Her First Love Read online

  Allison squeezed Tiffany’s hand before letting it drop.

  They stood, watching the children run back and forth across the fields for a while, giggling and laughing as they placed things in their bags and hurried off to find the next item on the list. “This was a good idea,” Tiffany said to Allison.

  “Thanks. I come from a big family, and my parents used to do stuff like this for us. I remember that I always enjoyed it, so I figured the kids would too.”

  “Well, you were right. I almost wish I could be out there with them.” A light feeling of sadness fell across Tiffany’s shoulders as she remembered that she might never be able to do this with kids of her own. Would she always live vicariously through these daycare kids?

  Allison laughed beside her, bringing Tiffany back from her pity party and to the present. “Next time, I’ll make a card just for you as well, okay?”

  Tiffany was about to answer when a loud boom echoed across the sky followed by a streak of lightning.

  “Was it supposed to rain tonight?” Allison asked, fear filling her eyes as she looked back at Tiffany.

  “No, there was no mention of it.” A sense of unease erupted in Tiffany’s stomach as she looked up at the sky. The soft dusk that had greeted them when they stepped outside was gone, replaced now with menacing gray clouds that looked ready to burst. A freak summer storm. They didn’t happen often, but when they did, they came out of nowhere. And they could be fast and furious. “We have to get the kids inside now.”

  Allison, understanding the danger, began hollering at the kids and waving for them to come back in. Confused at first, the kids who could see them merely stared for a moment until another loud boom sounded and the first drops of rain began to fall. Soft at first, the kids lifted their faces in surprise, but when the drops turned into a solid sheet of rain a moment later, they hightailed it toward the resort.

  Tiffany and Allison began counting the kids as they huddled under the porch roof, wet and shivering, but when Tiffany reached Eric, the boy assigned to Timmy, her heart sank. “Where’s Timmy?”

  Tears filled the boy’s eyes as he shook his head. “I don’t know, Ms. Tiffany. I’m sorry. When the first boom sounded, he got scared and ran. I tried to follow, but I lost him. Then I remembered what you said, so I came back here.”

  Tiffany placed one hand on Eric’s shoulder and lifted his chin with her other. “It’s not your fault. You did the right thing coming back here. Now, Ms. Allison is going to take you all inside.” She turned from Eric to meet Allison’s eyes. “Contact Dougie when you get back inside and let him know what happened. Then call Becca or Harper and see if they can come in to help you. If neither of them can make it, call Merribeth. She’ll know what to do.”

  Allison nodded though her eyes were still filled with fear. “What about you?”

  “I’m going to go find Timmy.”

  “By yourself? But it’s getting dark and it’s pouring. Are you sure it’s safe to go alone?”

  Though Tiffany knew Allison was right, she also knew they were wasting precious time talking.

  “No, but if we’re scared, imagine how afraid Timmy must be. I’m sure Dougie will organize a search party to join us. Hopefully I’ll be back before we need them.” Tiffany had no idea how long it would take her to find Timmy, but she hoped it wouldn’t be long.

  “Okay, stay safe. I’ll be praying.”

  Praying. Yeah, that was something she should be doing too. Tiffany nodded and flashed an encouraging smile to the kids before heading out into the forested area.

  19

  Israel

  Israel glanced at his watch again as Sofia rambled on about how she became a barista. While he didn’t want to seem uninterested, he was enjoying this conversation about as much as he enjoyed physical exams before deployments.

  “Israel, can I have a moment?”

  Israel jumped slightly at the sound of Dougie’s voice at his shoulder. “Sure, what’s up?”

  Dougie tilted his head, indicating for Israel to follow him to the side. “Privately,” he said, softly.

  Privately? Israel had no idea why Dougie would want to speak to him privately, but he nodded, issued an apology to Sofia, who folded her arms in annoyance before turning away, and followed the man to a nearby corner where Chance and Merribeth were also waiting, looking as nervous as he’d ever seen them. “What’s going on?”

