If anything happened to Seth, Kim would never forgive herself.

Kim rushed forward and pushed through the cluster of people who had gathered around the scene. She made it to his side and fell on her knees next to him, resisting the strong urge to take his hand in hers; she was almost afraid to touch him.

Just then, Seth turned his head and looked at her, his beautiful sky-blue gaze hitting her like a laser. Her heart sped up as they stared at one another for one beat, then two.

His eyes widened slightly, and it looked as if he recognized her. A shaky ghost of a smile crossed his face and, strangely, Kim felt an odd yet unmistakable connection flare between them.

“Seth…” she whispered.

“Did I die?” he asked, his deep voice raspy.

Relief flooded through her. He was talking—that had to be a good sign. She shook her head and grasped his icy hand, feeling tears burn her eyelids. “No, you saved both of us.”

LISSA MANLEY

decided she wanted to be a published author at the ripe old age of twelve. After she read her first romance as a teenager when a neighbor gave her a box of old books, she quickly decided romance was her favorite genre, although she still enjoys digging in to a good medical thriller.

When her youngest was still in diapers, Lissa needed a break from strollers and runny noses, so she sat down and started crafting a romance, and she has been writing ever since. Nine years later she sold her first book, fulfilling her childhood dream. She feels blessed to be able to write what she loves, and intends to be writing until her fingers quit working, or she runs out of heartwarming stories to tell. She’s betting the fingers will go first.

Lissa lives in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon, with her wonderful husband of twenty-seven years, a grown daughter and college-aged son, and two bossy poodles who rule the house and get away with it. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, crafting, bargain hunting, cooking and decorating. She loves hearing from her readers and can be reached through her website, www.lissamanley.com, or through Steeple Hill Books.

Family to the Rescue

Lissa Manley

And without faith, it is impossible to please Him.

For whoever would draw near to God

must believe that He exists and that

He rewards those who seek Him.

—Hebrews 11:6

For Kevin. For always having faith in me.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

There! A sound floated to him on the breeze. A call for help. Seth Graham was sure of it.

The hairs on his neck standing on end, he hurried to the ocean’s edge, his bare feet chopping through the sand. He shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the water, frowning. Had he imagined the thready call for help?

But then his gaze snagged on an indistinct form about thirty yards from the beach. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out if he was seeing a glob of kelp.

Or a person.

His best friend, Drew, ran up and stood beside him, the Frisbee they’d been throwing back and forth on the beach dangling from his fingers. “You see anything?”

Seth blinked, still staring at the shape. “I’m not sure…”

Then an arm flailed up from the dark mass and another scream sounded, more distinct this time.

That was no glob of kelp!

Seth’s stomach dropped and a heart-stopping chill of dread cut through him. “Someone’s out there,” he said, already stripping off his T-shirt. He looked at Drew as he threw his shirt to the sand. “Call 9–1–1 and let the others know what’s going on. I’m going in.”

Drew didn’t argue. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and started dialing, then turned and headed toward the other people from the Moonlight Cove Community Church singles group.

Seth made a break for the ocean. Just as his feet hit water, a voice called to him.

“Seth!”

He turned.

A soaking wet Lily Rogers, a former neighbor whom Seth had known for most of his twenty-eight years, came staggering down the beach toward him, her long, blond hair plastered to her head and shoulders. “The new gal, Kim, is out there,” she screamed, pointing a rigid finger toward the waves. “We went in together to jump waves and got too far out. I made it in farther down, but she’s caught in a riptide!”

“I’m on it!” Seth shouted, still moving. He now remembered seeing Kim—a cute brunette about his age—when he’d arrived at the cookout earlier.

Lily lurched past him and up the beach toward the bonfire spot, though she was obviously exhausted, waving her arms and yelling at the top of her lungs to alert the others to the problem.

Seth ran into the water full bore, then dove headfirst into the brine.

His breath left him in a rush as he hit the water, which was icy despite the warm July day, and he almost froze up as the ocean shocked his body. But through sheer will and physical and mental discipline honed by a few years playing pro baseball and being physically active, he managed to keep going.

About twenty yards into his rescue he stopped and lifted his head to be sure he was on the right track. Thankfully, he’d judged the direction to swim correctly. He saw the woman directly in front of him, about ten yards away, when she flung up an arm again. She hadn’t sunk yet.

But she would, unless she knew what to do, which it looked like she didn’t. Seth, however, had been born and raised in the coastal town of Moonlight Cove, Washington, and he knew the drill. He couldn’t struggle against the rip; he had to swim parallel to the shore, not toward it.

Just as he reached the woman—Kim, Lily had said—she went under. Ignoring his own growing exhaustion, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up, noting when she surfaced that her skin was the color of snow. Her eyes fluttered. Good sign. She wasn’t unconscious yet.

“Kim, I’m here to take you in,” Seth told her in a firm, calm voice. “Do exactly what I say, okay?”

She nodded sluggishly.

He wrapped an arm around her narrow shoulders. “We’re going to swim parallel to the shore to escape the rip, and then swim in, all right?”

Another nod, more feeble this time. She was clearly worn out. He’d arrived in the nick of time.

Seth moved his other hand beneath her arm, grasping her body in a more efficient hold. He began to swim, pulling her with him as best he could. To her credit, she made an attempt to swim with him, but she obviously didn’t have any gas left, and she wasn’t much help.

Neither was the riptide; he could feel the force of it swirling beneath them like a living being, pulling with a grip of steel that surprised even him. He’d always respected the power of the ocean, but this…this was unlike anything he’d ever imagined.

He sent up a prayer for the first time in ages.

God, let me be strong enough to do this.

Focusing on moving forward with each stroke, Seth tried not to notice how his hands and feet were growing numb. He did his best not to fight the current—that was a battle he would not win. He had to outsmart the deadly undertow.

Drawing on reserves of strength he didn’t know he possessed, his movements aligned with the shore, he waited for the current to loosen its grip. His strength ebbed out of him with every moment that passed.

Seth kept swimming, hoping God would listen to a man who had a distant relationship with Him. A few long moments later, the pulling current eased a bit, but he swam about fifteen feet farther to be sure they were out of the rip—yes! Finally.

His breath burning in his lungs, his legs and arms aching with effort, he turned at a ninety degree angle and swam for shore. Which, at the moment, looked as if it were about a hundred miles away.

Was he close enough to make it?

Just as his strength was almost spent and he could barely lift his arms or kick his legs, he tentatively put his foot down to feel for the sandy bottom.

And felt sand.

Wow. For once, his prayer had been heard. And answered.

Groaning with effort, Seth put both feet down. “Hang on to my back,” he managed to shout to Kim through tight lips. “I’m gonna walk us in.”

She obeyed and wrapped her ice-cold arms around his neck and hung on, piggyback style. With the last of his waning strength, he hauled her to shore.

Just as he was making headway, he stubbed his toe on a rock hidden in the surf. Pain streaked up his foot. He paused, looking for more rocks, but he couldn’t see beneath the churning water. So he felt around with his other foot, hoping for safe sand.

