Storm Rising
Page 26
She and Cara might have their own place now, but home would forever be where her parents lived and worked so hard within the rescue community. Where they now would open their home to an exhausted, abused, lonely girl, with no one of her own to depend on as she tried to adjust to her new reality.
She looked sideways at Emma, who sat in the passenger seat beside her. The girl’s eyes were like saucers and her mouth sagged open. Meg tried hard not to smile. She understood the wonder of the rescue, but didn’t want Emma to misconstrue her reaction as poking fun at her.
“Welcome home,” she said quietly. “You’re sure you’ll be okay out here? It’s pretty far from the hustle and bustle of city life.”
“I’ve lived the city life,” Emma said. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Working with animals is its own therapy, let me tell you.” Movement out her side window caught Meg’s eye. “Uh, Hawk. Auria is already waiting for you. Emma, look left.”
The girl gasped as she realized a bay mare was galloping to catch up to the SUV, and then settling into a matched run with it.
In the back, Hawk let out a happy bark. The horse whinnied back.
“That’s Auria. She and Hawk are best buddies. They both started out at the rescue together and they’re inseparable when we’re here.”
Up ahead, her parents stepped out of the house, followed by . . . Cara? Yes, that was definitely her sister, with Saki at her side, and Blink poking his head around her mother’s legs. And the yellow streak running in circles on the porch was Cody, McCord’s golden retriever.
“Looks like the whole family is here to meet you. That’s Mom and Dad. And the one who looks like a carbon copy of me is my baby sister, Cara. Mom must have told her we were on our way in. Cara and I live with our dogs in Arlington, but it’s only a couple of hours to get here, so we drop by when we can.”
“She came to see you?”
“She’s dating Clay McCord—the reporter—in the car behind us. He went to North Carolina to cover the hurricane, so he’s been gone for over a week.” She chuckled. “I would bet he’s probably a bigger draw than me.”
They pulled in close to the porch. Meg let Hawk out and stood back as her dog shot through the gate her father held open and into the paddock to dance happy circles around the mare. Bracing one hand on the roof of the car, Meg bent down and looked in. “Ready?”
Emma took a big breath, clutched the bag she held on her lap, and nodded.
“Come on out then.” Meg shut both open doors on her side and circled the SUV to meet her parents, sidestepping Cody as he shot past, finally released by Cara once McCord’s car was parked. She hugged her mother first, then her father. Turning, she found Emma standing by the SUV, looking around uncertainly.
Meg stepped to the young woman, put an arm around her waist and drew her forward. “Mom, Dad, this is Emma. Emma, these are my parents, Jake and Eda Jennings.”
Emma gave them a shy smile. “Mr. and Mrs. Jennings. Thank you so much for offering a place for me.”
Eda stepped up and drew the girl away from Meg to give her a hug. “Welcome to Cold Spring Haven. And just Jake and Eda will do. We’re so pleased you’re here with us. Do you like iced tea? I’ve got some on the porch. And maybe after you’re settled, Meg can take you around to show you the rescue.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Let me take your bag.” Jake lifted the bag from her hands and then held his out to shake. “Nice to meet you. Meg told us some amazing things about you. Now, come on up. Eda baked pound cake and slapped my hand when I tried to sneak a piece because you get first honors. I can’t eat until you do.”
His wife fixed him with a mock glare. “Jake, you’re terrible.”
Jake winked at his wife and then led the women up to the porch, where he left them to take Emma’s bag up to her room. Eda settled Emma in a chair, got her an iced tea and a slice of cake, and introduced her to the petrified Blink, who cautiously inched forward to sniff Emma’s extended hand.
She’s going to be just fine.
Meg turned back to find Cara and McCord locked in an embrace as Webb pointedly looked in any other direction and Cody did his best to push between them. “Hey!” she yelled with a wide grin. “Knock it off and come say hello to your sister.”
Cara pushed away from McCord, smiling at the echo of her own words from days before. “Guess I deserved that.” The sisters hugged and broke apart, laughing. Cara’s gaze darted up to the porch, where Blink was standing by Emma’s knee, allowing her to stroke his back, and her eyes went solemn. “You think she’s going to be okay here? She’s had a tough go of it so far.”
“She has, but the rescue will be great for her. Mom might be a little out of her league because this girl will have issues that we never had, but she’ll rise to the occasion. The hard, honest, physical labor of the rescue will do Emma good in the short term, and who knows? It might even point her in a new direction.”
