Rekindle by Morgan Nicole, Murphy Rae Read Free Book Online Page A

be here every step of the way, okay? It sounds worse than it really is, but the quicker we get you outta here, the better.” She gives a barely noticeable nod and I give them the go-ahead.
    I can see the pain and fear written across her face, and in that moment I’m powerless. I try my best to keep eye contact with her. Her pained whimpers come more and more frequently as they start opening up the side of the car. I glance up and see the guy who caused the accident walking— walking —to the ambulance. I don’t understand this. This beautiful young wife and mother is here, trapped in her worst nightmare, and he’s just walking away, unfazed. The unfairness of it all causes a fit of rage to flare deep in my chest. I look back at Melinda and I see the light dying out in her eyes, just as they get the side of the car opened enough to get her out. Paramedics swarm in and I stand there motionless. They put her on the gurney after securing her neck, and I see her hand reach out. I grab it and run with the paramedic. She needs to know she’s not alone in this moment. They load her up, and I see them putting a breathing mask and a blood pressure cup on her. All I can think is, Fight, please fight . That’s when I hear them: She’s coding. I need the paddles. It’s the last thing I hear as they pull away.
     

     
    I’m lying in my bunk at the firehouse, hours later, trying to purge the images of the accident from my mind, when Micah walks in.
    “Rhett, man, are you okay?” Micah asks, his question soaked with concern.
    “Yeah, I’ll be okay. It just never gets easier. No matter what we see, no matter what we have to do, it never fucking gets easier.”
    “Brother, Sgt. Bullard called and said they got Melinda stabilized. She’s got a long road ahead of her, but she’s going to be okay. I thought you’d want to know,” Micah tells me.
    “Thank fuck for that. She’s too young to be stripped away from her family like that.”
    I’m so glad to hear she’ll make a full recovery. Her kids will have their mother, and her husband won’t be making funeral arrangements anytime soon. I’m not sure why this weighed so heavy on my heart. Some people just stick out more than others. Maybe it was the look in her eyes. Who knows? But one thing’s for certain; this life is full of surprises. You never know when the person you love will be stripped away from you, and dammit, I need to talk to Emma immediately. She needs to know that even though we’ve been apart for all these years, that I still feel a connection to her—a pull, so to speak. Like gravity itself wants me near her.
     

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    Emma Grace
     
    “Mmhmm,” I mumble into the phone. No one who calls someone at…five forty-five in the morning deserves a proper greeting. It’s way too early for pleasantries.
    “M?” Rhett’s questioning voice brings me out of my slumber and into a semi-awake state.
    “Rhett? Hey. Are you okay?” It’s been three days since I’ve seen or talked to him, other than the occasional text, so a phone call before six on a Thursday has me a bit worried.
    I hear him blow out a breath, and I’m met with silence again. “Rhett, you’re worrying me. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
    “God, M. It was just a shitty night at work. I wasn’t even thinking about how early it was. We just wrapped up everything a few hours ago and my first thought was that I needed to talk to you. And you’re probably still asleep. Shit. I’m sorry, I’ll let you go.” He’s flustered and rambling. I can picture him pacing and running his hand through his hair.
    “I’m good, Rhett. I’m up and at ‘em. Don’t worry about that. Tell me what’s going on. What happened at work?” I sit up in bed and get comfortable. I’ll forego sleep if it means he’ll be a little less tortured over whatever happened tonight. I can only imagine how his job can take a toll on him physically, mentally, and emotionally.
    “There was this wreck