But instead his foot encountered another rock. And another. He was surrounded. He looked to the shore and could see people congregated there, a frantic-looking Lily among them. If he could just make it a little farther…

Seth inched along, trying to avoid the rocks, his legs now completely numb. The rocks spread out a bit and gave way to more sand, and he thought he was home free, especially when he saw someone—he wasn’t sure who—splash into the water, running toward them.

Thinking they’d cleared the rocks, he forced himself to move forward without feeling the terrain first with his feet. He took a step, staggered and struggled to catch himself.

All at once, out of nowhere, a bed of rocks rose in front of him as the tide swelled out. He couldn’t avoid the first black and green mass and he ran his shins right into the thing. Feeling as if his legs didn’t belong to him, he toppled over into the thigh-deep water like a fallen tree, Kim going with him.

As he hit the water, and what was hidden below, pain exploded in his head. And then a glacial blackness engulfed him and he knew no more.

Kim Hampton blinked her burning eyes, the taste of seawater in her mouth, her skin as cold as ice. She was surprised to see blue sky above her.

Was she in heaven?

If she was, the place looked an awful lot like earth….

An older man with a round face, curly brown hair and kind blue eyes came into her line of sight as he hovered above her. “Miss,” he said. “I’m a paramedic. We’re going to give you some oxygen, so just lie back and try to relax, all right?” He slowly covered her mouth and nose with the plastic apparatus he held.

Definitely not heaven.

She breathed deep and the oxygen flooded her tired lungs. Instantly, her brain cleared and reality kicked in. She felt the hard, cool sand beneath her, smelled the ocean.

Joy spread through her.

Thank You, Lord, for not making Dylan motherless! Her precious son had already essentially lost his dad when her ex had walked out on them a year ago; at age seven, losing her would be more, she was sure, than Dylan could ever hope to deal with.

The enormity of what had almost happened to her, of what she’d almost lost, began to sink in and she started to shake.

Someone took her hand and squeezed it. Kim shifted her gaze and saw her new friend Lily seated on the sand on her other side, a fleece blanket covering her shoulders, her eyes red rimmed from crying.

“Oh, my goodness,” Lily said. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”

Kim couldn’t speak with her mouth and nose covered, so she just nodded. She was very tired. And so cold her veins felt frozen.

As if reading her thoughts, someone covered her with a soft, warm blanket. Yes, that was better.

Unbidden, memories of her harrowing time in the water flooded her mind. The brutal riptide. The cold ocean overtaking her. Her feeling of total helplessness. She’d been sure she was going to drown.

But God had heard her call for help. A man had arrived just as her body had almost been overcome with exhaustion. And he’d saved her.

Gratitude poured through her—for the man, and for the Lord.

Buoyant with relief, she removed the oxygen mask. “Where’s the guy who saved me?” she asked Lily, her voice raw and trembling. “I need to see him, thank him.”

Lily pressed her lips together and shook her head slightly.

Dread filled Kim. “What?” she pressed. “What happened to him?” Was he dead because of her impetuousness? She had to know what had happened, even though she’d shrivel up and die if she were responsible for another person’s death.

“Seth managed the rip perfectly,” Lily said.

“But?”

“But…he was completely played out when he got close to shore. He…um, fell and hit his head on a rock.”

A chill from deep within spread through Kim’s whole body, adding another layer of cold to her soul. “Is he all right?”

“He was unconscious very briefly, and the paramedics are working on him.”

Caustic regret knifed Kim in the chest. She shouldn’t have been out in those waves, shouldn’t have put another person in danger. Lily had told her to be careful.

Granted, Kim was from Los Angeles, and she wasn’t used to the dangerous currents that swirled around the waters of the Washington coast. Even so, she should have been smarter. More cautious.

Kim put the mask back over her nose and sucked in a huge swig of oxygen to fortify herself, then pulled the mask off. She had to see the man who’d saved her, had to know for herself how he was doing.

Could she handle it? Too bad if she couldn’t. Whatever came her way was deserved; she hadn’t listened to Lily. Just as she hadn’t listened to the warnings not to marry Scott.

Leaping before she looked had consequences. Would she ever learn not to be so impulsive?

With shaky arms she grabbed the blanket and struggled to her feet. Her legs were rubbery and didn’t want to hold her, but she forced them underneath her and stood.

Lily took hold of her elbow. “I don’t think you should be up,” she said. “You’ve been through a lot.

Lily was probably right, but Kim didn’t care. She had to see her rescuer. Kim looked around, searching for the paramedic who’d been tending her.

Her gaze scanned a man lying on his back on the sand about fifteen feet away. He was surrounded by firefighters and rescue personnel—including the man who’d been taking care of her—assessing his condition.

Filled with dread, she wrapped the blanket more securely around her body and wobbled over to find out what was going on.

As she drew near, her breath snagged in her throat and she could barely breathe—maybe she should have dragged the oxygen along with her.

Her savior was a young man, maybe her age of twenty-eight—or a little older—with short dark hair and a strong, shadowed jawline. He was covered with a blanket, his face ashen, and he had a nasty cut on his forehead.

Kim felt her knees tremble, and she thought she might pass out. She gave in to her shaky legs and sank to the sand.

She pressed a hand to her knotted tummy. No, no, no.

What had she done?

Several minutes passed as the paramedics worked on Seth. Kim was stuck to the sandy beach where she sat, exhausted physically and sick at heart.

Finally, she found the strength and rose. “Is he going to be all right?” she asked the paramedics, forcing herself to move forward and face the situation rather than following her instincts and running far, far away.

One of the techs looked up from monitoring the injured man’s pulse. “He’s conscious now, but he’s taken a pretty severe blow to the head, which can be dicey.”

Dicey. That didn’t sound good.

The wind kicked up, whipping Kim’s blanket from around her body. A shiver ran though her as she grabbed the edges and held on to it tighter, her legs still quivering from shock and cold.

She was chilled to the bone, and not just because of the sudden gust of wind pummeling her.

Clenching her hands into fists, she stayed a ways back to let the medics work.

Lily came to her side and put a comforting arm around Kim. “Don’t worry. Seth is a tough guy, and he’s young and healthy.” She squeezed Kim’s shoulders reassuringly. “He’ll pull through.”

Kim hoped so with everything in her, with every fervent prayer echoing in her heart. If anything happened to this Seth, Kim would never forgive herself.

Would God? Surely He would…

Fighting back tears, she could do nothing but stand back and beg for the Lord’s help from deep inside her soul.

Please, God. Help Seth pull through.

A few moments later, two burly paramedics carried a stretcher from the parking area down to the beach. Just as they put the stretcher down, Seth moved. A husky groan escaped from his blue-tinted lips and he moved his arms out from under the blanket. Kim stared at them for just a moment. Clearly the guy was in shape. No wonder he’d been able to drag her through the current.

Kim rushed forward and pushed through the cluster of singles group participants who had also gathered around the scene. She made it to his side and fell down on her knees next to him, resisting the strong urge to take his hand in hers; she was almost afraid to touch him.

