Page 120 of Serial Burn

“Where?”

“Ambulance next to you.”

James, Andrew, Cole, Kenzie, and others on the SWAT team closed in. He was going to be in so much trouble for running into that building. And he’d probably killed Samantha Ashcroft. Grief gripped him by the throat, but he also knew if he hadn’t dared, Jesslyn would be dead.

Movement from the building caught his attention and he turned to see firefighters bringing out Samantha. An EMT rushed to her side and checked her pulse. Then shook his head and covered her with a blanket. Face and all. She was dead. His heart constricted, a heavy weight in his chest. He hadn’t wanted to pull the trigger, but she’d given him no choice. His gaze slid from where he sat at the back of his ambulance, searching for Jesslyn. His eyes locked on hers and she held out a hand to him. He pulled off his SCBA mask, went to her, and took her hand to pull her, mask and all, into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“How did you find me?” she said, her voice muffled by the mask.

“Samantha sent us on a wild-goose chase. But one of the detectives found a pay stub from the pool company he actually worked for. We came straight here.”

She closed her eyes and leaned against him. “Thank God.”

“Definitely.”

THIRTY

The night of the benefit had swooped down upon her, arriving so fast her head was still spinning. The high school gymnasium might seem like an odd place to hold a classy fundraiser, but in Jesslyn’s mind, it was perfect. It embodied the spirit of the reason for the whole thing. Giving kids a safe place to hang out—and get help. The gym atmosphere would be a reminder throughout for why they were there.

Once everyone had a chance to finish their dinner, her aunt, dressed in black jeans, a white turtleneck, and a black jewel-studded blazer, took to the stage while dessert was served.

Jesslyn caught Nathan studying her. “What?” she asked.

“You ready?”

“I think so. I better be.” She shot him a smile, then turned to Eli, who was looking happy and healthy. It was amazing what hope could do in such a short time. “I can’t thank you enough for your part in this.”

“I’m excited, and it’s you I should be thanking.”

“Without further ado,” Carol said, “I’d like to welcome my lovely niece to the stage. She has a few words she’d like to say.”

Nathan squeezed her hand under the table, and she rose to walk to the stage. Carol hugged her and passed her the microphone.

“Thank you all for coming,” Jesslyn said. “I know you’re familiarwith my story. My family’s story. What you may not know is that I’ve recently learned that my father suffered from mental illness.” She caught a few raised brows, but she had the attention of everyone. Including a few of the servers. She pulled in a steadying breath. “I also learned that he grew up in and out of the foster care system due to neglect. With no family and slipping through the cracks of an overwhelmed system, my dad was basically on his own throughout his entire childhood and into his adulthood. By some miracle—proof that the Lord is always working—he finished high school and got a full scholarship to college where he studied real estate and business. While he was still in school, he went to work with a company who took a chance on him and from there, built his career. Dad met and married my mother and had us kids. For the casual observer looking at my family, one would never know anything was wrong. For those on the inside, such as my aunt, there were so many problems. As a result of his formative years, my father suffered PTSD, fear of abandonment, and so on. I’ve talked to a psychiatrist who pinpointed multiple things, and out of respect for my father, I won’t go into detail, but I want you to know that since discovering who my father was and how my mother supported him, I still want to build this youth center, but I want it to be so much more than that. I want it to be a place where kids can come from all walks of life. A place where they will find someone in their corner. People who genuinely care about them and are willing to mentor them through this thing we call life. The Bible calls us to do so. In Matthew, Jesus says, ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ... The King will say to those on his right, ... “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”’

“Folks, we want to reach these kids before they have to go hungry or thirsty. We want to welcome them and clothe them, get them medical help if they need it. And make sure they never see the insideof a prison.” With each word, her voice rose, her passion ringing in the silent gymnasium. All eyes were on her, dessert left untouched in front of the attendees. “And most of all, we want to make sure they get the mental health help they may need. Tonight, I’m asking you to join us on this journey to influence the future.Ourfuture. These kids are our future too, right? We must invest in the next generation and the generations after that. Some of us can do that by volunteering our time. Others can dig into their pockets to get this place built and keep it running for many years to come. And I’m thrilled to say, Dr. Eli Carlisle will be joining our team. He’s a psychiatrist with many years of experience and a story of redemption that will change the lives of those he counsels.” She motioned for Eli to stand, and he gave a small wave to thunderous applause before taking his seat again.

Jesslyn gripped the mic and took a breath. “You know why you’re here. And I don’t have the words to express my gratitude that you showed up. If this is a project you can get behind, there are envelopes on the table. Our goal is to raise enough to build this place and fund it, including Dr. Eli’s salary, for the next five years. Thank you again. And don’t forget to eat your dessert. It’s really good.”

Laughter broke out and then murmured conversations floated around her as she made her way back to the table.

Before she could sit, Nathan stood, the look on his face making her stomach do that flippy thing. He snagged her hand. “Could I borrow you a moment?”

“Sure.”

He led her out to the empty lobby and over to the painted sunset scene on the wall.

“That’s Lake City’s sunset over the lake near James’s house,” she said.

“I recognize the spot.”

“I never get tired of seeing the gold and oranges and reds all coming together to create a scene that’s never the same, but always painfully beautiful.”

He reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek. “That’s a good way of saying how I feel when I look at you.”

Her breath caught and she bit her lip.

“Too bold?” he asked.

---