Fourth of July (3 page)

“Madison has to finish her breakfast.” Rachel hated the sound of her own voice. She always interrupted their fun.

Madison turned pleading eyes on her father.

“Come on, Sugar, don’t look at me like that.” Dylan smiled at his little girl, ruffling her dark hair. “Eat your breakfast quick so we can go to the parade, and then...”

“Swimming.” Madison clapped her hands in delight. “We haven’t been swimming for a month.”

“Swimming, huh?” Dylan repeated. “Has it been a whole month? I think swimming would be great. What do you think, Rach?”

“Sounds like fun,” she said, though her flat voice conveyed a different message.

Dylan arched an eyebrow at her. Setting Tyler down, he gathered Rachel into his arms. He waltzed around the tile floor, dipping her. Her dark hair almost touched the ground as he planted a firm, lingering kiss on her lips. The children giggled and Rachel couldn’t resist smiling into her husband’s blue eyes. He lifted her back onto her feet, pressing her close. She was reminded once again why she’d fallen for the handsome FBI agent. He made her life fun, when he was around.

“Thanks for coming home,” she whispered in his ear. “You have no idea how much I needed you.”

“Anything for you, Gorgeous.” He kissed her again, his eyes twinkling.

Rachel savored his kiss, wishing it were “anything for her.” Most of the time it felt like, “anything for the FBI.”

Dylan, Rachel, Madison and Tyler located a spot to watch the parade in the nick of time. Different divisions of the Armed Forces proudly displayed the American flag.

“Daddy?” Madison tilted her head back, regarding her father with large, green eyes.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Why do I put my hand over my heart?”

Dylan thought for a second, but couldn’t recall the textbook answer. He looked to Rachel. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say “she’s asking you.”

“Because...” Dylan hedged. “It shows respect, and shows our country is dear to our heart.”

“Why is our country ‘dear to our heart’?”

“Well, it’s a great place to live. We’re free to pursue our dreams, live in peace, and worship how we choose. Our forefathers sacrificed to provide those freedoms for us.”

“What’s four fathers? I thought you were my only father. Well, I guess I have two if you count my Father in Heaven. What’s freedom?” Madison rapidly fired off questions, and then promptly forgot her inquiries when something more interesting entered her field of vision.

“Daddy. Daddy!” She tugged on his sleeve. “Look, dancer girls. Oh, they’re so pretty. Do you think I’m a better dancer than them? Should I show them my turns?” Madison spun on one toe, teetering, but miraculously recovering.

“That was great, Sugar.” Dylan hid a grin. His girl looked like a replica of her mother, but she had yet to achieve her mother’s grace.

Madison focused on the young ladies dancing with red, white, and blue streamers. “I can’t wait until I’m big like them. One day that will be me in the parade.”

“I kind of like you the size you are.” Dylan patted her head.

“Oh, Daddy.” Madison sighed.

Dylan reached down and swooped her onto his shoulders.

“Thanks, Daddy. I can see great up here. I’m glad you’re so tall.” Madison patted her father’s cheeks. “You’re the best lookin’ and nicest daddy ever. You’re hot, Daddy.”

“I agree,” Rachel laughed.

“I’m
hot
? Where did you learn that word?”

“My friend, Julia.” Madison oozed innocence. “She heard her sister, Ashley, say that about a boy. It means you look good.”

“Well thanks, I guess.”

Dylan watched the parade proceed with Madison perched upon his shoulders. He glanced over at Rachel holding their son on her hip. He squeezed Rachel’s hand, grateful he and Chris had pulled an all-nighter so he could be with his family. His ever-patient wife needed more support than he could give. Maybe when the war against terrorism slowed down he could be home more.

Dylan sighed. That was never going to happen.

Boom!

The air vibrated against his skin. The ground rocked violently beneath his feet.

What was happening? Fireworks? Special effects?
Please, don’t let it be what I think it is.

A fraction of a second after the noise, a tremendous fireball exploded a block from where they stood. The fire spiraled up and out, singeing everything in its reach. Jagged pieces from floats hurled in every direction. Glass shards from broken windows sprayed the crowd.

The fire loomed larger and larger. Its unrelenting heat and flames reached out to consume more victims. Sweat poured down Dylan’s face from the sudden heat.

Charred human beings ran hysterically from the mayhem while debris and sparks covered dazed spectators. People dragged or carried maimed bodies away from the blaze, disregarding their own singed faces and hands.

Dylan started toward the inferno, wondering who to help first.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

Madison’s hysterical cries and fingers clawing at his face registered in Dylan’s brain. He pulled her down and pressed her face against his shoulder.

Dylan watched in horror as those who moved too slowly were trampled underfoot by the panicked masses. People clawed and pushed to get away from the intense heat. A teenager helped an elderly man to his feet. A young lady grabbed a child and carried him away from the imminent danger.

Dylan needed to help. He glanced at Madison’s face before meeting Rachel’s panicked gaze. His family should come first, but Rachel was so strong.

The burned and maimed surged in their direction, some thrown toward them by the initial blast. Wounded spectators shrieked and moaned. Rachel shrank back, the sounds of their pain tearing at her heart.