Just then, he turned his head and looked at her, his beautiful sky-blue gaze hitting her like a laser. She froze, feeling his stare to the tips of her toes. Her heart sped up as they looked at one another for one beat, then two.

His eyes widened slightly, and it looked at if he recognized her. A shaky ghost of a smile crossed his face, and, strangely, Kim felt an odd yet unmistakable connection flare between them.

“Seth…” she whispered. She stretched out her hand, once again needing to touch him, comfort him, tell him how grateful she was.

“Did I die?” he asked, his deep voice raspy.

Relief flooded through her. He was talking—that had to be a good sign. She shook her head and grasped his icy hand, feeling tears burn her eyelids. “No, you saved both of us.”

Before Seth could reply, one of the paramedics touched her shoulder. “Miss, you’re going to have to move out of the way. We must transport him, stat.”

She nodded. Of course. Kim stood and moved back, brushing away her tears.

Shaking, she simply watched, her hands clenched together in front of her, as the techs told Seth what was happening with practiced efficiency and loaded him onto the stretcher. A tall man in a baseball cap who seemed to be part of the church group stayed by Seth’s side while they carried Seth away to the ambulance waiting in the parking lot, its lights flashing.

Two paramedics stayed behind. One started cleaning up and the other approached her.

“How are you doing?” he asked Kim. “Are you feeling light-headed at all?”

Kim shook her head. “I’m okay.”

“Why don’t I take your blood pressure and pulse again just to be sure.”

As he worked, Kim watched the paramedics load Seth into the ambulance. Lily stayed by her side, a silent support Kim appreciated.

The ambulance pulled away, and Kim watched it go with a heavy heart.

“Everything checks out normal,” the paramedic said, rising. “You can go. But if you have anything come up, anything strange at all, be sure and go straight to the E.R.”

Kim nodded her agreement, too numb to speak.

“Why don’t you let me take you home,” Lily said. “You have to be dead on your feet.”

“No, I can’t go home until I’m sure Seth is okay.”

“I can call you when there’s news—”

“No. I have to go to the hospital.” Her jaw set, her mind made up, Kim stood and started walking toward where she’d left her tote bag near the bonfire spot, her tired legs having a tough time negotiating the soft sand.

Lily trotted along beside her. “Are you sure you should be driving?”

“I can handle it,” Kim replied, remarkably clearheaded now that she wasn’t standing around, purposeless. She might have almost drowned because of her rash decision, but she wasn’t heartless.

Lily put a firm hand on Kim’s arm. “I’ll drive you in my car.”

Kim was too tired to argue. She nodded as she reached her canvas bag with her stuff in it, pulled out her fleece pullover and dropped the blanket from around her shoulders. Shivering, she pulled on her sweatshirt, wondering if she’d ever be warm again. She wished she’d brought some sweatpants, too. Oh, well. Her wet board shorts would have to do. She’d put her tennis shoes on when she got to her car.

“Let’s go,” she said to Lily.

As they walked to the parking lot, guilt poked her.

She prayed Seth’s injuries weren’t too serious.

Chapter Two

Seth closed his eyes against the rhythmic pounding in his head.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

He held back a groan of pain. His head felt like he’d been hit by a Babe Ruth line drive. Five or six times.

“Would you like some pain medication?” Dr. Anderson, the older E.R. physician who’d been taking care of Seth, asked from where he stood at the end of Seth’s narrow hospital bed.

“Don’t need it,” Seth replied. He’d been a professional athlete; he could handle pain. And after he’d watched his older brother, Curt, almost ruin his life with a prescription drug addiction, Seth hated taking any kind of medication, even aspirin.

His bushy gray eyebrows raised, Dr. Anderson looked up from Seth’s chart. “Well, it’s your choice, of course, but you did suffer a grade two concussion—and your laceration required ten stitches, so you’re going to have some fairly significant pain.”

“No drugs. No way.”

“Okay. But if you change your mind…”

“I won’t.”

Drew poked his head around the E.R. cubicle curtain. “You ready to spring him, Doc?”

“I think so, the doctor said, looking at the clock. “I’ve held him for three hours, he was only unconscious briefly, he seems to have no retrograde amnesia and everything else checks out all right.”

“Great,” Seth said. He was anxious to leave the hospital and get home. It had been a long, hard day.

The doctor looked at Seth. “The nurse will be in with your discharge instructions.”

He left and Drew entered the room. He had his baseball cap on backward, and his dark blond hair stuck out from underneath it. His brown eyes were shadowed with concern.

“How’d you get in?” Seth asked. “I thought they only allowed immediate family back here.”

“Phoebe is tight with Nurse Fiona at the E.R. admission desk, so Fiona was willing to do her best friend’s brother a favor,” he said, clearly feeling smug.

“Ah. Always pulling strings, aren’t you?”

“In important situations, yes. And this certainly qualifies.” He moved farther into the curtained room and pointed to Seth’s head, which was covered in a large bandage. “You’re lucky you came away with only a gash on the head and a concussion.” He frowned. “You could have been killed, bro.”

“Nah,” Seth said, waving a hand in the air, careful not to shake his aching head. “Everything would have been good if I hadn’t tripped over that stupid rock.”

Drew inclined his head, looking skeptical. “Maybe, maybe not. I’m just thankful you’re okay.” He pressed his mouth together. “I was pretty worried.”

“Thanks,” Seth said, deeply appreciating Drew’s concern. He genuinely valued the care and compassion that came from his very limited circle of friends. “But I’m all right.”

The nurse, an old battle-ax of a woman with short white hair and glasses, shoved the curtain aside and blustered in. “Mr. Graham?” she barked.

Seth winced. She was a health care professional. Couldn’t she speak softly? “Yo.”

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a dispassionate look. “Listen up,” she said, shoving a clipboard in the air. “I have your discharge instructions.”

Like a general marching into war, she reiterated what Dr. Anderson had said—that they hadn’t done a CT scan because he had only been unconscious briefly, he had no retrograde amnesia in three hours of observation, and that he was to engage in no sports for a week. She added, quite succinctly, that if he had any lingering or severe symptoms, such as vomiting or onset of amnesia, he was to come back at once for a scan.

“Last but not least, Mr. Graham, you are not to be left alone for twenty-four hours,” she said pointedly, glaring at him. “No exceptions.”

“Excuse me?” he said.

“Standard procedure.” She shrugged. “Those are the rules.”

Sensing it was useless to argue, Seth took the paperwork she handed to him and signed it. He’d figure out what to do about the twenty-four-hour thing later.

His store wouldn’t run itself.

Then she handed him his post-care instructions and left.

“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.”

“Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing that Rose’s niece had moved in with her.”

Kim raised her eyebrows. “Where did you hear that?”

He kicked up his mouth into a bemused half smile. “Moonlight Cove has a thriving grapevine, which I can’t get away from because of my business,” he told her. “Occupational hazard.”

“Your business?” Kim asked.

“I own The Sports Shack, on Main Street.”

“Hmm. I’ve never thought about a sports store being gossip central,” Kim said.

