Family to the Rescue. Lissa Manley

      

      If anything happened to Seth, Kim would never forgive herself.

      Kim rushed forward and pushed through the cluster of people who had gathered around the scene. She made it to his side and fell on her knees next to him, resisting the strong urge to take his hand in hers; she was almost afraid to touch him.

      Just then, Seth turned his head and looked at her, his beautiful sky-blue gaze hitting her like a laser. Her heart sped up as they stared at one another for one beat, then two.

      His eyes widened slightly, and it looked as if he recognized her. A shaky ghost of a smile crossed his face and, strangely, Kim felt an odd yet unmistakable connection flare between them.

      “Seth…” she whispered.

      “Did I die?” he asked, his deep voice raspy.

      Relief flooded through her. He was talking—that had to be a good sign. She shook her head and grasped his icy hand, feeling tears burn her eyelids. “No, you saved both of us.”

      LISSA MANLEY

      decided she wanted to be a published author at the ripe old age of twelve. After she read her first romance as a teenager when a neighbor gave her a box of old books, she quickly decided romance was her favorite genre, although she still enjoys digging in to a good medical thriller.

      When her youngest was still in diapers, Lissa needed a break from strollers and runny noses, so she sat down and started crafting a romance, and she has been writing ever since. Nine years later she sold her first book, fulfilling her childhood dream. She feels blessed to be able to write what she loves, and intends to be writing until her fingers quit working, or she runs out of heartwarming stories to tell. She’s betting the fingers will go first.

      Lissa lives in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon, with her wonderful husband of twenty-seven years, a grown daughter and college-aged son, and two bossy poodles who rule the house and get away with it. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, crafting, bargain hunting, cooking and decorating. She loves hearing from her readers and can be reached through her website, www.lissamanley.com, or through Steeple Hill Books.

      Family to the Rescue

      Lissa Manley

      And without faith, it is impossible to please Him.

       For whoever would draw near to God

       must believe that He exists and that

       He rewards those who seek Him.

      —Hebrews 11:6

      For Kevin. For always having faith in me.

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Epilogue

      Letter to Reader

      Questions for Discussion

      Chapter One

      There! A sound floated to him on the breeze. A call for help. Seth Graham was sure of it.

      The hairs on his neck standing on end, he hurried to the ocean’s edge, his bare feet chopping through the sand. He shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the water, frowning. Had he imagined the thready call for help?

      But then his gaze snagged on an indistinct form about thirty yards from the beach. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out if he was seeing a glob of kelp.

      Or a person.

      His best friend, Drew, ran up and stood beside him, the Frisbee they’d been throwing back and forth on the beach dangling from his fingers. “You see anything?”

      Seth blinked, still staring at the shape. “I’m not sure…”

      Then an arm flailed up from the dark mass and another scream sounded, more distinct this time.

      That was no glob of kelp!

      Seth’s stomach dropped and a heart-stopping chill of dread cut through him. “Someone’s out there,” he said, already stripping off his T-shirt. He looked at Drew as he threw his shirt to the sand. “Call 9–1–1 and let the others know what’s going on. I’m going in.”

      Drew didn’t argue. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and started dialing, then turned and headed toward the other people from the Moonlight Cove Community Church singles group.

      Seth made a break for the ocean. Just as his feet hit water, a voice called to him.

      “Seth!”

      He turned.

      A soaking wet Lily Rogers, a former neighbor whom Seth had known for most of his twenty-eight years, came staggering down the beach toward him, her long, blond hair plastered to her head and shoulders. “The new gal, Kim, is out there,” she screamed, pointing a rigid finger toward the waves. “We went in together to jump waves and got too far out. I made it in farther down, but she’s caught in a riptide!”

      “I’m on it!” Seth shouted, still moving. He now remembered seeing Kim—a cute brunette about his age—when he’d arrived at the cookout earlier.

      Lily lurched past him and up the beach toward the bonfire spot, though she was obviously exhausted, waving her arms and yelling at the top of her lungs to alert the others to the problem.

      Seth ran into the water full bore, then dove headfirst into the brine.

      His breath left him in a rush as he hit the water, which was icy despite the warm July day, and he almost froze up as the ocean shocked his body. But through sheer will and physical and mental discipline honed by a few years playing pro baseball and being physically active, he managed to keep going.

      About twenty yards into his rescue he stopped and lifted his head to be sure he was on the right track. Thankfully, he’d judged the direction to swim correctly. He saw the woman directly in front of him, about ten yards away, when she flung up an arm again. She hadn’t sunk yet.

      But she would, unless she knew what to do, which it looked like she didn’t. Seth, however, had been born and raised in the coastal town of Moonlight Cove, Washington, and he knew the drill. He couldn’t struggle against the rip; he had to swim parallel to the shore, not toward it.

      Just as he reached the woman—Kim, Lily had said—she went under. Ignoring his own growing exhaustion, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up, noting when she surfaced that her skin was the color of snow. Her eyes fluttered. Good sign. She wasn’t unconscious yet.

      “Kim, I’m here to take you in,” Seth told her in a firm, calm voice. “Do exactly what I say, okay?”

      She nodded sluggishly.

      He wrapped an arm around her narrow shoulders. “We’re going to swim parallel to the shore to escape the rip, and then swim in, all right?”

      Another nod, more feeble this time. She was clearly worn out. He’d arrived in the nick of time.

      Seth moved his other hand beneath