Page 9 of The One Who Risked it All

CHAPTER 4

Elijah

Iwiped the sweat from my brow, grimacing as I finished polishing the last of the firefighter helmets. Nothing like some mindless grunt work to keep the hands busy and the mind quiet.

Jake yelled from across the station, “Your brother would be so proud—if he knew you actually worked once in a while.”

I was filling in for Nathan’s shift at the station today while he sipped some sort of pineapple drink on the beach. And I wasn’t even exaggerating, because the jerk had actually sent me a selfie yesterday to gloat.

I shot him a mock glare. “Hey now, I’ll have you know I’m employee of the month.” I held up the gleaming helmet. “See? Sparkling.”

The shrill ring of the emergency alert cut through our banter. We started moving toward the garage, even as we listened to the signal. The tone indicated it was a medical call. Then the dispatcher announced the address. The world tilted sideways.

I heard myself ask, “What happened?” but it sounded far away, like I was underwater.

That was my parents’ address. The first address I’d ever memorized was just announced over the intercom at the fire station. My feet were moving before my brain caught up.

I sprinted for my locker, yanking on my jacket with shaking hands.

“I’ve got your back,” Jake murmured. The concern in his eyes made my chest tighten further.

We raced for the ambulance and the truck, the usual excited chatter replaced by tense silence. I could feel the crew’s sidelong glances, knew they were all thinking the same thing: poor Eli.

I clenched my jaw, willing the thoughts away. I had to focus on the job. That’s all that mattered.

As we pulled out of the station, sirens wailing, I closed my eyes and sent up a silent prayer. Please let them be okay. Please let me be enough this time. Was it Linc? Or maybe Alex? I’d broken my arm when I was eight. Maybe it had been a mistake to let Mom and Dad take care of the kids. Or what if it was mom? They weren’t ancient, but I’d seen crazier things happen. If one of the boys knocked her down the stairs by accident…

The fire truck’s siren wailed as we tore through the streets of Minden, but it couldn’t drown out the cacophony in my head. My knuckles were white on the seat’s edge, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“The boys,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. “God, I hope the boys are okay.”

Jake’s hand clapped my shoulder. “They’re tough kids, Eli. Like their uncle.”

I tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “Yeah, well, being tough isn’t always enough, is it?”

Images flashed through my mind—Alex screaming, Mom writhing in pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the thoughts away. A hundred possible scenarios, fueled by the terrible accidents I’d seen as a first responder over the last eight years.

“Two minutes out,” Jake called from the front. As we approached, the dispatcher fed us more information. Sixty-year-old male. Chest pain.

Not the boys, but it wasn’t good. I sucked in a deep breath, steeling myself. As we rounded the corner onto my parents’ street, I caught sight of their house. Nothing unusual. Just Mom’s dried-out flower beds and Dad’s perfectly manicured lawn. It looked so normal, it was surreal.

The truck screeched to a halt, and I was out before it fully stopped, my boots hitting the pavement hard. I sprinted up the familiar path, my heart in my throat.

“Mom!” I yelled, reaching for the door handle. It swung open before I could touch it, revealing my mother’s tear-streaked face.

“Eli,” she choked out, her voice trembling. “Oh, thank God you’re here.” She held one arm around Lincoln and the other around Joey. Alex stood back, his wide, dark eyes taking in the entire scene.

I pulled her into a quick, fierce hug, my eyes scanning the entryway behind her. “Where’s Dad?”

I released her and held her at arm’s length, searching her face. “What happened?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

She drew a shaky breath. “We were just having breakfast, and he... he started clutching his chest.” Her voice cracked. “He said it felt like a horse was sitting on him. I called 911 right away, but—“

“You did the right thing, Mom,” I assured her, my protective instincts kicking in. I wanted to wrap her in my arms again, shield her from all this, but I knew I had to focus. “Where is he now?”

“Living room,” she managed, pointing down the hall.

I nodded, squeezing her shoulder. “Okay, I’m going to check on him. The guys are right behind me with equipment.”

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