“That makes sense. So, what’s the game plan now? A pulled muscle can take a while to heal.”
Richard sat down next to me. “They want to keep her overnight, just to monitor her. Everything else seems fine, but being pregnant makes it all the more difficult. Anyway, she said that she wants to see you.”
I nodded and headed back to visit my friend.
She was sitting in a hospital bed, looking much better but still tired. “Hey, Richard said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, thank you so much for bringing me in here, Crystal. Although, please don’t ever drive that fast again. You almost made me go into labor!”
“I had to, Annie! Do you know how worried I was?”
Annie chuckled while clutching her stomach. “Guess I gave you a good scare, huh?”
“Guess? Are you kidding me? I nearly had a heart attack just by watching you try to stand up!”
She nodded and took my hand. “Anyway, I wanted to know if you could do me a favor?”
I pulled up a chair and sat down next to her bed. “Of course, Annie. I’d do anything for you!”
She let out a big sigh. “The doctor doesn’t want me to work until after the baby is born, and you’re the most experienced employee that I have, and the one I trust the most.”
I had a good idea about what she was going to ask of me, but I kept my poker face on. “That makes sense, Annie. You have to take care of yourself first. What do you need me to do?”
“Everything. I need you to do everything at the yoga studio for me. Now that I can’t work at all, I need you to cover my pregnancy classes. I’ll email you the poses and how the class goes. Please, you’re the only one I trust to do this for me.”
My mind quickly calculated how many pregnancy classes she taught. While it meant working long days, I was grateful Annie had already assigned some of my classes to other instructors. “Of course, Annie. That’s not a problem at all!”
“There’s more, though, Crystal. I need you to take care of the business stuff, too—all of the record keeping and payroll. Of course, I’ll be able to help you from home with any questions that you have, but I just can’t do it anymore. I’m terrified that I’ll pull another muscle while teaching a class, which could be worse than what I went through today. It’s asking a lot of you. We’re talking sixteen-hour days because I don’t do paperwork until the studio is closed.”
All I could do was smile and reassure her that I would take care of the yoga studio. I didn’t want her to stress herself into early labor, and I sure as hell didn’t want her to pull another muscle. She had been there for me throughout my entire life, and now she needed me.
I was determined to be there for Annie, just like Gavin had been for me.
20
Gavin
Crystal and I had been back in town for a few weeks. Unfortunately, a few days after we had returned to River Valley, Annie had been put on bed rest. I had planned to stop by the studio to see her, but Mr. Truman had asked me to meet him at his house. He didn’t go into specifics about what he needed, but he said it was urgent and to be there as soon as possible. I had been enjoying some much-needed downtime, so I assumed it was some upcoming projects. As much as I enjoyed being paid to just reply to emails, I had to admit, I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy.
I drove up the long driveway that led to the Truman’s mansion, and I was awestruck by all of the beautiful trees. Mrs. Truman had just hired a new gardening service that was working on her property, and I watched, inspired as they dug holes for new plants. If I hadn’t been in real estate, then I could see myself owning a landscaping company.
Several of Mr. Truman’s luxury cars were parked in the driveway that day. They made my BMW convertible look like something out of a junk pile. He was an avid collector of vintage sports cars, a hobby that he had passed onto Richard as he had gotten older. They were nice, but I preferred newer cars. As long as it was classy, that’s all I cared about. My favorite, of course, was Crystal’s Lamborghini.
After I parked, I pulled out my phone to check for text messages from Crystal. Since we had become more serious, we were constantly texting each other throughout the day. I was a bit sad to see that she hadn’t sent me anything in a while, but I assumed she was busy working.
Her work ethic was just one of the many things that I admired about her.
As I got out of my car, Mrs. Truman walked outside wearing a bright red Chanel suit. “Good morning, Mrs. Truman. You look lovely today.”
She swung her Chanel purse over her shoulder and hugged me. “Thank you, Gavin. I’m heading out to a luncheon with some other ladies, but Mr. Truman is waiting for you inside.”
The Truman’s were always donating to charities, and I was curious. “What’s the luncheon for today?”
“It’s for the local historical society and arts council. We’re trying to get additional funding for preservation of our local landmarks. It’s so important for small towns to preserve their history, wouldn’t you agree? But we are also, and really, more importantly, looking at starting a food bank. With all that’s going on today, so many are in need.”
“That’s one of the many reasons I love River Valley.”
Mrs. Truman nodded while reapplying her lipstick. “Yes, and I know that Julianna is hoping for more funding. She’s been so busy with the food bank lately.”
