A Doctor's Trust (Lifeline Air Rescue Book 4)

by Scott, Laura

  He didn’t appreciate being lumped in the same category, still he kept his attention centered on the boys, calling out encouragement and gently correcting their mistakes.

  When their camp ended, Zane continued to hang around, despite the quelling looks Jenna aimed in his direction. She clearly expected him to leave.

  “Need us to stick around, Jenna?” Miguel’s voice held a rough edge, and Zane knew it wouldn’t take much for the guy to take a swipe at him.

  “I’m fine, Miguel. Go on, head home.” Jenna waved a hand.

  “If you’re sure.” Miguel stabbed him with a lethal look.

  “I’m sure.” She turned toward Zane. “You can head out, too. I’ve got this.”

  “I’ll help.” The expression on her face was annoyed, but he didn’t care.

  He wasn’t leaving until they’d had a chance to talk.

  Jenna laughed and talked to the boys as they ambled past, gathering up their gym bags and water bottles. Several of the boys grinned at him and gave him subtle thumbs-up signals, as if to say, go for it.

  He grinned. Yep, he was gonna go for it, all right.

  “Why are you still here?” Jenna gathered basketballs and put them on a cart as the boys filed out of the building.

  His smile faded, and he bent to help. “We need to talk. You haven’t returned my phone calls.”

  “Maybe you should take the hint. There’s nothing to talk about.” Jenna’s tart tone had him grinding his teeth in frustration. Apparently, she wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

  “How is Rae?” He tried changing the subject, placing the last basketball on the cart.

  She lifted her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Not happy with me. She and her friends had been drinking, so I grounded her. Then she wanted to pay for repairs on our car with her custard money, but I shut that down, quick. Like I’m going to allow her to drive after the way she stayed out all night? Fat chance.”

  He frowned and followed her as she wheeled the cart into the equipment storage room. “I don’t see why not. Maybe if you’d show her a little trust and respect, you’d see she’s capable of making good decisions.”

  She spun toward him, her eyes flashing with anger. “Why are you so worried about my life? You have no idea what it’s like to raise a teenager on your own. You know what I think? You’re incapable of getting close to a sibling. You weren’t close to your sister, so you think I shouldn’t be this close to mine?”

  “No! That’s not what this is about.” The automatic denial rose to his lips before he could think about it. “I care about you, Jenna. I want nothing more than to be close to you, but you’re always putting your life on hold for Rae.”

  Jenna slammed the door on the equipment supply room with more force than was necessary. “I have a sister. I’m not going to apologize for caring about her. For doing my best to keep her on the straight and narrow path.”

  This conversation was not going the way he’d anticipated. He struggled to find a balance. “You can care about her without going off the deep end every time something goes wrong.”

  She brushed past him, heading back to the office. “I think you’re the one with the problem. You can either accept me the way I am or leave me alone. Your choice.”

  Before he could respond, the lights went out, and the room went dark.

  “Hey, what happened? Did we blow a fuse?” Jenna’s voice was quiet, subdued.

  “No, listen.” Now that they’d quit arguing, he could hear rain hitting the roof of the center. Rumbling thunder rolled overhead. “The storm must’ve brought down the power line.” He reached through the dense blackness for her. There wasn’t a speck of light because there were no outside windows in the office. “Where are you?”

  “Here.” He heard movement and blindly reached out. He caught her hand in his.

  He instinctively drew her close. “You okay?”

  “Of course.” She clasped his hand tightly for a moment, then edged around him, swinging her arms in search of the door. “I need to get home, though.”

  When they entered the main area of the community center, they saw another flash of lightning, followed by another loud crack of thunder. Rain pelted against the rooftop, confirming the thunderstorm.

  “I’ll drive you home. No sense in you walking through the storm.”

  For once Jenna didn’t argue. After locking the community center door behind her, they dashed to his car under the deluge of rain. They were soaked within seconds.

  “Where is Rae?” He glanced at her once they were settled in the front seat of his Lexus.

