Page 38 of Under His Protection
“Are you warm enough now?” I ask.
She nods as she takes a bite of her sandwich. She chews, then swallows. “This is really good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but it’s just a grilled cheese.” I sit beside her on the sofa and reach for my plate. I’m famished after the water rescue. “I’m sorry our swim date got messed up.”
“You literally saved a kid’s life today, Philip. You have nothing to apologize for.”
After we finish our food, I dish out two bowls of chocolate ice cream for dessert.
Haley makes an appreciative noise as she slides her spoon into her mouth. “Mmm. You made dessert, too.”
I laugh. “Scooping ice cream out of a carton hardly qualifies as making dessert.”
She smiles as she goes for another spoonful. She’s about to say something—probably make a joke—when her smile suddenly vanishes, and that haunted look returns.
I reach out and brush her soft cheek. “What’s wrong?”
“You could have died today.” That realization came back and hit her without warning.
As her eyes flood with fresh tears, I set our ice cream bowls on the coffee table. “Come here.”
She climbs onto my lap, and I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight to my chest. “Shh.” I press my lips to her temple. “Just let it go, sweetheart.”
She presses her face into the crook of my neck and sobs. All I can do is hold her close and remind her I’m fine.
We sit that way for a long time. Eventually, her breathing evens out and she rests her full weight against me. I suspect she’s fallen asleep, and that’s fine with me. She’s had a stressful day. She could use a nap.
Careful not to disturb her, I straighten myself out on the sofa. I prop my head on a sofa pillow at one end, secure my arms around her so she doesn’t accidentally roll off, and close my eyes.
I guess we could both use a little comfort.
Chapter 12 – Haley
I wake with a start, and for a split second I’m unsure of where I am. A moment later, I realize I’m lying on a warm, firm surface.Philip.His chest rises and falls beneath my cheek with a steady, even rhythm. Surprisingly, he makes a pretty comfortable bed, but I’m sure I’m crushing him.
I ease off of him and the sofa. I’m wearing his clean clothes, but my skin feels tacky from the sunscreen I put on earlier. I need a shower. Earlier, I just didn’t have the energy, but now I do.
In his bathroom, I find towels and a washcloth in the linen closet. I turn on the water, and while the shower is heating up, I relieve my bladder. I strip out of Philip’s clothes and lay them neatly on the bathroom counter. After draping the towels over the frosted glass shower doors, I step into the spray.
The warm water feels like heaven against my skin. Quickly, I lather up the washcloth and get to work, scrubbing every inch of me to remove the sunscreen’s residue. I’m trying hard not to dwell on what happened today at the beach, but the memories keep flooding back.
I can still hear that poor woman screaming for help as she watched her son flailing in the water. The image of the kid going under and not resurfacing is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
And then there was Philip, rushing in to help without a second thought for his own safety. He acted on pure instinct. He saw someone in trouble, and he ran to help.
I’ve always known Philip is a good man, but I didn’t realize just how good—how selfless he is—until now.
I shampoo my hair, scrubbing my scalp mercilessly, and as I’m rinsing it, I hear a soft knock on the bathroom door.
“Haley? Is everything okay?” Philip sounds hesitant, like he’s afraid he’s intruding. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m okay.”No, I’m not.You could have died today.I want to wrap my arms around him and reassure myself he’s okay. “Actually, I do need something.”
At first, he doesn’t respond, and I think he didn’t hear me. He may have already walked away. But then I hear his voice through the door. “Anything. Just tell me.”
His unequivocal answer gives me the courage I need to ask for what I want. “Can you come in here?”
Another brief pause, and then the bathroom door opens slowly. The room is full of steam, and the glass doors are frosted, so my view of him is hazy.
