Page 43 of Anchor (First to Fight)

“I wouldn’t blame you,” he says. “In our line of work, people die. That doesn’t mean it was your fault. You tried to save her. You can’t save everyone.” There’s silence while I digest his words. They make absolute sense, but that doesn’t mean I believe them. “Just think about it,” he says. “Besides, you saved everyone on that boat.”

“Not everyone,” I say.

“The city is planning on giving you a medal,” Tyler adds and startles a disbelieving snort from me.

“You’re kidding.”

“Or maybe it’s keys to the city.”

I shake my head. “Unbelievable.”

“No shit,” he says. “Stevens about shit a brick.”

“I bet.” I try to keep the words inside, but my concern overrules my common sense. “How is she?” I ask.

“Why don’t you go see her yourself?” he asks.

“Probably not a good idea.”

Another knock comes at the door and I can see the top of Emily’s head through the window. Taylor hovers close behind her.

Tyler twists to see them, then gives me a brotherly pat on the shoulder. “Just think about what I said,” he tells me as he walks to the door. “Think about going to see the girl, too. I’m gonna go grab some coffee from the cafeteria. I’ll be back.”

He greets Taylor and Emily’s squeal as she bursts through the door.

“Daddy!” she shouts as she throws herself bodily onto the bed next to me.

“Emily,” Taylor chides. “Be careful, your daddy’s hurt.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Emily says, her sweet face upturned.

I brush her hair back from her flushed face. “That’s okay, angel. I’m fine. I’m happy to see you.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Emily says solemnly.

“Thank God you got back okay,” Taylor adds. “After you left we were so scared. I shouldn’t have convinced you to go.”

I wave her concerns away. “I would have had to go anyway.”

Taylor’s face turns serious. “I heard.”

Emily snuggles up next to my side and wraps her arms around me. I barely notice the twinge from my ribs. Her fruity shampoo calms me and I press my face closer to her head to inhale it.

“We can talk about it later,” she says as she looks around the room. She takes in the dozens of vases of flowers on every available surface. “I see you’ve got admirers. It was a madhouse downstairs. There were ten or twelve reporters trying to get in.”

“You guys okay to get home?” I ask.

She nods. “We’ll be fine. We wanted to come and visit for a while.”

“What about the girl, Daddy? Did you save her?”

I relax for the first time since I heard her voicemail. “I did, sweetheart. But I think she saved me, too.”

Chloe

I should be happy.

Really, I am.