“The Sports Shack is the only sporting goods store in town, and everybody shops there.” He snorted under his breath. “Old guys are worse than any quilting circle. They have to have something to talk about when they aren’t trading fishing stories.” Seth avoided all the idle chatter and socializing as much as he could, preferring to spend most of his time in his office handling the business end of things while his mom handled the customer contact.

Kim gave him a lopsided smile, dimples flashing, and pushed her hair back behind her ear. “News travels fast around here, then?”

He stared for a moment, again struck by her fresh prettiness. Even though he was hurting, he couldn’t help but smile back. “You have no idea.”

Living here definitely had its downside for a guy like Seth—the downside being all kinds of small-town relationship drama. Drama that had also, unfortunately, been part and parcel of his childhood; his mom and dad had fought all the time. And still did.

And Diana? He’d been in love with her his senior year in college, and she’d told him she loved him, too. But the day after he’d gone engagement-ring shopping, she’d dumped Seth for his best friend. Now, there was a black hold of turmoil if he’d ever seen one. He never wanted to go to that painful place again.

Still, it had seemed like a no-brainer to come back to town and take over his dad’s store when Seth had suffered a career-ending knee injury three years ago and Dad had been looking toward retirement.

Seth loved all sports and had a degree in marketing from Washington State, so it made sense to return and run The Sports Shack. Besides, his dad had built the business from scratch, and Seth and his brothers, Curt and Ian, had grown up working in the store. It hadn’t seemed right to sell the place to a stranger when his dad had wanted out.

The clincher had been when his parents had announced they were divorcing. Though the split had been a long time coming, his mom had needed support when she’d finally decided to go through with the divorce, and had really needed Seth around. She still did, so he stayed. She wasn’t good at coping on her own.

Seth sat in silence for a few moments, and despite his best efforts to curb his compelling curiosity about Kim, he wondered what her story was. She was single, but had a son. What had happened to the boy’s father?

It seemed tactless to ask; they barely knew each other. But he was intrigued by Kim. Very intrigued.

Maybe too intrigued.

Drew hurried back, his face grim. “There’s a fire out on Old Mill Road, and I’m one of the only volunteers available. Unfortunately, I have to go.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seth said. “I’ll just call my mom and she’ll come get me.”

“Didn’t you tell me that your mom went to Seattle this weekend?” Drew asked.

Seth mentally slapped his head, and even that hurt. “Yeah, I forgot. Maybe Curt can come get me.” Granted, his eldest brother was at work and he and Seth weren’t close, but hopefully he could leave early. Ian, the baby of the family, lived in California.

“We can take you home,” Kim said. She belatedly looked at Lily. “Can’t we?”

“Of course.”

Seth chewed on her offer, noting Kim’s pale skin and generally exhausted look. No. No way. “I can’t impose like that,” he told her. “Besides, you’ve got to be beat after what happened.”

She put up a hand to stop his protest. “You wouldn’t be imposing, trust me. You saved my life. It’s the least I can do.”

Seth hated asking anything of Kim. Or Lily. Or anyone, really. He was usually the one taking care of people, at least in his family. But Drew needed to get going, and Seth didn’t want to hold him up. So he looked at Drew, bit the bullet and said, “Looks like I’ve got a ride. Go take care of that fire.”

Drew nodded. “What are you going to do about the twenty-four-hour deal?”

“What twenty-four-hour deal?” Kim asked, peering intently back and forth between Drew and Seth.

Drew replied before Seth could head off any talk about the nurse’s “rules.” “Concussion patients aren’t supposed to be alone for twenty-four hours after their injury.”

Seth glared at Drew for opening his big mouth. The last thing he wanted was Kim feeling responsible for him for the next twenty-four hours. Plus, he liked his space.

Kim drew her eyebrows together. “Well, then, we’ll have to make sure you’re not alone.”

Seth opened his mouth to protest.

“Doctor’s orders,” Kim said, cutting him off before he could get a word out. She pointed at him. “Right?”

“You’re right. I’ll call my brother.” Seth went for his cell phone in his pocket, but came up empty. He’d left his cell in his sweatshirt pocket on the beach. He rose, scoping out the nearest pay phone, but Kim stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm.

“I’m taking you home to my aunt’s house, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“You mean I’m taking you guys to your aunt’s house,” Lily interjected.

Kim inclined her head. “Right. Lily’s taking us.”

Drew interrupted the discussion. “I need to go, so I trust you guys will work this out.” He put a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “I’ll check in when I can.”

Seth nodded. “Thanks, Drew. I appreciate all of your help.”

“No problem,” Drew said, then quickly headed out the door.

Seth watched him go. The will to argue was sap-ping out of him, fast. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to get prone. Anywhere. He didn’t have the energy to be picky. “You sure it won’t be an imposition?” he asked Kim.

“I’m sure, and even if it was, I’d still insist. You saved my life, and I owe you. Big time.”

Seth digested that. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of being so connected to Kim. But doctor’s orders were doctor’s orders and connected didn’t mean involved with, right? Because that was the last thing he wanted.

“Will your aunt mind?”

She gave him a chiding look. “What do you think? She’ll love having someone to take care of.”

From what he knew of Rose, Kim was right. If anyone in Moonlight Cove ever needed anything, Rose Latham was there. Still…

“So are we all on the same page?” Kim asked, almost, it seemed, daring him to argue. Her unwavering, stunning gaze bored directly into him.

He wanted to keel headfirst into those gorgeous eyes. But suddenly another bout of wooziness overtook him and the floor tilted. Stupid concussion.

He sat. He looked like he wasn’t going to get the space he liked, or any more time to mull over his decision. He let out a heavy breath, hesitating, trying to think. If he gave in and let Kim take care of him—for now—they’d be even, and it would be easier for them to go their separate ways. Sounded like a good trade-off, given the circumstances.

“Same page,” he finally spoke, hoping he wasn’t going to regret his rushed decision.

“Excellent,” Kim said. “You’re a smart man, Seth.”

He wasn’t really sure about her assessment of his smarts, but he was too worn out to apply more mental force to the question. Hopefully being helpless would be a temporary affliction.

Summoning every bit of strength he had, he stood again. Vertigo overtook him and he sagged. Kim was there instantly. She took one arm, her touch at once gentle yet solid. Awareness zinged through him. He tried not to think too much about how much he liked the combination. What would be the point?

Lily came up on his left side and took his other arm. He couldn’t help but notice her touch didn’t cause any zings. But, then, he’d known Lily forever; she was like his cousin or something.

Seth fought the urge to lean on Kim as they walked toward the sliding doors leading to the parking lot, reminding himself that he only needed her for the next twenty-four hours. And then everything between them would be dead even. Strictly casual. And definitely disconnected.

No matter how much the pretty newcomer intrigued him.

Chapter Three

Kim, Lily and Seth made their way up the crushed-shell path that led from the gravel driveway to the wooden stairs that ascended Aunt Rose’s back porch. A stiff breeze blew Kim’s hair into her face and the fresh scent of the sea filled her lungs. She could hear the roar of the waves breaking on the beach just one hundred yards or so from the ranch-style cottage.

