Kansas to get married?" he finally asked.
So that's what is it. Roy gave his partner a quick glance. "What do you mean?"
"Chris’ folks are expecting us to come to Kansas to be married."
"Well, it is customary to go to the bride’s home for the wedding," Roy commented. Johnny gave his partner at confused look.
"Really? But if we go back there, would you and JoAnne be able to come? And what about the rest of the guys? That’s a lot to ask."
Roy nodded and stole another glance at Johnny. His junior partner looked so miserable that he had to stifle a grin.
"Look, you know we all want to be there but it might not be feasible. That’s a long way to go. Why don’t you just plan to hold a reception here in LA after the wedding? For everyone who can’t make it to the actual wedding," Roy finally suggested.
Johnny brightened at that thought. "Yeah, we could do that, couldn’t we? And Chris has friends from work that wouldn’t be able to attend the wedding either. That’s a great idea, Roy. Thanks!"
Johnny’s demeanor improved considerably. Roy figured that may ward off any long discussions of wedding receptions.
Johnny smiled. He felt so much better now that he had talked it over with Roy. Roy always helped him sort things out. A much happier fellow returned to Station 51 that morning. Roy just hoped it would all work out.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Saturday morning found Chris up early and cleaning the bungalow. She had a lot of things to do before going to meet Johnny at his place. Johnny had promised her a riding lesson and she was really looking forward to it. She needed to take care of things around the house before she left for the day. She hated leaving a mess to come home to. She finally put the vacuum away and set the trash outside. Johnny had a washing machine so she lugged a basket of laundry out to her new pickup truck. Chris had bought it to replace the one that she and Johnny had been robbed in. Once the police had released her old truck back to her, she really didn’t want it. It gave her the creeps. So she had traded it in and had gotten another small pickup. In honor of the fire department, she had selected a bright red color. It reminded her of Johnny and that always made her smile.
Most of her chores were finished, and she just needed to put a few things away in the kitchen. Then she could take a quick shower and change and be on her way to Johnny’s. With any luck they should arrive about the same time since he’d be coming home from his shift. She prayed that he wouldn’t be delayed by morning run. She looked at the clock over the stove and noted that it was nearly eight a.m. Maybe I should give Johnny a call and make sure he’s leaving at eight.
Chris went to the phone in the living room dialed the number for the station and waited for someone to answer.
"This is LA County Fire station 51, Firefighter Anderson speaking," an unfamiliar voice answered.
"Uh, yes...I was trying to reach John Gage," Chris informed him.
"I’m sorry Miss but the squad is out on a run. Can I take a message?" Anderson offered.
Chris figured that Anderson must be from C-Shift since she didn’t recognize the name or the voice.
"Yes, please. Would you ask him to call Chris? Let him know I won’t leave until I hear from him," she requested.
"Sure thing. He has your number?"
Chris chuckled. "Yes, he definitely has my number. Thanks."
She hung up the phone and headed for her bedroom. She had stripped the bed of its linens for the laundry. Now that she had the time she decided to put a fresh set on the bed. She had just completed the task when the telephone rang. She picked up the bedside extension.
"Hello?"
"Hi sweetie. Is everything okay?" Johnny asked.
"Hi honey. Yes everything’s fine. I just didn’t want to be waiting for you at your place if you were going to be late," Chris explained.
"Oh, you didn’t, did you? You mean I’m not worth waiting for?" Johnny teased.
"You are so bad! No, that’s not it. I just had a lot of things to do and I figured I’d get them done before I headed out. No sense leaving if you were going to be held over, now is it?" she countered.
"Well, you got me there. Look, we just got back and I need to take a shower before l change clothes. I’ll probably be out of here in twenty minutes or so. Why don’t you just plan to be at the house by, say, eleven? Will that give you enough time?" Johnny inquired.
"More than enough," Chris giggled. "I’ll see you then. Do I need to bring anything?"
"Just your sweet self," Johnny replied. "Bye sweetie. I love you."
"I love you too, bye now," Chris signed off. Well, now she had plenty of time to put that stuff away in the kitchen. She picked up her crutch and made her way into the kitchen, humming to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Johnny hung up the phone and wearily made his way across the truck bay to the locker room. He was covered with soot and grime from that last call. Roy was already in the shower as Johnny entered the room. Gage quickly stripped out of his nighttime turnout gear and entered the empty shower stall next to Roy.
"What did Chris want?" Roy asked over the rush of the water as he tried to wash away the smell of smoke from his hair.
Johnny turned on the water and stood under the spray for a moment before he began to lather up or answer his partner. He let the water run into his mouth. It was cool and soothing as it hit his raw throat. The fire they had fought that morning had been stubborn and he had eaten more smoke than he cared.
