Page 36 of Under His Protection
“I’m right here, honey,” his mother says as she moves into his line of sight. “I’m right here.”
I feel Philip’s lips in my hair. “He’s okay.”
I sag with relief, and a moment later I hear the sound of approaching sirens.
The nurse comes up to Philip and pats his back. “Good work. You saved that kid’s life. How did you learn to swim like that?”
“I worked as a lifeguard in high school.”
The woman rubs his upper arm. “Well, you’re quite the hero today, young man.” She smiles at me. “And you’re a very lucky young woman.”
Chapter 11 – Philip
Once the paramedics arrive and take over caring for the kid, I figure it’s okay for us to leave. Haley looks like she’s on the verge of keeling over. Her eyes have a haunted look, and she’s white as a sheet.
I take her hand and walk her back to the spot where we left our things. “Sit down, Hale.”
She sits on her beach towel, draws her knees up to her chest, and wraps her arms tightly around them. She’s shaking, whether from cold or nerves I don’t know, so I grab my towel, shake it free of sand, and drape it over her shoulders.
I crouch down in front of her and put my hands on her knees. “Everything’s okay, babe. I’m pretty sure the kid’s going to be fine.”
She looks up at me, her eyes rimmed with red. Her voice is raw when she says, “You could have died today, and it would have been my fault.” And then she shudders violently and lays her forehead down on my hands.
My heart cracks wide open at the pain in her voice. “Aw, Haley, no.”
I remove the towel from her shoulders, lay it on the sand, and I take a seat and pull her down onto my lap. She buries her face against my chest.
“No, Haley,” I murmur against her head. “It wouldn’t have been your fault.”
“Yes, it would have.” Her voice cracks. “It was my idea to come here today.”
“Honey, if that was true, then nobody would ever go anywhere.”
“If it weren’t for me, you never would have been here and risked your life like that.”
“Going into the water after that kid was my choice, Hale. If the situation had gone south, it wouldn’t have been on your shoulders, sweetheart. It would have been on mine.”
I tilt her face up so she’s looking at me. “None of this is your fault.” I lean forward and press my lips to her forehead. “I mean it. None of it.”
When I pull back, she gives me a weak smile. “I didn’t know you were a lifeguard. How many other secret talents do you have?”
I chuckle. “It was years ago.”
“You were so incredibly brave today, Philip.”
“Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Today wasn’t the first time I’ve gone into Lake Michigan to pull out a drowning swimmer.”
She reaches out to brush my damp hair back. “You’re so modest. It was averybig deal. You could have died. You were under so long I feared the worst.”
“The water was murky, so it took me a while to find him.” I tighten my arms around her. “I have a suggestion. We were planning to eat somewhere along the Riverwalk—”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t right now.” She shudders.
“I know. So, here’s what I’m thinking. We could catch a cab back to my place. You can change into dry clothes, and I’ll make us some lunch. Then we can relax at my place.”
“But your truck is on campus.”
“That’s okay. We’ll take a cab back to campus. And after I drop you off at your dorm room, I’ll come back home in the truck. How does that sound?”
