Page 62 of A Soldier's Return

“It’s a lovely name,” he said. “I hope she’s as sweet as the other little girl I once knew who carried it.”

Before she could answer, Eli’s phone rang. When he saw his father on the caller ID, he quickly answered it.

“Hey, son,” Wendell said. “How are things going there? How’s Julia?”

“Good. Both the mama and baby girl are doing fine.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear. I knew you could do it.”

His father’s confidence in him warmed him. “Right now we’re waiting for the road to open so we can get them to the hospital in Seaside. The crews are saying about another half hour.”

“Great news. Listen, I just got a call from Elisa Darby. A branch came through her teenage boy’s bedroom window about a half hour ago.”

“Oh, no!”

“He’s fine, just shaken up, but might need a couple of stitches. It’s not a big deal, not big enough to try getting to the ER in Seaside in this storm, but she called to see if someone could come by, check things out and maybe stitch him up. You up for another house call?”

He assessed the situation with the Garretts. Will and Julia had things under control. Right now, their teenage daughter was holding the bundled baby and her siblings were waiting in line for their turn.

“I can do that. Text me the address. I’ll wrap up with Julia and head there within the next fifteen or twenty minutes.”

“If other people call, want me to start making a list? I can be your dispatcher.”

“Sure.”

He hung up from his father to find Julia watching carefully. “What’s happened?”

“I’ve got a teenage boy with an injury from broken glass after a branch came through a window.”

“I was worried about that very thing happening to me earlier. I fell asleep in the window seat while I was watching the storm and woke up thinking it probably wasn’t a good idea.”

“It wasn’t. You should probably not do that again.” He wanted to be here to hold her during the next storm. The two of them could keep each other warm and watch the clouds roll over the ocean together.

“Where did it happen?” she asked.

“The house of Elisa Darby. Do you know her?”

“Yes. She doesn’t live far from here.

“Apparently, her son might need a few stitches.”

“You’ll need help.”

To give someone stitches? Probably not. He’d been doing that since his first day of med school, but he couldn’t deny the two of them made a good team. She seemed to know exactly what supplies he needed without being asked, and he definitely needed her amazing skill at calming any situation.

“I don’t want to take you away if you think you’re still needed here.”

Will glanced over, obviously listening to the conversation. “We’re fine. The ambulance should be here soon. You’ve done great work and I can’t thank you enough for our little Miri here, but it sounds like somebody else needs you now.”

“If you’re sure.”

Melissa seemed reluctant to leave, but she gathered up their supplies, gave Julia a kiss on the cheek and hugged Will. Then she kissed the baby’s forehead before following Eli out into the pearly light of predawn.

The wind had finally slowed, though the rain continued. The sun was still an hour or so from coming up above the mountains to the east, but there was enough light for them to see some of the damage left behind by the storm.

On this street alone, nearly every house had at least one tree branch down, and he could see a metal shed collapsed at the Garretts’ neighbors. This was only one small sample of what the storm could do. He had a feeling the rest of the region had been hit just as hard.

He met Melissa’s gaze. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a busy day.”

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