Shelter of Hope Read Online Free PDF Page A

“What’s wrong, Carly?”
    Carly whirled around and flew into his arms, tears streaking down her cheeks. “It hurts.”
    “What?” He scooped her up and hurried toward the shore, noticing a redness developing on her leg.
    “I didn’t see the sea nettle until it was too late. It stung me before I could get out of the way. I tried, Daddy.”
    “I know, baby. Zane has something in his first-aid kit for it.” Nathan placed her on the beach towel.
    Susan knelt down next to Carly. “I’ve dealt with this before. I got stung once. Anna, get your dad’s first-aid kit. Let him know what’s happened.” Then she turned to Nathan and said, “Use a bucket and fill it with salt water without sand.”
    Nathan did as Susan instructed, feeling as though he should be there holding his daughter, not Susan. But he’d never been stung by a sea nettle.
    When he rushed back with the bucket, Susan said to Carly, “I’m going to wash your leg with salt water and remove the tentacles with the tweezers. How are you doing?”
    “It hurts, bad. Like when those fire ants got on me last summer.”
    As Anna gave Susan the first aid kit, Susan turned to him. “Wash off her leg with that while I get what I need to treat her.” She rummaged in the box until she found the tweezers and jellyfish spray.
    After he ran the salt water over Carly’s calf where she was stung, he sat behind his little girl, holding her while Susan sprayed the solution on his daughter’s leg, then began removing the tentacles from the affected area.
    “You’re such a brave girl, Carly. I know it’s painful.” Susan drew his daughter’s attention to her face as she questioned Carly about what happened. The whole time she was talking to his daughter, she was removing the tentacles from Carly’s leg.
    Meanwhile he was holding his daughter, watching her become even more enamored with Susan.
    And what happens when Susan moves on to her next project?
    As Susan finished, Nathan leaned over Carly’s shoulder. “Still doing okay?” He was worried about any complications, but didn’t want to alarm Carly. Usually a sea nettle jellyfish’s sting was merely painful, but some people had muscle cramps and trouble breathing.
    Carly swiped the tears from her face. “It’s better now.”
    “I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to raid the chocolate-chip cookies Kim baked for today. I could use something sweet. Do y’all want any?” Susan gave Carly a hug then rose.
    “I do,” Anna said, followed by Carly saying yes.
    Ten minutes later, as the others returned from exploring the interior of the island, Anna and Susan surrounded Carly, telling her funny things that had happened to them while swimming.
    Nathan watched Susan interact with his daughter. Carly soaked up everything Susan said, focusing on every word with rapt intensity. It worried Nathan. That look was the same one his daughter used to have when her mother paid attention to her, on one of those rare occasions she did. Now that school had started, Carly wasn’t even around her great-aunt as much, and it was becoming obvious she needed a woman’s influence.
    A constriction in his chest made each breath he took difficult.
I won’t let Carly get hurt again. We don’t need anyone.

Chapter Fifteen
    Story:
    In the midst of the crowd around Carly, all trying to take her mind off the stinging sea nettle, Susan glanced up to find Nathan standing at the edge of the water. Every third or fourth wave would drench his feet then recede back into the Gulf. His hands were in his pockets, his body held straight, almost rigid; she knew something was wrong.
    She moved toward him, wanting to reassure him that Carly was fine. No complications were setting in, and she was actually laughing at Zane’s story of panicking when he found himself swimming with sharks.
    Susan stopped next to Nathan, mere inches from him, and faced the sea. The sound of laughter mingled with the crash of the waves and the screech of