"I really hope that's true, Carter."
When I left the bar, I drew in a deep breath of salty sea air. There was too much adrenaline running through me to just get into my car and go home. I needed to burn it off. I needed to think about everything I knew and decide what to do next.
I'd promised Carter to wait until morning to do anything. Was that a mistake?
With that question rolling around in my head, I started walking. The wind was gusting now, but it felt invigorating. I moved out of the parking lot and across the street to the harbor. Fifteen minutes later, I realized I was nearing the location where Kelsey's shoe had been found.
This part of the harbor was deserted. The only two businesses around were a bait and tackle shop and a boat rental kiosk, both of which were closed. The dozen or so boats bobbing in the nearby slips were completely dark.
Had Kelsey found someone to give her a ride off the island? But why would she have left after eleven at night? It would have been dangerous. The seas had been rough yesterday. It didn't make sense.
Unless Kelsey had just spent the night on one of these boats and then…
Then what?
I blew out a breath. I had no good answers.
"Where are you, Kelsey?" I whispered, struggling to hold back a rush of overwhelming fear.
I was losing hope, and I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to let Kelsey down. I didn't want to give up on her. We might not have been close in recent years, but she was my sister. We'd grown up together. Despite the distance that had grown between us, I loved her, and my heart broke for her. This should have been the happiest time of her life.
The pain swamped me, and tears streamed out of my eyes. As I wiped them away, I heard footsteps behind me. They were coming hard and fast. Before I could turn around, someone barreled into me, propelling me forward, knocking me off my feet. I flew into the air, flailing my arms and my legs, trying to stay on the dock, but it was no use.
I hit the icy cold water and my heart stopped. I went under. Everything was dark, and I couldn't breathe. I tried to fight my way to the surface, but my shoes, my clothes, were weighing me down.
A new panic swept over me.
Someone had pushed me into the water.
Were they waiting for me to come to the surface? Was a bullet coming next?
Silent screams rang through my head. I didn't know what was waiting for me, but I had no choice. I needed air.
I kicked as hard as I could, desperately searching for light, for life…
Chapter Fifteen
My head finally broke the surface. I gasped for air, immediately choking as the swirling sea dumped more water over my head. I tried to swim, but my arms were entrapped in my heavy, now waterlogged jacket. I could see the dock, but it was twenty feet away, and the ocean current was dragging me toward the sea. I tried to swim toward the dock, but I was getting nowhere fast, and my body was already tiring.
Then I heard a splash. I stared in alarm at the dark figure coming toward me.
Was this the person who had pushed me into the water? Had they come back to finish the job?
The alarm gave me new energy. I turned and started kicking toward the nearest boat, which still seemed too far away. Then I heard my name on the wind.
"Willow, stop!"
I knew that voice. I treaded water as I looked over my shoulder. A man swam toward me. I couldn't see his face yet, but I knew that voice.
He drew nearer, his words louder. "You're going the wrong way, Willow."
I wanted to cry with relief. "Drake. I didn't know it was you."
He moved through the water like the powerful swimmer and lifeguard he'd once been. "I've got you. Take my hand."
"We'll both go under."
"We won't. Trust me."
I didn't trust him at all, but I was struggling to stay afloat, so I grabbed his hand. I was surprised by the sudden blast of warmth even as my body shook with the cold. I hung onto that warmth as hard as I could.
Drake swam toward the dock, pulling me along with him.
His strength was amazing. I didn't know how he was fighting the current so successfully. I felt heavy, clumsy, exhausted, and frozen from the cold, but he dragged me along as if I weighed nothing at all.
Eventually, we got to a ladder, and he pushed me onto it. I wrapped my fingers around the rails as my feet hit the bottom rung. There were only about eight steps to the dock, but I wasn't sure I could find the strength.
What the hell was wrong with me? I needed to fight.
"You can do it, Willow. I'm right behind you. I won't let you fall," Drake said.
I didn't bother wasting energy to answer him. Instead, I lifted one leg and took a step. It was slow going, the water wanting to suck me back in every time I faltered. But I could feel Drake right behind me, and it kept me going.
Finally, I crawled onto the dock and sprawled across it, gasping for air.
Drake came off the ladder. He squatted down next to me, his sharp gaze sweeping across my face. "Are you all right?"
"I—I think so," I mumbled, the words barely getting through my chattering teeth.
"How did you fall in?"
"I didn't fall. Someone pushed me in the water."
He gave me a shocked look. "Someone pushed you in? Who? Why?"
"I don't know. I was standing on the dock, and someone ran up behind me and hit me with tremendous force. The next thing I knew, I was in the water." I paused, wondering how he'd been so close by. "What are you doing down here?"
"I wanted to see where Kelsey's shoe was found. I saw you in the water, and you were in trouble. Do you feel any pain?"
I slowly shook my head. "No, although I can't feel much at all at the moment." I licked my cold lips. "I couldn't swim. I felt so heavy with all these clothes on, and the water was so cold. If you hadn't come along—"
"Well, I did. And this is probably the first time you've been happy to see me in ten years," he said dryly.
"I'd say so."
Was it just a coincidence that he'd arrived to save me? I really wanted to believe it was. I shivered as the wind hit the water on my face.
"You need to dry off and warm up. Let's get out of here."
I watched as Drake grabbed his shoes off the dock and put them on. Then he picked up his keys, a phone, and a wallet, which made me realize my bag was gone.
"My purse," I said, sitting up straight. "It was on my shoulder when I went in the water."
Drake flashed a light from his phone on the surrounding dock and water. "I don't see anything. Wait." He moved several feet away. "I've got your phone."
I was relieved to see my case in his hand. "Do you see my bag? My keys? Wallet?"
His light swept the dock once more. "Sorry. Your phone must have fallen out before the bag went into the water."
That made sense, since it had been in the outer pocket of my bag, but I wasn't thrilled to have lost everything else. "Damn! I won't be able to drive home."
"Where's your car?" he asked, looking around once more.
"It's in the lot by Willie's," I said as he handed me my phone. "I walked over here from there."
"Willie's? That doesn’t seem like your scene."