Quickly he moved to straddle the boys legs and stacked his hands on the childs abdomen. Come on, sport. Stay with me, he mumbled as he gave five sharp upward thrusts with his palms. Crawling to the boys side, the dark-haired man did a visual check of the boys mouth then swept his finger inside. With a deep sigh of relief, he withdrew a piece of hard candy and tossed it aside.
But the boy didnt move, didnt draw a breath.
Pressing his lips in a taut line, the man glanced up and drilled a hard glare at Holly. His sky-blue eyes were clear and intense. You, the bride. Help me.
Holly blinked, rallying
from her fear-based daze. How?
Give him two full breaths in his mouth, five seconds apart, every time I say now.
She nodded her understanding and scrambled closer as the man started chest compressions. Adrenaline spiked her pulse as she watched the man working to save the young boy.
Now. His clear blue eyes met hers, echoing his command.
Holly bent low and covered the boys mouth with hers. Blew. Counted five and blew again.
Good. Just like that. Jerking a nod, he resumed compressions.
Holly studied the boy now. His lips had regained a bit of their color, but he remained unconscious. She glanced up at his panicked and crying mother. Hes going to be okay. I promise.
Why she was so certain, she couldnt say. It was risky to assure the mother when she didnt truly know how this rescue effort would go. But a strange assurance and confidence in the man working on the little boy flowed through her, calming her own frayed nerves.
Holly moved her gaze to Carol, who held a cell phone to her ear. With a look, Holly asked for an update.
An ambulance is on its way. The operator is still on the line, Carol said softly.
Now.
Holly met the mans eyes briefly before dipping her head to give another breath. Count five. Breath.
As she raised her head from the last puff, the boy coughed, gasped in air.
Tommy! his mother cried and tried to hug him.
Give me a minute, the boys rescuer instructed, sidling between the mother and child. Again he checked the boys pulse, lifted his eyelids to check his pupils, examined the childs fingernails. Tommy, can you hear me? Can you talk?
I want Mommy, the boy whimpered.
The man smiled, flashing a set of perfect white teeth as he backed up. Shes right here, sport.
Holly dropped back on her heels, her muscles going limp with relief. She stared at the man whod saved the boy, mulling the inconsistencies in his appearance. While she knew better than to judge anyone by how they looked, little about this man fit the profile of the average homeless client who came to the Community Aid Center. Though his cheeks and chin were covered in a few days growth of beard like many of the other men the center served, his hair was much cleaner, his beard shorter and his skin healthier. In fact, despite needing a shave and a haircut, the square cut of the mans jaw, sharp angles of the mans cheeks and straight nose gave him an ironically patrician appearance.
Thank you, she said, laying a hand on his arm. He turned from watching the mother hug her son. You saved his life.
Again his bright blue eyes burrowed deep with their cool intensity, stirring an odd swirling in her belly. No. We did. Together. Thank you.
Holly shook her head. I didnt
He wrapped a large hand around hers, and at his touch, the rest of her reply caught in her throat. A warm ripple of sensation skimmed over her. Yes, you did.
She dropped her gaze to his tanned hand and wet her lips. Really, youre the one who Again her words stalled as she focused on the watch peeking out from under the sleeve of his flannel shirt.
She knew that watch, hadnt seen that watch since the last morning Ryan left for work. That watch had been stolen from her husband the day hed been attacked, murdered in an abandoned church not far from the Community Aid Center.
Gasping, she jerked a startled frown up to the man as her brother-in-laws words reverberated in her head.
Ryans killer was most likely a vagrant.
Matt Rankin knew that look well. Disgust. Accusation. Contempt.
The exhilaration of having saved the choking boy evaporated under the icy glare from the center volunteer. When he touched her arm, the beautiful blonde bride whod helped him resuscitate the boy gaped at his hand, her joy and admiration morphing suddenly into something ugly and cold.
Where did you get that watch? she demanded, her tone clipped and accusing. As if he had no right to own something of value.
And maybe he didnt. Maybe he should have sold the watch months ago to help pay for food, his rent, his child support. But he couldnt bring himself to part with the last thing he owned that Jill had given him.
He tamped down the swirl of emotions that still ravaged him when he thought of Jills death and the terrible repercussions that followed. Keeping his tone even, he met the womans hard greeneyed stare. It was a Christmas gift from my wife a few years ago.
Your wife? She narrowed her eyes skeptically, as if being down on your luck and scrimping to make even a scant income meant you could never have had a wife and children, a home and career. A life to be proud of.