Not Until Us (Hope Springs Book 4)

by Valerie M. Bodden

  Penelope screamed, and Jade almost pulled her hand away, but she made herself keep going. Stopping now would only make it worse.

  Finally, the stinger was out, and Jade flicked it to the side of the trail, wrapping Penelope in a big hug. “You did it. Does it feel a little better?”

  Penelope nodded, and Jade stood up.

  Dan met her eyes, looking at her with . . . what? Admiration, maybe.

  She looked away.

  His admiration was the last thing she deserved.

  “Let’s head back to camp and get some medicine on that to make it all better.” He smiled at Penelope, who offered him a wobbly return smile, even as tears continued to drip down her cheeks. “How about if I walk with you and Miss Jade?”

  In spite of herself, Jade was relieved. If Dan was with them, at least nothing else bad would happen to Penelope. Brianna had been right not to want her daughter in Jade’s care.

  They set out again, Dan and Jade falling in with Penelope behind the rest of the group.

  Penelope clutched Jade’s hand as they walked.

  The silence stretched between them until Jade couldn’t stand it anymore. “I’m sorry I didn’t watch her more closely.”

  Dan reached a quick hand to rest on her shoulder before pulling it back. “Kids get bee stings, Jade. There’s nothing you could have done to prevent it.”

  Jade nodded but looked away. Why was this man always so kind to her? Why did he always see the best in her? Even when there was so little good to see.

  Penelope tripped, and Jade tugged her hand to keep her from falling. “You okay, sweetie?”

  “I feel kind of funny.”

  Jade stopped and squatted at the girl’s side. Penelope’s face was red and splotchy, and Jade tried to remember if she’d gotten sunburned earlier.

  “Funny how?”

  “Like I’m spinning. And my tummy hurts.” Tears welled in her eyes again, and Jade leaned in to hug her.

  “It’s going to be okay.” She sized the girl up. Penelope was small, but not that small. She wasn’t sure she could carry her all the way to camp. But she could at least get her partway there. “How about I give you a piggyback ride?”

  But Dan reached a hand to stop Jade from picking Penelope up. “Is it okay if I give you the piggyback ride, Penelope? I’m a little stronger than Miss Jade.”

  Penelope coughed but nodded, and Jade helped her onto Dan’s back.

  The little girl’s cough seemed to get worse as they walked.

  “Does she have a cold?” The words came out in puffs as Dan kept going with Penelope on his back.

  “I don’t think so.” Jade bit her lip, anxiety coursing through her. Something wasn’t right, but she didn’t know what it was.

  “How you doing, Pen?” She couldn’t help asking every few minutes.

  “I’m . . . okay,” Penelope answered for the third time. But something about the way she hesitated between words drew Jade up short. She set a hand on Dan’s arm to stop him.

  “Let’s give her a break.”

  Dan stopped and eased the girl to the ground.

  Jade helped her lie back and lifted her water bottle to Penelope’s lips as Dan jogged ahead to check on the other hikers, who’d kept up a faster pace.

  As Jade capped the water bottle, Penelope pulled at her t-shirt, as if it were too tight. “I want to breathe.”

  Something cold washed down Jade’s back as she watched the little girl.

  “Dan!” Jade had never screamed louder in her life. She scrambled to her feet, sucking in air to scream again, but Dan was already sprinting back to her.

  Jade pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

  If she was right, Penelope didn’t have much time.

  But there was no sound from the phone. Jade yanked it away from her ear.

  No service.

  “Aargh.”

  Now what? They had to be at least a mile from camp yet. By the time they got Penelope back, it might be too late.

  “What’s going on?” Dan’s usually calm expression was twisted into a look of fear. It was the first time Jade had ever seen him anything less than collected, and it shook her. But it also spurred her into action.

  “Is Penelope allergic to bee stings?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so. Her mom didn’t say anything―” Dan’s head swiveled, as if he was looking for the answer in the bushes that surrounded them.