"She wanted to make sure I’d be at the house when she got there," Johnny finally answered Roy’s question.
"Oh, I see. What are you two gonna do today?"
"I promised to give her a riding lesson," Johnny shouted over the roar of the shower. "Hey, you got any extra shampoo over there. I just ran out."
"Sure. Heads up," Roy replied and tossed the plastic bottle over the divider. Johnny’s slippery hands jostled the bottle and it finally fell to the floor in a clatter.
Johnny could hear Roy laugh as he called out, "Sorry."
"Yeah, right!" Johnny called back. Just then Captain Stanley stuck his head in the door and yelled.
"Hey, you guys! Don’t hog the showers. We need ‘em too!"
"Just finishing up, Cap," Roy yelled back. Johnny heard Roy turn off the water in his stall. He put his head under the steamy spray and wished he could stay under the comforting warmth for a long time. But he resigned himself that would not be happening. Anyway, he had to get home to Chris. He smiled at the thought of going home to Chris. He finished rinsing off and turned off the shower. The rest of A-Shift was stripping off their soot-covered clothing so they could shower and go home. Johnny knew the guys had to be really tired as Chet didn’t even throw a barb at him. He dressed quickly and followed Roy out to the parking lot. It was a beautiful day. He grinned broadly at his partner as they departed the parking lot and headed for home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris pulled out the step stool and placed it next to the counter. At five foot three, she constantly needed the help of a step stool to reach the upper cabinets in the kitchen. She placed some items on the counter, propped her crutch against the wall and climbed up the step stool. She bent down and picked up a large mixing bowl from the counter. She planned to put it on top of the cabinets. As she reached to place it there, she had to stretch onto her tiptoes. Suddenly, as an unbearable sharp pain seared through her right leg, Chris lost her grip on the bowl. As if in slow motion, Chris and the bowl, fell in a backward arch to the kitchen floor. The bowl shattered into hundreds of pieces. Chris lay on her back on the floor, writhing in pain. She didn’t even know if she was cut or not. All she knew for sure was that her leg felt as though it was on fire. She tried to get up but she couldn’t. Tears of pain streamed down her face. She needed help. She knew Johnny would miss her and come looking for her but that wouldn’t be for hours. She tried to scoot away from the broken glass. She grimaced in pain. If she could make it into the living room, maybe she could reach the phone.
She started to reach for her face with her right hand. That’s when she saw the blood from a gash on her palm. She suddenly felt dizzy and then her eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As soon as he got home, Johnny hurried to take care of the horses. He wanted to be ready to go as soon as Chris got there. He was anxious to take Chris riding for the first time. He knew she was excited about it, too. He frowned as he glanced at his watch. It was 11:30. It wasn’t like Chris to be late. He walked back to the house and dialed her number. The phone rang about six times before her answering machine came on. He hung up the receiver without leaving a message. Hopefully she was on her way and would be there any time.
He had barely hung up the phone when it rang. He grabbed it up, expecting it to be Chris. "Hello?" His smile turned to a scowl as a sales pitch began.
"Not interested," he responded angrily and slammed the phone down. Man, I hate those calls.
Johnny looked out into the yard hoping to see Chris’ red pickup pull into the drive. He paced anxiously for a few minutes. Johnny! You’re just being silly. She’s just a little late. She’ll be here any minute.
At noon, Johnny dialed Chris’ number again. Now he was worried. He picked up the phone again and dialed Roy’s number.
"Roy? It’s Johnny," he said as soon as he heard his partner’s voice.
"Hey Johnny. What’s up?" Roy asked when he heard the uneasiness in his friend’s voice.
"I’m worried about Chris. She was supposed to be here over an hour ago. There’s no answer at her place. Something’s wrong."
"Now, Johnny. Don’t worry. Maybe she just got tied up in traffic or something," Roy suggested.
"Roy, I have a bad feeling. Look, I think I’d better go look for her."
"Okay, junior. Listen, you give me a call when you find her so we won’t worry," Roy said of JoAnne and himself.
"Right partner. I’m going to leave her a note in case we miss each other in traffic," Johnny informed his friend. "I call you when I get to her place."
"Sounds good. I’ll be waiting for your call," Roy replied before he hung up the phone. He turned to JoAnne’s questioning eyes with a shrug. "Johnny’s worried about Chris. She’s late showing up."
"Oh, dear, I hope nothing’s wrong," JoAnne responded worriedly.
"Me too, babe. Me too." Roy pulled his wife into a reassuring hug.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
End of Part 1, To be continued in Part 2
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