“Okay, I should get out there.”
“You know where to find us. And I’ll be back at the house later if you want to talk.”
“Thanks.” Jesse turned and headed for the exit that led out to the hotel pool. He spotted Lily-Grace on the far side of the patio. She made the call-me gesture at Ned Davis before she said something to Merry Sharpe that made the woman’s face curl up. Jesse focused on getting to her. He’d make small talk with everyone else after he apologized for leaving Lily-Grace waiting while he tried to pull it together.
Later, he’d have a conversation with Mrs. Donatelli and Lilah about next year’s reception and not having it on a crowded pool deck. He winced at the way Lily-Grace rolled her ankle in those sinful strap heels, and then his heart dropped to his stomach when she fell into the pool, water splashing up all around her. Anyone would need a second to recover from a painful spill like that, but from the way her father rushed to the pool’s edge, Jesse knew something was off.
“She can’t swim!” Mr. LeRoux yelled. Jesse didn’t think. He tossed his Stetson and dove into the water, lit from below with lights built into the simple tiling. He spotted Lily-Grace, struggling to get to the surface, no chance of it happening. He reached her as fast as he could and grabbed her with a firm arm around her waist. Dr. Kuaea was kneeling at the pool’s edge when they came to the surface, reaching out for them.
Lily-Grace’s sputtering cough was the best sound he had ever heard. She’d swallowed so much water, but she was breathing. She’d be okay. Jesse swam with all his strength in Fetu’s direction and lifted Lily-Grace into his waiting grasp. When she was clear of the water, he swam back and grabbed her clutch purse that was floating in the middle of the pool. He tossed it to Lilah, then hoisted himself out of the water.
He rushed over to where Fetu and Dr. Ritch, one of Charming’s local pediatricians, had settled Lily-Grace in a deck chair. She was still breathing heavily and her eyes were still wide from shock, but the coughing had stopped. Jesse stayed back, giving the doctor room to check her out. Someone appeared with a stack of towels and handed one to Jesse before wrapping one around Lily-Grace’s shoulders.
“Quite the scare,” the doctor said with a kind smile for them both. “I think you’re going to be fine. How about you, Mr. Pleasant?”
“I’m fine. Just wet.” He stared down at Lily-Grace. Her hair was wrecked, curls plastered against her face, and some of her makeup was smudged. Despite the thick hotel towel wrapped around her body, she started to shiver as she stared back at him.
“I can’t swim,” she gasped.
“Yeah, your father mentioned that,” Jesse replied. In that moment, for no damn reason, his tear ducts decided to fire up. Thank God his face was already wet. He lifted the towel and wiped his whole head, covering his face long enough for a few more tears to escape unimpeded. His heart was still pounding, but he knew it—and the tears—were just the shock. He’d be okay in a few minutes. Suddenly Jesse felt a hand on his back, and before he uncovered his face he knew who was at his side. He dropped the towel and looked over at Miss Leona.
“I think we should get you two home. And get you into some warm clothes,” she said.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” the doctor said. He had more instructions for Miss Leona and Mr. LeRoux, but Jesse wasn’t listening. He was still focused on Lily-Grace. He had fifty different things he wanted to say when they weren’t surrounded by people. Finally she stood, wincing as she gripped the hotel towel. Jesse reached forward and helped steady her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just bashed my hip on the ground. I’ll be sore tomorrow, but I’m fine.” She looked over at her father, eyes suddenly pleading. “Daddy, let’s go.”
Jesse knew that look, though he never thought he’d see it on her face. She was too proud and too strong, but Jesse suddenly knew the unique pain carried in her expression. She was embarrassed and she wanted to be anywhere but that pool deck. Hotel staff and auction volunteers were buzzing around, making sure everyone was okay. Apologizing, like the pool had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“I bet they planned this,” Jesse heard someone say, and yeah, right then, it was definitely time to go.
“Okay, okay,” Mr. LeRoux said. He accepted Lily-Grace’s purse from Lilah’s outstretched hand. Someone produced Jesse’s Stetson and handed it over to Miss Leona, and they all began making their way back to the valet stand. He realized as he held the door open for their small entourage that Lilah was following right behind him.
“You can stay if you want, hang out with Dr. Kuaea.”
Lilah glanced back to where the vet was dabbing off his pants with one of the extra towels. “No, it’s okay. I told him we’d catch up tomorrow.”
“Alright. Can you get Vega and Corie? They are in the bar.”
“Sure.”
For a few minutes that was the last thing Jesse remembered. The next thing he knew he was watching Lily-Grace climb into her father’s Buick. He helped his grandmother into the back seat of her SUV before he climbed in the passenger’s seat beside Corie. She kept her jokes to herself as they drove back to Pleasant Lane. Out of habit, Jesse reached into his pocket for his phone. The feeling of his still wet pants snapped him back to the present. He pulled out his phone. The screen wouldn’t light up.
“Gotta put that thing on rice,” Corie said.
“I will,” Jesse muttered. It was just a phone. He’d get a new one in the morning if he had to. All he could think about though—the whole way back to the house, as he pulled off his ruined suit and got into a hot shower, and later when he took Clementine for her stroll around the yard—was getting in touch with Lily-Grace and thanking her for saving him up there.
* * *
The sound of the front doorbell ringing made him cringe. New rule now that Miss Leona and Mr. LeRoux were dating: no more barging into each other’s houses. He knew it was probably Corie or Lilah coming to see if he was ready for church, but for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel like going. He went to the door, still dressed in the sweats he’d put on to let Clem out that morning, to break the news to whoever was waiting. He knew the Lord would understand, especially after the night he’d had.
He could see from the silhouette in the fogged glass that Miss Leona was waiting on his front step.
“If it’s okay with you, I’d rather skip church today,” he said when he opened the door. It wasn’t mandatory, but he’d spent most Sundays since Lilah moved in, in their usual row at St. Timothy’s Episcopal church.
“Jesus walks with you everywhere, baby, it’s fine.” She held up her cell phone. “Lily-Grace wanted to speak with you.”
