A note from Margaret:
When I decided to write a series about a town that goes through
a hurricane, I wanted to give tribute to all the people who have gone through a
disaster and rebuilt their lives. This series was written for the heroes and
heroines who help others in a time of disaster.
A little bit about His Holiday
Family by Margaret Daley:
When Hurricane Naomi tears
through a small Mississippi town, a daring rescue unites two heroes. Nurse
Kathleen Hart is a single mom racked by guilt over her husband's death.
Firefighter Gideon O'Brien—orphaned as a young boy—has lost too many people he
cared for. To rise above the storm's devastation, Gideon helps Kathleen and her
sons rebuild their home. As Christmas approaches, they discover that even the
strongest of storms can't destroy a romance built on the foundation of faith.
Excerpt from His Holiday
Family:
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Gideon O'Brien hopped down
from Engine Two and assessed the chaos in front of him. Strapping on his air
pack, he started toward his captain. A hand gripped his arm and stopped his
forward progress. He turned toward the blonde woman who held him, her large
blue eyes glistening with tears. She looked familiar, but he couldn't place
where he knew her from. His neighbor's daughter, perhaps?
"My two sons and my
cousin—their babysitter—must still be inside. I don't see them outside with the
other tenants." Her voice quivered. She tightened her hand on his arm and
scanned the crowd. "I'm Kathleen Hart. My sons are Jared and Kip. I tried
Sally's cell but she didn't answer. Please get them out." A tear slipped
down her cheek.
"Where are
they?" Gideon moved toward his captain, his palm at the small of her back,
guiding her in the direction he wanted her to go. Yes, he realized, she was his
neighbor Ruth Coleman's daughter.
"Sally's second-floor
apartment is on the east side, the fourth one down on your right. Number 212.
Hurry." Her round eyes fastened on the fire consuming the three-story
apartment building on Magnolia Street.
Gideon paused in front of
Captain Fox. "Mrs. Hart says her sons and babysitter are still inside.
Pete and I can go in and get them." He looked toward the west end of the
large structure where the men of Engine One were fighting the flames eating
their way through the top level. "There's still time."
"Okay." His
captain surveyed the east end. "But hurry. It won't be long before this
whole building goes up."
The scent of smoke hung
heavy in the air. The hissing sound of water hitting Magnolia Street Apartments
vied with the roar of the blaze.
Gideon turned toward the
mother of the two boys. "We'll find them." He gave her a smile then
searched the firefighters for Pete.
When Gideon found him a
few feet away, he covered the distance quickly. "Let's go. There are three
people trapped on the second floor. East end."
At the main entrance into
the building Gideon fixed his mask in place, glancing back at the blonde woman
standing near his captain. He had seen that same look of fear and worry many
times over his career as a firefighter. He wouldn't let anything happen to her
sons and Sally.
Gideon switched on his
voice amplifier and headed into the furnace with Pete following close behind
him. Through the thick cloud suspended from the ceiling in the foyer, the
stairs to the second floor loomed. Crouching, he scrambled up the steps. The
higher he went, the hotter it became.
Whew! What a place to stop. Happy Reading, all!
0 comments:
Post a Comment