  “Dan.” Jade’s voice was sharp. He had to get it together. “I think she’s in anaphylactic shock.”

  He blanched, but his eyes locked on hers, and he nodded. “What do we do?”

  “I have an EpiPen in my purse. It’s on my bunk. You need to run and get it.”

  Dan was sprinting down the trail before she could finish.

  “And have someone call 911 as soon as they have a signal,” she hollered behind him.

  She dropped to her knees next to Penelope. There had to be something she could do to help her.

  She tried to remember what the doctor had told her when he’d diagnosed her allergy, but her own reaction had been so mild, and her mind was stuck on the image of Penelope struggling for air.

  Think, Jade.

  Raise her feet. She should raise Penelope’s feet to help her circulation.

  She peered around wildly, her eyes landing on a fallen log off to the side of the trail.

  She lunged for it and lugged it toward Penelope. It was heavier than she’d expected, but she used every ounce of energy she had left to maneuver it into position. She piled her pack on top of it, then gently lifted Penelope’s feet onto it.

  She moved to Penelope’s side and brushed the hair off her face, grabbing the little girl’s hand in hers. “It’s okay, kiddo. You’re going to be fine. You just hold on for a few minutes, and Pastor Dan will be right back with some medicine for you.” Somehow, her voice was steady, even though she was certain her whole body was shaking.

  Penelope nodded, her lips slightly swollen.

  Jade bowed her head and brought Penelope’s hand to her cheek. “Hurry, Dan,” she murmured. “Please let him hurry.” She only hoped he’d kept up with his running since his days as a track star.

  “Oh no.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Why are her feet on that log?”

  Jade looked up at the chorus of voices. The rest of the campers surrounded them, and some of the younger girls started crying.

  Grace knelt and rested a hand on Jade’s back. “Dan told us what happened as he ran past, so we came back. What can we do for her?”

  “Pray.” The word was out before Jade could think. But she knew, somewhere deep in her heart, that prayer was what Penelope needed more than anything right now.

  Grace told the other children to fold their hands. Then, with her hand still on Jade’s back, she started to pray. “Dear Heavenly Father, please hold Penelope in your loving arms. Protect her and keep her safe. We pray that you would give Pastor Dan swift feet to bring the medicine Penelope needs and that you would help Mr. Tyler’s phone get a signal so he can call for help.”

  Jade squeezed her eyes shut and let Grace’s prayer wash over her. Did she even believe it could make a difference?

  She wasn’t sure, but right now, it was all she had.

  Grace’s hand was firm on Jade’s back as she continued with her prayer. “Most of all, we ask that you would help us all to trust in you. To trust that just as you are the all-powerful God who created this world, you are the loving Father who created each one of us and watches over us daily. To trust that you love us without condition and that in you we have the promise of eternal life, whenever you choose to call us home to you.”

  The tears were coursing down Jade’s cheeks now, but somehow she was more at ease than she had been in months. There was nothing she could do in this moment.

  So she had to do the only thing there was left to do.

  She had to trust.

  The group fell silent, most of the campers st
anding with their hands folded, a few hugging each other and whispering, all of them watching Penelope. With every movement of the little girl’s chest, Jade gave a prayer of thanks.

  Just let her keep breathing. The words circled through her mind in a continuous loop.

  “Here he comes.”

  Jade’s head popped up at the shout. The campers all cheered Dan on as he closed the remaining yards, holding the EpiPen out to Jade like a relay baton, a look of sheer determination on his face. Jade didn’t know how much time had passed, but she’d be willing to bet that his run had broken the records he’d set in high school.

  The moment the EpiPen hit her hand, she pulled off the protective cap and jabbed it into Penelope’s leg. The little girl flinched but didn’t have the energy to cry out.

  Jade held completely still, vaguely aware of Grace’s hand on her back, of Dan standing above them, breathing heavily. But mostly watching Penelope’s chest.

  After a few seconds, the little girl’s breathing eased, her chest rising and falling more deeply. The swelling in her lips went down.

