Page 19 of Hidden Ascent

“I can do this.”

Can you? Do you want help?

“Can I ask for more help after you saved me from drowning?”

I will never leave you or forsake you. Get up.

Jay tried again, and this time, his muscles responded. He took a moment to rest on his elbows before pulling his knees underneath him.

Then, he crawled up the beach. Each movement was a struggle, but it brought more warmth into his muscles and he was no longer in the surf.

When he reached the dry sand, he pushed back onto his haunches and rubbed his hands up and down his thighs to create more heat. Then, he rubbed his arms one at a time. But he was still so cold.

His mind was still numb with cold and pain, and he had no plan. He couldn’t even remember where he’d left his car.

He tried to stand, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate, and he fell to the side. If he had to crawl to safety, then that’s what he’d do.

Looking up to the road, he noticed a car in the nearby parking lot that had been empty when he’d arrived.

A man now stood in a pool of light with his arms crossed, watching.

Jay could think of only one reason a grown man would watch him like that. He’d been sent to make sure Jay was taken care of. Word moved fast on the street. Somehow, he’d been followed. But why would the man wait so long to see if Jay returned? And why was he standing there now?

Jay cleared his throat, hoarse from swallowing sea water. “What are you waiting for? I can’t do anything to stop you. You may as well do what you came here to do.”

The man took a couple of steps closer. “If I came here to kill you, all I’d have to do is stand here and watch. You’re doing a marvelous job of it with no interference from me.”

“But that’s all you’re doing, standing there and watching. You’ve got nothing better to do with your evening than watch me die of hypothermia?”

“I won’t let you die, but I’m trying to make a decision. Although I’m curious to know why you think someone wants to kill you?”

“That’s not why you’re here?”

“No.”

“You make a habit of watching grown men struggle to pull themselves from the ocean?”

“No, this is a first. And also not one of the scenarios I envisioned when coming here.”

“Whatdidyou expect to find?”

He smirked. “An old lady walking her dog, maybe? Anything but this. God sure has a strange way of doing things.”

“God?” Jay’s shivering turned into a spasm. He wrapped his arms around his body before it settled.

“Yeah. I’m here because of Him. That might sound odd, but we can worry about that later. I think it’s about time we get you warm. I don’t want to push you, but you are running out of time.”

“I’m fine. You’re here because of God?”

“You’re not fine, and yeah. So are you.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because you’re the only other person on the beach. I thought at first that I misunderstood and wouldn’t hear the end of it from Isla, but I don’t think so. In fact, for each moment that passes, I’m more and more confident.”

“Isla?”

“I’ll get to her later. It’s a bit of a long story.”

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