Song of the Surf (Pacific Shores Book 3) Read Free Page A

set Justus’s heart to thumping so hard he was afraid the medics would hear it and turn to examining him next. His hand tightened of its own volition around Dakota’s.
    Lord, haven’t I had enough of ambulances and hospitals for a lifetime?
    Once again he forced the memories that tugged for his attention to the back of his mind and concentrated on the here and now.
    Blood streaked one side of Dakota’s hair, turning the long blonde tresses into a dark, matted clump. Even though a white bandage now compressed the wound, he could see blood already seeping through it. As the medic lifted her arm to examine it more carefully, she tucked her lower lip into her mouth and scrunched her eyes closed.
    His stomach bucked. He hated that he couldn’t save her from the pain.
    The sound of firefighters clomping through the yard and yelling to one another rose and fell with the force of the wind.
    Justus dropped his head down, staring at the blackness between his knees. The flash of another night so similar to this would no longer be abated. A night with so much more blood. So much more tragedy. So much more evil. A night filled with police and a manhunt for Treyvon McAllister, a boy-not-quite-turned-man who had so much of his life left ahead of him, but so much rage filling his heart.
    He clenched his jaw and wrenched himself back to the present in time to hear…
    “Would you like your boyfriend to accompany you on the ride to the hospital?”
    Dakota’s gaze flashed to his, her eyes widening. “No, I’m fine. I can get myself there.”
    The medic shifted in an uneasy way that raised Justus’s concern several notches. “I’d really like to encourage you to ride in the ambulance. We’d like to stabilize your arm a little better, and keep a careful watch on your head wound there.” The man tilted her a smile that tightened something inside of Justus. “Riding with us won’t be so bad. Joel might even tell you a few jokes along the way.” The man chuckled, and despite Justus’s annoyance over the slight flirtation, he appreciated the guy’s attempt to lighten the situation.
    Both medics had eyed the structure overhead a few times and he knew they were considering the soundness of the building, since the other end had been smashed by the tree.
    Justus didn’t bother correcting their misperception over his relationship with Dakota. He wouldn’t abandon her for anything, but he was going to need his wheels once he got to the hospital. “You should ride in the ambulance. I can’t have you getting blood all over the inside of my Z3.” He winked at her. “Will you be okay if I follow right behind you to the hospital?”
    “O-of course.”
    The paramedics both scowled like he was the lowest form of humanity.
    But it wasn’t them who changed his mind. It was the disappointment he saw flash through Dakota’s eyes. He tilted his head and squeezed her fingers gently. “Never mind. I’ll just leave my car here and ride with you.”
    “No. It’s alright. You don’t have to.” A frown pinched her brow.
    “It will be fine. I’ll just have Jalen drive it over for me later.”
    “Jalen?”
    He brushed off her question. Jalen had worked with him for seven of the eight years he’d been at Deschutes Rejuvenation. And since Reece had known them both during his time working there, Jalen was also one of the groomsmen. The fact that the man was probably here more to talk him out of quitting his job than to be in the wedding didn’t need to be mentioned right now. “Let’s just get you to the hospital, okay?”
    “Wait, what about the hole in the roof? The flooring will be ruined if we don’t cover it.”
    Justus almost chuckled at her persistent concern over the crazy tarp. Instead, he touched her shoulder. “Let’s just worry about you first. Besides, a single tarp isn’t going to be able to cover that hole out there.”
    She swallowed. “It’s just…I’m responsible.”
    A long damp strand of hair had fallen over