A Gift of Family. Mia Ross

get, Seth stepped through the hole he’d inadvertently created. Actually, it was a good thing he had. It was a much safer route out than the way he’d come in.

      As the ambulance pulled away, out of the corner of his eye Seth noticed something that looked out of place. The red-and-blue emergency lights swirled through the vivid colors of a stained-glass window that had somehow survived the cave-in.

      A scene of Jesus surrounded by animals, it suited the small-town setting perfectly. The winking effect made him think of the Christmas lights he and Lisa had strung at the diner the other day. He’d seen more than his fair share of carnage, and there had never been anything beautiful left behind.

      Did it mean something, or was it just a lucky break? While he was considering the possibilities, Lisa appeared beside him.

      “That was amazing,” she breathed, admiration sparkling in her eyes. “I’ve never met a real live hero before.”

      “I was just in the right place at the right time,” he said as they moved out of the path of two fire trucks.

      “So was I, but I never could’ve gotten him out of there. He and his family will be incredibly grateful to you. Actually, the whole town will be. He means a lot to all of us.”

      Perfect, Seth grumbled silently. He’d come here to lend a hand at the diner, not be the center of a lot of unwanted, undeserved attention.

      Sighing, he looked down at the pretty waitress who’d been so kind to him. “Could you do me a favor?”

      “Sure,” she agreed with a bright smile.

      “Could you keep this quiet?”

      “In Harland?” She laughed. “Are you serious? Everyone already knows.”

      “I really don’t want that.”

      Clearly puzzled, she tilted her head like a curious cocker spaniel. “Why not?”

      “I like being under the radar.”

      “What radar?”

      He didn’t know how to explain it to her, so he shook his head and started to walk away. When he heard her gasp, he whipped back around. “What’s wrong?”

      “Your shirt. Your shoulder.”

      Reaching over, he could feel that the shoulder seam on his left sleeve had gotten torn during the rescue. That meant...

      “I have to go.” He backed away from her as if that would make her forget what she’d seen.

      “Wait!” Pulling off one of her silver hoop earrings, she lifted the flap of his shirt and used the wire to fasten it to the remaining fabric. “That will cover it till we get to the hospital.”

      “No.” The harshness in his tone made him wince. “I’m sorry, but I’m fine, really. Nothing to worry about.”

      “Seth, your hands are all cut, and you’re bleeding in a dozen places. You at least need to clean up and get some bandages.”

      As more emergency vehicles raced toward the square, people started flooding in to see what was going on. Cornered and helpless, Seth’s razor-sharp instincts were screaming for him to drop back and disappear. The problem was, there was no cover in this wide-open town square for him to slither into.

      His skin crawled with cold sweat, adrenaline twisting his gut so hard he thought he’d be sick. Another quick survey of the area showed him he was completely out of options.

      Swallowing the nausea, he turned to Lisa in desperation. “Will you help me?”