The Whirlwind Rescue Read online

  She bought a strip of tiny one-bedroom cottages that had made up a once outdated retirement center. Each room had old, gnarled wood paneling and mangy, avocado shag carpet that smelled something fierce. She remembered that first day ripping out the carpet, appalled at the amount of dirt and sand that came up out of it. Who used carpet near the ocean front?

  It was a much-needed distraction to keep her from calling Gavin and apologizing. She kept hoping and praying that he would reach out to her so they could mend the rift between them. Every time she mentally stumbled or felt weak, she began remodeling another building. The ten-unit facility only had three buildings left to renovate… and then what was she going to do?

  “Time heals all wounds, Nat,” she whispered aloud and yanked her ponytail out only to wince at the snarls of dried paint in her hair that caught on her fingernails. Carefully, she pulled her hair back again and went back to painting the room.

  Hours later, a knock at the door interrupted her just as she finished the last few strokes with the roller. Arms aching, she turned to smile at the guests peering in the cottage.

  “It’s so cute that each room has a theme, dear.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Abernathy, and good morning,” Natalie smiled widely, glad someone noticed the tiny touches she’d put into the place. It was true; each cottage did have a theme to it.

  The little pink building had roses planted around it and vines twisted up the small arbor in front. It wasn’t garishly pink, like lipstick, but rather a faint airy-like shade that reminded her of peonies.

  The green cottage had windows framed in bits of sea glass adhered by concrete and sunk into the pathway up to the building. The lavender cottage had lavender plants surrounding the building.

  This yellow one would be sunny, reminding her of the bright Texas sun. She had found some towels that had suns emblazoned on them, as well as a few stained-glass pieces that looked breathtaking in the windows, catching the light.

  “It’s creative and adorable,” Mrs. Abernathy continued, adjusting her hat on her head in order to keep it from blowing off in the breeze. “The mister and I were just going to take a walk along the shore and pick up shells, but we wanted to see what time the evening tea was. The little cucumber sandwiches and Benedictine spread was very interesting.”

  Glancing at her watch, Natalie winced. It was already close to four in the afternoon. She needed to get cleaned up and prepare something quick for the guests.

  “I try to have the tea each evening at five. There’s plenty of time for a nice romantic walk together. Go enjoy yourselves and I’ll see you shortly,” she urged politely, her mental clock ticking away. Waving kindly, she restrained the urge to run to her own home. The building was covered in stained wood planking with planters at each window overflowing with flowers. She wanted her home to be something out of a fairytale, reminding her of Snow White’s cottage. She had even bought an apple tree, but it wouldn’t produce for years, if it lived that long. She had a brown thumb that would make any gardener wince at her efforts.

  Running inside, she was glad she’d straightened up the small shaded seating area just off to the side of the house. Four wooden picnic benches were placed almost in a circular pattern that would allow her to get out a fire pit during the cooler months.

  Cutting open a melon, she quickly used a melon-baller to make little pink and orange spheres. A saucepan on the stove was at a rolling boil, thickening the sugary water into syrup as she dropped a few mint leaves in it. A package of cheese cubes would work well as an easy snack along with the fruit. Pouring the syrup over the fruit, she quickly shoved the bowl in the freezer, opting to skip the fridge to hide the fact that she’d forgotten to make something for teatime tonight.

  Glancing at her cellphone to check the time on the screen, she sighed heavily. A photo of her and Gavin was on the screen. She couldn’t remove it because it would be like saying goodbye to any possible chance of talking with him ever again.

  She loved her new life, even if she was struggling financially to get by. Things would get better over time, she told herself repeatedly. Time healed all wounds and would give her an opportunity to make something of her new bed and breakfast in sunny Galveston. She just hoped that time would also mend the loneliness in her heart.

