The Christmas Rescue

by Laura Scott

  “That would explain his reaction,” Rafe said. Sure enough, the dog quieted down almost instantly. He stared at her for a moment from across the dimly lit space.

  An awkward silence fell so she dropped to her knees beside the open box and began straightening files. Jeremy had been fanatical about keeping his files in precise order. She felt compelled to put them back in the same order he’d left them in. “I’ll finish up here,” she said again.

  Rafe didn’t respond right away, but she could feel his gaze watching her. Finally she looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”

  He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then slowly shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t upset with me for overstepping my bounds.”

  She sat back on her haunches. “No, Rafe. I’m not upset with you. Confused, maybe, but not upset.”

  “Confused is a good word,” he murmured, letting out a sigh. “Kayla, I feel like I should apologize, but I can’t lie. I’m not sorry I kissed you. But I also can’t allow you to distract me from my assignment. I need to keep focused on the investigation. Nothing else can take priority.”

  “I understand,” she said with a nod, hiding the stab of disappointment. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she seem to keep her distance from Rafe? One kiss and suddenly she welcomed him into her life with open arms? She picked up another of Jeremy’s files. “I’m not sure I’m ready to be a distraction,” she told him honestly. “I loved Jeremy and I’m afraid to open myself up like that again.”

  “I feel the same way,” he confessed.

  “Really?” She remembered he said something about losing someone he’d loved and she realized she didn’t know much about Rafe’s personal life. He was so handsome, she couldn’t believe he didn’t have women falling over themselves to be with him. In fact, she hadn’t been very nice to him the first time they’d met because she’d assumed with his handsome looks he was a bit of a player. But over these past few days, he didn’t act at all as if he were pining away for a more active social life. He didn’t even seem to notice the beautiful police artist, Christine. The entire time she’d worked on the sketch, she’d felt his gaze on her, not on Christine.

  And just now, he’d kissed her.

  “You know I lost Jeremy, but who did you lose, Rafe?” she asked.

  He hesitated so long she thought he wasn’t going to answer. “My wife and our unborn child,” he said finally.

  Her eyes widened and the blood drained out of her face. “Your wife?” she repeated in an agonized tone. “And your baby?” She couldn’t even imagine. And here she’d thought he was out dating every night, when obviously nothing could have been farther from the truth.

  “Yes. A boy. I named him Josué, Joshua in English, and buried him beside my wife.”

  A son. And his wife. Stunned she could only stare at him. What could she say to that? His pain had to have been all encompassing. Words seemed so inadequate. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too.” He grimaced a bit. “But Kayla, the only thing that kept me going during those dark days and nights after they were gone was my faith. As much as I didn’t understand why God had taken them, I also knew I wasn’t alone.”

  She’d never thought of faith as being a solution for feeling alone. The days after Jeremy’s death, knowing she had to be strong for Brianna was the only thing that had kept her going.

  And if she’d lost Brianna, too? No, she couldn’t imagine what would have happened.

  Psalm 23 verse 4 came to her mind. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

  She didn’t realize she’d said the verse out loud until Rafe came closer. “You’ve been reading the Bible?” he asked, an awed expression on his face.

  She flushed and nodded. “Just the Psalms. I can see why they’re your favorite. They’re so beautiful, almost like songs. Or poems. They seem to tell a story.”

  A brilliant smile creased his features. “They are exactly like poems. I’m so glad you like them.”

  She thought it was so strange in a way to be talking with a man about the Bible. Her brother had turned to God with her sister-in-law’s help, but that was different. She didn’t know any men who were spiritual in their beliefs.

  She’d never met a man like Rafe.

  She was about to ask him about his childhood and whether he was raised with faith from a young age, when she heard a loud shriek and loud excited barking.

  “Mommy! Fire! The Christmas tree is on fire!”

  EIGHT

  Fire? Kayla bolted toward the trap door leading out of the attic, but Rafe got there first. He swung down, hitting the ground below with a solid thunk. She climbed down seconds behind him, her heart jumping into her throat as piercing sound of a smoke alarm split the air.

