Free A Breath of Heaven: El Camino Real by Sable Hunter Page B

quell them with a look.
“Speaking of Harold, did Pam tell you her decision?” Abby couldn’t believe her
future sister-in-law had refused to let Jase’s German Shepherd be the ring
bearer in the wedding. Jase and Scout had been together for twelve years. The
dog was well behaved. A gentleman.
    Unlike Harold.
    “Speaking of Harold.” Abby pointed as they
watched the wild child streak across the room, screaming at the top of his
lungs. The music was at a lull and a whole room full of elegant people stopped
to watch the childish spectacle. A wholesale sigh of relief was heard when he
disappeared out the front door with his father hot on his heels. “I bet that
behavior runs in the family.” She snorted.
    Jase got in her face. “If you don’t
sheathe those claws when you’re talking about my bride-to-be and her family,
I’m going to tell everyone you and Cade were necking in your office this
morning.”
    Abby blanched. “What did you say?” She
tried to look affronted while Jase smirked.
    Shiloh roared with laughter, which alerted
Trevor and Trace that something was up. “What’s going on? What did Baby Doc do?”
    “Baby Doc is older and wiser than you,”
she snarled at the two Greek Gods who just happened to be her baby brothers.
She rounded on Jase. “And who told you I was kissing Cade? Pam? Was she spying
on me?”
    “Cade? I knew it! You owe me a hundred
dollars.” He held his hand out to his brother.
    Trace grumbled, but he got out his wallet,
glaring at Abby all the while. “I can’t believe you were swapping slobber with
your arch enemy. What is the world coming to? The next thing you know, Justice
will be dating Charlee Parker.”
    “Not a chance in hell.” Justice joined his
siblings just in time to hear Trace’s comment. “Charlee is hard-headed,
opinionated and cold as ice.”
    “Sounds like a challenge to me.” Jase
grinned.
    “You better keep your mind on matrimony,
Short-timer.” Justice, being the oldest, did love to boss the rest of them
around.
    “Do you want to dance?” Shiloh asked his
sister. He was ever the gentleman and knew she normally didn’t take a turn on
the dance floor.
    “Thanks, but God, no.” Abby had consented
to dress up. She knew she couldn’t wear her boots and jeans to the dance, but
she was as uncomfortable as heck in this dressy get-up. “My feet are killing me
in these shoes.” She held up her foot, trying to gain sympathy for the four
inch heel.
    “I bet Cade—” Jase didn’t get to finish
his statement before the screams began. “What the fuck?”
    They all turned to look. Pam and her
sister, Harold’s mother, were yelling and waving their arms. “He’s out on the
pond. Jase, Harold followed your damn dog out on the ice!”
    “My Baby! My Baby!”
    Some stood in shock, but several started
running, including Abby. “The ice can’t be very thick.” She worried. The pond
had been her playground when she was younger. There wasn’t an inch of it she
didn’t know by heart. “This can’t be good.” She and her brothers took off. By
the time they reached the side of the pond, it was obvious Harold was in
trouble. Scout had crossed on over to the other side, probably after a rabbit
but the baby was toddling around out in the middle of the two acre lake.
    “Oh, God. What are we going to do?” Jase
grabbed lights from the back of his truck. Abby ran on to the pond’s edge and
what she saw made her heart go up into her throat. Cade, her Cade, was slowly
making his way out to the little boy.
    “Cade, no, no,” she whispered. She knew
someone had to rescue the child, but Cade was too big, too heavy. “Come back,
Cade. Let me go! I’m small. I won’t break the ice!”
    “Somebody get my baby!” his mother
screamed.
    “Call him, call him. He might turn back
around and come to you,” Abby cried. She held her breath, watching Cade make
his way slowly and carefully toward the middle. A crowd had gathered around the
perimeter and every eye