  Chapter 3

  Glancing down the way, Gavin whistled in shock as he spotted celebrity Jett Channing working with the other members of the Tracking & Scouting division. He’d seen the man hard at work with his K9; however, had thought maybe his eyes were deceiving him. Everyone had seen the former bodybuilding champion on the tabloids or internet and it seemed too surreal to see him there, among the other men, doing the same type of work. Whoever had the theory that celebs didn’t mingle among others had it all wrong. Jett was right there in the trenches with his brothers in the field.

  Tobin had applied with Fire Rescue, since that is what his job normally entailed; however, he’d also requested a chance to work with the water rescue team as well, if a spot opened up. That wasn’t approved yet, and frankly, Gavin was not surprised that he’d requested it.

  His friend had always been drawn to the water. The man liked to scuba dive, snorkel, and go on a deep-sea fishing excursion or two. The last one he’d accompanied Tobin on resulted in him being sicker than anything beyond what he’d experienced in his life. His head spun for two days after getting off the boat and the gut-wrenching vomiting had made his voice hoarse. Nope, Gavin was not a fan of motion sickness in the slightest.

  The Urban Rescue team was the ultimate opportunity for him to further his career. As a paramedic, you had chances to work with ambulances, hospitals, etc., but his dream was to be part of the action. He wanted to be in the field when disaster hit to help save lives. FEMA search and rescue sounded intense… and if he could get accepted into a Search and Rescue K9 program?

  That would be incredible!

  The idea of being assigned to a task force team to help with devastating storms or emergencies sounded right up his alley. Most thought it might be boring because just how often did something like that happen?

  Hurricane season ran from June to November, earthquakes happened even more rarely, and tornadoes were certainly unpredictable… but when something devastating did occur? He wanted to be in the thick of it.

  It wasn’t just the surge of adrenaline; it was the sustained feeling of relief that you were able to help another person. When the chaos was over, that feeling carried you towards the next job you were needed in. Life could go from zero to mass hysteria in a split second. It wasn’t glorious like the movies portrayed. Disasters were utterly terrifying, but you couldn’t allow yourself to stop and process what was going on.

  Gavin had to run off of instinct and training every single time.

  He’d seen car wrecks that would make another person violently ill at the mangled web of metal in the road; other times it was ignoring the screaming in the background. Giving the fear a chance to slip through the armor around his heart could draw his efforts to a complete halt. Maybe that made Natalie right in her assessment, and that element of truth to it was unnerving.

  He could shut off his emotions because it was self-preservation so he could function. If he didn’t, he would freeze up or be crying right with the others in the street. Those screams would be in unison, those tears would fill a river, and that fear – it would be paralyzing. No, he couldn’t let himself feel when he was in the zone.

  Search and rescue made him feel like he was giving back. It wasn’t just waiting helplessly to help someone. No, he was an active part of finding people before they were injured or dead.

  “Poprocks? Are you with us today?”

  Gavin glanced up distractedly from where he was supposed to be doing his drills. Officer Billmont looked like a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and was a little intimidating. He was six feet tall and huge with a no-nonsense approach to getting the job done. Problem was that Gavin thrived on nonsense to lighten the mood sometimes.

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p; “I’m gonna kill Tobin,” he muttered under his breath, realizing that the nickname that he’d been given by his best friend and roommate was suddenly known by everyone at the Academy. Several smiling faces were watching as he jumped to his feet and snapped out of his reverie.

  “Yes, sir. Sorry, was counting off and not paying attention.”

  “Paying attention will keep you from getting killed.”

  “Yeah, I’d prefer that didn’t happen.”

  “Most people would.”

  “I kinda like my insides just where they are at: on the inside, you know? Less pokey, more hokey?” Gavin said with a sheepish smile, “but I swear I’m serious about this. I’ve learned so much in the past three weeks I’ve been here.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. We might be having to double down on drills in order to be ready for graduation this Friday,” Officer Billmont said flatly, holding his hands behind his back at attention. “There’s a tropical storm off the coast, gaining speed. Right now, they aren’t sure if it’s going to turn away from the coast or hit the mainland. Either way, we are going to be prepared to mobilize at the last minute if needed.”