  “Allison just contacted me. Evidently she and Tiffany took the kids outside for an evening scavenger hunt, but a freak summer storm just hit. They got most of the kids back, but one young guy freaked out at the thunder and ran off without his partner. Tiffany went searching for him, but neither one has made it back yet.”

  A squeezing sensation gripped Israel’s heart, and his breath caught in his throat. “Tiffany is out there in the storm?”

  Dougie nodded, his face serious and stony. “She is. Along with some boy named Timmy.”

  Timmy? Could it be the same Timmy he’d met just a few weeks earlier? The inquisitive boy who’d helped him repair the sink and hung on his every word? “We have to go find them. What can we do?”

  “Hang on, Iz,” Chance said, placing a hand on his shoulder as if afraid Israel might bolt out of the room, “we need to be smart about this. We don’t want anyone else getting lost.”

  Israel wanted to knock his friend’s hand off his shoulder and charge out into the storm, but he knew Chance was right. How many friends had they lost needlessly on deployments when they’d done the exact thing Israel wanted to do? As much as he wanted to save Tiffany, even though they’d barely spoken in the last week, he knew they had to make a plan.

  “I’ve got one guy here who can man the booth while we go out,” Dougie said. “I’ve placed a call to the other three guys as well and they’ll all be here shortly. I suggest we team up and go out in a grid pattern with the walkies.”

  “That sounds good. There are three of us, but that only makes one team. Can we get any more?” Chance asked.

  “Ahem, there are four of us,” Merribeth chimed in, shooting him a look that said he better not argue with her. “There’s no way I’m not going.”

  The men shared a quick glance before Dougie continued, “Okay, that gives us two teams to start with. Chance, you and Merribeth can take the left side of the marked area, and Israel and I will take the right. I’ll have Colton send Davis and Reed out down the middle when they get here. Let’s gear up and head out. I don’t want them in this storm any longer than they have to be. The last time a freak storm hit like this, hail followed after, and I don’t want them getting pelted.”

  The squeezing on Israel’s heart grew tighter as he followed Dougie to the Security office. Thoughts of Tiffany shielding Timmy with her body while hailstones rained down on her flashed through his mind. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen, but regardless, being out in the weather could still be dangerous. He hoped Tiffany knew this area better than he did.

  “All right, weatherproof jackets for everyone,” Dougie said, pointing to a row of them that hung on hooks. Then he turned to another shelf and grabbed four large black flashlights. After handing those out, he grabbed a walkie from the desk and handed it to Chance. “Keep the walkie on channel two. That will allow us to communicate and Colton to reach us if needed.”

  Chance nodded first at Dougie and then at Colton who now sat behind the desk Dougie typically manned. Colton was younger than Dougie, but while the fear was evident on his face, so was his determination. He knew his job and he would not fail his boss.

  Dougie scanned the shelves again before grabbing two emergency aid kits and handing one to Merribeth and the other to Israel. “Just a precaution,” he said when Israel lifted fearful eyes to him.

  Israel nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping the kits wouldn’t have to be used.

  “Okay, I think we’re good,” Dougie said, turning his attention back to them. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, boss, but don’t do anything dangerous. If you fi
nd them and you can’t rescue them alone, radio for help. Let’s make sure we only have to do one rescue tonight.”

  Israel glanced at Chance to see if his friend would take umbrage to Dougie throwing out the orders, but just like when they were in the military, Chance showed that he could take orders just as good as he could give them. He issued a single nod of understanding and they were off.

  The rain poured down as they stepped outside, and Israel could see that mudslides and flooding would be a concern as the ground mushed and slid beneath his feet. As Chance and Merribeth took to the left, Dougie turned to Israel.

  “I know you have a soft spot for Tiffany, but I know these woods better than you do. You follow me and keep your ears open, got it?”

  Israel nodded. He trusted Dougie, but even if he hadn’t, he was in no position to fight him. Dougie was a foot taller and probably fifty pounds heavier. Israel might be quicker but Dougie could no doubt lay him out if necessary.