  She flew down the stairs to the main level of the house, and the lower she got, the thicker the heavy scent of smoke. The irritant made her cough as she frantically searched for her daughter. “Brianna?” she called hoarsely. “Where are you?”

  “Mom-my?” Brianna was coughing, too, and a cold tingle of fear trickled down her spine. Brianna’s asthma always seemed worse in the winter, what would happen now with Brianna being in a smoke-filled room?

  “I’ve got Brianna and Clyde. I’m taking them outside,” Rafe called out in his deep voice. “Kayla, can you see the door?”

  The smoke burned her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to see through the haze. Her eyes teared up and she could just make out the open door. “Yes. Ellen? Are you here? Ellen? Where are you?”

  “Kayla, get outside!” This time Rafe’s voice held a distinct note of anger. “I’ll find Ellen. Brianna needs you.”

  She couldn’t argue, especially when she could still hear Brianna coughing. She found herself praying as she fumbled for the door. Dear Lord, please keep Ellen safe. And please help Brianna. Please?

  Fresh air welcomed her as she stumbled outside. Still coughing, tears streaming down her face, she looked for Brianna. A safe distance from the house, she saw Rafe holding her daughter in his arms and Clyde barking at his feet, so she hurried over.

  “She’s coughing a lot,” Rafe muttered, his voice full of concern. “The smoke is really bothering her.”

  “She has asthma,” Kayla murmured, taking Brianna into her arms. “She needs her inhaler.”

  “Where is it?”

  “There’s one in my purse, it’s on the kitchen table.”

  “I’ll find it.” Rafe dashed back inside the house.

  “Can’t breathe,” Brianna gasped between coughs. The air in Kayla’s own chest squeezed painfully when she could actually hear the wheezing in Brianna’s lungs.

  “Rafe is getting your inhaler, sweetheart,” she said, smoothing a hand down Brianna’s back. “Try to relax. Fighting to breathe is only going to make things worse. Here, breathe down into your shirt.” She knew from past experience that sometimes breathing into a paper bag helped to ease the coughing. Maybe trapping the air at least a little would help.

  “Can’t Mommy.”

  Full of anguish, she could only watch Brianna struggle to catch her breath. Where was Rafe? They needed to call 911. Her daughter needed an ambulance. Now.

  “Kayla?” She turned toward Ellen’s voice, grateful her mother-in-law had gotten out of the house, too. “Here,” she said, thrusting the inhaler into Kayla’s hands. “Rafe called 911 and gave me Brianna’s inhaler.”

  Gratefully, she pinched the inhaler between her fingers and set Brianna on her feet. “Here, Brianna. Take two puffs.”

  Brianna took two breaths from the inhaler and her coughing got a little better, but didn’t stop completely. Kayla glanced up at Ellen. “I need to take her to the hospital.”

  Rafe came over, carrying their winter coats. “Here, put these on. I used the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and managed to put the fire out. It was pretty much centered in the Chris
tmas tree. But the fire department and an ambulance are on the way. Apparently a nearby motorist saw the fire and called it in.” He glanced down at Brianna. “With the ambulance on the way, our best bet is to stay put. They’ll be here any minute.”

  “Thank you,” Kayla murmured, pulling her coat on and then helping Brianna with hers. Clyde finally calmed down but Brianna was still struggling to breathe. “Try another puff on your inhaler,” she suggested.

  A horrible coughing fit gripped Brianna and the little girl nearly doubled over, gasping for air. Kayla could only watch helplessly as her daughter struggled to take a deep breath. The smoke had caused an asthma attack that was the worst she’d seen in two years. Brianna needed a breathing treatment and fast.

  The welcoming sound of sirens reassured her that help was on the way. When Brianna’s coughing fit ended, she urged her daughter to use the inhaler again.

  Soon her front yard was engulfed in chaos. Several firefighters dragged a long hose attached to a water truck into her house to make sure the fire was indeed out. Being so far away from the city, and in the woods, there were no fire hydrants nearby. Another firefighter came over to see what he could do for Brianna.

