They were good people, kind. But Jack and Shane couldn’t compete with all that. Which was okay.
Jack caught a spiral pass from Shane and jogged a few steps back. He glanced at his parents again, at his father. I love you, Dad, he wanted to call out. But it wasn’t the time.
Anyway, the brothers had all they could’ve wanted. Their parents loved them. They were supportive and kind and their home was happy. The successes ahead for Jack and Shane were lined up like the palm trees along Albert Street here in Belize City.
Jack was sixteen, and Shane was fourteen. They attended the best school. Their father employed the best trainers for their baseball and football seasons. Yes, the two of them had all they needed for the best possible futures.
And they had each other. That most of all.
Down the beach Shane caught the football and shrugged, as if to say maybe they had longer than they thought. Their father was on another phone call and the storm wasn’t getting worse. Shane flung the ball and Jack caught it again.
Rain was crossing over the water a ways out, staying out to sea, so there was no rush to get inside. Not until their parents insisted. Shane jogged closer and the two brothers sat on the sand and watched the storm.
“Could you live here?” Shane raked his fingers through his short dark hair. He turned his gaze to the ocean. “I mean, like get a house here and never leave?”
Jack considered that. “No.” He chuckled. “Then it wouldn’t be vacation.”
“True.” Shane looked over his shoulder at his parents. “Someone should tell Mom and Dad that.”
“You still wanna do politics? Like them?” Jack grinned at his brother. “And don’t tell me you’d be good at it. We already know that.”
“Well.” Shane’s eyes lit up. “I am the outgoing brother. Like everyone says.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jack elbowed him. “You can be whatever you want. I’ve heard it all.”
“You, too.” Shane flicked sand at Jack. “Don’t pretend you can’t do it all. Because you can. Star quarterback of Georgetown Prep.” He changed his voice to sound like their father. “Presidents have that kind of résumé, my boy. President Jack Ryder.”
Again Jack laughed. “You be president. I’ll be a Navy SEAL.”
“I’ll be one with you.” Shane stood and stretched his hands to the sky. He was tall and strong like Jack. “Best two Navy SEALs they ever had.”
“Stick to politics, Brother. Navy SEALs have to swim.” Jack flicked him the football and Shane jumped up and ran down the beach.
They had waited all their lives for this year. Shane would be a freshman at Georgetown Prep in the fall. Jack, a junior. The first of their two high school years together. Jack rose to his feet just in time to catch the ball.
Shane grinned at him. “You might have a little competition at quarterback, big brother.”
“Bring it.” Jack snagged the ball. He sure loved the kid. The two had been inseparable since the week their parents brought Shane home. But this annual trip to the beach was their favorite part of the year.
Usually they took a second flight further south to the longer stretches of beach on the peninsula. But their dad had business in town this week. So they were here.
Today was their third day and Jack only wished they had another week.
The storm looked like it was clearing, so the game of pass might have gone on all afternoon. But before Jack could wing the ball back to Shane, a woman down the beach began screaming and waving.
Jack jogged closer to his brother. The woman had drawn a small crowd now. A couple of big guys seemed to have run down from a bluff up above. Also a few families of anxious-looking tourists.
“What’s happening?” Jack caught up to his brother and both of them jogged toward the woman.
“I don’t know.” Shane stopped and scanned the ocean. Panic seized his expression. “There!”
All at once they had their answer. Fifty yards out, flailing and grabbing at the surface of the choppy sea was what looked like a child.
“Help her, please!” the woman at the shoreline screamed. She ran into the water and back out again, then she covered her face and next she waved her arms. “Help!” She pointed out to sea. “I can’t swim! Someone help her!”
Shane dropped the ball on the shore and ran for the water. Jack ran, too, but he shouted at his brother. “Stay here! I’ll get her.”
His brother stopped, his face a twist of hurt. “You need me.”
“No, I don’t! Stay here!” Jack took four running steps through the water and looked over his shoulder. Good. Shane was staying back in the ankle-deep water. Because the truth was, Shane really couldn’t swim. Not like Jack.
His heart raced, but he felt better as he pulled at the rough surf. He would get the child and Shane would stay on the shore. Only one of them, that’s all the kid needed.
A current just beneath the surface pulled at Jack’s legs, but that didn’t panic him. He was used to swimming through currents. He was on the summer surf team back home, training for the day when he really would be a Navy SEAL.
Swim with the current, he told himself. Not against it. He adjusted his position so the current would take him straight to the girl. The effort made his body feel heavy, but he kept on. Closer and closer until he could see the child’s face.
The girl was maybe eight or nine, matted blond hair, tanned arms still clawing at the water. Her face was slipping under the surface and Jack doubled his intensity. She didn’t have long, a minute, maybe less.
God, save her. The silent prayer filled Jack’s mind. Get me to her. Please. Before it’s too late. And then, as he took two more strong strokes through the water, Jack saw something in the corner of his eye.
His brother, Shane.
Only Shane wasn’t back at the shore where he was supposed to be. He was swimming out to Jack and the little girl. Halfway there, maybe, but he was struggling. Fear screamed from his younger brother’s eyes.
“Shane!” Jack didn’t have the energy to rise above the waves enough to be heard. “Shane, go back!”
Years later, Jack would rethink this single moment more than any in all his life. But no matter how he played it out, he wouldn’t have changed a thing. He was ten yards from the little girl and if he didn’t make it to her, if he didn’t give his all to rescue her, she would die.
And so Jack pressed on. Shane would turn back. He had to turn back. His brother knew better. And if he needed help, their dad would get him. Dad knew how to swim. Jack locked his eyes on the child. Faster, he told himself. He grabbed at the water. Ten more strokes, eight… seven. A few more seconds and the little girl would be safe.
The same would be true for Shane. He had to be okay, had to be moving safely back to shore. Because Shane wasn’t only his strapping little brother.
He was Jack’s best friend in all the world.
Four more strokes and he reached her. The child should’ve looked terrified, but instead a strange peace filled her eyes. “Get on my back!”
Jack could swim for hours without getting tired, but this was different. Between the current and the child about to drown and Shane… Jack felt himself gasping for air. Calm, he told himself. The little girl was slipping under, so he lifted her out of the water and slid her on his back. Her pale blond hair clung to her face, and she didn’t blink, didn’t grab on to him.