Page 4 of A Distant Shore
“Could you live here?” Shane raked his fingers through his short dark hair. He turned his gaze to the ocean. “I mean, like get a house here and never leave?”
Jack considered that. “No.” He chuckled. “Then it wouldn’t be vacation.”
“True.” Shane looked over his shoulder at his parents. “Someone should tell Mom and Dad that.”
“You still wanna do politics? Like them?” Jack grinned at his brother. “And don’t tell me you’d be good at it. We already know that.”
“Well.” Shane’s eyes lit up. “Iamthe outgoing brother. Like everyone says.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jack elbowed him. “You can be whatever you want. I’ve heard it all.”
“You, too.” Shane flicked sand at Jack. “Don’t pretend you can’t do it all. Because you can. Star quarterback of Georgetown Prep.” He changed his voice to sound like their father. “Presidents have that kind of résumé, my boy.President Jack Ryder.”
Again Jack laughed. “You be president. I’ll be a Navy SEAL.”
“I’ll be one with you.” Shane stood and stretched his hands to the sky. He was tall and strong like Jack. “Best two Navy SEALs they ever had.”
“Stick to politics, Brother. Navy SEALs have to swim.” Jack flicked him the football and Shane jumped up and ran down the beach.
They had waited all their lives for this year. Shane would be a freshman at Georgetown Prep in the fall. Jack, a junior. The first of their two high school years together. Jack rose to his feet just in time to catch the ball.
Shane grinned at him. “You might have a little competition at quarterback, big brother.”
“Bring it.” Jack snagged the ball. He sure loved the kid. The two had been inseparable since the week their parents brought Shane home. But this annual trip to the beach was their favorite part of the year.
Usually they took a second flight further south to the longer stretches of beach on the peninsula. But their dad had business in town this week. So they were here.
Today was their third day and Jack only wished they had another week.
The storm looked like it was clearing, so the game of pass might have gone on all afternoon. But before Jack could wing the ball back to Shane, a woman down the beach began screaming and waving.
Jack jogged closer to his brother. The woman had drawn a small crowd now. A couple of big guys seemed to have run down from a bluff up above. Also a few families of anxious-looking tourists.
“What’s happening?” Jack caught up to his brother and both of them jogged toward the woman.
“I don’t know.” Shane stopped and scanned the ocean. Panic seized his expression. “There!”
All at once they had their answer. Fifty yards out, flailing and grabbing at the surface of the choppy sea was what looked like a child.
“Help her, please!” the woman at the shoreline screamed. She ran into the water and back out again,then she covered her face and next she waved her arms. “Help!” She pointed out to sea. “I can’t swim! Someone help her!”
Shane dropped the ball on the shore and ran for the water. Jack ran, too, but he shouted at his brother. “Stay here! I’ll get her.”
His brother stopped, his face a twist of hurt. “You need me.”
“No, I don’t! Stay here!” Jack took four running steps through the water and looked over his shoulder.Good.Shane was staying back in the ankle-deep water. Because the truth was, Shane really couldn’t swim. Not like Jack.
His heart raced, but he felt better as he pulled at the rough surf. He would get the child and Shane would stay on the shore. Only one of them, that’s all the kid needed.
A current just beneath the surface pulled at Jack’s legs, but that didn’t panic him. He was used to swimming through currents. He was on the summer surf team back home, training for the day when he really would be a Navy SEAL.
Swim with the current,he told himself.Not against it. He adjusted his position so the current would take him straight to the girl. The effort made his body feel heavy, but he kept on. Closer and closer until he could see the child’s face.
The girl was maybe eight or nine, matted blond hair, tanned arms still clawing at the water. Her face was slipping under the surface and Jack doubled his intensity. She didn’t have long, a minute, maybe less.
God, save her. The silent prayer filled Jack’s mind.Get me to her. Please. Before it’s too late. And then, as he took two more strong strokes through the water, Jack saw something in the corner of his eye.
His brother, Shane.
