“Thank God,” she said. “One minute we were fine, the next minute, a deer ran out, I jerked the wheel and we flipped. Should’ve hit the damn thing.”
“Mommy! Get us out!”
The road was flat, so the chances of the van rolling farther were small. The side window was broken; Levi lay on the asphalt and worked his way in. His leather jacket would protect him from the shattered glass, and with little kids in the car, he wasn’t going to wait for the fire department.
Both kids were strapped into booster seats, dangling upside down. No blood, though the older one was pretty pale. “Hey, guys,” Levi said. “You okay?”
“Get us out!” the bigger kid said. He was maybe six or seven.
“My juice spilled,” the younger one said.
“Oh, yeah?” Levi said. “You get it all over you?”
“Yes. It’s yucky.”
“That’s okay,” Levi said. No apparent injuries. “You’ll get dry soon. Anything hurt? Neck, stomach, anything like that?”
“I’m fine,” the little guy said.
“I’m scared,” said the older one.
“Well, I’ll stay with you till the fire department comes, how’s that?”
“Thank you,” the older boy whispered.
“It’s gonna be okay. Just a couple minutes more.” He glanced at the mother, who was squatting next to the car. “They’re doing all right, ma’am. I need you to step back a little, though.” She didn’t move. He didn’t blame her.
“Mommy’s right here,” she said to the boys. “Don’t be scared.”
“I’m not scared,” the younger kid said. “I’m really brave.”
“You’re both doing great,” Levi assured them. “Just hang tough.”
“I told them not to unbuckle,” the mom said.
“That was smart,” Levi told her. “How about you? You feel okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “A little banged up.”
In the distance, he could hear the sirens of the ambulance and fire trucks. “Boys, the fire department’s on the way. They’re gonna put a special brace on your necks to make sure you don’t get hurt, and then we’ll get you out of here, okay?”
“Can’t you get us out now?” the older kid said.
“It’s safer if we wait. They’re almost here. So, how old are you?” he asked, just to keep them talking and calm.
“I’m seven, and Stephen is four,” the older one said.
“Four and a half,” Stephen corrected.
“Got it. And what’s your name, big guy?” Levi asked. The siren was louder now.
“Cody.”
“I’m Levi. Nice to meet you.” Engine One pulled up, and Levi could hear Gerard Chartier on the radio.
“Levi, is that your ass hanging out of there?” a familiar voice called.
“Hey, Jess,” he answered. “Good to have you back in town.”
“Thanks, and why are you doing my job?”
“Guess who’s here?” he said to the boys. “The firefighters. You’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“I like upside down,” the younger kid said, and there was something familiar about him. Levi wondered if he’d seen them in town. Hard to tell from this angle.
“Hey, Chief,” Gerard said. “You want to do the honors, since you’re already in there?” He handed in a neck brace, and Levi fastened it around the younger kid’s neck, then did the same to Cody. Gerard got the cutter and clipped the hinges off the door.
“Keep them in the car seats and we’ll just carry them to the rig. I’ll check them out there,” Gerard said. He was a paramedic, the senior ranking member of the fire department.
Jess was talking to the mom, telling her about transporting them to the E.R., wouldn’t hurt her to be checked out, too, because sometimes shock and adrenaline masked an injury, and was there someone she wanted to call, her husband or a friend, the usual.
Both kids seemed okay. The older one probably understood more and was therefore more shaken, but now that help was here, they were starting to realize they were the stars of the show. The ambulance had pulled up right after the engine, so Jess and Gerard took the bigger kid out and carried him to the ambulance, booster seat and all. Levi and Ned Vanderbeek did the same with the little guy, setting his car seat right on the gurney. Kelly Matthews was strapping the older boy’s seat onto the bench in the back of the ambulance, chatting away with the kid, getting him to laugh.
The mom, who’d done such a good job of keeping it together, started to cry at the sight of her boys in an ambulance, then did that horribly sweet thing moms did—tried to smile instead.
Reminded Levi of his own mom the day he left for Basic.
“Be right back,” Levi said, going to the cruiser. He kept some of those little beanbag animals in the glove compartment for just this type of call. Grabbed two and gave a pig to Cody, a lamb to the little guy. “Thanks for giving us something to do tonight,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” the little brother said happily, holding the lamb up to study it more closely.
“You take care, kids,” Levi said.
“Thank you for staying with us,” the older boy said solemnly, and Levi felt his heart squeeze a little.
“You bet, pal,” he said.
Then he turned to the other kid, Stephen, and did a double take. His gut told him before his brain caught on, tightening so fast it stole his breath.
He looked back at Cody, then back at Stephen.
“Bye!” said the little guy, turning the stuffed lamb over to investigate its belly. His forehead was...what was the word Faith used? Crinkled.
Stephen looked like...like him.
The boys were his father’s other sons.
He realized he was staring. “Uh...you take care, boys. You were really brave.”
The boys’ mother was looking at him, her mouth slightly open. Crap.
At that moment, a car screeched up, and Rob Cooper burst out of the door, running up to the back of the ambulance. “Heather! Heather, baby, are you okay? Are the boys—oh, God, hey, boys! Cody, you okay, buddy? Stevie? You doing all right?”
