A Man Like Him. Rachel Brimble
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in his arms while she trembled, the woman whose eyes had grown wide with terror had once more been focused and full of confidence. The manager, the woman who got things done, lodged at the forefront of his mind. The core of her lingered in that persona, he was sure of it. Not in the one the possibility of her ex-husband evoked. She was strong, beautiful and confident. A woman—any woman—deserved to live her life that way. Every day.
He really didn’t want this to be happening. Why couldn’t things in life go along quietly for a while? He’d wanted nothing more than to pull Angela into his arms and kiss her before she climbed into the helicopter. He’d resisted, knowing damn well it would’ve earned him a slapped face.
“Chris? Chris!”
He spun around at the sound of his sister’s voice. “Hey, you.”
Cat enveloped him in a hug, the top of her head fitting snugly beneath his chin. “Thank God you’re all right.”
He smiled. “I’m fine.”
She squeezed her arms tighter around his waist. “There are so many people who aren’t. People have lost loved ones, Chris. It’s terrible.”
Sadness weighed heavy on his shoulders. Cat was Templeton’s detective inspector. If she’d already been notified of lost lives in this short of a time, it meant the number was high and most likely growing. As he’d predicted, the devastation was rife, the aftermath worse.
He eased her back and looked into green-blue eyes so similar to his. “How many?”
“It stands at twenty-five so far.”
Chris shook his head. “God.”
Cat’s arms slipped from around his waist and instead circled her husband’s. His brother-in-law, Jay, held out his hand. “Good to see you in one piece.”
Chris shook Jay’s hand and offered a strained smile. “Thanks.” He released his hand and turned to Cat. “Were they all from the holiday park?”
She straightened, her cop face sliding into place. “Twelve from the park.”
“The others?”
“People camping at Fairgrove. It’s a nightmare. When I heard you were...” Her voice cracked.
He rubbed his hand down her arm. “I’m okay. Does Mum know?”
She nodded. “She’s okay. I told her I was coming down here and I’d get you to phone her straight away.” She pulled her cell from her pocket. “Here.”
Chris waved it away. “Not yet. I still need a bit of time.”
Cat’s determined stare locked on his. “She’s okay, Chris. This isn’t going to set her back.”
His gut knotted. It was no wonder Cat was a cop. She read minds like a damn psychic.
“I know.” Chris closed his eyes and pushed his hand into his hair. “I’ll go and see her as soon as we leave here. It’ll be better for her if she sees me alive and kicking rather than talking to her over the phone.”
Cat’s eyes softened. “Good.”
Chris looked around the hall. People sat on the floor, chatting and hugging other survivors. Others walked around looking dazed and unsure what to do next. He turned to Cat and planted his hands on his hips. “So, what happens now? Do you need any help? Volunteers?”
She blew out a breath and followed his gaze around the hall. “Not yet. This is a matter for the police and the authorities for the time being. Until the big cleanup starts in the next few days, of course. Then it will be all hands on deck. I’m sure the holiday park could use your help when the time comes. We have to wait for the water to recede and then make sure it’s safe for the public to go back in there.”
Chris moved his hand to the back of his neck, the muscles strained. “Right. Okay, well, in the meantime, do you have a spare bed at your place?”
She smiled. “It’s where I wanted you in the first place.”
Guilt that he’d rejected her offer in favor of being alone niggled at his conscience. He grimaced. “In hindsight, it might have been worthwhile to do that.”
She shook her head, her gaze lighting with pride. “Nope. I think God put you exactly where you needed to be, don’t you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “In the middle of a flood? Gee, thanks.”
Cat laughed and punched him playfully on the arm. She looked at Jay. “Can you believe him?”
Jay grinned. “She’s right, you know, Chris. It’s pretty clear why you were at that park.”
Angela Taylor leaped to mind and he turned away from their gazes to look across the hall. “Hmm, maybe.”
Jay laughed. “Good God, man. You’re so damn modest, it’s kind of sickening.”
Chris looked from him to Cat. “What?”
“The people you saved, you idiot.” Cat smiled. “If you hadn’t been at that park, I’ll wager the death count would be higher than it is now. You’re a local hero, my big brother.”
Chris exhaled and pushed his hand into his hair. “Yeah, well. That’s not the way I see it.” He turned toward the table set up with tea and coffee. “Anyone else use a cup of coffee before heading out of here?”
Cat turned to Jay. “I really need to stay for a while. It will be good for people to see me here. I want to try to reassure as many families as possible that the police are doing all they can to reunite loved ones.”
Jay pressed a kiss to her temple. “Sure. You go to talk to some people. I’ll keep Chris company.”
Cat lifted onto her toes and kissed him before throwing a sympathetic smile at Chris and moving toward the crowds of people waiting in line for food and water. Chris smiled when Jay patted Cat’s backside before she was out of arm’s reach. She threw Jay a glare over her shoulder, but her cheeks flushed pink with pleasure.
“She’ll kill you for that later.” Chris laughed.
Jay grinned. “I have to show her who’s boss somehow.” He threw his arm around Chris’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s grab that coffee and you can tell me all about your heroics.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “That’s not what it felt like when we were up on that roof.”
“Well, you’d better get used to it. It’s taken us over an hour to find you among all these people. Cat was flashing your photo around like a madwoman. Anyone who looked at the picture recognized you as ‘the guy who helped my daughter’ or ‘the guy that ripped off the roof.’ Don’t try to go all modest on me, my friend, because I ain’t buying it.”
Jay walked ahead and Chris followed, waiting for a sense of pride to drift over him. Something to tell him he’d done all he could. Nothing came but a profound sense of sadness. Sadness for the lives lost, for the countless number of people who’d go home with nothing of what they came with to Templeton. This was just the beginning. Lives would have to be rebuilt and loved ones mourned.
Swallowing hard, he pulled back his shoulders. Tomorrow was another day and Chris vowed to just be grateful he had somewhere to stay with Cat and Jay. He wasn’t ready to go home. The need to stay in the Cove awhile longer and lick his wounds after Melinda’s betrayal still lingered. He had zero intention of returning to normal life until they were healed and no amount of salt could filter them.
He scanned the crowd. Angela was still nowhere to be seen.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE SMELL OF bacon and fresh coffee drifted under the bedroom door. Tired and hungry, Chris inhaled. He’d been awake for over an hour, unable to drag his aching body from the comfort of his sister’s spare bed. If he didn’t move soon, he’d seize