“No!” She pushed Tyler’s face into her chest. Shielding him from injury, a sob burst from her lungs. She closed her eyes, unwilling to internalize the awful spectacle.

Please, don’t let it be true. It’s too awful. It can’t be real.

Venturing another glance, her mind gradually accepted the terrible scene displayed a football field away and moving swiftly in their direction.

It was real!

She was useless. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. She stood still, her feet glued to the slab of concrete. We have to get somewhere safe. We have to leave, now! Dylan looked at her, nodding.

Thank heavens Dylan is here. Dylan will protect us from harm
.

That thought brought a small measure of comfort.

He grabbed her, pushing away from the throngs of people moving toward them. “Hurry,” he yelled.

Rachel needed no further prompting. Dylan directed her away from the mayhem. She raced alongside him. Several blocks later, he stopped, peeling Madison off of him and attaching her to Rachel’s leg.

“Stay by your mom.” He pressed the keys into Rachel’s numb fingers. “The car is only a few more blocks.”

“What?” Rachel shook her head in confusion.
How could he desert them
?

“I’ve got to go back and help,” Dylan insisted. “Go to the car. Now! Get Maddie and Ty away from here.”

Oh heaven, help me
, she thought. Dylan wasn’t protecting them.

“I have to go help. You’ll be okay. Right?”

“I-I guess so.” Rachel knew others needed his expertise and bravery, but what about their children? Shouldn’t their safety come first?

Dylan kissed her forehead. “You’re so strong.” He shoved her away from the masses of people pulsing toward them. “Run.”

Rachel’s legs moved almost against her will. She wasn’t strong, she was terrified. She clung to Maddie’s hand, pulling her along. She looked back over her shoulder. Dylan nodded his encouragement and mouthed, ‘I love you,’ before turning and racing against the crowd of panicked strangers.

ALEXIS RELAXED NEXT TO ROBERT on the chaise lounges gracing the deck of his family’s thirty-foot sailboat. Waves from the river lapped against the boat’s side. The warmth of the sun combined with the soft breeze blowing off the water made the temperature ideal.

“What a perfect day,” Alexis said.

“I can’t imagine it being any more enjoyable.” He entangled his fingers with Alexis’s. She didn’t object; his touch was nice. “I have such a great day planned for us.”

Alexis opened her eyes and rolled her head to the side. Raising a hand to block the sun’s rays, she smiled at Robert. “It will be fun.”

Squeezing her hand, Robert tugged at the sleeve of her swimsuit cover-up. “Aren’t you warm? You should take this off and get some sun.”

Alexis felt the panic tighten the muscles in her shoulders and shorten her breaths. Her modest swimsuit covered most of the burns but if he saw her back…Was she ready to explain her scars to Robert? Would he look at her differently? “I, um, the sun and my fair skin don’t get along so well.”

“I’ll rub sunscreen in for you.”

Alexis cringed at the thought of any man touching her back.

A blast reverberated from the city. They both sprang to their feet. Alexis shielded her eyes, looking toward where she thought the sound came from. A ball of fire and smoke rose above the buildings.

Her mouth fell open. She rushed to the ship’s railing for a better view. Robert hurried to her side. They stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the flames and a cloud of dust and debris spiraling above the roofline.

“What in the world?” Robert said. “I hope no one’s been hurt.”

“An explosion in the middle of downtown?” Alexis’ eyes narrowed. Her grip tightened on the wood railing. “A lot of people will be hurt. Hurry, let’s get back to shore.”

“What?” Robert asked. “Why?”

Alexis whirled to face him, certain she’d misunderstood him. “Why?”

“There’s nothing we can do. We don’t even know what happened. We aren’t firemen, Alexis.” His lips curled in a mocking half-smile.

Was he actually smirking at her? The nerve.

“There’s something we can do.” She searched his eyes for reassurance that he would be the kind of man who would always help someone in need. She didn’t see anything to dispel her doubts.

“I need to be there,” Alexis said. Her gaze was drawn back to the billowing smoke.

“No.” Robert pried her fingers from the railing, stroking them. “You don’t need to be there. I’m sure the firemen, police, and EMTs have it under control. You have a doctorate of psychiatry, Alexis, not medicine.” Robert smiled, patting her hand like she was a small child. “I need you here with me. Surely the trained professionals will take care of the fire.”

Alexis tore her hand from his grasp. “Robert, I
am
a trained professional.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Yes, I know. In psychiatry.”

Alexis folded her arms across her chest. “I am an FBI agent and that...” She jabbed a finger across the water at the fireball. “...is not an ordinary fire. She glared at him. “Psychiatrist, fireman or
politician
. It wouldn’t matter what my training was I would try to help. Now either take me back to shore or I will swim.”

“There’s no need to get upset.” He squeezed her arm, using the irritatingly soothing voice he utilized for public speaking appearances. “We’ll go to shore if that’s what you want.”

Robert lowered the sails and started the inboard motor. “The motor will get us there quicker. I hope whatever happened won’t prevent us from spending time together.”