Ryan laughed. ‘Spencer saved him.’
Leo lifted his cape. ‘I helped keep Tiny warm while he was in shock.’
‘I think Tiny was more out of breath,’ said Jax.
‘Can we have a paddle in the sea now?’ Leo asked Spencer.
Spencer shivered, needing dry clothes and less drama in his life.
‘Are you all right, Spencer?’ asked Ryan.
‘Cold, but okay.’
Leo stepped closer to offer his cape, making Spencer smile at his kindness.
‘Thanks, Leo, but I think we should head back to the centre now.’
‘I agree,’ said Ryan.
‘Me two,’ said Jax.
‘Me three,’ said Leo.
Spencer glanced at his wet bottoms. ‘Right, let’s go.’
They trudged to the minibus in silence, which was a small blessing, as Spencer was having one of his stress headaches. Just when he thought his day couldn’t get any worse.
‘I need to tell Debra so she can put it in the incident book,’ said Leo, clambering into the vehicle.
Ryan frowned. ‘Tiny’s not a member of the centre.’
Leo shrugged. ‘Spencer had an incident.’
Jax chuckled as he sat down. ‘Spencer saved a dog. He’s a hero.’
That was the last thing Spencer felt like. He’d gone behind Beth’s back, refused to talk to her, hardly looked at Archie earlier. He was pretty sure heroes didn’t act that way.
The corner of Ryan’s mouth curled. ‘I think we’re all heroes in our own way.’
Very profound.
Spencer mentally shook his head as he started the engine. It had been one hell of a day, but suddenly the fog in his head started to clear. Leo had the skills to calm himself with breathing techniques, and Jax had spoken to a shopkeeper, and now Ryan was willing to go back into the water, even if it was to save a dog. Inspiration hit hard. If the kids could find ways to navigate their problems, then so could he. It was time he faced his own insecurities.
Chapter 34
Beth
Having left Archie with Lottie and Sam for a couple of hours, Beth went to the Hub to get on with the shift she had promised to do. Just because her head was a mess didn’t mean she would leave Alice to volunteer alone. Good thing she went, because Alice looked tired.
‘Why don’t you sit for a bit, Alice, and I’ll finish sorting the noticeboard.’
Alice pulled down some flyers, rearranging them so everything on the board could be seen. ‘I’m better standing today.’
Knowing Alice had fibromyalgia, Beth wondered how she was really coping. ‘Are you in a lot of pain?’
‘Not too bad. I had a rough night thanks to neck pain, but I’ve got what I call the finger bruise at the moment, so sitting isn’t that comfy.’
Beth approached to glance at her hand up by the board. ‘What’s wrong with your fingers?’
