ESMERALDA hurriedly grabbed the blankets from the closet. Holding the lamp in her hand, she went out of the room. There was a blackout because of the strong wind caused by the typhoon. She was heading downstairs when she saw her neighbors evacuating.

They were temporarily staying in the living room and in the spaces below. The place was still not crowded because there was no other furniture except for the old bamboo couch. Her house stood on an elevated area where flood could not easily reach. It had been her family's practice to let their neighbors, who had no place to go in their home or in the barn.

“I’ll help you, Esmeralda,” Cynthia Lyn, her best friend, offered. She was with her family. They were deeply affected by the flood since they lived by the river.

“Thank you,” she said. “Do you think we’ll have enough food?”

She shook her head. “There’s more than enough for us. We have already prepared for the typhoon, so we brought our own food.”

Esmeralda sighed in relief. The people who took shelter in their home before starved, and she did not want it to happen again. Even though they survived the flood, people left with nothing to eat and got sick because they lack food and medicine. They learned their lesson now.

It was a huge thing that the house was built on time. It was not plastered yet, but the roofs were durable, the windows were fine, and since the house was spacious, it could accommodate more evacuees.

San Luis was a small and underprivileged town. Help from the government and NGOs could not reach them right away whenever there are calamities because bigger cities that were easy to reach were more prioritized. Esmeralda was not expecting from politicians who only served their allies during elections even though they all pay taxes just the same, either.

Kadyo appeared, panting, together with other men. Behind them was the last family who lived along the river. “We’re here,” he said and took off his raincoat.

“Cynthia Lyn, give them some hot soup,” Esmeralda said. “Please come in.”

“Help me!” Topher, her childhood friend, shouted frantically. “Nana Ising was left alone in her hut. She was sick and could not walk anymore. She needs to be evacuated before the river sweeps her away.”

She nodded at Kadyo. “Let’s get her,” she told him and the rest of the men. Nana Ising had no relatives left. She lived alone in her small hut. She was already weak, and they could not leave her just like that.

“You can just stay here,” Topher said.

“B-but you don’t have to go with us. Leave it up to us men.”

“I can’t just relax until I make sure that Nana Ising is safe.” Esmeralda grabbed her thick jacket and donned a hat. She walked past Tophe. “Let’s go,” she said and led the group.

She was close to Nana Ising because she used to take care of her when her parents were at the farm. She used to tell them scary stories. She wanted to make sure that she’ll be all right.

“Just leave it up to us,” Topher insisted.

"Hurry up. The rain is getting stronger. It might be difficult for us if we waste more time," she said without throwing a glance, completely ignoring what he said.

Kadyo and the rest of the men followed quietly. They were too tired to argue with her. They all knew that once she decided to do something, there’s no backing out.

Esmeralda was strong. She was not yet tired of taking care of the people because she was at her house the whole time. While the men had been busy helping the evacuees. If a problem occurred, she could be of help.

They walked along the river. The rain was pouring hard. Her eyes did not miss the logs from the mountain and the remains of houses that got swept by the flood. Just like the day her parents died.

"Look!" Topher shouted that pulled Esmeralda back from reminiscing that painful day. Her eyes reverted to the blue object that he was pointing. It was carried away by the water, but it was trying to move. "Is that a person?"

“Indeed,” Kadyo said as he watched the blue object that was coming toward them. “Where did that came from?”

She ignored their murmurs and quickly pulled the rope that was coiled in Topher’s arm. She was sure that the floating object was a person. She saw it moved. She was sure it was still alive. But it was not easy for the man to fight the strong current of the water to reach the bay. He needed help.

“What are you trying to do?” Topher asked who was shocked when she snatched the rope from him.

“I’ll save him,” Esmeralda replied and tightened the rope around her waist.

His eyes widened. "Are you crazy? You could die if you jump into the water. The current is strong, and…"

He paused when she threw the other end of the rope in his hand. “Tie it around the tree. I have no time to argue with you.”

Her company was left stunned when she ran. She calculated her distance from the person and hit upon a chance, then jumped into the river.

Right. It was a crazy idea to jump into the cold, flashing water. But she had no time to worry about her own safety. She needed to save the person. She could not just stand there and watch someone die when she could have done something.

Esmeralda stroked with her hands. She fought the strong current. She was a good swimming athlete from elementary to college. But her actual skill in swimming was tested at the moment.

