Family to the Rescue

“Let’s get you out of this place,” Drew said. “I grabbed a T-shirt from my truck you can put on.”

Seth stood and took his gown off—he still had on his board shorts from the beach—and pulled on the T-shirt Drew had brought, being careful not to touch his bandage. He looked down at his feet. “I don’t suppose I came here with shoes on, did I?”

Drew shook his head. “Nope, you were barefoot, and I was so intent on staying with you, I forgot to grab your stuff. Dana Hiatt called and told me she picked up your shoes, shirt and sweatshirt when she left the beach and would drop them at your house.”

“I’ll have to be sure and thank her.” A thought occurred to Seth. “Hey, how’s Kim?” He’d been glad to see that she seemed okay when he’d come to on the beach, but you never knew.

“She’s doing all right,” Drew responded. “In fact, she and Lily have been camped out in the waiting room anxiously waiting for news on you.”

“Hmm. I didn’t expect that.” Surprise tinged with pleasure bounced through Seth. For some reason, he was looking forward to seeing Kim again.

With Drew by his side, Seth made his way out of the E.R. His legs felt like he’d run a couple of marathons, and his head was pounding even more than it had when he’d been sitting.

Just as they stepped into the waiting room, a young woman rose from a chair near the exit and approached them. Her dark hair hung in damp strings around her face, and the gray fleece sweatshirt she wore was still slightly wet-looking around her shoulders. But it was her big brown eyes that stood out like hunks of topaz against the paleness of her face.

His heart sped up. Kim. After they’d locked gazes on the beach, he’d recognize her anywhere.

“S-Seth?” she said, her voice quavering. “I’m Kim. Kim Hampton.” She tried to smile but only made her pale lips quiver. Obviously she was still shook up and exhausted.

No surprise there; he felt exactly the same way, and impersonating a banged-up piece of hamburger wasn’t floating his boat.

An odd feeling twisted inside him, and a reply stuck in his throat; all he could think about was reaching out and wrapping his arms around her, giving the comfort she clearly needed.

Whoa, Graham. Slow down. Taking her in his arms? What was up with that? He barely knew her. The blow to his head must have really done a number on him.

While he stood there, wrestling with the strange urge to comfort her, she moved closer. “You rescued me today,” she said, smoothing her hair behind one ear with a shaking hand. “From the water?”

“I, um, remember,” he replied inanely. Oh, real smooth. When was the last time he’d sounded like an idiot while trying to talk to a woman? He guessed it was probably when he was about fifteen. He hadn’t even been this tongue-tied when he had met Diana back in his rowdy college days, and he thought he’d perfected the art of casual conversation with a pretty girl since then.

“I…uh, just wanted to be sure you were okay,” Kim said.

Drew cut in. “Why don’t I go bring the car around while you two talk?”

“Okay,” Seth said, agreeing only because he wasn’t sure how far he could walk.

After Drew left, Seth looked at Kim. “I’m doing all right,” he replied, even though he felt as if he had a herd of horses with sharp hooves galloping through his brain.

“Oh, good. I’ve been so worried.” She let out a heavy breath, then eyed his bandage. “How’s the cut?”

“It needed stitches, but I’ll heal up.” He’d had worse in his baseball days, compliments of a few wild pitches. And his knee had recovered pretty well, too, even though that injury had put an end to his baseball career.

She nodded, wringing her hands together.

He noted again how dead on her feet she looked. But not actually dead, which was good. Very good.

“Listen, I also wanted to thank you. If you hadn’t come after me, I’m sure I wouldn’t have made it back in.” Her pretty brown eyes glistened with tears. “You saved my life. You’re a true hero.”

Her praise unnerved him; being called a hero…well, it wasn’t necessary. He hadn’t rescued her for accolades or attention. He’d rescued her because it was the right thing to do. “I only did what anyone else would have done.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” she replied, her tears welling at the corner of her eyes.

The tears in her eyes made his chest tight. Struggling to breathe, and make sense of his reactions to her, he again shoved away the urge to touch her, comfort her.

To be her emotional rock.

Whoa. That was not a place he needed to go. Emotional connections with women weren’t his thing. Never had been. Not since Diana. Too much drama there. “I’m no hero, but I was glad to help.”

She wiped at her eyes. “Well, I’m glad you helped, too. And my son certainly will be.” She reached out and squeezed Seth’s arm. “Because of you, he still has a mother.”

His face went warm, along with the spot on his arm where she touched him. Thoughts zinged through his brain. She had a son? Was she married…? No, no, she’d been at the church singles event… Single mom, then. Okay.

He shook his head slightly, regretting it instantly when the horses started stampeding again. He sucked in a large breath, trying to focus around the pain. “Again, I’m happy I could help,” he stated.

Just then, Lily came out of the ladies’ room to Seth’s right. She, too, had slipped on a sweatshirt, but she looked as bedraggled as Kim. Her long blond hair was stringy, and her legs had sand all over them.

As she walked over, she nodded knowingly, looking at Kim. “See? What did I tell you?” She gestured to Seth. “He’s okay.”

Kim smiled, revealing sparkling white teeth and cute little crinkles around her eyes. Wow, she was pretty. Even when she was as pale as a ghost and fresh from a near-drowning.

Seth’s knees went weak. From her smile and pretty face? Nah. He was just injured, right?

“That’s a relief,” Kim said. “The Lord was watching over all of us today, wasn’t He?”

Seth didn’t quite know what to say to that, seeing as how he and God weren’t that close. He may have prayed for help earlier, but he knew crises made people do weird stuff—even pray to a God who had never answered any prayers in the past.

But he did know that he needed to get home. ASAP. His eyes felt as if they were going to pop right out of him. And the horses had turned into elephants.

Drew came hurrying back into the E.R. waiting room. He put his hand on Seth’s shoulder and spoke up. “You don’t look so good, dude. We should go. My rig’s waiting.”

Just then, Drew’s pager went off. He looked down at it, scowling. “Sorry. It’s the fire department.” Drew had been part of Moonlight Cove’s local volunteer fire brigade for years. He pulled out his cell. “I’ll call and see what they need. You gonna be okay for another minute?”

Seth nodded, then flinched. “No problem.” He needed to man up and sit tight.

His legs shaky, Seth found the nearest chair, resisting the urge to drop his head into his hands and groan. Kim and Lily followed and sat down, one on either side of him.

Even though he felt like he’d been run over by a truck, he wanted to know more about Kim. Odd, but there you had it. “So, I take it you’re new in town,” he said. Wow. Nice line. Really suave. And why did he care about his suaveness, anyway?

“How did you know?” Kim asked.

Lily piped in. “Moonlight Cove isn’t that big a place, and Seth was born and raised here, like me.” She smiled. “We were neighbors growing up.”

He wanted to nod, but caught himself in time. “I… we know just about everyone who lives here.”

“Then you probably know my aunt, Rose Latham,” Kim said.

Ah-hah. “Yes, I do. Lovely lady. Rose is one of the nicest women I’ve ever met.”

“My son, Dylan, and I are living with her.”