When Mel stood abruptly and swiftly left the bar, I threw a few bills down on the table to cover my drink and a decent tip and waited for her to get a head start so she wouldn’t notice she was being followed.
Before her empty glass was removed from the bar, I crossed the room to smell the contents. I wanted to know just what I was dealing with. I sniffed again, deeper this time.
My brow furrowed. I looked up. Mimi was shooting me a knowing glance. “Diet coke.”
“So she wasn’t drinking alcohol?”
Mimi shook her head. “Not a drop.”
Relieved, I left the bar to see if I could pick up Mel’s trail. She may be sober, and her blood sugar may be within optimal range, but I still didn’t like the idea of her wandering around the island at night alone. I started to head in the direction of Rise and Shine B&B, but Mel’s scent trail led elsewhere.
Discretely, I sniffed the air again. I followed her scent down to the water’s edge.
Her clothes were in a pile on the sand.
Oh, no… She wasn’t swimming, was she? Dammit, the waves were too rough!
Tension stiffened my body as I scanned the water. My night vision was good, but I didn’t immediately see Mel, which sent a chill down my spine.
The waves were deceiving. They may not look all that big, but they were powerful. Finally I spotted her wading about waist deep. What the hell was she doing going for a swim? She was too delicate and fragile—AND ALONE!
As though my words had a prophetic effect, I watched a large wave pick up momentum, crest, and crash over Mel’s head. Her cry of alarm was cut short. She was knocked off her feet and dragged under.
I didn’t bother with my clothes. No time. I ran full speed through the sand then the water, to the spot I’d seen Mel go under. I kicked my legs and moved my arms trying to locate her. I went under, but there was no use trying to see under the water in the darkness. Even my shifter night vision wasn’t helpful. I fought the waves, swimming as much as I could. The current dragged her somewhere, but where? And how far?
A wave knocked me off my feet and then I was under too.
I had the benefit of being shifter-strong and an excellent swimmer, but still it took me too long to get back to the surface. I knew right then and there that I was not going back to shore without Mel.
I would die out here in this water if that was what it came to, but out here in this water was where I’d stay until I found her.
If I found her.
I swam farther and again ducked under, swimming near the sandy bottom, hoping to be lucky enough to stumble upon her by chance.
And I did.
My heart slammed to a stop in my chest. She was lying near the bottom and she wasn’t okay.
I had to move quickly. Every second counted. With every ounce of strength I had, I fought to scoop Mel up, and gripping her tightly, yanked her above water. The waves crashed around us, my mouth nose and eyes stung of salt water. I didn’t think Mel was breathing. I slapped her face, hoping she would suck in a breath of air. She didn’t. She hung there, limp, lifeless.
No... No... No…
I needed to get her to shore. Another wave crashed over us, but I managed to keep us upright. I had to save Mel. Fast.
I focused all my strength on fighting the current and keeping Mel’s head above the water, which wasn’t easy. I kept going under time and again myself. I wouldn’t let her go. I would not let her go!
If this fucking bastard ocean took Mel, it would take me too.
When I finally managed to drag us both out of the water, fatigued by my battle with the sea, my feet sunk into the sand, but I quickly laid Mel out on the ground and started CPR. I blew a sharp breath of air into her lungs followed by chest compressions and then repeated it.
Mel was cold. Her lips were blue. Between my breaths and chest compressions, my head rolled back and I let out a pained howl of anguish at the moon before continuing…
…and continuing.
It felt like hours that I’d been giving her CPR. Hours. Her slender body jerked under me and she lurched sideways, choking and coughing up water. My chest heaved and I turned away to flop down on the sand beside us. She’d almost died. She would have if I hadn’t been following her. She’d been seconds from never returning.
Her voice was broken and rough as she sat up and looked at me. “What happened? Mac? Is that you? Are you crying?”
I was. I guess. No, not crying, sobbing.
Wracking sobs of emotion—anger, fear, relief and gratitude—poured out of me. I couldn’t speak. Instead, I pulled her against my chest and held her. Her heart rate was accelerated, but at least it was still beating.
Her blood sugar. She needed to check her blood sugar.
I sat up with her. I couldn’t seem to be able to force my arms to release her.
“You may need glucose.” My voice sounded almost as much like a bullfrog as hers had.
I carried her over to her pile of clothes and she somehow managed to find her monitor and check her blood sugar while still wrapped in my arms. Then she slumped against me. “Let’s get out of here.”
Yes. Perfect. I couldn’t get her far enough away from the ocean right then to suit me. Hell, I’d be happy to drive her to Kansas.
Standing, I held her in my arms, carrying her nearly the length of the island, back to Rise and Shine B&B.
I carried her up to the porch of the B&B, and inside. Penny was at the desk. She gave me a strange look, but said nothing. She knew me and I have no doubt she was able to discern that neither Mel nor I were in the mood for small talk or conversation of any sort. I didn’t even ask Mel which room was hers. Didn’t need to. My nose told me. I pushed open the door to her room, kicked it closed behind her, and carried her into the attached bathroom.
I didn’t bother to remove any of our clothes, just turned the hot water on and with Mel still in my arms, stepped under the steamy spray. I leaned back against the tile wall and blinked as tears burned my eyes. I’d almost lost her forever.
When she lifted her head and touched a shaking hand to my cheek, I buried my face in her wet hair and choked back sobs.
“You saved me again.” Her voice broke and she wiggled, trying to get down, but I couldn’t let her go. “Mac, put me down.”
“I can’t.” I held her tighter, my nose pressed against her neck, breathing in her scent. She was beginning to warm up. Her heartbeat was strong, but I couldn’t shake the image of her lifeless body from my head.
Seeing her like that, I’d never felt so helpless in my life. I knew how lucky we were. We’d just faced a situation most people would not have survived. Burying my face in her wet hair, I reach a state of calm. “You were gone.”
“I shouldn’t have done that. It was so stupid. I was just angry and frustrated and not thinking. If you hadn’t been there—”
An angry snarl rose from my throat. “Don’t say it. I can’t think about it. I’m barely holding it together after seeing you like that.”
I turned the water off and carried her into the room. I set her on her feet long enough for us to remove our clothing, then handed her a thick, complementary terrycloth robe, and wrapped a towel around my waist before draping our soaked clothes over the shower rod.
I didn’t say another word as I got us both under the blankets and held her tightly against my chest, pressing kisses to her forehead, temples and eyelids.