Page 107 of Sapphire Sunset

Now he had no choice but to fight the sea, holding on fordear life as the wave that had lifted him surged away from him. It dropped thesea level enough for him to hoist his foot up onto a rock ledge. Then another,and suddenly he was free of the water.

Free but soaked and dripping, crouching atop the rock.Little Benji was below him, staring up at him, still gasping but not cryingquite so hard now that he was no longer alone. There was just enough surfacearea on top of the rock for the two of them, but he’d risked his life to gethere because it was clear the boy was too young and too terrified to hold on byhimself. Now he could hold on to Logan, and Logan could hold on to the rock.

“How you doing, buddy?”

Incomprehensible words blendedmommyanddaddyandsorryinto a language known only to terrified toddlers. Loganrolled onto his back, lifted the kid up onto his stomach, and buried the guy’sface in his chest so he could pretend the scary things had gone away. But theyhadn’t gone away. When he risked a look back toward shore, he saw Connor downon his knees, terror in his eyes, and his hands to his face.

Later,if I survive this, I’ll throw my armsaround him and tell him how much he looked like that kid fromHome Alone.

But instead, Logan lifted one finger and twirled it toindicate the rotors of a helicopter. Scott pointed to his phone to indicatehe’d made the call. And then it was a matter of waiting.

“Well, your mom’s sure right, little buddy. You are anexplorer. But right now, I need you to stay still and hold on to me ’til helparrives.”

He braved another look back at the shore, but the sight ofConnor’s fear tugged too many strings in his heart at once. It had beeninstinctive, reflexive, diving into the water the way he had. And his greatestfear hadn’t changed: Connor was the same guy who’d been ready to charge party crasherswho were twice his size. Would he risk his life by diving into these waves ifthings went south?

Logan prayed help would arrive before the question could beposed.

Finally, a Coast Guard helicopter swept low toward themacross the bright blue water. The waves around them were so loud he couldbarely hear the Sikorsky’s massive rotary blades. Logan had enough trainingstrapping Marines to spinal boards that he’d figured he’d be acrackshotat dealing with whatever rescue device theydropped from the chopper’s side door. But what emerged was not just a platform,but a Coast Guard officer attached to a cable. Logan repositioned himself asbest he could, until he was sitting up with Benji on his lap. The boy clung tohim for dear life. But then it was like the Coast Guard guy was sitting next tothem on the rock, even though he had a connection to a world of safety andrescue Logan currently lacked. All Logan had to do was pass the kid into hisarms, then the little boy was belted in several places to the officer’s brightorange suit.

“I’m coming back for you!” the Coast Guard officer roared.

Logan gave him a thumbs-up, and then they were rising intothe air. The boy’s eyes went saucer wide and his mouth a silentO.

Logan was relieved—so relieved he didn’t see the wave thatswept him off the rock.

Connor screamed so loud it felt like histhroat was on fire. The next thing he knew Scott had his arms around him,forcing him to keep the promise he’d made Logan.

But plunging headfirst into the waves was the only thingthat made sense when Logan vanished under them. Almost every fiber of his beingfelt pulled in the direction he’d last glimpsed the man of his dreams. The restof them were screaming.

So fast.Gone so fast.

He went as close to the edge as he could, the waves sendingspray onto his face, looking for any signs he could find. The helicopter stillhovered overhead, and now some sort of Coast Guard boat was slicing towardshore. They’d save him, for sure. They’d save him. They had to. Maybe he’d do whathe’d done last time, go limp and let the waves carry him where he wanted to go.But he’d been struck hard and fast, and it hadn’t been planned, and how much waterdid it really take to fill a person’s lungs? How many drops to drown them?

Connor tried to take a deep breath, but sobs ripped fromhim, refusing to be held in. Sobs of panic and despair. Sobs of terror and hurtand anger. Sobs that said,Am I really going to lose another man I careabout to this place?Then something pulled on him from behind, and hethought it was Scott again, but the pull was too strong, too hard, toofamiliar.

“What the hell did I tell you about going in the water?” avoice growled in his ear.

Connor spun and stared into Logan’s eyes. His chest washeaving, and his uniform shirt was torn in some places, blood-spotted inothers. There was even a bruise on his right cheek and something on hisforehead that looked like it might turn into a welt. But he was here, on dryland. He must have been slammed into the lip of jagged rock against the cliff’sface and pulled himself out while Connor had been searching for evidence he’dbeen swept out to sea. But Logan was here, alive, and holding him. And therewas no way to resist the urge that took over, the urge to bring their lips together,to cup Logan’s face in his hands to make sure he was real and not some visionspewed forth by an angry sea.

For a while, Connor couldn’t bring himself to let Logan go,and Logan, it seemed, couldn’t end their embrace either.

“Uh, guys,” Scott said. “I’m not sure if, uh, you wantedthis to be a private moment, but it’s not.”

They turned and saw Scott pointing to the guests who’dmassed on the beach behind them. Their raised camera phones had recordedeverything about the rescue, including the fierce kiss that had followed it.

But if any of them had a problem with it, there was notelling, because they were too busy applauding.

19

Once the doctor disappeared through a curtainthat did little to blot out the chaotic sounds of the ER beyond, Logan lookedup at Connor with puppy dog eyes made more pitiful by the effects of Vicodin.“Are you mad at me?”

“Nope. Now that you’ve agreed to a CAT scan, I’m happy as aclam.”

“You’re mad at me. For going in the water.”

“How could I be mad at you for saving that boy’s life?” Connorasked.

“I didn’t say it was justified. I just said it was what youwere feeling.”

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