Page 79 of Endlessly Yours
I searched for that familiar blonde hair, and all I could see were the flames, but the sound of someone’s shout finally hit me.
“Rory!”
“Brooks! We’re over here! We’re cut off!”
“Damn it,” I said, as I pulled off the flannel I had put on earlier, as the wind had picked up, and covered my mouth with it.
“I’ll go get Wyatt and the hose. Or something. Don’t run into those flames, Brooks!” Bo yelled.
“I’m not leaving them.”
And without another word, I ran towards the edge of the flames, searching for a way through.
Finally, there was a slight gap, and I jumped over the line, ignoring the singe on my arm where the fire had gotten too close.
Bo shouted my name, and then Wyatt was there, but I didn’t know what they were doing. Instead, all I could see was Rory huddled over Cameron, dragging the little girl towards where there was another break, but it was too far away.
“Rory!”
And then she turned towards me, eyes wide.
“No, you’re going to get hurt!” she said, her hands shaking, but I didn’t care. I just ran towards them and crushed them to me.
Without another word, I pulled Cameron into my arms and began to drag them towards the now-shortening break in the fire line. “We have to get there quick. Run.”
“I’m scared!” Cameron yelled.
“I’ve got you. You guys are fine,” I lied, but it didn’t matter. I was going to get them out of this.
There was no fucking way I was going to let my family get hurt.
“Brooks, you’re bleeding!” Cameron said, and as Rory cursed under her breath, we kept going.
Smoke billowed towards us, and I coughed, covering Cameron’s head with my flannel, pushing the girls faster.
Another shock of lightning arced across the sky, but we ignored it, focusing single-mindedly on getting out of this fire. The field wasn’t that big, and we were running out of room. Just as I feared the worst, the first drop of rain hit. Heat slammed into us as the fire came closer, and I pulled the girls behind me, but the rain finally broke, lashing through the flames and over our faces. I held Cameron’s shaking body as I looked at Rory, and she finally broke down, tears bursting from her.
“Oh my God. Brooks.”
“It’s okay, the fire’s down. It’s going down,” I said, hoping to hell that I wasn’t lying. Even as the rain began to pour, Rory and I pulled the flannel off of Cameron’s face. We searched for cuts or bruises, but she just shook her head and clung to both of us.
“I’m sorry. I love you. I love you both. Please don’t be mad.”
“We’re not mad. We love you too, baby girl,” Rory whispered as she clung to her niece, and I held them both close.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wyatt, Bo, and the others running toward us, and from what I could tell, even the kids were running toward us too.
I wanted to tell them to stay back, but the flames had receded, and as I stood there with most of my family in my arms, my knees nearly gave out.
“I love you,” I whispered as I looked at Rory and hugged her tight.
“I love you too. I knew you’d come,” she said as she sniffed. “I was going to get us out of there, I swear, Cameron, but I’m really glad you came, Brooks.”
“I knew you’d come too,” Cameron whispered through tears, and then my brother was there, cursing as he looked at my arm, but I gave him a look to tell him to ignore it. And then, when Alice ran towards us, leaping in the air, I caught her, ignoring the pain in my arm, and held my family close to me.
I let out a shake breath. “I love you, Rory. Forever.”
She kissed my neck, holding onto the girls with me. “Same. I freaking love you so much. I’m really glad it’s raining.”