Like a trooper Seth went up the stairs by himself, although Kim noticed he used the handrail, which she was pretty sure an in-shape guy like him wouldn’t normally do. When they reached the porch, he turned, his blue eyes shining bright against the backdrop of his pale face. “You’re sure Rose won’t mind?”

“I’m sure,” she said, sounding amazingly normal considering she almost melted every time he looked at her. Not good. At all.

And even if by some wild stretch of the imagination Aunt Rose did mind, Kim would convince her otherwise. She had caused Seth’s injuries with her careless foray into the ocean. Taking care of him was the least she could do.

Before they reached the door, it opened. Kim’s maiden aunt Rose stood there, her round face wreathed in a smile. Her gray hair was pulled back into its customary bun, her wire-rimmed glasses were shoved up on the top of her head. She had a spatula in her hand and what looked like flour on her cheek.

Rose’s eyes darted from Kim to Lily to Seth, obviously taking in their injured, drowned-rat appearances. Her face fell. “Oh, goodness me,” she said, her forehead creasing. Her concerned gaze held on Seth’s bandaged head. “What happened?”

“Kim almost drowned and Seth saved her,” Lily blurted.

Aunt Rose’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped open.

Kim glared at Lily, then held up a hand. “Don’t worry. Everyone is okay, but Seth needs to lie down and isn’t supposed to be alone for a while, so I brought him here. Let’s go in and I’ll tell you the whole story once he’s settled.”

Aunt Rose, bless her heart, didn’t argue. She was a deeply practical woman, and knew when to ask questions and when to just go with the flow. She stepped back, gesturing them inside. “Of course.” As soon as Seth was in the house Rose hurried over and had him sit on the sofa.

Kim followed her aunt into the house, drawing her eyebrows together. “Where’s Dylan?” she asked. He was usually first to answer the door when someone arrived.

“He’s at Benny’s,” Aunt Rose replied. “The puppies needed exercise.”

“Ah. Of course.” Kim looked at Seth. “Aunt Rose’s neighbor has a dog who gave birth to seven puppies a month or so ago.”

“Nothing like puppies to keep a kid interested,” he replied.

“Dylan could hardly wait to get over there after you left,” Rose added.

“Not surprising.” Dylan loved all animals, but dogs in particular. Kim had promised him that he could have a dog as soon as they had their own place. Another reason, among many, that Kim needed a job and her independence.

“I can’t keep him away,” Rose said. “Good thing Benny loves having Dylan around.”

Kim was pretty sure Benny, a retired widower, had a bit of a crush on Rose, too. He blushed and stammered like a schoolboy every time he talked to her. Truth be told, Kim was envious of the awkward attention Benny paid to Rose. It made her yearn for someone of her own…but that would be a mistake.

Kim turned and noticed Lily holding back on the porch.

“Um…now that everyone is here safe and sound, I think I’m just gonna head home,” Lily said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m pooped.”

Kim knew that feeling. “All right.” She went out onto the porch and hugged Lily. “Thank you so much for all your help today.” She stepped back and gave Lily a gentle smile. “I appreciate it. I haven’t really made friends since I got here and, well, I’ve been a bit lonely. Even though we only met today, it’s nice to know I have a new friend.” Kim was a social butterfly at heart, and had joined the church’s singles group for friendly fellowship; it was high time her social life arose from the dead. Well, most parts of it, anyway. The safe parts.

“I’m glad I could help out,” Lily replied, returning Kim’s smile. “Call me if you need anything. I’m in the phone book. And remember, the singles group is having a progressive dinner in three weeks. You should definitely come.”

“Sounds good,” Kim said. Spending time with people her own age was definitely on her To Do list.

Lily waved goodbye and headed back to her car.

Kim noted it was raining now, the fine drizzle coating everything in gray mist. Funny how fast the weather could change in Moonlight Cove.

She shut the front door, noting that Seth and Aunt Rose had left the living room. Expecting to find them in the kitchen, she made her way through the cozy living room.

The smell of freshly baked cookies permeated the air—snickerdoodles was Kim’s guess. With fatigue rolling over her in a wave, she headed through the arched doorway that led from the living room into the kitchen to the left, determined to see to Seth’s care before she gave in to her exhaustion.

The homey blue, white and yellow kitchen was the heart of her aunt’s house. Remnants of her aunt’s cookie making session sat on the tiled counters…but Rose and Seth weren’t there.

Frowning, Kim headed back out into the living room, turned left and went down the short hallway that led to the house’s three small bedrooms.

Sure enough, Aunt Rose and Seth were in the first bedroom on the right, Dylan’s room. Seth was already stretched out on Dylan’s twin bed, and Aunt Rose was spreading a handmade patchwork quilt over him.

Rose turned when Kim walked in. “He wasn’t looking good at all, so I decided it would be best if Seth, here, got some rest right away.” She smiled serenely. “This seemed like the best place for him.”

Kim was so glad her aunt had seen what needed doing and had simply done it. She silently thanked God for making her aunt so intuitive, nurturing and levelheaded. A blessing, really, and a much-needed balancing force in a life turned upside down by Scott’s desertion.

“Thank you, Aunt Rose,” she said. “As usual, you’re right.” She turned her attention to Seth, who definitely looked worse for wear. He must feel really rotten if he’d let her aunt put him to bed without any fuss.

Kim moved closer, resisting the urge to sit on the bed the way she did when she said good-night to Dylan. This wasn’t her son, here. No, this was a full grown, very handsome, masculine man.

Warning bells clanged in her head.

She remained standing. “How are you doing?” she asked Seth.

He shrugged, then winced. “I’ve got a headache.”

Her heart tugged at his obvious discomfort. “After the hit your head took, I’m not surprised. So rest is just what you need.”

“I won’t argue,” he said, his eyelids drooping. Obviously the trauma of the day was catching up to him in a big way.

“Good.” She smiled down at him. “Get some rest.”

She turned away, but before she could leave, he reached out and grabbed her hand. His touch sent sparks shooting up her arm. Her breathing snagged.

“Thank you for letting me come here,” he said, squeezing her hand, looking right at her with those gorgeous eyes of his, pinning her in place.

Kim’s tummy flip-flopped. His eyes were so blue, like the sky in summer, clear and beautiful. Completely compelling.

Her heart fluttered and she forgot, very briefly, the past and the tough lessons it had taught her. Forgot that she needed to keep up her shields.

But then sanity returned and she forced herself to pull her hand from his warm grasp and look away from him. She needed to get a grip. Now. “It was the least I could do,” she said. “You saved my life.”

“I’m glad,” he said, then closed his eyes, well on his way to a meeting with the sandman.

I’m glad, too.

Her legs shaking, Kim turned and followed Aunt Rose out of the room.

When they reached the living room, Aunt Rose turned around, gave Kim a quick once-over, then pulled her into a hug. “Are you all right, dear?”

Kim nodded, breathing in the comforting scent of the lavender perfume Aunt Rose had worn for as long as Kim could remember. “I’m doing well, thanks to Seth.”

Aunt Rose stepped back. “Why don’t you go change into something dry and cozy, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen so you can tell me what happened.”

