Page 10 of Fire and Rain
She gaped at him, clearly amused. “Did you spray that down with the hose?”
Was that so strange? “Hey, it worked.”
Just then, an H-60 Coast Guard helicopter passed overhead. They both looked up and watched it fly by in silence.
Sean carried the highchair back inside. “I’ll get that box.”
They spent the next hour going through the things from Justin’s locker. Eden pulled out a slightly bent photo from the night Maverick had been born. In the image, she smiled at the camera, newborn Maverick in a blanket on her bare chest, Justin bending low so that his face was next to hers. “He was so happy that night.”
“It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.” Sean had been in the waiting room, pacing the floor. “He kept that taped to the inside of his locker. He said it reminded him of his reason for being a rescue swimmer. He wanted to save lives so families could stay together.”
The tragic irony hung in the air between them, Eden’s eyes filling with tears.
Then Sean had to tell her. “You’re the last thing he talked about before we got on the helicopter. He said you wanted another baby, and there was a big smile on his face. He loved you, Eden, you and Maverick. You two were his entire world.”
Eden smiled through her tears. “Thanks for telling me that. And thanks for bringing me his things—and for helping with the money stuff and dinner.”
“You got it.” But Sean thought he might choke on her gratitude.
If he’d done a better job, her husband would be here tonight instead of him.
ChapterTwo
April 25
Sean lowered the litter,holding fast to the hoist line so the helo’s rotor wash wouldn’t send it into a spin. Then he saw it—smoke. It wafted out of the small boat’s cabin, and there was a strange odor to it. He wasn’t sure how he knew the smell was meth, but he did.
He warned the others. “The cabin is in flames. They’re cooking meth, and it’s going to blow. Aborting the hoist.”
But Justin hadn’t noticed. He continued to administer first aid to the unconscious patient then turned to talk to the passengers. Was his radio malfunctioning?
Sean shouted into his mic. “Justin, abandon the rescue! The boat is on fire. It’s going to blow. We’ll retrieve you from the water.”
The helo’s rotor fanned the flames, black smoke rising high into the air now.
“I’m putting some distance between us and that blaze.” James veered off, adding another twenty feet to the helo’s altitude.
Below, Justin was still talking to the passengers.
“Abandon ship!” Sean shouted again. “Jump! Get out of there!”
Justin glanced upward, the TrakkaBeam bathing him in light and reflecting off his helmet. Somehow, Sean could see his features clearly despite the distance and the glare.
Then the ship exploded just as Sean had feared it would, surprise on Justin’s face as flames consumed him.
“Justin!” Sean sat upright, covered in cold sweat, unsure whether he’d shouted the name or whether that had been part of his dream.
Fuck.
He threw back the covers, got up from his bunk, and walked to his bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face, the sound of the blast still ringing in his ears.
Damn it.
He reached for a hand towel and met his gaze in the mirror, hating the haunted look he saw in his eyes. The dream hadn’t been accurate. That’s not how it had gone down that night.
In reality, the boat hadn’t been on fire, and he’d only shouted at Justin to get off the boat once. Justin had been dragging the patient toward the railing and talking with the other passengers before the explosion. Sean had never made eye contact with him, not even for a moment, a thought that filled him with desolation.
No chance to say goodbye.
