Two If by Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard FIC Mit

I always enjoy Mitchard's books.  Frank Mercy, an ex-cop, has been living in Australia with Natalie who is the love of his life and who is carrying their son.  It is Christmas time and things are wonderful.  They have gathered together with Natalie's family to celebrate.  Everyone has turned in for the night except for Frank and Brian, one of Natalie's brothers.  They enjoy a drink and then Frank goes in search of higher ground in order to get a better cell signal so that he can call his family back in the Midwest in anticipation of seeing them soon because he and Natalie have decided to move back to Frank's home.

The phone call had just begun when the tsunami struck.  In a matter of seconds Frank lost everyone.  But he has no time to grieve just then because people need help and he begins to do what he can.  He is trying to save a woman and two children from a van that is about to be swept away.  The older of the two boys is begging Frank to save his brother first because "he is important". He does save the young boy but watched helplessly as the other two souls were swept away.

For reasons unknown to Frank he is so drawn to the boy (and the boy to him) that he ends up skirting the law to take Ian (a name he assigned to the boy since Ian wouldn't talk) back to his family farm using forged papers.

Frank soon becomes aware that he has to keep Ian from some really bad people.  Not your run-of-the-mill story and it was terrific.

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