“Okay.” Kim pulled at her damp, itchy clothes. “I feel like a piece of freeze-dried seaweed.”

She headed to her room and changed into a pair of black fleece sweatpants and matching top, then padded down the hall to the kitchen, taking care to walk quietly so she wouldn’t disturb the blue-eyed hero sleeping in her son’s bed.

Rose smiled at her when she walked in. “You look like you need to eat. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make you some tea and my special sandwiches. You can tell me what happened while I work. From the looks of things, it’s quite a story.”

“It is quite a story,” Kim said. She could hardly believe the whole thing was real herself. “And sandwiches sound wonderful.” Her aunt’s mini peanut butter, honey and cinnamon sandwiches were a comfort food if there ever was one.

Limbs shaking, she sank down into a kitchen chair next to the table. Kim gazed at Rose while she worked, her chest constricting with affection and gratitude. With Kim’s mom living in Hong Kong with her third—no, fourth—husband, and Kim’s dad out of the picture since he’d taken off with his secretary when Kim was twelve, moving in with one of them hadn’t been possible.

And since Kim’s only other relative, her cousin, Grant, lived in a tiny studio apartment in Seattle, going there hadn’t been an option, either. The sad fact of the matter was, she’d had nowhere else to go when her ex had decided he didn’t want the responsibility of a family any more and had walked out and obtained a quickie divorce six months ago.

Kim had used her small bit of savings to live on while she’d looked for a job in Los Angeles, but it had become clear after a few months that without a college degree, she wasn’t going to make enough to pay both rent and child care any time soon.

Realistically, she needed a job, money and a degree. In teaching, if she had her wish.

So Aunt Rose had taken her and Dylan in, offering to take care of Dylan free of charge once Kim found a job in Moonlight Cove. College classes would follow when Kim could afford it.

Rose’s help was great, but Kim needed to be able to depend on herself, and no one else. Otherwise, she’d be vulnerable again, and that…well that just wasn’t an alternative.

“So, tell me what happened,” Aunt Rose said as she set the teakettle to boil.

Listening intently as Kim told her the whole story, her face somber, Rose fired the tea and set the steaming cup on the table, along with a plate of sandwiches.

“Gracious,” she said when Kim was done talking. “Sounds like Seth was quite the hero.”

“He was. His bravery…astounds me.” She swallowed and twisted her hands together, profoundly touched and deeply awed by what he’d done. “I never would have made it to shore without him. I’m sure of it.”

“We can thank God for sending Seth out to get you,” Rose said, sitting down next to Kim at the table. “This was His work, you know.” Aunt Rose had always been a believer and was on the Moonlight Cove Community Church’s council. It was no surprise she attributed Kim’s survival to divine intervention.

“Oh, trust me, I’ve already given my thanks to Him.” Her prayers had been answered several times today. Luckily, God was pretty dependable. Kim didn’t know how she would have survived the unexpected disintegration of her marriage without her faith.

God would never let her down. Unlike men.

Aunt Rose regarded her for a long moment, then took a sip of tea. Very deliberately, it seemed, she set the mug down. “I need to say something,” she said, her voice tinged with seriousness.

Kim froze, her tea halfway to her mouth. Ominous words. “Okay.” She put her mug on the table, wondering what was on her aunt’s mind.

Aunt Rose drew in a deep breath. “The thing is, I saw the way you looked at Seth.”

Kim’s cheeks heated. Ah.

She paused, thinking that she would have preferred to keep to herself how Seth’s charm discombobulated her. Absolutely nothing was going to come of her notion that he was the best-looking, bravest guy she’d come across in ages. Mooning over him was pointless. And foolish.

“Do you like him?” Rose asked pointedly.

“Um…I don’t know him well enough to like him,” Kim said, scrambling to downplay the situation to Rose. Anything was better than admitting Seth got to her.

“But you do think he’s handsome, right?” Rose picked up a sandwich and took a bite. “A woman would have to be dead not to.”

No kidding. “I suppose,” Kim said, hedging, although her aunt hadn’t said anything Kim hadn’t already thought. Seth was gorgeous. And unfortunately, Kim’s judgment had always been disgustingly poor around handsome guys. Scott had been too good-looking for her own well-being. And look where that relationship had gotten her. “You suppose?” her aunt said, her eyebrows high. She waved a hand in the air. “Oh, pshaw.”

“You don’t believe me?” Kim asked, trying to sound a bit offended to head off her aunt’s suspicions.

“Honey, I was in the room with the two of you. I saw the look you exchanged, and the way you almost fell over.”

Kim gazed down at the table. Guilty. There was no use denying she thought Seth was handsome. And she certainly wasn’t going to lie. “Okay, so he’s good-looking. That doesn’t mean I want to date him. I’m not interested in any kind of romantic relationship. With anyone.” Being left brokenhearted once was bad enough. Twice would be unbearable.

“Are you sure? Seth is very appealing…” Rose said, looking worried.

“Of course I’m sure. You know how devastated I was when Scott left.” While their marriage had been rocky from the start—at nineteen neither one of them had been mature enough to get married—and they’d grown apart since Dylan had been born two years to the day after their wedding, Kim really hadn’t seen Scott’s abandonment coming. Or hadn’t wanted to see it…

Another costly mistake, putting her head in the sand, hoping love would conquer all. Of course, it hadn’t. Instead love had backhanded her.

Kim went on. “I can’t put myself in a position to ever go through that again, and I certainly can’t put Dylan through the loss of a father figure a second time.” She frowned. “He cried every night for weeks after Scott left.” Talk about gut-wrenching.

Rose’s eyes softened, lit with sympathy. “I know Scott hurt you badly.” She looked off into space as if she was in the grip of a bad memory. Something that had wounded her. “A broken heart is terribly painful. It’s not something anyone wants to go through more than once.”

Kim peered at her aunt, suddenly curious. “It sounds like you speak from experience.”

Rose’s eyes got misty. “I had my heart broken a very long time ago,” she said, her voice coated in sorrow.

Kim’s chest tightened, and she could hardly breathe. Obviously there was a lot of sadness behind Rose’s revelation. “What happened?”

“Oh, back when I was young—a girl, really—there was a boy I loved. His name was Arthur.” Rose smiled sadly. “Arthur Bennett. We met at a dance in town.”

“Go on,” Kim said. She needed to hear the story. Making a connection with her aunt via the pain of shared heartbreak seemed important somehow.

“His family was very wealthy, and mine wasn’t. His parents didn’t think I was good enough for him. They had a family friend’s daughter in mind.” She drew in a deep, shaky breath. “He told me that he loved me, but then he married her instead.”

A knot of empathy filled Kim’s chest. She’d had no idea about any of Rose’s past romantic turmoil. “Oh, I’m so, so sorry.”

“Thank you, dear.” She patted Kim’s hand. “So, you see, I understand your wounds and I understand why you don’t want to put your heart on the line. After Arthur left me, I never want to take that risk again, either.”

So that explained why her aunt had never married. “Being alone is better than hurt and broken in two,” Kim said, her chin raising. Rose’s revelation had confirmed that belief quite well. Staying uninvolved romantically was the right path.

