Born Ready by Lori Wilde Page A

her face controlled, emotionless.
    Scott stripped off his shirt. The water hit him at the back of his knee. He twisted the T-shirt up, creating a makeshift tourniquet with it, and he leaned over to secure it around the thigh above where the shark had taken a vicious chunk of flesh from the boy’s leg.
    Amidst the bright blood staining the blue water, Scott’s temple pounded as he reached down to scoop the limp boy into his arms. Poor kid. He couldn’t have been more than ten.
    He was vaguely aware of people ringing the shoreline. He sloshed over the rocks, slipping and tripping. Salt water splashed up, stung his eyes. Undaunted, he slogged on. When something banged into the back of his leg, Scott went tumbling forward.
    The pain hit a split second later.
    Sharp and jagged agony seared through his calf and knocked him to his knees. On the shore, someone screamed. He felt sticky blood bloom, and slip hotly down his own leg.
    Hell’s bells. He’d been bitten by a shark out in the middle of nowhere with a critically wounded child in his arms.
    Coast Guard is on the way. You’ll both be okay. Just get out of the water before the damn shark attacks again.
    Scott forced himself to stand in spite of the pain. His leg burned and throbbed. Dammit. This was not how he’d pictured the day ending.
    “He’s been bitten, too!” The child’s mother screamed. “Oh, my God, oh, my God. The shark got him, too!”
    Great. Here he was getting cold and clammy and dizzy and he had to deal with a hysterical mother.
    Scott collapsed on the shore, the kid cradled tightly against his chest. He looked up at the sky and noticed how pretty and white the clouds looked. Fluffy. Nice.
    “Scott?”
    A soft, calm soothing voice came from a beautiful blonde staring down at him.
    “Mermaid,” he croaked and reached up a finger to trace the prettiest strawberry-red lips he’d ever seen. He felt her warm hands on his leg. Inhaled her scent. Mermaids smelled so good. Not fishy at all.
    “You’re going to be fine. Hang on.” Then the mermaid took the child from his arms. “I’ve got him. You can let go, Coastie.”
    Reality faded in and out. He heard voices, but his vision was blurry. What a wimp. Passing out over a little shark bite.
    Snap out of it, Everly. Rise to the occasion. Get up.
    Shark bit. He’d been shark bit.
    It’s not as bad as when you got shot with the harpoon. That random thought passed through his head. Because this time the mermaid was here. Everything was easier with a mermaid around.
    The ground vibrated beneath him. What was this? An earthquake? Then he heard the familiar whir of helicopter blades.
    Here comes the cavalry. Thank God for the Coast Guard.
    “Scott, stay with me,” the mermaid commanded. “You’re doing fine. You saved the boy and he’s going to be fine, too.”
    Hot dusty air blew over him. The sound of the helicopter blades grew deafening.
    “Scott?”
    He felt a smart sting against his cheek. The mermaid had slapped him? Who knew mermaids were so damned saucy. “Mermaid.”
    “You are not going under. You hear me? How embarrassing would that be? Hotshot Coast Guard done in by a little bitty bull shark?”
    A trash-talking mermaid. He reached up to finger a tendril of her blond hair. The earth shook so hard he could barely breathe. The sounds of a helicopter filled his ears. He smelled motor oil. His vision dimmed.
    “Scott, stay awake.”
    The mermaid sounded very faraway now. Please, pretty mermaid. Don’t go away. Not yet, not yet.
    For one instant he was nothing but sensation. Enveloped in sound, vibration, smell. Except for sight. He couldn’t see much now. All he could see was a tunnel and at the very end a beguiling mermaid waited.
    And then Scott heard nothing at all.
     
     
    JACKIE FELT OUT OF PLACE in a hospital and she didn’t really know what to do, but it seemed like bad form not to show up.
    There hadn’t been enough room for her in the helicopter what with Scott, the injured