  “At home.” Jenna worried her lower lip with her teeth. “I’ll try her cell.” She listened for what seemed like several minutes, before letting out a sigh. “The reception is terrible. I can’t get a signal.”

  “She wasn’t scheduled to work today?” The rain pounded against the windshield so hard he was forced to drive at a crawl through the streets.

  “She had an early shift. When I left, she was in her room, pouting over my refusing to allow her to pay for the car repairs.” Jenna sat up straighter when he turned the corner onto her street. “Wait a minute, do you see that?”

  “What?” He peered through the windshield, the rain making it difficult to see much of anything.

  “No! Oh no,” she whispered. “My house. A tree fell on my house!”

  He saw it the moment he registered her words. A large tree seemed to have been split in two, with the larger portion having fallen directly onto her house, crushing the roof on one side, as if the beams had been made out of toothpicks instead of thick lumber. From the blackened spots along the break, he felt certain the tree had been struck by lightning.

  “Hurry.” Jenna grabbed his arm. “Rae is in there.”

  His gut tightened at the naked fear in Jenna’s face. He recognized the terror. He’d felt the same way when he’d realized his sister, Eve, hadn’t just run away down the street to a friend’s house but had actually left the city.

  He blocked the memory as he pulled up to the curb. Jenna shot out of the car before he’d fully come to a stop.

  “Rae. Rae!” Jenna’s shout was muffled by the sound of the storm.

  “Jenna, wait.” Zane threw the car into park and sprinted after. “Be careful. The structure might not be secure. No, Jenna!”

  He caught her hand as she fumbled with the front door. She fought against him like a wildcat, uncaring that the rain soaked them from head to toe. “Let go of me. I need to find Rae.”

  “We’ll call nine-one-one. Get the firemen out here to help. If the house caves in, you’ll both be trapped in there.”

  “The tree fell on her room, Zane. Her room is on that side of the house! What if she’s hurt, or worse?”

  He didn’t know what to say. Holding Jenna with one arm clamped around her waist, he pulled out his cell phone with the other and dialed the emergency number. Based on her earlier experience, he expected to struggle with the connection, but thankfully his call went through. As the dispatcher responded to his call, Jenna broke free. He ground his teeth in frustration.

  “What’s the nature of your emergency?”

  Giving terse instructions to the dispatcher, he followed Jenna inside. He found her standing at the foot of the staircase leading to the second floor, gazing up at the collapsed frame in horror.

  He swallowed hard when he saw the extent of the damage. “The firemen are on their way.”

  “She’s trapped up there. We have to get her out.” Tears streamed down Jenna’s cheeks. She brushed them away with an impatient swipe of her sleeve. “There must be some way to get through to the upper level.”

  “Don’t. What if you make things worse? We have to wait for the firemen.” He thrust his cell phone into her hand. “Mine works. See if you can reach Rae.”

  Jenna fumbled with his phone, entering Rae’s number. After a few moments, she shook her head and handed it back to him. “She’s not answering.”

  “I didn�
�t hear a phone ringing from upstairs, did you?”

  She shook her head, even though she knew the storm could have masked the sound.

  “Maybe she’s not home.” He cupped Jenna’s shoulders in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Maybe she went back to work for some reason or left to go to a friend’s house. She may not have been here when this happened.”

  “I need to find her.” Jenna’s tear-filled eyes tugged at his heart.

  “I know. We’ll find her.”

  Jenna pulled away and stared up again at the crushed stairwell. “I can’t just stand here. I need to find a way to get up there.”

  “Call her friends.” Zane was willing to do anything to buy time. The firemen would be here any minute, they were the experts for these types of rescues. He understood Jenna’s concern and prayed Rae hadn’t been up there in her room when the tree had fallen. He’d seen too many trauma patients not to know that if Rae had been up there, she very well could be seriously hurt, or worse.

  Not dead. He refused to consider the possibility that Rae might be dead.

  “Wait. Listen.” Jenna grabbed his arm in a tight grip.

