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A shiver from deep within my bones ripped through me and my teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
“Give me your damn hand now, Chase. You’re going to go into hypothermia. Your lips are already turning blue.”
Somehow I gathered up enough strength to slap my hand into his and he tugged me to my feet. Those same feet squished in my boots with every step I tried to take out of the water and onto more solid land.
But I was tired. Drained. With barely enough energy to move. That didn’t stop Rett from turning into a draft horse powerful enough to physically tow me away from the lake and my lost wedding ring.
What I might never find again. What could be lost for all eternity.
That possibility made me anchor my feet and lean back, forcing Rett to a stop. “I need to go back in.”
“For what? You were about to fucking drown, Chase. I’m not letting you do that. Not on my watch.”
“I’m not trying to drown. I need to find it.” I really didn’t want to tell him what I carelessly threw away like the idiot I was.
“Find what?”
When I shook my head, lake water flung from my hair. “What are you doing here?”
“Find what?” he asked again.
“Why are you here?” I repeated.
“Answer my question first and I’ll answer yours.”
I was embarrassed to admit, “My ring.”
His gaze automatically dropped to the hand he refused to release, even though I kept yanking on it to get free. His dark brown eyes, bloodshot from the lake water and surrounded by wet, spiky black lashes, flicked back up to me. “How did it get lost? You’re still dressed and in your damn boots! Unless you started swimming fully clothed after I caught you skinny-dipping?”
His anger edged with aggravated sarcasm was so thick I could taste it. “Don’t worry about how I lost it. The important part is I need to find it.” I coughed again and my lungs still rattled slightly. I spat more lake water out on the ground.
“Not right now you don’t.”
“You can’t dictate what I do.”
He yanked my arm so hard, I almost lost my balance. “I can and I will since apparently you’re incapable of thinking straight.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I half-shouted, half-coughed as I put all of my weight into rearing back.
“Fine. Go fucking drown.”
I wasn’t expecting him to give up so easily or to release my hand so suddenly. Because of that, I fell backwards and landed on my ass in the grass halfway between the lake and the cabin.
Stunned, I sat there, shaking from the cold, my teeth knocking together, my skin numb and every inch of me soaking wet. My feet had turned into frozen cinder blocks in my boots.
I ground the heels of my palms into my eyes when they began to sting all over again.
I took a few deep breaths to try to clear my lungs and collect my roller coaster of emotions. “I’m sorry,” slipped from me before I could stop it.
“Who are you apologizing to? Me? Thomas? Yourself?”
I avoided both his eyes and his questions.
Strong fingers clamped around my jaw and lifted my face. “Chase…”
When I finally looked at him, he shook his head, squatted in front of me, wrapped a hand around the back of my neck and squeezed. “We need to get you inside, out of those clothes and warmed up.”
His tone was much softer than it had been.
Pity. That was what it was.
Even though it was summer, the water always had a bite to it since the lake was fed from a fresh underground spring. Whenever I took a swim, it was a quick, invigorating one. I usually only stayed in until I couldn’t take the temperature any more.
To be chilled to the bone, I must’ve been searching for the ring longer than I realized. Or maybe it was because I’d been scrambling around at the bottom instead of swimming at the sun-warmed surface.
I could hardly stomach what I read in Rett’s eyes under his deeply furrowed brow. “Let me help you.” His whispered plea was raw and tangible and only fueled the unbearable ache inside me.
“Why? Why the fuck would you want to help me? I’m…” Fill in the blank.
Whatever word I followed it with wouldn’t be good but would, most likely, be fitting. But he didn’t need me to finish.
“Yes, you are and luckily for you, I understand why.” He stood up and held out his hand again. “Come on. You’re shivering. You’re going to break your teeth from all that clattering. And if you lose all your teeth, I might not want to kiss you.” His lips twitched slightly before he pressed them flat.
When I took his hand, he once again helped haul me to my feet and, without another word, we trudged up to my cabin and inside. Straight away, he drew me into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
