Page 1 of Save Me
CHAPTER ONE
GUNNER
“See you next shift.” I lift a hand in farewell to my best friend, Ash, as he walks in front of my truck.
“Yeah,” he answers, stopping to hang his arms into the driver’s side door, ducking down so the sun doesn’t blind him. It’s a beautiful day here in Midnight Cove. The sun is shining, and it’s finally becoming warm. We suffered through a bitterly cold winter, and spring wasn’t much better. I’ve only worn shorts for a full week so far. “Don't forget I’m going to sample cakes tomorrow. I can't work out. You can either go alone or take a rest day.”
“Whipped bastard.” I throw the nearest thing I can get my hands on at him, which happens to be a half-empty bottle of water.
He catches it easily, a smirk on his face. “The best thing about having a soon-to-be wife who bakes—” He wiggles his eyebrows. “—is there’s a ninety percent chance I’m licking them off her body.”
I groan, sticking my fingers in my ears, shaking my head like a three-year-old having a temper tantrum. “LA, LA, LA!” Hearing him talk about all the sex he’s getting reminds me I’m getting none.
“Stop,” he laughs. “Don't be jelly.”
I flip him the bird before revving my engine and driving off. Truth is, maybe I am jealous. He’s getting married for the second time. I’ve not even been married once yet. As one of seven children, many of whom have already procreated, all it does is serve to remind me I’m a failure to my parents.
Hard rock blasts through my speakers, making me feel younger than I am as I drive through mid-day traffic. It’s not exactly the tourist season yet, so there’s that. Right now, it doesn’t take at least forty-five minutes to get through the congested downtown area, and us locals can still go to our favorite dining spots. In two weeks, that will all be over. Putting on my blinker, I merge into the right lane, impulsively parking in the lot facing the beach. Working out today hadn’t been my plan, but this place is calling to me, telling me I’ll be able to find my peace. It’s been a long time since I did a run here, and maybe I need the extra resistance today—the heat of the sun burning against my skin, the extra heaviness in the air as I try to breathe when I’ve pushed myself as far as I can go. More than anything, I need to feel as if I’ve accomplished something, even if it’s a harder-than-normal workout.
Luckily for me, I dressed for a day of laziness when I left the firehouse. Shrugging a hoodie over my body, I grab my cell, earbuds, and sunglasses out of the truck. Quickly, I stretch, hoping to avoid being sore later on. Locking up my truck, I walk in the sand, almost to the water, and then begin my run.
Running is cathartic for me. I’ve been able to work out some of my worst problems while running, but today my mind goes from one extreme to another. I have thoughts of marrying someone and having a baseball team of kids, to dying alone with a fucking cat. Twenty-seven is too young to have a nervous breakdown, right? It’s what I keep telling myself, but some days it feels as if I’m on the cusp. I need a grounding force in my life,and I’m ready for it, but it seems as if whatever force that may be isn’t ready for me.
Glancing around, I see the lighthouse ahead of me. It’s two miles from where I parked my truck and started this run. Once I get there, I decide to stop for a moment and take in the view.
Putting my hands on my head, I walk around, filling my lungs with great gulps of breath, replaying the night before in my head. It’d been a slow night at the station—we’d only been called out once. Unusually, I got a normal amount of sleep. I can’t even remember the last time that happened when I was on call.
The ocean is calm this afternoon, no rain on the horizon. I see a few sailboats out in the cove. My family has never been able to afford a boat—hell, even though we lived here, we were barely able to eat at the restaurant I see about a half mile further down the beach. It was a big deal to eat there on my sixteenth birthday. I’m in a weird type of mood today, and I’m not sure why.
Just as I’m about to head back to the parking lot, I hear a scream over the music in my ears. Considering I have it turned up about halfway, that was a very loud scream. Yanking the earbuds from my ears, I do my best to figure out which direction it’s coming from.
“Help!” I can hear the panic in a woman’s voice, along with a child screaming loudly. “Help me!”
The wind is blowing, which means it carries the sound toward me. Jogging back, making sure to look over each spot of beach I’ve covered, I finally see them in one of the rock formations at the cove.
“You need help?” I run toward them. “I’m a firefighter for the Midnight Cove station.”
“She fell,” the mother explains, pale and shaking.
It’s obvious she’s trying to keep her shit together, and failing badly at it. When I get a look at the little girl’s wrist, I can seewhy. It’s very obviously sprained, and she can feel it—judging by the tears streaming down her face. I kneel next to her.
“Hey, I’m Gunner. What’s your name, beautiful?”
There’s a slight smile when I call her beautiful. “Rosa,” she answers, her chin wobbling and her voice trembling. “I was named for my grandma.”
Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I take a few pictures of her wrist, sending a message to our main dispatch, along with the pictures so they know what to expect. I also give them our location.
“Your grandma must have been an amazing woman if you were named after her.”
My phone buzzes with the acceptance of my message, telling me they’ll be here in a few minutes.
“She was.” Rosa wipes at the tears on her face with her good hand. “She rode horses and painted.” She hiccups before taking a deep breath.
“That’s amazing.” I give her a smile as I slowly begin to palpate the joint, trying to figure out how badly she’s hurt herself.
She nods. “My mommy paints now.”
“Does she? What does she paint?” I take another moment to gaze at her mother.
