Page 104 of Say it Ain’t So

“Rylan!” He wasn’t moving. Wasn’t breathing. I screamed for help, then wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started to swim once again. I didn’t make it far, but I didn’t have to. A boat pulled up beside us, and two men tossed me a life preserver before they reached down and pulled Rylan over the edge. Once he was safe, one of them came back for me, dragging me up onto the deck.

There was a small crowd gathered around Rylan when I finally got aboard and looked around, two of them doing CPR. I rushed his way and made it to him just in time for him to cough up a lungful of water. They turned him onto his side, and I let out a cry and grabbed his hand.

“I called an ambulance,” an older woman said, holding up her phone. “They‘ll meet us at that dock.”

Rylan’s eyes fluttered open, the deep blue sparkling in the afternoon sun as his gaze found mine. His hand tightened around my own, and I leaned down, pressing my forehead to his.

“You saved me,” he murmured, voice weak as he pulled my hand to his chest.

I swept my free hand along the side of his face. “I couldn’t leave you, baby. I had no choice.”

“Love you, Joss.” His eyes closed, and I wrapped my arms around him, crying out my fear and my relief.

“Love you too, Rylan. I love you too.”

* * *

“I feel like we were just here.” Van’s voice startled me from a fitful sleep. Opening my eyes, I groaned as I realized my nightmare wasn’t just in my head. Rylan was sleeping in his hospital bed, and I was sleeping in an uncomfortable recliner at his side. I lifted my head and rolled my neck, trying to relieve the crick that pinched me near my shoulder, before turning my attention to my friend.

“Hey, Van.”

He leaned down and gave me a hug, then knelt beside my chair. “You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Van tossed a look toward Rylan. “Trying to show me up. Here I thought getting Lee and Rylan out of jail was some sort of special, then you have to go and pull him out of the river and save his life.”

A small smile tipped my lips as I looked over at my husband. “He’s worth it.”

Van squeezed my arm. “He doing okay?”

I nodded. “He’s got a mild concussion and sucked a lot of water into his lungs. They’re keeping him for observation, but the doctors say he’ll be okay.”

“He’s too stubborn not to.”

“I think you’re right. They’re worried he might have reinjured his leg, too. Getting tackled by the FBI, then all the crashes and the plunge into the lake certainly didn’t help, so they’re going to do an X-ray in the morning.”

Van shifted his weight. His silence made me drag my attention back to him. “What about you?” he asked. “You doing alright?”

“I think so?” Tears welled in my eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He pulled me into another embrace.

“I don’t know what happened.”

“Shh, it’s okay.” Van edged back. “Haven’t the police come to see you yet?”

Shaking my head, I looked back at Rylan. “They tried, but the doctors wouldn’t let them in, and I won’t leave his side.”

“Do you want to know?”

“Know what?”

Van rubbed at his chin. “You want to know what happened?”

My bottom lip trembled, but I nodded. Van stood and pulled a chair over to my side. He took my hand again when he was seated and looked me over with his dark eyes.

“It was Peter Wright, Joss.”