She ignored the warnings of her company. All she could hear was the sound of flashing water and her loud heartbeat. A few moments later, she caught the arm of the person. She did not waste more time. She hooked her arm around his neck and swam back to the shore with all her might.

But she was running out of strength. She had given all her energy swimming. She sighed in relief when her neighbors carefully pulled her back to the shore. They were now safe.

She was desperately gasping for air when she was finally out of the water. They pulled her up. Esmeralda dropped her body on the ground out of exhaustion. She did not care if the rain wet her eyes.

“He’s still alive!” Kadyo uttered as he helped her stand up. She heard the person she saved cough. When she turned, Topher and the rest had laid him flat on the ground. He was choking the water out of his system.

“Who are you?” the man asked in a weak voice.

Esmeralda scrunched beside him and stroked his lengthy hair. The man had stubbles around his mouth like he had not shaved for a month. Was he a monk who got swept by the flood? “Don’t worry. You’re safe now. Don’t sleep for now. Is your head hurt?”

“No. But the rest of my body feels…”

A sophisticated monk. Where could he come from?

When he opened his eyes and met her gaze, her heart beat as if logs were rushing in her chest.

Coffee. His eyes had the color of coffee. One of the prettiest pair of eyes she had ever seen in her life. Despite his weakness, his eyes seemed to have the power to tug at her heart. His eyes showed different emotions as he gazed at her. She did not know if it was fear or hatred.

She studied his face carefully. He must be around thirty or thirty-two years old. His nose was tall, and he had the face of an angel. He was tan, and his skin was smooth. He did not look like the type of man who worked heavy loads like farming. And she was sure that he was not from there based on his gray slacks and blue long sleeve shirt.

“Y-You?” he uttered helplessly before his eyes closed.

Esmeralda was seized with fear when she heard his voice. The kind of fear she did not feel when she jumped into the river to save him. His voice, it felt like she already heard it somewhere. The voice that brought a thousand shivers through her being.

But his eyes. They were hypnotizing. One look, and she was put under his spell.

She tilted her head to the side. He was a stranger. She had only seen him for the first time. She only heard his voice for the first time. She had no reason to be scared of him. It must be the effect after swimming. Her brain somehow got affected.

Esmeralda stood up. “Go save Nanang Ising, Kadyo. Topher, get another hammock at the house. Let's put him there because we could not just lift him. We have to make sure that no severe damage was caused when he was swept by the river and know who his family is. We have to bring him back to them because they're worried for sure." She stroked the man's hair as they stood under the tree. "Don't worry. You're safe now. We will take care of you."

AFTER CHANGING into dry clothes, Esmeralda went to check on the man she saved a while ago. He was temporarily laid in one of the empty rooms in her house. She knew he would not be comfortable in the crowded living room. After realizing that he was still asleep, she went down to the kitchen.

She saw Cynthia Lyn preparing a hot soup. Her eyes did not miss the smile on her face as she put some into a bowl.

The men who collected Nanang Ising finally arrived. Everything was fine. The children were sleeping, and the women were talking while the typhoon continued to lash outside.

“You know I helped put clothes on the man you saved at the river,” she whispered. “And he was gorgeous!”

“Shhh!” she scolded. “It’s embarrassing.”

Cynthia Lyn rolled her eyeballs. “What’s wrong with that? He really was gorgeous. And he had a great body. He had strong arms.”

Esmeralda could not help blushing at what Cynthia Lyn meant. She turned her back at her and grabbed a spoon for the soup to be served to the visitors. She was not comfortable talking about the aspects of her stranger guest. Even Aiden, her future husband, was also gorgeous, but she could not feel any attraction toward him. How much more with that stranger?

"Watch yourself, Cynthia Lyn. I did not save him from drowning, so you could drool at him all you want. Don't fantasize about him."

She put her hands on her waist. “Why are you so against it? I’m not lusting over your boyfriend. Be mad if I’m fantasizing about Aiden.”

“Where’s the food for our guest?” Esmeralda asked. “I’ll bring it upstairs.”

Cynthia Lyn frowned. “Don’t you trust me?”

She smiled tauntingly. "I don't. I'm afraid you'd take advantage of him if I let you do it. I don't want our town's reputation to get ruined because of you," she retorted.

“If I had not known you’re getting married, you’d probably take advantage of him, too,” she said as Esmeralda exited the kitchen.

When she entered the room, she was surprised to find the man awake. He was trying to stand up despite his weakness.

“D-Don’t force yourself yet,” she scolded.

