“Take me back.” She frantically glanced at the shoreline. It seemed so far away, and she couldn’t make it on her own.
“Calm down. Look at me.”
Her focus remained fixated on the bank, which seemed to get smaller and smaller as she stared at it. She pointed her toes and tried to feel the bottom, but the water hungrily covered her chin. “Christian.”
“Willow, look at me,” he commanded, his voice gentle but firm. “I have you. You’re safe.”
She relaxed her body, and hot tears began to prick her eyes. Her lower lip quivered as she tried to quell the sobs threatening to erupt from her chest.
“I’ll take you back if you want,” he said gently. “But this is your last chance to learn to swim. You have all the skills. You need to use them. What do you want to do?”
Willow hesitated. She was afraid. What would her sisters think of her if she couldn’t overcome her fear? Raven would call her a baby, just as she had when Willow fell into the lake all those years ago. What about Sage? She wouldn’t say anything but would stare at her with disappointment. Willow would stay in France while they traveled to England to follow their quest.
And what would Christian think? Her heart sank at the thought of failing him. She bit her lip, staring into his patient, loving eyes before steadying herself with a deep breath and nodding.
“Kick your feet and move your arms. Just as you were doing before,” Christian advised.
“You won’t let go?” she asked.
“Not until you’re ready.”
She thrust her feet, and the impetus carried her higher out of the water. But when she stopped, she sank again. She realized she had control of where she was in the water. She paddled her feet, adjusting the pressure to hold her head above the water.
She hesitantly took one hand from Christian’s shoulder and then the other, weaving them through the water. He travelled with her, allowing her to lead as she experimented with her movements. At first, she could only turn them in a circle, but after a few attempts, she figured out how to move her legs and arms to propel them toward the shore.
She concentrated so fiercely on her direction and strokes that she didn’t realize Christian’s hands were no longer on her waist. She paused to look for him, and as soon as she did, she began to sink. Quickly, she threaded her hands and feet through the water again to keep herself afloat.
She spotted Christian walking beside her.
She stretched out her legs, and the tips of her toes scraped the mud at the bottom of the pond. She splashed him before marching awkwardly through the water toward the shore. “You said you wouldn’t let go.”
“Until you were ready.” He captured her arm and pulled her against him. “You realize you were swimming, right?”
She shoved against his firm, slippery chest, angry he had released her.
“Willow. You did it.” He held her tightly, gazing down into her eyes.
As the reality of his words began to sink in, she regarded the water’s glassy surface. She had done it—she had overcome her fear and kept herself afloat. “I did it?” She whispered in disbelief, her voice barely audible.
Christian beamed with pride, replying, “You swam.”
Her eyes widened with shock, and a rush of joy filled her as she realized what he had said. “I did it,” she repeated, throwing her arms triumphantly around his neck.
He spun her around in the water. His lips were soft and wet on hers, and his ardor sent a wave of bliss through her body.
She whispered with conspiratorial excitement, “Let’s do it again.”
He grabbed her hand and held it up. “You are wrinkled. Maybe we should take a break.”
Willow groaned softly and nodded. She had been in the water for a while now, and even though she didn’t want to, she should probably rest.
Christian guided her toward the shore. “We should tell the others.”
Willow grinned as she stepped onto the shore. She turned to look over the still pond and the glistening water reflecting the rising moonlight. “I’d like to remain here for a bit.”
Christian nodded in understanding. “Be careful,” he said gently, and his voice trailed off as he began to trek back to camp. “Don’t go into the water alone!” he shouted over his shoulder.
Willow sat on the bank, pulling her knees up to her chest. Her body hummed with newfound confidence and happiness that seemed to quiver through her entire being. As the night darkened, she watched in awe as the moonlight glinted off the surface of the still water. She had done it. A permanent grin was fixed on her face.
