Page 14 of Born a Hero

All those years of study, late hours with no sleep, and then working through the pandemic had taken its toll on his dating life. Oh, he’d had one-nighters and even a few romances that lasted until the women realized they came in second to his career. Then they moved on, and he kept searching.

Let’s see, it had to be at least seven years ago when he’d met Dena. She had been the one woman in his past who might have made the difference. Strangely, she’d been a fleeting joy never forgotten. Other women never lived up to his expectations in the same way. They never left him reeling, his body fulfilled, and his heart peeking out to see the person who might fit inside.

Lost in his daydreaming, he didn’t notice the man approach. Liam sat cross-legged and held out his hand. Coming out of his spell, Bryce automatically reached out his own to be grasped.

“Thank you again, Bryce. Looking around here and seeing my family safe, man, you can’t know how much it means to me.”

“I have a pretty good idea, bro. I really do. I’m glad we could help, and I mean that sincerely.”

Liam accepted Bryce’s words and blinked the sudden tears away. “I can admit now, I was petrified most of the time, seeing the conditions and knowing how weak Rose had become.”

“No doubt. I’m still in awe that you managed to keep them all safe. The lightning must have terrified them.”

Bryce purposely didn’t add Liam into that group, his way of respecting what the man had suffered.

“Thankfully, that old tarp had been the last thing I grabbed as we cut through the roof. The water had begun to rise so quickly, we didn’t have a lot of time to understand we needed to evacuate. With Rose’s condition, I really didn’t want to be forced outside, but the weather wouldn’t cooperate with what the hell I wanted.”

Grinning, Bryce agreed. “Same here. Once we got Justin inside, we hoped to be able to live out the rest of the storm on the second floor, but a higher power had other plans. Thankfully, we did have enough time to plan a little. Sonja, my old friend there, she piled all kinds of stuff by the step ladder, and if I didn’t pull it all up, she’d have done so herself. That iron lady had her own agenda. I just fell meekly in line.” The affection in his voice was clear to anyone listening.

“She’s a great neighbor. My wife and I love having her visits, and the kids adore her. I’ll admit to being worried about her being here alone when the craziness got worse. But I knew she was on higher ground than we were, and she had this attic space.”

“Strangely, I hadn’t met her before today. I’d been in the pub of all places, yakking with an old friend who owns it and was walking back to my car when I found her trying to get home with her groceries. She’d twisted her ankle and the water, just a bit of a river then, had made it impossible for her to maneuver.”

“That’s a few blocks away. She’s very lucky you came along.”

“Hey, I consider myself the fortunate one for having met up with her. Who knows what would have happened to me in the car when the levee broke. I’m relieved to be here.”

“I’m glad you’re here too. I checked on Rose, and she’s sleeping, but very restless. Do you think this craziness might have harmed her pregnancy?”

Bryce didn’t want to frighten Liam with his own suspicions, but he intended on keeping a very close eye on the woman. Thankful that Sonja had a first-aid kit and they’d thought to bring it upstairs with them, he saw Sonja gesturing for him to come.

Excusing himself, he rose, went back to Rose and understood why Sonja had been worried. Rose’s trembling had worsened, and she was in a lot of pain.

“Rose, tell me what hurts the worst.”

“It’s my back. It’s aching. And I can’t stop shaking.”

“Right. This might be a delicate question but when was the last time you urinated? Your bladder could be full and that might be the cause of your discomfort.”

Through tearful eyes, Rose blinked and then sheepishly admitted, “I held it in all night on the roof. It’s been a long time since I went to the bathroom. Yes, you’re right. I do need to relieve myself but there’s no washroom upstairs, is there?”

“No, but Sonja brought a bucket just for that situation. The girls or your husband can help you. I think you’ll feel a lot better afterwards, not so much pressure.”

Rose called for Liam and between him and Sonja, they guided her around to the opposite side of the attic where Sonja had put the bucket. In no time, she had taken care of business, and Bryce knew she’d feel a lot better.

Leading her back to her blankets, the two women and Liam helped her lower herself and the sigh of relief came loud and clear.

Waiting for her to return, he saw that she walked easier and stood straighter. “That help?”

“Yes, I feel much better. I didn’t realize it had been so long what with everything happening. I guess I just forced it back and carried on.”

Bryce again took her temperature and her pulse. Thankfully, there was no sign of a fever. “Looks good, Rose. Truthfully, I think the best thing you can do right now is rest. Your poor body suffered a lot more out in the elements than the others.”

Liam spoke up, still holding his wife’s hand. “You do look happier now, honey. I’m sorry I never thought to ask if you were uncomfortable for that reason.”

“I actually feel normal, or as normal as an eight-month pregnant balloon could feel.” She giggled and held her husband’s hand to pull him close. “Truly. Stop worrying. By the way, did I hear someone say peanut butter sandwiches?”

Sonja arrived with a sandwich served on a facecloth, and she passed over a bottle of water. “You eat honey. And sleep. We’re all fine now and can ride out whatever the storm hands out.”

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