“So true, so true,” Rose agreed, her eyes reflecting a lifetime of sadness. “And I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” She stood and started cleaning up the kitchen.

Kim sat back, gripping her mug of tea. Who would have guessed they had so much in common? Her aunt was more like her than she’d realized.

“Oh, I forgot,” Rose said, picking up a large manila envelope from the counter. “This came in the mail for you today.”

Kim took the envelope, scoping out the return address, her heart skipping a beat. “It’s from the community college in Seattle.”

“Are you still planning on taking early education classes there?” Rose asked, gathering up the empty tea mugs.

“Yes, in time.” Kim had put her dreams of becoming a teacher on hold when Dylan had been born, choosing instead to stay at home with him. She didn’t regret that decision at all, but it was time to follow her dream.

“But not right away, correct?” Rose asked. “I’m not ready to lose you and Dylan just yet.”

Kim smiled. “No, not right away.” But eventually, she was moving to Seattle to be near Grant and to take advantage of the early education program at Seattle City College, which wasn’t available anywhere near Moonlight Cove. For sure.

Rose picked up her glasses and put them on. “Oh, good. I’ve been lonely. It’s wonderful to have you two around.”

“It’s nice to be here, Aunt Rose,” Kim said, meaning it. She stood and started helping Rose clean the kitchen.

Rose shooed her away. “No, let me do this. You go ahead and relax. You need to rest.”

With exhaustion pulling at her as if she had a rock around her neck, Kim agreed and headed to her room. She walked by Dylan’s door, shivering when she thought of the courageous, handsome man who lay in there, asleep.

Unbidden, a vision of Seth’s eyes gazing at her danced through her head, and her heart stuttered. She’d wanted to lose herself in those eyes, let down her guard.

But she couldn’t.

She needed to be smart. She needed to take her aunt’s poignant story of her broken heart, blend it together with her own botched romantic history, and never forget the picture they painted.

If she did, pain was sure to follow.

Seth woke up a couple times during the night, kind of wishing he’d taken the doctor’s offer of pain meds. His head hurt, period. But he was determined not to go down that road. He’d gut it out as best he could.

He’d dreamed that Kim was in his room at one point during the night, with the moonlight shining through the window on her face as she gazed down on him. He even dreamed that she touched his forehead, her soft fingers a gentle, soothing caress…

Finally he awoke and it was light out. His head had calmed down quite a bit. He had no idea what time Kim and her aunt got up, but he needed to be out of bed. Laying around just wasn’t his thing. Besides, it was Monday, and he needed to get to the store and open up.

He’d gone to sleep in his board shorts and the T-shirt Drew had loaned him, so he threw the covers back, got up and blinked the spots away. When he was steady, he folded the quilt he’d slept under and straightened the bed as best he could. Then he padded over to the wooden door and opened it.

A boy with sleep-messed blond hair, dressed in bright red pajamas, stood in the hall, looking up at Seth. The kid appeared to be around the age of six or so, but Seth didn’t have much up-close experience with children, so he could be wrong.

“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. My mom told me not to bother you, so I’ve been very quiet,” the boy whispered.

Okay, this was Kim’s son. “Well, you did a very good job.” Seth held out his hand. “I’m Seth.”

The boy put his small hand in Seth’s and pumped it. “Oh, I know who you are.” His eyes went wide. “You’re the hero who rescued my mommy.”

“Uh…well, yeah, I helped her out of the water.” Seth had a feeling that, unfortunately, the dubious title of “hero” wasn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. Great.

“I’m Dylan,” the boy said. “Dylan Hampton.”

“Nice to meet you, Dylan,” Seth replied.

Just then, Kim came down the hall. She was wrapped in a long, fuzzy pink robe over pajamas and had on fluffy white slippers. Her hair flowed in a dark river of waves over her shoulders, and her amber-colored eyes dominated her heart-shaped face.

His breathing snagged. He’d realized yesterday she was pretty, but here, like this, looking bright and relaxed, and not like a drowned cat, she was downright stunning. Pink was definitely her color, although he guessed she’d look good in ugly mud brown, too.

“Hey, now, Dyl,” she said, her voice warm with a mother’s love. “I told you not to bother Mr. Graham.”

She moved closer and Seth could smell her scent, which reminded him of a clean ocean breeze, light and fresh. He finally managed to find his voice. “He didn’t wake me up. He was as quiet as a little mouse.”

Kim rubbed Dylan’s narrow shoulders. “Good. He’s been dying to meet you, so I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t just barge in and wake you up.”

“How did you like my bed?” Dylan asked. “Comfortable, huh?”

In the haze of his pounding head and exhaustion last night, Seth hadn’t realized he’d been put in Dylan’s bed. It made sense now, but his mind hadn’t been firing on all cylinders.

“Very comfy,” he agreed. “Thank you for letting me borrow it.” A thought occurred to him. “Where did you sleep?”

“With my mom.”

“Don’t worry,” Kim said. “He loves sleeping in my bed, which I suspect has something to do with the fact that he can watch TV in there.”

Seth chuckled. “Not surprising at all. I always wanted a TV in my room, too.”

“Auntie Rose made waffles—with chocolate chips,” Dylan said, his voice full of excitement. “Because we have a guest.”

Seth sniffed the air. He widened his grin. “I can smell them, buddy. Why don’t you lead the way?” Actually, he was really hungry. Food would do him good right now. He needed fuel to get moving.

Dylan scampered off. Seth moved to follow, but Kim stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm that felt much warmer than he expected.

“How’s the head?” she asked, gesturing to his bandage. “I checked on you a couple times in the night, and you seemed to be sleeping well.”

Oh. So she’d actually been there, bathed in moonlight, touching his head. It hadn’t been a dream.

He made himself focus on her thoughtfulness. “Thank you for that,” he said softly. “But it wasn’t necessary.”

“Yes, it was. I had to make sure you were okay.” She gazed at him quizzically. “Are you okay?”

“I feel more human this morning than I did last night.”

“Great. Are you hungry?”

He stared into her eyes, losing himself for a moment in their topaz depths. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Kim blushed. “I asked if you were hungry. There are waffles in the kitchen,” she gestured for him to follow her. “Aunt Rose loves to have people to cook for.”

Fantastic. As a bachelor, no one had been cooking or caring for him lately.

He took her lead and walked down the hall, trying not to breathe in her appealing scent. He’d had enough of being light-headed. “Sounds good,” he said. “Then I can get moving and get to work.”

Kim stopped cold and Seth bumped into her, accidentally pressing his nose against her soft, fragrant, obviously freshly washed hair. He jumped back. Oops. Way too close for comfort.

She turned quickly around to face him. “What did you say?”

He paused. “That breakfast sounded good?”

“No the other part.”

“About going to work?”

“Yeah, that,” she replied, peering intently at him, two cute little creases forming between her delicate eyebrows.

He shrugged. “What about it?”

She crossed her arms. “No way are you going to work today.”

Okay. So she was the bossy type. He didn’t usually like that, but on her, bossy looked good. Go figure. “Why not?”

