“Paddles!”
She looks back, her face pale.
“I can’t control it!”
The honesty in her voice hits harder than the panic, because she’s not exaggerating. The river has taken over.
I dig my paddle into the water again, pushing harder than I’ve ever pushed. My shoulders scream. My hands ache where I grip the paddle.
But I don’t slow down. I have to catch her.
I’ve spent my entire life on this river. I’ve rescued tourists who thought they could ignore safety instructions. I’ve watched the Etowah scare people who underestimated it.
But this is different, because this time, it’s Paisley.
The woman who hit me in the face with a paddle and stole my heart.
I’m not letting this river take her from me. Her kayak spins again as she bumps into a rock, and I surge forward. Grabbing the lip of her pink kayak hull with one hand, I use the paddle in my other hand as a rudder.
We hit the riverbank right before the bend. She jumps out immediately, one foot catching on the rim of the kayak, causing her to stumble.
I don’t remember the last time I was this tired.
My arms shake as I drag the kayaks further onto the shore, the muscles in my shoulders burning from fighting the current. My shirt is soaked, clinging to my overheated skin, and my body feels heavy.
None of that matters, because Paisley is here. Safe and sound.
She’s sitting on the rocky bank, knees pulled to her chest, and she’s alive. That’s the only thing I can focus on.
“Hey.”
Her hazel eyes lift to mine, the shadows from the trees turning her green flecks into a dark emerald.
She looks small with her wet hair plastered to her forehead and the cold river water dripping onto the muddy ground.
“Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head.
“I don’t think so,” she whispers.
“You don’t think?” I can’t help but tease.
A tiny, shaky smile appears.
“I’m pretty sure I would know if something was broken,” she says with a hint of sass.
There she is. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Stay here,” I order.
Her eyebrows pull together.
“Dean—”
“I’m getting you warm.”
Her protest dies swiftly. Good. I force myself back into guide mode and get a fire going, stripping damp bark away from fallen branches with my knife until I find dry wood underneath.
