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Sean was satisfied. He’d shifted her focus from the shock.
“And here comes Aaron,” he said.
“I remember him, too,” she said. “The boy with the Mohawk.”
Sean laughed. “That was him at the age of ten. He’d just found out we had an indigenous ancestor. And since he wasn’t into growing his hair long, he opted for that cut, even with Mom standing there telling him we weren’t any part Mohawk.”
“Better than getting shaved bald because of gum,” she said, and then Aaron was out of the car and opening the door.
When Aaron saw her, he realized this was the woman Wiley told him about. The one who knew about the lost tooth in the mashed potatoes. Instead of offering to shake her hand, he just hugged her.
“Amalie. Welcome to the family.”
“The boy with the Mohawk,” she said. “Thank you. I’m happy to be here.”
Aaron grinned. “I was going through my indigenous phase. Hop in the car. You can sit up front with me close to the heater. You’re cold as ice. Little brother won’t mind the back seat.”
Sean gave his brother a look. They both knew the leg room in the back seat of a cop car was next to none and he was going to have to fold all six feet five inches of himself in and like it.
But Amalie wasn’t having it.
“No. Sean is not getting in the back seat. He’s too tall. He just ran a marathon to get to that crash, down a ravine at full speed, and came back the same with that baby, then back down again to the woman who was trapped. Get in the front seat, Sean.”
Sean looked over the top of the cruiser and grinned.
Aaron smirked. “You probably don’t deserve her, but congrats anyway, bro. You’ve got yourself a fireball.”
The drive back was quick. Amalie was listening to the brothers’ patter, hearing the respect and love in theirvoices. When they pulled up in the driveway, she started to get out, then realized this was where people rode who got arrested, and she had to wait for one of them to open the door to let her out.
It was Sean. As soon as she was clear of the car, he shut the door, then leaned in the window.
“Thanks for the ride, Aaron.”
“Sure thing. Good thing you two went for that walk,” Aaron said.
Amalie watched as he backed out of the driveway and sped away. “I’m selfishly glad you chose a different career path,” she muttered.
“So am I. Now let’s get in where it’s warm.”
They shed their coats as soon as they were inside, then Amalie turned the thermostat up a notch for quick heat.
“I’m going to make coffee,” she said.
He looked down at his hands. “I need to clean up.”
Amalie frowned. “Is any of that blood yours?”
“No,” he said, and headed for the bathroom.
She went to the kitchen to wash up at the sink, then started the coffee. The house was quiet and warm, and a far sight from the trauma they’d just witnessed. The baby’s screams were still echoing in her ears when shock finally set in. Her legs went weak, and then she was sliding down the side of the island and into the floor. She hugged her knees, lowered her head, and closed her eyes, waiting for the room to stop spinning.
And that’s how Sean found her.
Within seconds she was off the floor and in his arms.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she kept saying, as he was carrying her down the hall. “I was just waiting for the room to stop spinning.”
“Hush now, darlin’. You just had a whole episode of PTSD, and we both know it. You’re in shock, and you’re freezing cold. Let me help you.”