  He went still. “What?”

  “Did you hear that?” Jenna’s eyes grew round and bright.

  Glancing at her with concern, he strained to listen but didn’t hear anything beyond the incessant rain and rolling thunder. Was Jenna imagining things? Was she losing it? “I don’t hear anything, Jenna. Please, call Rae’s friends. She could be safe with them.”

  “No. I heard something.” Jenna jerked away and climbed up the stairs as far as she could go. Using her bare hands, she tugged at a chunk of drywall, ripping it out of the way. A large two by four was lying across the opening sideways, and she grabbed at it with both hands, pulling hard.

  “Look out!” Zane yanked her down from the stairwell and ducked just as a huge mound of debris came down from the ceiling right onto the spot where Jenna had stood.

  Stumbling down to the foot of the stairs, he clutched her to his chest, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs. He closed his eyes and struggled to breathe. That had been way too close.

  Jenna rested her head on his chest for a long minute. He stroked a hand over her silky dark hair. “It’s okay. Help is on the way. Just be patient.”

  She abruptly raised her head. “Did you hear that?”

  Not again, he thought with desperation. This was ridiculous. They didn’t even know if Rae was in the house. He needed to get Jenna out of here—now. The agonizing fear of expecting the worst was not good for her. Besides, now that she’d moved one of the two by fours, there was no telling if the rest of the house might cave in, too.

  But then he heard it. The very faint sound of a female voice, calling Jenna’s name.

  “There. I told you, it’s Rae. She’s up there, Zane.” Jenna’s face lit up with fierce determination. “She’s alive!”

  12

  “I’m here. Rae!” Jenna staggered beneath a wave of relief. Her sister was well enough to talk. Every cell in her body yearned to get through the debris to Rae. She stared at the fallen stairway in frustration. “Can you hear me? We’re going to get you out of there!”

  The wail of sirens filled the air, overpowering the sound of rain. Finally, help was arriving. She moved toward the living room window in time to see a long red fire engine pulling up in front of her house. The rain seemed to have lightened, the worst of the storm having passed.

  Zane joined her as the rescue workers strode up to the front door.

  “Did you report a trapped victim?” The fireman at the door wore a hat labeling him as the Chief.

  “Yes. My sister. She’s trapped upstairs.” Jenna gestured behind them. “The stairway collapsed beneath the wreckage of the tree.”

  The chief nodded. “Okay, I need you both to wait outside.” He turned and signaled to the rest of his crew.

  Reluctantly, Jenna stepped outside. She was already wet, so she barely noticed the ongoing drizzle. Surprisingly, the firemen didn’t try to go up through the stairs the way she had but came outside as well. They hurried over to their ladder truck. One jumped in the bucket as the others lifted him up toward the upper level. It was clear they planned to go into the house through one of the second-floor windows.

  She slid a glance at Zane, impressed with the way he’d stuck by her. Especially after the way they’d parted the last time they’d been together. He sensed her gaze and reached out, drawing her close.

  Zane was far too good at reading her emotions, knowing exactly when she needed the warmth of his touch. Could she say the same about how well she was able to read him? She felt a flash of shame. She’d accused him of being selfish, but had she judged him too harshly?

  “I’m in.” The fireman in the bucket shouted down from just inside the house. Jenna held her breath when he disappeared into the gaping hole. It seemed like an interminably long time before she heard another, more muffled shout. “I found her!”

  “Is she okay?” Jenna stared up, waiting for a response, unable to relax. What if Rae was lying unconscious? What if she’d been seriously hurt? Was she bleeding? What if she suffered major broken bones? What if . . . ?

  A fireman emerged from the hole in the roof with Rae’s slim figure at his side. He helped Rae step into the basket on top of the ladder, then climbed in after her.

  “She’s fine.” Jenna felt light-headed with relief. The firemen lowered the bucket on top of the ladder to the ground. Then the fireman lifted Rae out and set her on her feet.

  Jenna rushed over.

