Page 34 of Rescued Dreams

“I’m more likely to bust through it. These things don’t hold any weight.” She gritted her teeth and shifted so she could have a free hand to knock and let them know where she was.

“Be careful.”

That was interesting.

She didn’t need to be distracted by him when a kid was potentially in medical distress. But it almost seemed as if Ridge cared about her.

Did he actually feel about her the way she felt about him?

TWELVE

Ridge slid an arm under the kid’s knees. Amelia lowered him from the ceiling through one opening, sitting on a truss with her legs through the space where the neighboring ceiling tile should’ve been.

Trace and Kianna took the student from Ridge and laid him on the stretcher they’d wheeled in. Over by the classroom door, Izan and Della held back students who wanted to see what was going on. He’d heard one of them say “No, put your phone away” more than once.

Trace and Kianna got to work, assessing the unconscious child. The boy had sweat through his shirt, and his hair was matted to his forehead.

“Coming down.” Amelia lowered herself through the hole.

Ridge stood on the table under the opening. Her boots and pants lowered, and her hips came through the hole. Then her waist. She gripped something above her, like she was lowering herself down from doing a pull-up.

He wound an arm around her hips and held on to her until her face came into view and she let go of whatever she was holding. “Okay?”

She winced very slightly, something only he saw. “I’m good.”

Amelia’s hands landed on his shoulders. He hadn’t put her down on the table, more reluctant to let go than he wanted to admit to himself. Face-to-face. Her cheeks had pinked, and a few loose blonde strands framed her face. He’d never been this close to her blue eyes or seen the freckles on her nose from up close.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

Ridge jogged out of his Amelia daze and set her down before he turned to the door, where one of the kids leaned around Izan to stare at them.

Amelia jumped off the table. “Don’t you have a math test?”

The kid frowned.

Ridge climbed down and saw Kianna grinning to herself—and listening to the patient’s heart rate.

“It’s steady.” She looked at Trace. “He needs fluids.”

Trace nodded. “Let’s get moving.”

Ridge headed for the crowd by the hall. “All right! Everyone back it up, they’re coming through. Make a path. Clear the space out.”

He waved as he spoke, motioning them all—including the firefighters—back from the door. They parted to either side of the hall so Trace and Kianna could get the kid to the ambulance and off to the hospital.

Ernie had an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose and a blanket over his body.

“Well?” The same kid stared up at him, almost to Ridge’s shoulder. Red hair and a thin face. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“If she isn’t, are you going to ask me to get you her number?”

Someone else snickered.

The kid’s face scrunched up. “It’s just a question.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend.” Much to his dismay, if he was going to be honest.

Amelia eased up beside him. “He’s my lieutenant. Which makes him my boss. Which means no dating.”