Racing Hearts: Will the Actress Marry Him?

Chapter 5: He's a Miracle Worker!

Like a gentleman, Case stepped in to load Andrea’s luggage into the back of the SUV. He smelled nice—like the woods and leather mixed with a tinge of motor oil. She stepped away, not wanting to be in his personal space.

Andrea walked around to the passenger side and took her coat off so she wouldn’t be too warm. Her phone was in the pocket, so she kept it on her lap when she climbed in and hooked her seat belt. Case came up behind her and closed the door for her. Then, he came around and got into the SUV. “What is your address?”

She told him her mom’s address though she didn’t really want to. It wasn’t like he was a stalker or something. He punched that in and put his phone in the console. Andrea found a station playing pop music, and he made a face.

Case pulled the SUV toward the exit where there was a long line of cars waiting to get out. The snow was coming down hard in front of them. She could only see a thick blanket of white. “This is going to be a long drive.”

Andrea agreed. She pulled her phone. She was so worried about Grandpa Jack, she wanted to talk to him.

As Case drove them out of the garage, Andrea heard her mom’s voice in her ear. “Hi honey. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Are you at the hospital, Mom? I want to talk to Grandpa.”

“Yes, I am. Just a minute, honey.”

Outside of her window, the snow was falling down like cotton from the sky as they made their way slowly toward the highway. The roads around the airport had been cleared off, but she had no idea how it would be once they got to the interstate or the roads that led out of town. She glanced at Case and saw he was really concentrating to see through the snow with the windshield wipers on full blast.

Grandpa’s voice sounded tired. “Hello? Andrea, dear, is that you?”

Andrea felt tears in her eyes at the sound of his voice. “Yes, it’s me. Grandpa, how are you?”

“I’m just fine, dear.”

He clearly wasn’t. “Listening, Grandpa, you know I’m coming to see you, right? But the airport is closed. So we’re taking a car. I need you to go ahead and have your surgery so you’re all better when I get there.”

“You’re driving in this snowstorm?” Grandpa asked. “You can’t drive good when the road is dry and clear!”

Andrea giggled at his teasing. “I’m not driving, Grandpa. But you won’t believe who is driving me.”

“Who is it?” He was interested now.

“It’s Case Meyer.”

“Shut the front door!” Grandpa exclaimed.

“That’s right, Grandpa. It really is. You want to say hi to him? Be fast because he is driving.” She held the phone out so that Grandpa could say hello.

“Hi, Grandpa Jack,” Case said, not looking away from the road. “You should get that surgery. I can’t wait to meet you. Tell you what, you get the surgery, and I’ll be sure to come and say hi, all right?”

Andrea pulled the phone away to hear his answer. “Well, I’ll be! All right! If you can get Case Meyer to come and say hello, then I will get the surgery. But I’m worried, Andrea. It is a dangerous surgery.”

“I know, Grandpa. But you’ll be okay. I promise I will be there soon. When you wake up, I will be there holding your hand—with Case.” She didn’t like the sound of that—being with Case—but if that’s what it took to get her grandfather to do the surgery, then she would try anything.

“It’s a deal,” Grandpa Jack said, and Andrea wiped tears from her cheeks. She felt relieved.

“I love you, Grandpa. I will see you soon. Let me talk to Mom.”

“Goodbye, honey.” He handed the phone back to her mom.

“What did you say?” her mom wanted to know. “He’s signing the papers to have the surgery!”

“It wasn’t me. It was Case Meyer.”

“Well, that Case is a miracle worker!” Her mom was so happy, Andrea could hear it through the phone.

Andrea turned her head to look at him. “You might be right, Mom. I’ll see you soon. Where are we going?” She didn’t recognize the road at all.

“There’s a big wreck up ahead on the interstate. We’re going to have to take another route.”

Andrea felt her stomach turn over. She was glad for her grandpa, but she still needed to hurry. It was a dangerous surgery, and she wanted to be there when he woke up—if he woke up. Case turned off of the main highway onto another route, and she tried to settle her nerves, but she was anxious, and the icy road wasn’t making it better at all.