16
BROOKE
Ipace the hall, keeping my hands in my pockets so no one sees them trembling. Dinner finished half an hour ago, but instead of releasing the students to their cabins, I’ve kept them in the hall reviewing footage from today. I need to keep them busy, and I need to keep them together. I can’t have anyone trying to be heroic and going looking for Justin. It’s bad enough one of my kids is lost in the woods, alone and frightened.
I clench my fists together and take a long, slow breath before I can let the thought get away from me. Joel is out there too. Joel is competent and trained for the outdoors. He will find Justin, and he will bring him home safe.
The thought is reassuring enough that I unclench my fists and turn around. Eleven sets of eyes are watching me, and I put on a neutral expression.
“Eyes on your laptops, not on me.”
There’s a flash of light outside, and I jog to the door with my hand on my chest. Out of the dark, two figures emerge;Joel holding a flashlight and Justin with a foil blanket wrapped around him.
I jog down the steps and pull Justin into a tight hug. “Thank God you’re safe.”
I release him and hold him at arm’s length. “Are you hurt?”
He’s got dirt streaked across his face, his hair is disheveled, and he looks pale.
“I’m fine. Joel found me.”
I’m so relieved that I throw my arms around Joel too. His body is hard muscle, and his scent overwhelms me. Through the worry, through the tension of the past hour, a different sensation powers through me. My body stirs to life, and I’m suddenly aware of the heat between us. I pull away quickly, awkwardly.
“I’m glad you’re both back safely,” I say quickly, stepping back.
“Sorry, Brooke.” Justin looks miserable, like a lost puppy. “I strayed off the path, then my phone cut out.”
“I’m just happy you’re okay.” I usher him inside and into the warmth of the hall. “Come and sit down where it’s warm.”
“J-dog!” one of the boys call out.
There’s the scraping of chairs, and a moment later he’s surrounded by his friends all talking at once, wanting to know what happened.
He’s smiling again, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “Sit down, Justin. I’ll heat up your dinner.”
Joel follows me into the kitchen, and I slide a plate of food into the microwave.
“Is he okay?” I ask in a quiet voice.
“He’s fine. Shaken, but fine.”
“Thank goodness.” The tension that’s been keeping me going for the past hour releases, and I lean against the kitchen counter.
“How about you?” Joel takes my arm, and I look up into his concerned face. “Are you okay?”
With Joel’s hand on me and his solid presence beside me, I feel the mask I’ve been wearing for the past hour slip. I nearly lost a student. He was out alone in the woods, and anything could have happened to him. He must have been scared and lonely, and it was on my watch.
“I’m not sure,” I say truthfully. “If you hadn’t found him…”
I leave the sentence unfinished because the possibilities are too awful to say out loud.
Joel puts his other hand on my shoulder and turns me around to face him. My heart races, and I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline from the last hour or his proximity.
“But we did find him, Brooke. And he’s absolutely fine. He’s out there now making jokes about it to his buddies.” He indicates the students in the hall.
I peer past him, and there’s Justin, at the center of the group of boys gesticulating wildly with a grin on his face.
“He’s resilient. He’ll be fine.”
