Cheryl Tardif - Submerged

Leo let out a snort. “Okay, buddy, you’re starting to sound a little whacko. Either we get some food into you, or we go shopping for one of those special jackets that tie up in the back.”

“I wonder if maybe she saw them too. The ghost kids.”

Leo started the car. “Montana’s? I could go for some barbecue ribs and fries. And while we wait, you’re gonna tell me all about these ghosts, including Jane’s. I wanna know everything.”

By afternoon, Rebecca was feeling a bit better. The medication they’d given her made her somewhat groggy, but she was so happy to see Ella and Colton that even drugs couldn’t keep the cheerfulness from her voice.

“I hope you’re being really good for the doctor and nurses.”

The kids sat in chairs, their oversized hospital housecoats wrapped around them to keep them warm. Dr. Monroe had allowed them to sit in her room and watch television with her for the afternoon.

The door opened, and the police officer poked his head inside. “There’s going to be a shift change in a half hour, Mrs. Kingston. I thought you should know.”

“Thank you.”

Having a guard on her door made her feel safe, but it didn’t keep her from worrying about the truck driver. Would he make another attempt? Why?

Whenever she closed her eyes, she’d see flashes of memory and her muscles would clench. She recalled the bitter coldness of the water… and her absolute certainty that she was going to die there in the dark, alone.

“And then Marcus swam into the car,” Colton was telling Ella for the one hundredth time, “and gave us scuba masks. But you were asleep, so you didn’t see anything.”

“And he rescued us,” Ella said with a firm nod.

“Mom says he used to be, like, a doctor or something.”

“A paramedic,” Rebecca corrected.

“Yeah, one of those guys.” Colton frowned. “You think he was ever in one of those STARS helicopters?”

“You’ll have to ask him next time he visits.”

The thought of Marcus Taylor coming to visit gave her butterflies. Nice ones. There was no denying they had a connection because of all that had happened.

But it’s more than that.

She wanted to know more about him. Last time she’d seen him, there had been a glimmer of vulnerability in his rugged but handsome face. While they’d talked, she watched as a wave of emotions swept over him—grief, guilt, relief, joy… and anger. When she’d admitted more about their financial state and Wesley’s gambling, she saw anger brimming in his eyes.

She was relieved, however, to hear that her husband was off the police’s radar as a suspect. He’d never do something so hideous. Marcus had said they were looking into some other leads, that maybe Wesley’s gambling was to blame. But she couldn’t deal with that thought right now. All she wanted to do was hold her children… and breathe.

“Mommy needs a gentle hug,” she said.

Colton and Ella were eager to obey. As they wrapped their arms around her, mindful of all the tubes and wires, she gathered them close and listened to their hearts beating in their chests.

Life. It was something worth fighting for. And damned if she was going to let anyone hurt her children ever again. Not Wesley. Not anyone.

She had called Kelly as soon as she was feeling up to talking. She’d tried to dissuade her sister out of immediately heading to Hinton.

“I’m okay,” she’d promised Kelly. “The doctors are looking after me, and I have a police guard on my door. The kids too.”

They’d talked about the “accident.”

“I should’ve taken the kids,” Kelly said.

“None of us knew what was going to happen, Sis. I mean, would you ever in your wildest dreams have thought some truck driver would run me off the road?”

“No. But who would want to kill you?”

Rebecca couldn’t tell her about Wesley’s gambling. Or that the police suspected someone wanted to send Wesley a message—through Rebecca’s imminent death. She didn’t want to scare her sister.

“They’ll catch him,” she’d said to Kelly.

Her sister had been more than determined to look after her once Rebecca was released from the hospital in a day or two. Kelly had already arranged to stay with her for a few days, but the thought made Rebecca very nervous. If someone still wanted her dead, then her house wasn’t going to be safe for any of them.

She could ask Wesley to move back in. The thought made her cringe. She knew what would happen if she did that. Wesley would take advantage of the situation, of her weakness, and the next thing she’d know he’d be moved in permanently. And if there was one thing she was absolutely sure about it was that she was done with him. The divorce couldn’t happen soon enough.

She thought of his gambling addiction. He may not have tried to kill me and the kids directly, but his actions could be responsible.

She glanced at the clock by the door. Wesley would be here soon.

“Mommy, I’m tired,” Ella said.

“How about you and Colton go have a nap in your room? I think I need one too.”

“I’m not tired,” Colton grumbled.

“Watch TV then. But don’t have the volume up too loud. Let your sister sleep.”

When they were gone, she picked up the hospital phone and the business card next to it. “Marcus?” she said when he picked up. “I know you’re probably busy, but…”

“What do you need?”

His voice had become an instant comfort. “To talk to you.”

“Want me to come to the hospital?”

“If it’s not too inconvenient.”

“I’ll be right over.”

When Marcus entered her hospital room, the first thing Rebecca noticed was that he’d shaved. He’d also put on aftershave, something earthy—sandalwood and musk.

“You shaved,” she said, biting her lip at the absurdity of her comment.

He rubbed his smooth chin. “Yeah, Leo advised me to clean up a bit. Said I looked like I’d been on a three-day bender.”

“But you haven’t.” It was a statement, not a question. “Leo sounds like a good friend.”

He dragged the chair to the side of the bed. “The best.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Seems like forever.” He laughed. “I met Leo on the job, back when I was a paramedic.”

“Did he work with you?”

“No. At that time, he was in no condition to work for anyone.” He paused as if summoning up the right words. “I was called out to a situation about fifteen years ago. Unconscious male passed out in a bar.”

“Ah, and that was Leo.”

He nodded. “I can’t go into all the details—confidentiality and all—but I will say he was in rough shape. Even came close to dying that night.”

“But he didn’t, and now you’re friends.”

“We have a lot in common, Leo and I. Both of us have much to atone for.”

She glanced out the window, thinking about Marcus’s drug addiction. It had affected his career and marriage. Just like Wesley’s gambling addiction. She knew the toll that had taken on her and the kids.

So why was she even considering bringing Marcus Taylor into her life?

Because you like him. Because he’s not Wesley.

“Did Leo know Jane?” she asked.

“Yeah. We used to have weekend dinners with him and his wife—before they were married.”

“So, technically, you saved him too.”

He blushed. “I was part of a team who responded to the call.”

“But you visited him afterward.”

Marcus shrugged. “I went to check on him at the hospital. We got to talking, and before I knew it, we were friends.”