Resurrecting Harry by Constance Phillips Read Free Book Online

to guilt as she broke down into sobs.
    Now Bess loomed over him, offering a hand. “You’re a hero, Mr. Welch.”
    Behind her, onlookers gathered, including Will. Impressing Bess hadn’t entered his mind, but her smile — that made him feel like the most special man in the world. He accepted her help and basked in her admiration. He wanted to lose himself in it, or capitalize on Bess having dropped her walls, but the sobs of the woman cradling her little boy kept his focus where it belonged. “Ma’am. It’s okay. He’s safe. That’s what’s important.”
    She picked her head up and looked at Erich through strings of tear-soaked brown hair. “It was my fault for turning away. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
    Erich could see Bess’s anger crack, if only just a bit as she flipped her attention to the young mother. “You hold him tight, Miss. Children are precious.” Bess then looked back to him. “Thank Heavens for you.”
    Erich braced his throbbing side and tried to mask his pain. “Any man would do the same, Angel.”
    “Everyone else couldn’t be bothered,” Will said, stepping up to them. “You were the only one to notice and anticipate—”
    Erich shook off the adulation and put a hand against the boy’s back while wrapping an arm around his sobbing mother. “It’s all right, Ma’am. All that matters is he’s okay.”
    A stream of thank-yous poured from the woman’s mouth. Not knowing what else to say, he retreated and started walking up the block.
    “Where you going?” Will asked.
    “The hardware store, to pick up the cot.”
    “Nonsense!” Will answered. “You go inside and have a cup of coffee. Catch your breath. I’ll go get the cot.”
    With a nod, Erich started for the diner. Taking slow, deep breaths, he tried to control the fire burning in his side. Suddenly, Bess stood in front of him.
    “I’ve been thinking about your offer,” she said, her eyes planted on his. “And I’ve decided to accept. If you’re still willing, can you come by after work and look at my furnace?”
    “Sure thing, Angel.” Finally, his inroad! He’d be jumping for joy if not for the pain ripping him in two. Erich hobbled through the door and into the kitchen. Bracing against the sink, he pulled the shirt tales from his pants and noticed the blood stains. Lifting the fabric away, he saw that one of the stitches had split open, causing blood to ooze from the wound.
    He picked up a white towel, wet one of the ends and pressed it to his stomach, swallowing the scream that pushed at his throat. The pain didn’t crush his spirit, though. Tonight he’d be in his home, with his wife. If the cost for that was a single ripped stitch, he’d pay without question.

Chapter Five
     
    “Damn it!” A loud clank reverberated through the dingy basement as the wrench slipped from Erich’s hands. A high-sulfur odor overpowered him. Holding his breath, he reached around the large metal box, hit the reset button and scratched the wooden stick-match against the floor. When the flame jumped to the furnace’s pilot, a sigh escaped his lips.
    Even being home again could not temper Erich’s regret. Harry hated the furnace, knew it was on its last leg, yet never took the time to install a newer model. How surreal to be in his house, doing the same things he did in his past existence, but to still be a stranger to the one person who mattered the most. Once he won Bess’s heart, he hoped this new reality would feel less like a dream.
    He slid his hands over his thighs and then looked down. Soot smudges now covered the dirt and the tear in the knee, a remnant from his tumble in the street. Exactly what was he supposed to wear to work in the morning?
    With an idea in mind, he returned the tools to the rusty old box and carried it up the stairs. He found Bess hovering over a pot on the stove. “The furnace is fixed, Mrs. Houdini.”
    She met him with a warm smile. Relief loosened the muscles of her face and neck. She