After the Dawn Read Free Page A

continued down the hall.
    Samantha slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans, stared after him, then headed for the stairs. Looked like she was eating out again. There was no way she was going to sit through another dinner with her aunt and uncle.
    *   *   *
    Abe heard the knock on the door and said a prayer he’d find the right words. His nurse opened the door.
    â€œMy father wanted to see me.”
    Abe briefly shut his eyes. Evan hadn’t even looked at Bertha. How could his flesh and blood be so uppity and condescending?
    â€œI was just going down to heat up some broth. Just sit, no exertion. His granddaughter left a short time ago.”
    Abe saw Evan’s mouth tighten. The boy never liked being told what to do. Or perhaps he recognized that Bertha had snubbed him by not looking at him just as he had her. “Of course.”
    â€œI’ll be back as quick as possible, Mr. Collins.”
    Abe didn’t try to acknowledge her in any way. Bertha would understand. He would need all of his strength in the coming minutes. Unlike Samantha, his oldest son didn’t approach the bed. Abe couldn’t help but think nothing would have kept William away.
    â€œNeed to talk to you,” he managed. He had to get this said.
    Evan cautiously approached the bed, then slipped his hand into the pocket of his slacks. “Daddy, maybe you shouldn’t talk.”
    Abe finally saw that Evan was scared and unsure of himself. Unfortunately, Abe had seen the furrowed brow and darting gaze before. “Company in trouble.”
    His son’s brows drew together. His hand came out of his pocket. “What kind of trouble?”
    â€œLosing business. My fault. Wouldn’t listen.”
    Evan braced one hand on the side of the bed near his father’s arm and leaned closer. “Listen to whom?”
    â€œWilliam. Dillon.”
    Evan’s shoulders snapped upright. Anger flashed in his dark eyes. “You’re dwelling in the past. It’s the effect of the lack of oxygen when you had the heart attack.”
    â€œNo. Wrong. I asked Sammie to help run the company.”
    â€œWhat?” Evan yelled. “Are you crazy? She’s a reporter, for God’s sake! You must be senile!”
    â€œNo. Try to understand.”
    â€œUnderstand that you always loved William more and, since you can’t have him, you want the daughter!” Evan yelled, leaning closer to his father. “You can’t do this to me!”
    All wrong. All wrong.
    Abe struggled to lift himself from the bed to somehow reassure Evan, who had always been insecure. His son kept yelling, pacing, shutting his father out.
    Abe couldn’t understand the words because the pain in his chest was too severe. He was having trouble catching his breath. He fought to ignore the pounding in his chest, the dizziness, the sense of falling, of darkness.
    Somehow he had to fix this. He— Abe slumped back on the bed and didn’t move. The monitor wailed long and loud.
    Evan spun. Horror and fear gripped him. “Daddy!” He rushed to the bed.
    The beeper screamed. Evan screamed louder. “Daddy! God, no! I didn’t mean it. Please, no!”
    The nurse burst into the room and rushed to the bed, but even as she grabbed the automatic electronic defibrillator and ordered a hysterical Evan to call 911, she knew that it was too late.
    Abe Collins wasn’t going to cheat death twice.

 
    One
    Most of Elms Fork had turned out for Abe Collins’s funeral, Dillon Montgomery noted. Two hours ago, they’d spilled out of the largest church in town. There were so many flowers, it had taken two black vans to carry them to the cemetery. The slow procession of cars behind the hearse had been two miles long. Most of the businesses—except for the gas stations and a couple of restaurants—were closed in honor of a man who had made Elms Fork more than a dot on a map.
    Muffled sniffles