But it was too late because he already got up. The blanket covering his body slipped and fell. His broad chest with thin hair was revealed before her eyes.

CYNTHIA Lyn was right. The man Esmeralda saved was well-built. Like he could lock her in his warm embrace and protect her from harm, always ready to warm her in this cold weather.

For a moment, Esmeralda was glued in place as she marveled at the sight of his body. If she was not alert, she would have dropped the tray of hot soup by now.

She frantically put the tray on the small table beside the wooden bed. Then she helped him sit. He groaned. It must be the pain he felt all over his body.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked.

He caught his head. “I’m hurting all over,” he said in a rich baritone voice. Even in pain, his tone was still full of power. “W-where am I?”

"You're in my home, here in San Luis. We brought you here after I saved you at the river. At first, we thought you're dead."

The man shut his eyes tight and leaned on the headboard of the bamboo bed. “I was driving my car. I was crossing the bridge. The flood was strong, and it reached the bridge, but I ignored it. I did not know the bridge was weak, and it was torn in half. I fell down the river with my car.” His eyes flew open in shock. “Damn! Where the hell is my car?” he roared.

She pushed him back to the headboard. “Forget about your car. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

How could he manage to think about his car more than his safety? It was only a material thing. It can be easily replaced.

“But that is my favorite car,” he argued.

“You know what? If I happened to see your car at the river, I wouldn't save it. Life is more important because that can’t be replaced. Just be thankful that you’re still alive,” she retorted.

His forehead knotted, completely displeased with her statement. His eyes fixated on her. His coffee-colored eyes. She had never felt awkward or conscious in front of a man before.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Esmeralda Solomon,” she said. “I’m the one who saved you.”

His lips parted as if he was in disbelief. "Y-you saved me?" He shut his eyes tight and groaned in pain. "Why did it have to be you?" he asked like he was not pleased with the news. "Why?"

Her eyebrow raised. She had no idea if he was one of those men who hated getting help from women or he was just simply ungrateful. He was so dramatic.

“It just so happened that none of my male company wanted to risk their lives for you. So I jumped into the water and rescued you,” she said, her tone laced with irritation.

He opened his eyes once again and stared at her in pain. He began to get up. “I-I need to go.”

She came to his rescue at once because he could not stand up straight. “Don’t force yourself. You’re still weak. You can’t just leave right away, anyway, because the typhoon is strong...”

Esmeralda stopped when she got close to his almost naked body. He was only wearing the shorts that Topher lent him. She had never been this close to a man before, especially to an almost bare stranger. She felt a different kind of heat. The kind that does not go away easily.

When she looked at his face, she found him staring at her. He was towering. He stood at least six feet, as tall as Aiden.

His eyes bore into her. She could feel different emotions all at the same time—fear, anxiety, and… lust? She had the urge to pull away.

Esmeralda looked away and helped him sit on the bed. “It would be best if you have some soup for now. You have to fill your stomach. You can’t just leave if you’re still weak.”

He did not resist and obeyed though he was not really happy about that decision. It was as if he could not wait to leave that place, far from her.

“I don’t want to be a bother to you anymore,” he said and leaned.

Esmeralda pulled a chair toward his bed and took the bowl of hot soup. “You’re not a bother to me. I can’t just neglect someone who needs help.”

She brought the spoon of soup to his mouth, which he gladly took. He did not say a word when she was feeding him like he was a small child. Maybe he eventually got tired of arguing because he was weak, and he would not win over her.

“Esmeralda,” he called after she gave him water.

She turned. “What is it?”

He smiled. “Thank you for saving my life,” he said. “A while ago, I thought I’m not going to make it, that God won’t hear my prayers anymore. Thank you. And I hope you will forgive me for being crass. I am just not used to being helpless before. I-I was used to doing things alone.”

Esmeralda felt like she was enchanted as she looked into his face. In his low voice and the absence of arrogance, he looked like an angel. And he was smiling.

That was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. He already looked handsome in her eyes a while ago, but now he looked even more gorgeous. She could not believe this grumpy guy knew how to smile and be grateful.

“You’re welcome...” She stopped when she realized she did not know his name yet. “What’s your name, by the way?” she asked shyly.

She watched him for a moment. He was silent as if he did not know what to say. She thought he might have forgotten his name, and he was suffering from partial amnesia. It would be a big problem for her.

“Richard. Richard Infante,” he uttered and closed his eyes.