  “Thank you, Lord.” Jade wasn’t sure if she’d spoken the words aloud as she bent in half and kissed Penelope’s cheek.

  She jumped to her feet. “She needs to get to a hospital. She could relapse and need another dose.”

  “Tyler got a signal when we were halfway to the cabins. He said they were sending flight for life since we’re too remote for an ambulance. They’re going to land in the clearing by the lake.”

  Jade nodded. “We should get her there. Can you carry her?”

  But Dan was already scooping Penelope into his arms. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 21

  The flight nurse circled his hands and pointed down, and Dan nodded, glancing out the window to see the hospital below at last.

  He let out the breath he’d been holding the entire chopper ride.

  Thank you, Jesus.

  They’d had to give Penelope two more shots of epinephrine on the way here, and each time, Dan had been sure his own heart was going to stop. He was responsible for this little girl, and if anything happened to her . . .

  But nothing had happened to her.

  No thanks to him. He’d had no idea what was wrong with Penelope or what to do to help her. He’d promised the parents of these children that he’d keep them safe, and the first emergency that had come up had left him helpless.

  But not Jade.

  Thank you, Lord, that she knew what to do. It was at least the tenth time he’d uttered that prayer since the moment she’d said the words anaphylactic shock. He didn’t know how she’d known what to do or why she happened to carry an EpiPen, but he trusted that God had brought all that together at just the right time for a reason.

  Jade had accepted his decision to be the one to ride with Penelope with a resignation that had almost broken him. He knew how much she cared about this little girl. And after the bond she’d formed with Penelope, she should be the one here with her. But he’d also known how it would look to Brianna if Jade was the one to greet her at the hospital with her daughter, when she’d specifically asked him to keep Penelope away from Jade.

  The moment the chopper landed, a team unloaded Penelope’s stretcher, and Dan followed them into the building. He was here often enough to visit sick congregation members, but he never quite got used to the unnatural smell of the place.

  “I’m going to go check if your mom is here yet. I’ll bring her to you.” He squeezed Penelope’s hand, grateful that her return squeeze was strong.

  The moment he stepped into the waiting room, a blond blur rushed him. Brianna stopped inches from him, her normally pristine makeup smeared in streaks under her eyes and across her cheeks. “Where’s Penelope? Is she okay?”

  Dan set a comforting hand on her shoulder. “She’s doing much better now. They want to observe her, but they think she’s past the worst of it. I’ll take you to her.”

  As he led her through the hallways, he filled her in on what had happened.

  “I didn’t know she was allergic to bees.” Brianna’s face paled when Dan told her about the bee sting and Penelope’s reaction.

  “The flight nurse said that’s pretty common. You can’t know until someone has a reaction, unfortunately. I had no idea what was wrong, either. It was Jade who figured it out.”

  Brianna froze, the click of her heels coming to a sudden halt. “She was with Jade?” She threw her hands in the air. “I thought I made my feelings about that clear. If she hadn’t been with Jade, she probably―”

  “She’d probably be dead.”

  Brianna gaped at him, grabbing the wall for support. “Dead?” She said the word as if she’d never heard it before.

  “Yeah.” Dan ran a hand through his hair. He had to get his personal feelings under control before he said something he’d regret. “She was in anaphylactic shock. If Jade hadn’t realized that’s what it was, if she hadn’t had an EpiPen along, if she hadn’t done first aid . . .”

  “I didn’t realize.” Brianna hugged her arms around her middle and bent over at the waist. “I could have lost my baby.”

  Compassion rose in Dan’s chest, and he moved closer, placing a light hand on Brianna’s back. “But you didn’t. God protected her. And he used Jade to do that. That’s something to be thankful for.”

  Brianna didn’t look at him. “Can I see Penelope now? I really need to see her.”

  “Of course.” Dan steered her to Penelope’s room. “I’ll be in the waiting area if you need anything.”

