Heart's Haven

“They’re coming. The glass—” he whispered. “Shouldn’t we—” He reached out.

Cassidy grabbed his hand, pulled it back and held it with both of her own.

“Don’t touch it!”

Jack’s eyes flared open. She could see panic growing in their depths.

“Uncle Ty? Am I going to die like Mom?”

So he’d lost his mother. For a fraction of a moment, Cassidy could see into his boyish heart, to the uncertainty that lurked there like a monster in the night.

In that moment, a bond formed between them. She knew exactly how Jack felt because once, a long time ago, she’d felt the same. Scared, lonely, afraid that no one would ever love her as her dead mother had.

She released Ty’s hand with a warning glance, then bent forward and placed her palms against Jack’s cheeks. She waited till he was wholly focused on her.

“You’re not going to die, Jack.” She smiled to soften the harshness of her words, made her voice steady, reassuring. “You’re going to lie very still until the paramedics come. They’ll take you to the hospital and the doctors will help you. Then all the pretty nurses are going to come and fawn over you and offer you ice cream and try to get your telephone number for their daughters. Okay?”

Jack started to nod his head, but Cassidy tightened her fingers and held him still.

“You must have missed the first part,” she teased. “Lie very still. Blink if you understand.”

He blinked a whole bunch of times. Cassidy smiled.

“Good. I saw that in the movies and always wanted to try it.” She grinned. “Guess it works, huh? Does your voice?”

“Yes.”

“Thought so. Hey, that sounds like the ambulance.” She turned to Ty. “Can you go and show them where to come?”

She knew from his expression that he did not want to leave. Yet something else told her that given the choice, Ty St. John would run as far and as fast from this situation as he could, which was exactly why she would not leave Jack. Ty was too upset to handle this.

When Ty opened his mouth to protest, Cassidy gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and leaned so her lips were next to his ear.

“Go quickly.”

He rose to his feet like a man in a daze, offered his nephew a shaky smile.

“I thought I was in charge here, but she’s pretty bossy, don’t you think?”

A smile fluttered across Jack’s white lips. “Yeah.”

“I think you and I are going to have to watch it. You keep your eye on her while I go get the paramedics.” Tyson took one last look before hurrying out of the room.

Cassidy checked Jack’s vitals, noted the widening circle of blood. She picked up his hand and held it between her own.

“You are doing fine, Jack.”

“Can you pray for me?”

The words caught Cassidy off guard.

“When my mom was sick, she would ask me to pray for her. She always said it made her feel better. So can you pray for me?”

Years had passed since Cassidy had trusted anyone, let alone God. But Jack’s pleading face could not be denied. She squeezed his hand and bowed her head, searching for the right words.

“God, you know that Jack has been hurt. And you know that he’s afraid right now. Please help him.”

It was a pathetic prayer, but at least it came to a quick end, thanks to the paramedics bursting into the room. She glanced down at Jack, felt the squeeze of his fingers around hers. One of the medics hunkered beside her, tried to nudge her out of the way. But Jack wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“Thanks,” he whispered, brown eyes shining.

“You’re very welcome.” Cassidy swallowed around the lump in her throat.

“Step back, please. We need to move him.”

Jack squeezed her fingers once more, then let go. Cassidy stood by and watched them prepare him for the ride to the hospital.

Such gratefulness, and for what? A few paltry words? She had done nothing, and yet Jack seemed to relax, to gain confidence from her silly prayer. She watched as they loaded him onto a gurney, then followed as they carried him out of the building.

A child’s blind trust. She’d had that once.

“I’m going with him. Would you be able to drive my car to the hospital?” Clearly back in control, Ty fished a set of keys out of the coat he was carrying. “It’s parked behind the building. Ms. Preston?”

“Y-yes, of course.” Cassidy gulped and accepted the keys from him. “I’ll lock up and follow you. I want to see how he does, too.”

Jack was inside the ambulance now. The paramedics waited impatiently, but Ty paused a moment longer, his face solemn.

“Thank you. I froze back there. I couldn’t—” He shook his head as if to clear the image as he searched for words.

“Go.” Cassidy urged him forward. “Your nephew needs you now.”

He nodded, turned and strode toward the ambulance. Once he’d climbed inside, it took off. Shivering, she waited until the flashing lights disappeared from sight before turning back toward the building. Leaving Greece in January—was she crazy?

She retrieved her coat and purse, then stepped out the front door.

A grizzled old man, dressed in a shabby overcoat, stood on the bottom stoop.

“What happened?” He didn’t sound like a curious onlooker. He sounded concerned, worried.

She debated whether or not to tell him, then decided it could do no harm. But first she had some questions of her own.

“Who are you?”

“Mac. I’ve been coming here awhile, helping Ty get the place cleaned out.” The skin on his forehead drew into a crease. “The boy got hurt, didn’t he?”

“Yes, Jack broke a mirror and some of it cut him. He’s going to need some stitches. I’m going to the hospital as soon as I lock up.”

“Ty’ll blame himself.”