  “We’ll be ready sir! This includes Poprocks, sir!”

  Gavin almost groaned aloud at the overgrown boy scout in his group. Evan Lansing was goody-two-shoes down to his polished steel-toed boots. The starched creases on his uniform had creases, the white of his shirt was brighter than the others, etc. It was like he was trying to prove himself to the world.

  “Is that right? Will the little Dancing Queen be okay, or is it Bye, Bye, Bye for him?” Officer Billmont’s eyes held a glimmer of mischief, knowing that he was taunting the younger man. There was no way he was going to start any argument with the oversized trainer. Not only did his chance to graduate the Academy hang on this man’s word, Gavin preferred his eyeteeth to remain inside his mouth where they were firmly rooted. The man had meat-hooks for fists and he was certain that it would be a TKO if the man ever got in a fist fight.

  “Yes, sir! As our Eagle Scout claims, I’ll be ready for graduation, sir.”

  He bit back a laugh at the sharp glare that Evan shot his direction. The man had a lot to learn if he thought he could use a nick name and not earn one of his own. Surprisingly enough, he could have sworn Billmont was the one laughing as he walked away.

  A week later, Gavin stood with several other men surrounding the one large screen television that was in the lounge/reception area, listening to the weather reports coming in. He’d been packing up his things, excited for his trip back home and to his already planned vacation. Lounging on Galveston Island had sounded like a dream getaway, a break he was long overdue for. The plan had been to graduation, take a breather, then apply himself wholeheartedly into a new career path that could take him away from the memories.

  The storm here this afternoon had been utterly insane with lightning everywhere that caused them to lose power during the graduation ceremony for a moment before the generator kicked on. He knew it was really bad, because the outer bands of the storm were just starting to travel inland. Several of the classes were being held inside, while graduates made room for the next series of recruits. He was taking his break to watch the reports coming in on Tropical Storm Dottie.

  Word spread like wildfire that Jett Channing had raced out of his classroom and the building itself, breaking protocol. Gossip claimed that Sergeant Ford made a loud comment about ‘Jett’s hero complex’. Rules were meant to be followed to the letter and be models of decorum.

  Weren’t they supposed to be the heroes of the day when there was trouble? Gavin kept his thoughts to himself to avoid stirring the waters any more than they already were. He hoped that the man didn’t get expelled if there was a true emergency. He assumed there was because Officer John Lee wasn’t far behind the famous bodybuilder as he tore out of the parking lot in his personal vehicle.

  Turning back to the television, he listened and crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring Tobin standing nearby. The two friends looked at each other and shared a glance that didn’t require explanation. This was going to be bad if it hit the coast directly.

  Tropical Storm Dottie is gaining speed and momentum over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Currently we are seeing sustained winds of seventy-three miles per hour. We are expecting to escalate this up to a hurricane within the hour. The projected path is headed for Brownsville, Texas at this moment but could still turn. All along the coast of Texas are preparing for inclement weather at this time. Stay tuned for more…

  “Your vacation,” Tobin said with an arched eyebrow in question.

  “Meh,” Gavin shrugged, “What’s a little rain in the area?”

  “You could get slapped in the face with a hurricane.”

  “Then I’ll already be in the right spot to help if I’m needed, won’t I?” Gavin hoisted his bag onto his shoulder. Tobin had a week left until his own graduation and Gavin promised to return to pick him up before they headed back to San Antonio.

  “All right boys-let’s gear up,” Officer Billmont announced, stepping directly in front of the television screen. “Break time is over and we need to wrap up the day. Get a good night’s sleep this evening and bring you’re A-game with you in the morning. Prepare to head out bright and early unless things change overnight. We want to be on the scene if things go south and help the evacuation process. Brownsville is almost seven hours from us and we are going to be in for a long drive unless Dottie changes course.”

  Evan walked past Gavin and gave him a quick, abrupt nod that had Gavin raising a single eyebrow in silent challenge.