  “She doesn’t appear injured,” the firemen assured her. “I think she was more frightened than anything.”

  “I was scared to death, but I knew you’d come home for me, Jenna.”

  Jenna clutched Rae’s hand, blinking back tears of relief. For all the problems her sister had caused, she couldn’t bear to think of anything bad happening to her. She pulled Rae in for a tight hug. They were a team and always would be. “I know. I was scared, too.”

  Zane didn’t leave once Rae had been rescued. He briefly examined Rae and agreed with the firemen that she didn’t need to go to the hospital.

  The fire chief turned to Jenna, his expression grim. “You need to find another place to stay, miss. Your house isn’t safe, and I can’t let you and your sister live here.”

  The news wasn’t a total surprise, considering her neighbor’s tree had collapsed on her once new roof, but the enormity of what had happened hit hard. Her house would have to be repaired, work that would likely take months. Would her insurance policy cover the damage? Or would they fight with the neighbor’s insurance company over who should pay? Did the Schrader’s even have any insurance? She had no way of knowing but feared the answer was no.

  A lot of people in Barclay Park didn’t bother with insurance because the houses weren’t worth much.

  “Jenna, where are we going to live?” Rae’s face was pale as she stared up at what was left of their house. “And what about all of our stuff?”

  Jenna forced a smile. “Hey, as long as we’re fine, the rest doesn’t matter, right? I guess we’ll find a cheap motel to stay in for the night.” But could they really afford to stay at a motel indefinitely? For as long as it would take to repair the house? Imagining the balance in her checking account, she knew it wouldn’t last long. There was no way she could afford to live in a motel for month, unless she used Rae’s college fund.

  And that was not an option.

  “You can both come home with me.”

  Surprised, she turned toward him. “Zane, it’s nice of you to offer, but we can just as easily go to a local motel.” As much as she wanted to accept his generosity, she knew he was just being nice. He probably didn’t realize just how long they’d need a place to stay. A few days wasn’t going to cut it. Besides, even if they did accept his generosity, she knew it would be awkward. Zane had no idea what it would be like to have two women living with him.

  “Ho
w long will you be able to stay in a motel, Jenna?” Zane voiced her worst fears. “The damage to your house isn’t going to be fixed overnight. A motel is going to get pricey. I live alone in a three-bedroom condo. I have plenty of space. Don’t let your pride get in the way, let me take you both home with me.”

  “Three bedrooms?” Jenna couldn’t help repeating in astonishment. It was impossible to imagine why any man living alone needed three bedrooms.

  “I use one as my office, but there is a sleeper sofa in there that pulls out into a bed.” He shrugged. “Frankly, you’d be doing me a favor, because if you go to a motel, I’d be forced to rent the room next to yours to keep an eye on you, and that would be very inconvenient.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Jenna knew he was bluffing, there was no reason for him to think they wouldn’t be safe in a motel. But the hopeful expression on Rae’s face made her determination waver. Should she do this? Take Zane up on his offer? After discovering Rae had stayed out all night, and she had admitted to drinking, Jenna had renewed her determination to stay far away from him. But that decision hadn’t been easy.

  “I don’t know, Zane.” It wasn’t so much that she didn’t trust him not to be a gentleman, but emotionally, she knew it would take a toll. Being so close to him every single day would wear her down.

  “No strings, Jenna.” The corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “Unless you want them.”

  She swallowed hard, very much afraid she did want them. No matter what the cost. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she glanced down, certain steam was rising from her wet clothing. Just the thought of being in close proximity with Zane was enough to send her hormones into overdrive.

  “Jenna? Please?” Rae’s hopeful expression was her undoing.

  “All right.” She didn’t have the energy to fight anymore, especially since she knew this was best for Rae. Not to mention, she needed time to get in touch with her insurance company. She doubted they were open on the weekend, and even if she contacted them first thing on Monday, who knew how long it would take to put the wheels of repairs in motion. “Thank you, Zane. We appreciate your offer to stay with you.”