Two

Scarlett

I followed the feeble voice through the brush toward the pond, my heart in my throat. When Nathan had moseyed back to my office without his little brother hot on his heels as usual, I’d just known something was wrong.

“Where’s your brother?” I’d asked, but he’d just shrugged, his mind back at the stable, daydreaming about horses as always.

“Daniel!” I hollered again, my boots slipping in the mud.

“He’s here!” came the voice again, louder this time.

Johnny?

My heart clutched for altogether different reasons now. What would Johnny be doing out here at this time of night? I barely saw him outside the house unless he had to be, and he avoided me and the boys at all costs, as if the sight of me pained him somehow, which broke my heart. He’d been Todd’s best friend in high school, and he’d always been sweet to me. I’d had so little sweetness in my life, I often found myself daydreaming that he’d look at me as more than a friend. Now, I just wondered what I’d done to offend him. But, if Todd taught me anything, it was that my very existence offended most men.

I broke through the last line of brush into the clearing next to the Ray family pond. I paused, my eyes adjusting to the darkness that had quickly descended.

Something moved.

And arm waved. “Here.”

Oh, God. Two bodies were lying on the ground, one large, one small, both soaked. I rushed over and fell to my knees, my hands instantly on my son. He was breathing, but icicle cold and barely responsive to my touch. “What happened?”

Johnny flopped to his back and faced the moonlight. “He fell in. He needs to be warmed up. Get him to the house and call for help.”

My gaze flew back to my child’s face. His eyes were closed, his flesh pale.

“Go,” Johnny urged, not moving a muscle, his own breathing shallow, his arm draped across his stomach as if it was too much effort to move.

Tears bit my eyes, hot and harsh. I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me, and scooped my baby boy into my arms. I shot Johnny one last quick glance then ran as fast as I could toward the office.

I’d left Nathan with Old Pete the foreman, and two sets of wide eyes met me when I returned with my soaking bundle. “Pete,” I yelled as I dashed up the porch steps. “Johnny is by the pond and he needs help. Go!”

He didn’t ask any questions and took off as quick as his old legs would carry him. I threw a blanket at Nathan. “Take this and my cell phone. Help Mr. Pete and don’t leave his side. You hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He took off to follow, guilt scribbled all over his face for leaving his brother unattended.

But the guilt was mine. I should’ve known better than to leave Daniel in his care, even for a few minutes.

I cranked up the office heater and stripped the wet clothes from Daniel’s body then wrapped him in a blanket. I checked his pulse and breathing again as I dialed 9-1-1 from the office line.

Big hazel eyes, so much like mine, finally opened. “Mommy?”

Relief made me dizzy and I sank down next to him. “Yes, baby. I’m here.”

“I fell in the pond.”

“I know you did.” I brushed the damp hair from his forehead. “And you scared me to death.”

“I lost my GI Joe.” Fat tears filled his eyes.

“That’s okay, honey. We’ll get you another one.” I tugged the blanket up higher under his chin as the 9-1-1 operator answered the call and I gave her my information.

As we spoke, headlights filtered through the blinds and I knew Mr. and Mrs. Ray were back from their trip to town. Good God. How was I going to explain that their recuperating war hero son had nearly frozen to death saving my son from drowning while I’d been preoccupied?

Doing what?

Working?

Well . . . technically, yes. I could explain it away at that, but if I were being totally honest, I spent half my time lately daydreaming about their broody boy.

Daniel began to squirm and sat up. “Where’s Mr. Johnny? He got me out of the water.”

“He’s outside,” I said. “Mr. Pete and your brother went to check on him.”

He nodded, and the operator mumbled something about the paramedics being close by just as Mr. and Mrs. Ray made their way inside, stomping their feet on the mat. Mrs. Ray spotted us first and paused, her eyes pinging back and forth between me on the phone and Daniel.

“What happened?”

“I fell in the pond,” Daniel answered helpfully, his lips only barely blue.

“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Ray said, rushing over, doting over him as if she was his grandmother. “Are you okay, baby?”

He nodded. “I nearly drownded, but Mr. Johnny saved me. He jumped in and pulled me out.”

Her eyes flew to mine, round as silver dollars.

I nodded then tilted my head toward the pond. “Pete went to him.”

She faced her husband. “Go check on them, will you?”

“Of course.” Mr. Ray spun back out the door and raced down the steps, his boots clomping away as he ran toward his son, who had selflessly risked himself to save mine.

The heater made the room into a sauna by the time the men had a sopping Johnny up to the porch and the paramedics arrived to check everyone over. He refused to go to the hospital and I would’ve sworn he resented all the fuss. Instead, he insisted they focus on Daniel and stomped off toward the main house, saying he just needed a hot shower and a bed.

“Scarlett?”

I ripped my eyes from his retreating back. “Sorry?”

Mrs. Ray’s gaze narrowed quizzically. “I said I’d be happy to keep Nathan tonight so you can go to the hospital with little Daniel.”

“Oh. Right. Thank you so much.” I dropped my head and rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m sorry. It’s just . . . I’m a little bit overwhelmed and . . .”

She gripped my other hand. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We understand. Go. Be with your baby. We’ll take care of Nathan.”

I nodded my thanks and climbed up into the back of the ambulance. As they slammed the doors and we drove off down the long, dusty driveway, I glanced back at the house, and I would’ve sworn I saw Johnny’s face staring back at me from his bedroom window, his eyes as lost and forlorn as ever before.