  “Here, let’s try some oxygen,” he said, placing a small face mask over Brianna’s nose and mouth.

  The oxygen helped, but when the firefighter used his stethoscope to listen to her lungs, he glanced up at Kayla and shook his head. “Still wheezing pretty bad. She needs a medicated breathing treatment.”

  “I know,” Kayla whispered.

  Just then the ambulance pulled into the driveway. Thankfully, Kayla waited as the two EMTs hurried over. “What’s going on?” the tall male asked.

  “My daughter is having a severe asthma attack. Do you have access to albuterol breathing treatments?” Kayla asked.

  “Yes, we do.” The female EMT hunkered down near Brianna, making eye contact with the little girl. “Will you let me carry you to the ambulance? We have medicine in there that will help your breathing.”

  Brianna’s eyes were wide but she gave a quick nod, still not able to talk very much. Kayla followed Brianna into the ambulance, unwilling to let her daughter out of her sight.

  “Here you go,” the female EMT said, handing Brianna the mouthpiece once she’d set up the BIRD respirator. Brianna knew the drill well enough to know how to clamp her lips around the mouthpiece and to suck in several deep breaths.

  The medicine worked, although every so often Brianna began coughing again. The two EMTs glanced at each other and Kayla sensed they were still concerned.

  “Ma’am, we’d feel better if a doctor at the local hospital examined your daughter,” the male EMT said as the female EMT nodded her agreement.

  Kayla didn’t hesitate. “That’s fine. I’d feel better, too.”

  “Good. We’ll take off then. You can sit back here with your daughter if you’d like.”

  “Okay.” She moved to sit down next to Brianna, but then glanced back outside the ambulance doors. “Rafe?” she called, snagging his attention from where he was in deep discussion with the firefighter. He immediately crossed over to her, looking up at her expectantly. “Would you put Clyde in the basement and then bring Ellen to meet us at the hospital?”

  “Of course.” His expression was one of concern. “We’ll be right behind you.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured, realizing how fortunate she was to have Rafe at her side during a crisis like this. The very first time Brianna had suffered a severe asthma attack, Jeremy had been out on the lake and she’d been alone. Having Rafe to share the burden was reassuring. Less frightening.

  The male EMT closed the back doors to the ambulance and then climbed into the driver’s seat.

  The drive to the hospital didn’t take long, and Kayla was relieved that Brianna seemed to have her breathing under control by the time they arrived. Still, Kayla couldn’t relax completely until the doctor had examined Brianna.

  The two EMTs wheeled Brianna on their stretcher into one of the empty rooms in the small hospital emergency department. A nurse and a doctor came in immediately.

  Kayla handed her daughter into their care, even though it wasn’t easy to give her up to stand back, keeping out of the way. When Dr. Graham, as he’d introduced himself, listened to Brianna’s lungs, she watched his face closely.

  “So what happened to kick-start this asthma attack?” he asked calmly as he pulled the stethoscope buds out of his ears.

  “Smoke from a fire in the Christmas tree,” she explained quickly.

  “Hmm,” Dr. Graham murmured.

  “Pulse ox still hovering around eighty-eight percent,” the nurse said, reading the number off a nearby machine that monitored Brianna’s oxygen level with a clothespin device clipped on her index finger. “And she’s a little tachy, heart rate one hundred twenty-two.”

  “Keep her oxygen at two liters per minute for now,” Dr. Graham instructed. He turned toward Kayla. “I’d like to keep your daughter here for observation for a bit, if that’s all right with you. Smoke inhalation on top of asthma can be very serious. Her oxygen saturation should be above ninety percent. I’d hate to discharge her only to have her suffer a relapse.”

  A relapse? Her eyes widened in horror. “Of course she’ll stay for as long as you recommend. Give her whatever treatments you think are best.” Being self-employed, her medical insurance coverage was nonexistent, but she wasn’t going to quibble about money at a time like this. Brianna’s health was far more important than being in debt and besides, she was pretty sure the hospital would set up some sort of payment plan.