His father kissed the little boys, wiped his eyes and held their hands. He asked Kelly something, looked back at the older kid, ruffled his hair.
Get moving. Levi walked to the cruiser, head down. His hands buzzed with adrenaline. Almost there.
God, he wished Faith was around. Wished he could go home and pull her into his arms and breathe in that smell and have her dopey dog jump up against them.
And maybe he’d tell her he’d met his brothers today.
“Excuse me.”
Shit.
His father’s wife had followed him the few yards to the cruiser. She looked at him steadily, then held out her hand. “I’m Heather Cooper.”
She was maybe thirty-eight, forty; in other words, closer to his own age than his father’s. Levi took a breath, then shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Thank you for helping my sons.”
“No problem. I’m glad they’re okay.” He hesitated. “They seem like great kids.”
“They are. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” Yeah. She knew.
He took a deep breath. “Levi Cooper.”
“I thought so.” Her eyes were wet. “And my sons...they’re your half brothers, aren’t they?”
He nodded.
She sucked in a breath. “I—I didn’t know.”
“Sorry.”
“You’re not the one who should be sorry.” She tried to smile, but it faltered. “My God.”
“Um...I should go. You take care, Mrs. Cooper,” he said.
“Heather. Since I’m your stepmother and all.” This time, the smile was a little more resolute. “This is quite a shock.”
“Heather? Babe, the ambulance is almost ready to—oh. Oh.”
Yeah. Oh. It was almost comical, the expressions running across his father’s face—anxiety, then shock, then that realization that yep, the shit had hit the fan. “Uh...hey,” he said. “How are you?”
“I guess you two have met before,” Heather bit out. “This man just saved your sons’ lives.”
“That’s slightly exaggerated,” Levi said. He looked at his father. Rob Cooper was smaller than Levi remembered. Skinnier, too. In addition to looking guilty as sin, his father looked...weak.
Because he was. Somehow, Rob Cooper had made something of himself, had found a nice woman, had been given two more sons, and he must’ve been doing something right. But he’d never once had the guts to own up to walking out on his firstborn. He’d never even told his wife he had another child.
“You two need to take care of your sons. I’m glad everyone’s okay.” He turned to his cruiser.
Then he stopped and turned back to his sorry excuse of a father and suddenly had him by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. His father’s familiar eyes were suddenly wide with terror.
“Do better with them,” Levi growled, giving his father a shake. “If you walk out on them the way you walked out on me, you’d better pray to God I don’t find you.”
He released Rob Cooper, who staggered a few steps back and turned and went to his other sons. Fast.
Levi looked at Heather. “If you ever need anything, let me know,” he said. “I’m the police chief in Manningsport.”
It had never felt better to say those words.
She gave a wobbly smile. “Levi...for whatever it’s worth, you’ll always be welcome in my home. I’d be proud for the boys to know you.”
The words went straight to his heart. He looked at her another minute, gave her a nod, not quite trusting himself to speak, then got in the cruiser and carefully drove away from the scene.
When he was a few miles off, he pulled over, and before he was aware of what he was doing, his sister’s voice was on the line. “Calling to be a prick again?” she said, her voice slightly sullen.
“You can come home whenever you want,” he said. “Tonight, tomorrow, Saturday, any time you need to, day or night.”
There was a pause. “Who is this?” his sister asked, and Levi smiled.
“Look,” he said. “I just want to help you get through this time, get you on your feet, whatever. If that means coming home twice a week, that’s fine, Sarah. You’re gonna turn out great no matter what.”
There was silence on the other end, then a snuffle. “Thanks,” she whispered.
“I love you, you know.”
“I do know. I love you, too.”
When he got back to the station, Everett was still there, playing Angry Birds. “Hey, Chief!” he said, bolting upright and falling out of the chair in the process.
“Is your mother home?” he asked.
“Um, I think so. Why?”
Levi punched in the mayor’s phone number. “Marian, it’s Levi. Listen. I need an actual cop to help me out here. Your son can go to the police academy, but I’m hiring someone else, too. Probably Emmaline. You have a week to find the money, or I quit. Have a great night. Oh, I’m gonna be taking some vacation time. Starting now.” With that, he hung up. “Good night, Ev,” he said.
“Roger that, Chief,” Everett said.
* * *
O’ROURKE’S WAS MUCH the same as he’d left it. Colleen hissed at him once more, Jeremy was feeling Carol Robinson’s glands. Those two should get a room.
Prudence Vanderbeek sat alone at a booth, clicking away at her phone. “Hey, Chief,” she said amicably. “I’m sexting my husband. Give me a minute.” She muttered as she typed. “‘I refuse to sign your contract, Mr. Grey, and furthermore, I’ve never even heard of that Japanese thingamajig you mentioned in your last email. And yes, I remain untouched, I have never even kissed a man before, yadda yadda.’” She looked at Levi. “I’m forty-seven years old, Levi, and the mother of Carl’s children. Why I have to pretend to be an insipid virginal college student is beyond me.”