Breathe Again

Chapter 2

Dottie's dress, burned and ruined on the entire left side, exposed a good deal of scorched and torn petticoats. His heart pounded in his ears. Was he too late? He searched with trembling hands for a pulse and choked back a sob of relief when he found one.

Sterling closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down and focus on the immediate concern. How would he get both Dottie and her son to safety? He searched for something to place the baby in and found a medium-sized basket overflowing with cloth diapers, partially hidden under the bed.

He dumped the diapers on the floor, keeping enough to protect the baby from being scratched by the wood. Then he rolled Dottie to her side and placed her son inside the basket and rushed to the window.

The sash had been lifted a mere inch, allowing a small gap for the smoke to escape through. Sterling tried lifting it more but quickly found it was jammed. Muttering a curse, he turned around and took a step; something crunched under his boot.

Looking to the floor, he found the shattered remains of what used to be Dottie's washbasin and pitcher.

Glancing to the window and back at the delicate objects, it didn't take long to realize Dottie had tried to use them to break the window but had been unsuccessful. He growled in frustration and continued to search for a heavy object. In the corner rested a sturdy looking rocking chair. Hoping it would work, he picked it up and threw it at the window.

He turned his back just as the entire window exploded from the impact. Glancing out of the new opening to the awning and ground below, he made sure the area wasn't on fire before returning to Dottie and her baby.

Behind him, flames completely engulfed the hallway and danced their way across the room's threshold. Struggling to breathe from both the intense heat and thickening smoke, he flung Dottie over his shoulder, gasping in agonized pain when her body rubbed against the raw burns on his chest.

The pain was intense and unexpected; his vision grew dim, his stomach lurched, and he took a knee worried he'd drop her.

Refusing to give in to the weakness, Sterling clenched his teeth, then reached over and grabbed the baby basket and carried his two welcome burdens to the window.

He set the basket on the awning outside the window, then cradled Dottie against him and climbed out. Walking swiftly to the edge, he set the basket and Dottie down, a strangled groan escaping him when her legs rubbed the fragile burned skin on his chest.

A large patch tore free and caused stars to dance before his eyes. His stomach lurched in revolt. He fought the urge to vomit and took several deep breaths, coughing when more smoke than air entered his lungs.

Willing his mind to focus on saving Dottie and her baby, Sterling removed his belt from his pants and looked across the smoke-filled yard. Louisa stood nearby, watching his daring rescue unfold.

He motioned her over and yelled, "I'm gonna send the baby down, then Dottie. She's unconscious, so you're gonna need to brace her."

Louisa moved where he directed her and nodded, shouting, "They're alive?"

"Yes," he called back, crouching down to loop his belt through the handles of the basket before carefully lowering it to Louisa.

Once the weight shifted in her grip, he let go and turned to get Dottie. Bracing himself, he maneuvered her body over the edge and carefully handed her down to her mother.

Sweat ran into his eyes when he glanced over his shoulder at the growing flames with a hissed curse. The heat at his back grew more intense with each passing second. There was a strong chance they would not be free of the encroaching fire in time.

The moment Dottie dropped free of the home, a horrendous screeching-moan warned of the weakening of the structure. It shuddered beneath him when Sterling sat on the edge and prepared to descend. Gritting his teeth, he pushed free of the burning building just as it collapsed in upon itself.

Rolling when he hit the ground, scorched debris rained down upon him, pelting and burning his naked back and chest until he made it to his feet. Louisa wasn't far away, struggling to carry the basket holding her grandchild while dragging a still unconscious Dottie from the crumbling building.

He ran up to her and motioned for Louisa to grab the baby before picking up Dottie and running. Once they were a safe distance away from the fire and smoke, they fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Sterling laid Dottie down and quickly removed the shirt from around his head seconds before he doubled over on hands and knees and vomited on the grass, coughing up black soot that burned his throat and lungs. When his nausea passed, he glanced at Louisa holding Dottie's crying baby.

A good sign, he hoped.

Dottie, however, remained unconscious.

Worried she'd been out for too long, he rolled her onto her side and pounded his hand against her back until she coughed and gasped for air, swiftly followed by vomiting.

Relief poured through him so strongly he wanted to weep.

Meeting Louisa's relieved gaze, he staggered to his feet and rasped, "Don't tell her it was me."

From the moment he'd purposefully broken her heart six years ago and joined the war, he'd kept his distance because being near her and knowing she could never be his was pure torture.

However, surviving what had been four of the most harrowing years of his life had not been part of his plan. If anything, he had run into every battle believing, and maybe even hoping, it would be his last. When the war ended, and he was still miraculously alive, the idea of settling down somewhere new tempted him.

And he would have if Martin hadn't been so close to dying. Seeing his friend and rival in such a state had caused a spring of hope to blossom. A shadow of guilt immediately followed.

Despite the heartache it may cause to be around Dottie, Sterling couldn't abandon either of them. Part of him hoped that by returning, maybe then he could start down the path leading to redemption in her eyes.

But seven months ago, when Dottie became a widow at five months pregnant, he pushed aside any idea of rebuilding the friendship they'd once shared.

He didn't want to reintroduce himself back into her life by rescuing her from the fire because he didn't want her to feel indebted to him. All he wanted was to ensure she was safe and protected from harm.