  Brianna stepped into the room, then seemed to think twice. She stopped, turned around, and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for keeping my little girl safe.”

  He returned her hug. “Thank God for that.” He let her go and started down the hall. “And Jade.”

  Fire burned behind Jade’s eyelids, but even though the bus was unusually silent—the kids much more subdued than they’d been on the way to camp—she couldn’t close them.

  Every time she’d started to fall asleep last night, she’d seen Penelope strapped to that stretcher, being loaded onto the helicopter. Eventually, she’d given up on sleeping and spent the night watching the stars until they’d faded in the gray dawn light. She’d tried to find the majesty of God she’d seen in the forest, but it was all tainted now.

  Dan could say God loved them all he wanted, but if that was true, why had he allowed this to happen to Penelope?

  This morning, Tyler had led the kids in a short devotion, then he, Grace, and Jade had agreed it was best to skip the few activities that had been planned and head home. The kids were all too worried about Penelope to have any fun, and they wouldn’t be able to get an update on her until they got within decent cell range. Apparently, it had been a fluke that Tyler had gotten a signal to call for emergency services yesterday, since none of them had been able to get any reception since.

  Jade leaned her head against the window, the trees outside a blur of brown and green. How had she thought yesterday that she’d found purpose in working with these kids? It turned out that getting close to them could be just as painful as getting close to anyone else.

  “I’ve got a signal.” Grace’s shout from the front of the bus drew everyone’s attention. All around Jade, the kids shifted in their seats, everyone leaning forward as if their proximity to the phone would help Grace’s call go through.

  Jade’s heart sped up, but she resisted the urge to pray. If God wanted to try to convince her he loved her, he could go ahead. But she was done begging him.

  “It’s ringing,” Grace called. A second later, she held up a finger for silence, even though no one was talking.

  “Hi, Pastor Dan, it’s Grace.” Her voice carried to the back of the bus. “We’re almost back to Hope Springs, but I have a bus full of kids here wondering how Penelope is doing.”

  She kept her finger poised as she listened. But Jade doubted anyone on the bus was so much as breathing. She knew she wasn’t.

&nbs
p; After a few seconds, Grace’s face relaxed. “She’s doing great,” she called out.

  The kids erupted in cheers, and several of the girls exchanged hugs.

  Jade leaned her head on the window and closed her eyes, ignoring the tears that slid out from under her lids.

  It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds later that one of the kids was shaking her shoulder. “Miss Jade, wake up. We’re home.”

  Jade peeled her eyes open and waited for them to focus. The bus had stopped, and kids were waiting in the aisle to get off.

  She glanced out the window. Dan must have contacted the kids’ parents to let them know they’d be back early, as parents milled in the church parking lot, waiting for their kids and hugging them extra tight when they found them.

  Once all the kids had disembarked, Jade made her way up the aisle, checking each seat to make sure no one had forgotten anything. By the time she got off the bus, the parking lot was empty, aside from Grace and Tyler.

  Grace wrapped her in a hug the moment she stepped onto the pavement. “I’m so glad you came along. If you hadn’t . . .” Grace squeezed tighter. “But you did, and thank the Lord for that.”

  When Grace released her, Tyler gave her a quick hug too. “Get some sleep.”

  She nodded numbly.

  “Where’s Violet?” Grace looked around the empty lot. “Do you need a ride home?”

  “No thanks.” She hadn’t called Vi to let her know they’d be back early. She didn’t want to make her sister leave the store in the middle of the day. “I think I need the walk.” What was a couple miles compared to the distances they’d hiked at camp?

  Grace gave her another hug, then headed for her car, while Tyler made his way to his truck.

  Jade lifted a hand to wave to each of them as they pulled away. Then she started walking.

  But instead of heading for the road, her feet took her toward the beach. The events of the past few days swirled through her mind, and she needed some time to sort them out.

  The waves pulled at Dan’s feet, beckoning him farther into the water. He’d love nothing more than to dive in and forget the past twenty-four hours had ever happened.