  Dougie flashed the light around and began calling out Tiffany’s name. Israel joined in and called out Timmy’s name too. Slowly, they made their way around the right side of the area, but as Dougie flashed the light to the right, Israel could see that the forested area continued much farther than they were walking.

  “What if they went beyond the line?” Israel asked, tapping on Dougie’s shoulder and raising his voice so he could be heard over the pouring rain.

  Dougie paused and looked out into the dark expanse. His expression was tense and his posture rigid as he surveyed the area. “It’s possible, but I think we should walk the area first. If we meet Chance and Merribeth before finding them, then we can go beyond the border.”

  Israel agreed, hoping they wouldn’t have to search the broader area, but knowing it was a possibility. His own steps were slipping and sliding in the mud, and he could envision Tiffany or Timmy sliding past the border.

  They continued their slow trek around, but Israel kept his ears peeled for any sound. “Tiffany! Timmy!” His heart ached with each call of their name. Why had he let her walk away so easily? Why didn’t he follow after her and convince her to tell him whatever the issue was?

  A series of what ifs ran through his mind like a never-ending train, each one worse than before. What if they’d fallen and broken a bone? What if they had hit their heads and were unconscious? Or worse? What if Tiffany hadn’t even found Timmy yet? Israel shook his head to clear the thoughts. None of these would do him any good. He needed to keep alert and focused, not travel down lanes that hadn’t been forged yet.

  “Tiffany! Timmy!” Even Dougie’s normally deep voice barely carried in the pouring rain.

  What if Tiffany couldn’t hear them? What if they walked right past her and couldn’t hear her? Israel tapped Dougie’s arm, causing him to pause for a second. “What’s up?”

  “We forgot to pray,” Israel said. “We might miss them completely with the rain, and we could use God’s help.” Israel had no idea if Dougie was a believer, but he’d known enough atheists and agnostics that had no problem praying in combat. He hoped Dougie would at least be open to the suggestion, and if not, he would do it himself anyway.

  Dougie’s jaw tensed as if he wasn’t sure now was the time and his eyes darted around, but finally he nodded. “You’re right. We could use the help.”

  Israel placed a hand on Dougie’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “Lord, we need Your help. Please keep Tiffany and Timmy safe and help us find them. Amen.”

  “Amen? That’s it?” Dougie asked, a look of pure confusion on his face.

  Israel smiled at the common misconception. He’d met many people in his life who felt that they needed to pour out a half hour prayer to get God to listen to them. While there was nothing wrong with spending that much time talking to God, sometimes short prayers were just as effective. However, like Dougie, they generally shocked the other party. “I said all I needed to say. God knows the rest. Come on, let’s keep going.”

  20

  Tiffany

  “Timmy! Timmy!” Tiffany called out as the rain fell harder on her. Though still technically summer, the rain held a chill that soaked through her light shirt and jeans. She probably should have run in long enough to gear up or at least grab a jacket, but she hadn’t wanted to waste any time. Now, however, as her teeth chattered and her body convulsed with shivers, she realized she was wasting more time trying not to focus on the cold invading her than she would have if she’d been warm.

  “Help! Help me!” The voice was muted and soft, but the sound lifted Tiffany’s damp spirits. Timmy was alive and not too far from her from the sound of it.

  “Timmy? Can you hear me? It’s Ms. Tiffany.” She headed in the direction she thought his voice had come from, hoping the pouring rain wasn’t tricking her.

  “Ms. Tiffany? I fell and hurt my foot.”

  Yes, the voice was louder now. She was definitely going in the right direction. “It’s okay, Timmy. I’ll help you back. Just keep talking so I can find you.”

  “Okay, but what do I talk about?”