“You suffered a concussion and had stitches put in your head yesterday. You shouldn’t be working.” She pressed her features into a stern expression. “You need to rest. The doctor said so.”

Him kicking back and resting were as likely as making it to the big league with a wife and two kids. “Well, I have a business to run, and I’m the only one who can run it.”

“Isn’t there anyone else you can call?”

“Nope. My mom, who usually helps at the store, is out of town. And my dad…can’t help out right now.” More like wouldn’t help out, but there was no need to get into the dirty details. “It’s me, or no one.”

She chewed on her lip. After a few seconds of thinking, she said, “Why don’t you let me go in for you?”

“No. Absolutely not. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Why not? I need a job, and you need someone to help out.” She smiled, her dimples peeking out. “It’s the perfect solution.”

He forced himself not to stare at her fascinating dimples. No, it wasn’t the perfect solution. It was a terrible idea. She’d already done enough; they were even. Period.

Before he got words out, she added, “Besides, the doctor said you weren’t supposed to be alone for twenty-four hours.”

“It’s a busy place,” he replied levelly. “I’ll be surrounded by people all day long. I’m guessing I won’t be alone at all.”

She shook her head. “You never know. Why don’t you let me come with you? I could help out, and keep an eye on you at the same time.”

“No,” he said. “You’ve done enough.” More than he’d wanted, actually. It was time to disengage.

She paused, gazing at him from underneath her long eyelashes. “Actually…you’d be doing me a favor, too.”

He narrowed his eyes. Uh-oh. She needed a favor. “How so?” he asked cautiously.

“Well, I’ve been saving to take classes, and only need a bit more for one term of college, so I really need a job. You need someone to help out while your mom’s gone. If you let me work for you, we’ll both benefit, right?”

He let out a breath and looked at the floor, stalling. Oh, man. She needed a job. And he needed someone to help out if he was realistic about his limitations at the moment. The Sports Shack was a two-person operation, no doubt about it. He needed an employee.

Kim was right. Her offer made sense. And, really, how could he say no without seeming like an ungrateful, heartless idiot?

He rubbed his jaw, wishing he had more time to think all this through. He didn’t usually make important decisions on the fly. Unfortunately, the store had to open on schedule—if he remembered correctly, he had a delivery coming this morning. He didn’t have a lot of time to be cautious.

“All right,” he said, hoping he didn’t regret his decision. “You can come help out…for now.” He’d leave it at that.

“Great,” she said, beaming. “Perfect.”

He mumbled his agreement. Her working for him was mutually beneficial; he’d be providing Kim with something she desperately needed, and vice versa. The solution sounded ideal….

So why in the world was he so conflicted about working with her?

He looked at her, trailing his gaze over her face. She was smiling broadly at him, her gorgeous golden eyes sparkling, her clear, fresh-scrubbed skin glowing. She looked happy. And full of life. And so beautiful he could barely breathe.

The truth belatedly smashed into him. The reason he hadn’t wanted to agree to Kim’s deal was as difficult to ignore as a grand slam when the score was tied.

He wanted to casually date the appealing Kim, not be her boss. He gave a mental groan. Yeah. It was going to be a long couple of days.

Chapter Four

Kim spent her first morning at The Sports Shack rearranging displays and unpacking and shelving various sporting goods items that had just been delivered.

Seth, on the other hand, hadn’t come out of his office once since they’d arrived and he gave her brief, general instructions on how to manage the basic running of the store. He’d even told her that he preferred not to be interrupted unless it was an emergency, mumbling under his breath that he wasn’t feeling up to par. Of course, he waved off her concerns about his concussion.

No, he hadn’t even ventured out to see how she was doing with the job, although maybe that merely expressed his confidence in her ability to handle things by herself. Fortunately, she had been able on her own to help the five or six customers who’d wandered in from the quaint, flower-lined boardwalk.

Despite Seth’s standoffish ways, she’d made it a point to stick her head in his office a few times to make sure he hadn’t fainted dead away from his concussion. He’d been a bit terse, though civil. But other than the contact initiated by her, he’d stayed sequestered, uninvolved with the sales end of the business. And her.

Guess he left the people part of the store to his mom most of the time…?

The bells over the door rang, and a tall, thin gentleman dressed in a multi-pocketed vest, some kind of pants with straps over the shoulders and a battered fishing hat walked in and went directly to aisle four.

Per Seth’s instructions, she headed over to the customer. “May I help you?” Kim said to the older man.

The older man turned and gave her a rueful smile. “Probably not.”

She pulled in her chin. “What do you need?”

He sighed. “I’m looking for the new Fish Master 1000 surface lures that were supposed to come in today.”

“Fish Master 1000?” In reality, Kim didn’t know one lure from another. Who would have guessed there were so many ways to catch fish?

But she had unloaded some kind of lures in the shipment this morning. They’d been in a green and white box. “What color is the package?”

The man laughed. “Don’t rightly know.” He looked around. “Is Seth here?”

Kim cast a hesitant glance toward Seth’s office, located down a small hall in the back of the store. He’d made it clear he didn’t want to be bothered unless the place was on fire. “Well, he doesn’t come out onto the floor much,” she said. As in never. “Are you sure I can’t help you? I rearranged some things, but I can show you where I put the lures we got in today.”

“Yeah, I’m a regular around this operation, and I know that Seth tends to hole up in the back,” the man said. “He’s funny that way. Kinda keeps to himself around people he doesn’t know.”

Funny? And odd, in her book. Of course, she was a bit of an extrovert. And Seth? Well, he clearly wasn’t.

Kim felt the need to explain about her lack of lure knowledge. “I’m not that familiar with the lures because I’m just filling in for a few days—”

“Oh, yeah. I heard.”

She blinked.

“I’m Elwood Olsen, local, longtime resident,” he announced.

Okay. “Nice to meet you, Elwood. I’m—”

“Kim Hampton. I know.” More blinking.

He chuckled. “The story’s all over Moonlight Cove,” Elwood said. “You’re Rose’s niece, newly arrived to our auspicious burg. Seth rescued you from a nasty ripper yesterday, and you’re filling in here for his mom.”

Wow. News traveled fast in a small town. Was there anybody who didn’t know what had happened on the beach yesterday, or that Kim was now working for Seth until his mom returned to town? Coming from a big city like L.A., it felt strange for everyone to know her business. “That’s right.”

“Yeah, I know the story, so that’s why I wasn’t really expecting you to know too much about the new lures.” He started walking toward the back of the store. “I’ll just go ask Seth. Save you some time.”

Kim followed Elwood, trotting to keep up with his long-legged pace. “Um…sir? I don’t think Mr. Graham wants to be bothered.” Unless a person was drowning. Then Seth would race to the rescue. Odd. But seemingly true.

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head about bugging Seth,” Elwood said, waving a relaxed hand in the air over his shoulder. “He’s known me his whole life, so he won’t mind me barging in and dragging him out of his cave.”

Kim halted and let Elwood proceed. Maybe it was good for Seth to have some interaction with a customer or two. It couldn’t be healthy for anyone to spend so much time alone, in a tiny, windowless office.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.