  At least, she hoped so.

  Rafe and Ellen arrived moments later. Dr. Graham and the nurse left, talking in low tones, no doubt about their next steps. Ellen reached over to give Brianna a hug. Rafe stood back, but she could see the concern reflected in his black eyes.

  “She’ll be fine,” Kayla murmured, flashing a weak smile as he came to stand beside her. “They want to observe her for a while to make sure she’s okay.”

  Rafe took her hand and she grasped onto him gratefully. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Dear Lord, thank You for protecting us from the fire. And thank You for restoring Brianna’s health, Amen.”

  “Amen,” Kayla whispered, humbled by Rafe’s quiet, yet heartfelt prayer. The idea of God watching over them was very reassuring. Somehow, she didn’t find it at all difficult to believe God had protected Brianna when she needed Him the most.

  Rafe’s fingers tightened briefly on hers and she couldn’t help thinking again how different Rafe was from any man she’d ever known. His spirituality awed her. He was strong physically, but he was also strong emotionally, too. She let out a tiny sigh and leaned her head against Rafe’s shoulder. He instantly wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her close, silently offering support and comfort.

  Kayla inhaled Rafe’s musky scent, relaxing for the first time since she’d heard Brianna shouting about the fire. She tipped her head back to glance up at Rafe’s handsome profile, trying not to compare him to Jeremy, knowing it was hardly fair. Just because Jeremy didn’t have a spiritual side, didn’t make him less of a husband and father.

  Yet she couldn’t deny Rafe had given her a glimpse of a new future. One that offered a higher level of fulfillment if she followed the path leading to God. She knew Rafe would show her the way.

  And she discovered she wanted to see what this new future might hold for her, very much.

  When Brianna was discharged, Rafe carried her out to his jeep, tucking her into the backseat beside Ellen. Kayla took the passenger seat beside him and he couldn’t ignore the distinctive family-like feel to the atmosphere as he drove back to Kayla’s bed-and-breakfast.

  He still remembered those fearful moments when he worried he wouldn’t get everyone out of the house in time. He’d counted on God’s support and had been very thankful when they’d emerged essentially unscathed.

  Except for Brianna’s asthma attack. Watching the litt
le girl struggle to breathe had been horrible. If he could have offered up his lungs for her, he would have. Talk about feeling totally helpless. Not something he cared to repeat anytime soon.

  He’d never been happier than when the breathing treatments had finally kicked in, bringing Brianna’s oxygen levels above ninety percent. After another hour of observation, Dr. Graham declared her ready for discharge.

  The firefighters had been discussing the source of the fire when he’d left to follow Kayla. They were trying to rule out arson, but he hadn’t stayed to hear what theory they’d finally decided upon. Unfortunately, when he pulled into Kayla’s driveway, they’d already left the scene. He could only assume they’d be back.

  The burnt Christmas tree was lying in the front of the yard, where the firemen had dragged it. The branches were burned but there had been more smoke than anything because of the water in the tree stand keeping it moist. Dusk was starting to fall, but he left his headlights on and peered closely at the worst part of the burnt tree, down by the base of the trunk. The firefighters had noticed it was odd for the fire to have started there, so close to the water tray.

  He wrinkled his nose. What was that smell? Gasoline? He hunkered down next to the tree, practically putting his nose right on top of the charred tree trunk. The acrid scent burned his nostrils. Yep, definitely gasoline.

  A chill raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Gasoline would explain why the fire had started where it had. And also confirmed the fire had been set on purpose.

  “Kayla, wait!” Rafe jumped up and jogged over to where Kayla was about to enter the house.

  An unsecured house, as the security system was not engaged.

  “What?” she asked, stopping on the porch and turning to face him. Brianna was draped over her shoulder, the little girl’s eyelids drooping from sheer exhaustion.

  “Go back to my jeep. Both of you,” he said, including Ellen who stood beside Kayla. “The house isn’t locked and I’m afraid the fire might have been set on purpose.”