Barking attracted their collective attention. Saki was standing on her stubby back legs, her front paws braced on the cross posts of the paddock fence, watching Hawk and Auria race around as Cody bulleted up and down the fenced perimeter.
“Do we dare let her in?” Cara asked.
“She’s never shown interest before, but why not? Auria is insanely careful about where she puts her feet when a dog is around.” Meg turned to the dancing golden retriever at her side. “What about you, Cody?”
As a group, they walked to the paddock and Meg opened the gate. Cody went through in a yellow blur, then Saki trotted through toward Hawk and Auria, to join the chaotic chase.
“Cody never stops moving, but it never fails to amaze me how fast Saki can run on those short little legs. She’s greased lightning.”
“She’s a special girl, my Saki. Therapy dog extraordinaire, and spunky as hell.”
Meg closed the gate and joined the others at the fence, slipping between Cara and Webb. She propped her elbows on the fence railing to watch the happy exuberance inside.
McCord poked his head around Cara. “So . . . now that the case is officially closed . . .”
Meg rolled her eyes and pointed a finger accusingly at McCord. “Look, Mr. Reporter, I haven’t forgotten you have first crack at this story. I’ve already put the request in to Craig; I’m just waiting for him to get back to me. Then you’ll get the green light.”
“I’m just saying I have the story mostly written and it could go out as a headliner tomorrow morning.” McCord rocked back and forth and innocently whistled a tune until Cara elbowed him in the stomach, the notes disintegrating into a gasping indrawn breath.
“A deal’s a deal. If I don’t hear from Craig in an hour, I’ll contact EAD Peters myself. You’ll get your story.” Meg turned around and leaned on the fence, her gaze passing over the rolling hills of the farm and finally coming to rest on the trio sitting on the porch.
“We should go join them,” Cara said. “You’ve given them a few minutes to get to know each other without a crowd looking on.”
“Was I that obvious?”
“To me, yes, but considering we think alike and I would have done the same thing, maybe not to anyone else.” She looped an arm around McCord’s waist. “Hungry?”
McCord grinned down at her. “I could eat.”
“You can always eat.”
“Isn’t that God’s own truth.” He gave her a squeeze and led her toward the house, his head bent low to murmur something private. Cara tossed back her head and laughed in response.
Meg held out her hand. “Well? Shall we join them?”
Webb wove his fingers through hers. “You know, bringing Emma here was a great idea.”
“I wasn’t sure it would work. It’s going to be a big change for her. But it will take away the need to do anything to support herself, all while making sure she’s safe. And she won’t have to worry about anyone looking for her, now that the trafficking ring has collapsed and the ringleaders are dead or arrested.
It will give her a chance to heal and find her bearings again.” Her smile faded. “It worked for me after I lost Deuce. There’s a peace to be found working with animals, which you can’t quite find anywhere else.”
“Then it’s a real gift you’ve given her.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it as they stepped onto the front walkway. “You’re back to work with the team this week?”
“Craig is expecting me tomorrow. It’ll be good to be back. This may sound stupid, but while putting those guys away was satisfying, it’s just not the same as our search-and-rescue work.”
“It’s not stupid at all. Saving lives is its own reward.”
“Of course you get it.” She gripped his hand. “More than that, you get me.”
Hand in hand, they walked up the porch steps to join their ever-expanding family.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The idea for this novel came from several sources—personal experience with local hurricanes, research into real-life rescues and recoveries by National Disaster Search Dog Foundation teams, and media reports of both tragedy and the triumph of everyday people’s amazing courage and resourcefulness during natural disasters. This manuscript was completed prior to the 2017 hurricane season. As a result, any similarities to the tragic story of the Saldivar family, who lost their lives when their van was washed away at a low-water crossing during Hurricane Harvey, are sadly coincidental.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My heartfelt thanks goes to a group of wonderfully talented publishing professionals who helped transform this novel into its final form: My agent, Nicole Resciniti, for always standing by, ready to assist with any book or career direction question. My critique team—Lisa Giblin, Jenny Lidstrom, Rick Newton, and Sharon Taylor—for skillfully juggling character, technical, and plot points, and always finding the time to fit me in between insane home/work schedules and catastrophic forest fire deployments. And Esi Sogah, for your eagle eye in always being able to pinpoint issues, big or small, to help turn a draft into a shiny final product. I’d be lost without each one of you, so thank you!
Keep an eye out for more
F.B.I. K-9 Mysteries
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In the series
LONE WOLF
and
BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
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