  Despite the situation, Tiffany smiled softly. Little kid logic at its finest. “Just say the alphabet for me. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah. A, B, C, D…”

  As Timmy continued the alphabet, Tiffany followed the voice, and her heart sped up when she spied the red of his shirt amid the downpour. Unfortunately, her feet also sped up, and she misjudged how slippery the ground had become. As one foot slid out from beneath her, the other tried to gain traction but, like a car on icy pavement, merely slid one direction and then the other before gravity won out and she fell to the ground, scraping her palms and twisting her ankle. She knew even before she tried to stand that it would probably no longer hold her weight, at least not until the throbbing subsided, but thankfully her fall had placed her a mere few feet from Timmy and she crawled the rest of the way.

  “That’s what happened to me too,” Timmy said, as Tiffany wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “How are we going to get back now?”

  Tiffany pulled him close. “Ms. Allison went back to the resort to send help for us, so we’re going to sit here and signal them.”

  Timmy looked up at her with wide eyes. “How do we do that?”

  She lifted her flashlight, glad to see it hadn’t been damaged in the fall. “With this. If we shine this toward the path we came down, they’re bound to see it and come get us.”

  Timmy nodded and placed his head on her chest. While Tiffany was grateful for his complete acceptance of her words as truth, she hoped she wouldn’t disappoint him. “I wish I had a flashlight too.”

  “You can use this one. Just make sure you point it this way. You can move it up and down to help grab their attention.”

  Timmy took the flashlight and began waving it back and forth. As he did, Tiffany attempted to shift her position to relieve the pain coursing through her ankle. She wondered how they would get back even if Dougie and the security team did find her. For the second time that night, she lifted her face and prayed.

  When Timmy tired of waving the light, Tiffany took over, wondering how long they would be stuck before someone found them. Would they make it through the night if it took that long? She could feel Timmy shivering in her lap, and she knew her body was doing the same.

  She had no idea how much time had passed, but Tiffany jumped when she saw a light bobbing their direction. Had Dougie found them at last? “Over here!” Her call woke Timmy, who had fallen into a fitful sleep on her lap, but it was worth it as she saw Dougie’s large form emerge through the sheet of rain.

  “I found them” he hollered, and her spirits lifted. Now, the only question was how would he get them out? And then Israel appeared behind him. Israel? What was he doing here? He rushed ahead of Dougie to her side.

  “Thank God we found you. Are you all right?” His eyes roamed over her body searching for cuts or other injuries.

  “We both hurt our ankles, but otherwise, we’re okay. Can you get a cart or somethin
g out here to bring us back? I don’t think we can walk.”

  Israel looked up, deferring to Dougie, who scratched his chin as he looked around. “I think the ground is too wet to get a cart out here, but I can carry Timmy back. Could you hobble back?”

  Tiffany shook her head. “I don’t know; I haven’t tried.”

  Israel placed a hand on her arm. “We can try, and if you can’t, I’ll carry you back.”

  “What? No!” Tiffany shook her head. Israel was only a little taller than she was, and he wasn’t built like Dougie. There was no way he could carry her back. She wasn’t even positive Dougie could carry her back.

  A soft smile formed on Israel’s lips. “Don’t worry, I carried heavier items than you in the military for longer distances. IF I have to carry you, we’ll be fine.”

  Tiffany had her doubts, but the confidence on his face quieted them. He honestly believed he could do it, so maybe he could.

  “Okay, let’s go then.” Dougie leaned down and scooped up Timmy as if he weighed nothing at all. The child was small, but Tiffany knew she couldn’t have done that.

  “Your turn.” Israel leaned down and placed an arm under Tiffany’s arm and around her back before gently pulling her up.

  Though a little wobbly, she managed to stand on her uninjured leg, but as soon as she tried to put her other leg down, pain shot up her leg. She shook her head, tears burning her eyes. “I can’t.” Before she could say anything else, her world shifted and rain pelted her face as Israel scooped her up and held her to his chest. “Iz, you can’t.”

  “You need to have a little faith in me,” he said softly as he fell into step behind Dougie, and she realized he was right. She hadn’t had faith in him. Not that he would be okay with her situation and not that he loved her.

  “We should talk when we get back,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.