Page 60 of The Baxters
No words were needed. Ashley nodded and she wrapped both arms around her brother and baby boy. Landon noticed that their parents and Erin also wiped tears. Landon thought about the class he’d taken. Cole wouldn’t have made it if they’d had to wait for paramedics. They lived too far out of town.
And just then something occurred to Landon. Hehad been right where he was needed and with his training he had saved a life. Which was why the whole firefighter thing wasn’t some passing hobby or a strong extracurricular to build his college résumé.
“I put that juice cap on his tray.” Luke sounded shook, like he might never get over the fact. “I was so angry I didn’t pay attention to it.”
“He’s okay.” Ashley looked into Luke’s eyes. “God saved him.”
Luke handed Cole back to Ashley, and excused himself. On his way past Landon he apologized. “This was all me, the fight. All of it.” The deepest regret flashed in his eyes. “I’m sorry, man. Completely me.”
“You’re good.” Landon nodded and Luke left the room.
Erin wasn’t far behind. “Good night.” She patted Cole’s back and hugged Ashley. “Thank God… I was so scared.”
“Me, too.” Ashley’s tears had stopped, but her expression was more broken than before. More distant.
When Erin was upstairs, Ashley handed Cole to her mother. “Please. Take care of him for a few minutes.” She turned to her dad and back to her mom. “I need time.”
Without glancing Landon’s direction, Ashley jogged to the back door and left. As the door slammed behind her, Landon looked at her parents. “I think she’s in shock.”
“Maybe.” Mrs. Baxter held Cole close, and her husband put his arm around them both. “Sometimes a scarelike this can be life-changing.” She turned her eyes to Landon. “For the good.”
Landon walked to Ashley’s parents and ran his hand over baby Cole’s back. “Poor little guy. Must’ve been terrified.”
“I don’t…” Ashley’s mom shook her head. She looked at Landon and seemed to wait till the words would come. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“I should’ve known.” Dr. Baxter was obviously still frustrated with himself. “Upside down, heel of the hand between the shoulder blades. Face and neck braced. Then thrusts to the back.” He shook his head. “It all happened so fast.”
Landon held out his hands. “May I?”
“Of course.” Elizabeth handed over Cole. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if…”
“God had me here.” Landon nuzzled his face against Cole’s. “You okay, little guy?”
Cole looked at Landon, really studied him. “Ba-ba.”
“Is that ‘bottle’?” Landon looked at Ashley’s parents.
“Yes.” Dr. Baxter hurried to the kitchen. “I’ll make it for him.”
Landon waited until Mrs. Baxter was sitting in a living room rocker, feeding Cole his bottle. Then he motioned to the back door. “I have to find her.”
Mrs. Baxter ran and found a flashlight. Breathless, she handed it to Landon. “Go. She wants you to follow her. No matter what she tells you.”
That was all Landon needed to hear. He crossed theroom and stepped onto the porch. In the windy dark night, he couldn’t see her. But he had the flashlight. He knew where she was going, and he knew how to get there. There was just one place Ashley would go tonight.
She was headed for the rock.
19
Ashley ran until she couldn’t breathe and then she kept running. She would’ve known the way to the back of their property in her sleep. Through the clearing at the back of the property and past another line of trees and there it was. Even beneath a dark sky, she could see it.
The rock.
Never mind the approaching storm or the way the wind howled around her. She didn’t care about the small branches that flew about and brushed against her arms. She needed to be alone, needed to process what just happened. Along the top of the rock were white painted handprints. Faded from the years of sun and rain, but they remained all the same. Handprints belonging to her siblings and her, the day they claimed the spot as their own.
She climbed a few feet up the side of the rock, and sat on the flat surface. Then she pulled her knees close to her chest.
Ashley tried to catch her breath, but her sides were heaving, her entire self still scared to death. Baby Colehad almost died. That had really just happened. If Landon hadn’t still been there, if he hadn’t come when she screamed his name, Cole could be…
