“Are you guys all right?” one of the construction workers yelled as he came tearing down the hill. Several more men followed. One of them helped me to my feet as another helped the young man and girl up. The girl clung to him and he picked her up. She wrapped herself around him and continued to cry.
“We’re okay,” he said. “Can someone go inside and find their father? He’s with Phoenix Jones. Room 127.”
“I will,” one of the construction workers said as he turned to run back up the hill.
He knew Phoenix? I was about to ask him how he knew Phoenix when he said, “Jamie” and turned to make sure the little boy was still okay.
“I’ll get him,” I offered, since it looked like the boy was on the verge of tears.
“Thank you,” he said.
I moved out of the circle of men surrounding us and hurried up to the little boy who’d managed to climb off the swing.
“Hi, my name’s Levi. What’s yours?” I asked, though I already knew.
“I want Daddy,” he whispered.
“I know you do,” I said softly. My shoulder hurt like a son of a bitch, but I ignored it and leaned down to pick him up. He put his arms around my neck and I quickly turned and started walking back to the young man who was still standing in the same spot, reassuring the lingering construction workers that the girl was okay.
As I neared him, I heard someone yell, “Tristan?”
I saw two men at the top of the hill, one blond and a little shorter, the other one older with brown hair.
“She’s okay, Seth! They’re both okay,” the young man holding the little girl called.
I froze when I heard the name Seth. My heart leapt into my throat as I watched the blond run down the hill towards us.
“What happened?” the man, Seth, asked as he reached us and took the little girl into his arms. I felt bile creep up the back of my throat as I took in his features.
It couldn’t be.
But it was. I’d never forget those eyes. Even if I hadn’t seen a recent picture of Seth Nichols, now known as Seth Grisham, I would have recognized those eyes anywhere. The ones who’d pleaded with me for help.
The ones I’d had to look into as I’d done nothing.
“Daddy Seth,” the little boy called, his voice heavy with tears.
“Come here, buddy,” Seth said as he held out one arm for his son.
He had kids.
I was too shell-shocked at first to move, but when the little boy began squirming in my hold, I quickly carried him over to Seth and put him on his feet. The girl, Nicole, had calmed and was leaning against Seth’s chest. He was kneeling in the grass so when Jamie reached him, he tucked him up against his body and asked him if he was okay.
My eyes fell on a man standing just behind Seth. He was muscular with cropped, light brown hair. He was wearing what looked like black military pants and a black T-shirt. But what unnerved me were his eyes.
Because they were fixed on me and it looked a lot like he either recognized me or was trying to figure out if he did.
But that wasn’t possible, was it?
Then I remembered the other young man, Tristan, talking about Phoenix. That Seth had been with Phoenix.
As I put two and two together, I shook my head in disbelief.
Phoenix and Seth knew each other. What did that even mean?
“He saved Nicole, Seth…I couldn’t get to her in time. Sorry, I don’t even know your name.”
I realized the young man, Tristan, was talking to me and I glanced at him. But I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything but stand there and try to make sense of things. But as soon as I looked back at Seth, everything fell into place.