  “Something on your mind, Eagle Scout?”

  “Gear up doesn’t mean bringing your headphones, Poprocks,” Evan said scathingly, walking off.

  “Just because I’ve graduated and you haven’t yet doesn’t mean you get to be a hater. Jealousy doesn’t become you, Eagle Scout. Badges are for whittling and woodwork… not whining. Go sing Kumbaya with the other students. I’ve got to get on the road,” Gavin sassed smoothly before looking at Tobin.

  Tobin had the good graces to look away, hiding his smile.

  “Seriously? You had to tell everyone that you nicknamed me Poprocks? Couldn’t you have given me something a little more macho?”

  “What’s with calling him Eagle Scout?” Tobin asked, evading the question as the other man walked away.

  “You’d have to work with him to understand,” Gavin said, rubbing his hand over his face in exasperation. Just then, fire instructors Teresa ‘Tex’ Daniels and John Gatlin, burst into the room. The two were highly respected by Tobin, as were all the instructors by their students.

  It was truly humbling to be taught by so many great men and women.

  Tex Daniels had scars on her hands from a massive fire. She’d run into the building after hearing there were children still inside. There was no telling the level of pain that woman could handle nor the amount of therapy it had to have taken in order to gain usage of them again. When it came to her team, she was like a protective mother hen.

  John Gatlin and Ben Miller were both 9/11 survivors. Miller was a bomb detection handler and now second-in-command of the Academy. He’d seen him several times giving interviews, whereas Gatlin hovered in the shadows, avoiding the limelight. Tobin had said that the man was very quiet, reserved, and driven to give back to his brothers in the field.

  Tobin uncrossed his arms in alarm and stepped forward in front of Gavin.

  “Rustle up, my little Sparklers! We are heading out,” Daniels announced, her voice carrying loudly over the din in the room.

  “We’ve been called up. There’s an oil rig off the coast that’s caught fire due to a lightning strike. We are wheels up in five! Briefing is on the chopper. Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” she barked out, clapping her hands.

  “Bye!” Tobin shouted over his shoulder, sprinting out of the room with several other men. Gavin knew they were both headed south but for different reasons. Due to the o
ncoming storm, Gavin decided to keep his vacation plans in order to be close by if it hit Brownsville or made a turn – and if not, he had a chance to unwind for two days before heading into the fray and rejoining the group. It was a matter of time before they were both hard at work, saving lives.

  Natalie was beside herself. Her marketing efforts needed to be revamped to get more traffic into the little bed and breakfast, or things were never going to work out. She had her money, but it was dwindling faster than it was coming in. People wanted to spend time on a sunny beach, enjoying the ocean breeze, and the last day it had been overcast and rainy.

  Last night’s tea had involved discussing the storm headed for the most southern point of Texas, but she would freely admit the idea of it changing paths made her nervous. She hated storms. The thunder and lightning drove her nuts and made her antsy.

  She had never been through a tropical storm and wasn’t sure what to expect. Several of the locals in town had said that it was like a really bad thunderstorm and nothing for her to be concerned about… as they bought up as much bread, bottled water, and other supplies as they could carry.

  She mimicked their purchases, scanning the aisles for what was empty and what wasn’t. The idea of stocking up on something she might not need or use, seemed almost wasteful with as tight of a budget as she ran right now. If the storm scared off guests, she didn’t want to live off dry goods until they returned. She liked a little variety in her diet and was quite spoiled by the amount of fresh seafood that living on the island provided. Unloading all her bags onto the counter, she winced at hearing her name behind her.

  “Miss Allen?”

  The Abernathy’s were driving her bonkers. Mrs. Abernathy seemed to have it in her mind that they were the ‘best of friends’ and she could comment on every little thing during her stay here. It was everything from ‘the tea should be stronger’ to ‘use a little bluing in the laundry to get the napkins a little whiter, dearie’. While she should be grateful for the advice, it was getting a little old too.