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“My arms are so tired.”
“I know they are, honey,” he said softly, offering out a hand as he held himself steady with his other, his true strength showing. “Let me have Takoda. I’ll carry him back. All you have to do is hang onto me for a little bit longer, and I’ll get us back.”
“That’s a lot for you to carry—with the current.” I don’t know why I was so hesitant to put all my faith and survival into Wade, but it just went against every single instinct that had been ingrained into me.
I’d never been able to trust any man.
“I can get you to safety, Cheyenne. I promise you. I’ll get you two out.” His voice was full of a confidence I’d never heard before, and as the tree creaked around us, I nodded.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “Come on. Let me have Takoda.”
Carefully, I bent down, hanging onto the tree for support as I handed my dog off to Wade, who immediately tucked him under his arm. “He’s gonna get wet,” I said, panicking at the fact that he was already chilled.
“Chey, he has to get wet to get out. There is nothing I can do about it. This won’t take us very long. I just need you to get down here, and we’re gonna go. The waters are going to keep rising, and I need to get us outnow.”
“Okay, okay,” I said quickly, my heart racing as I kneeled down, gently sliding into the waters.
“Wrap your arms around me,” he instructed, giving me enough room to do so. I adjusted myself, interlocking my hands around his shoulders. My hands rested against his chest, and he wrapped an arm over the rope, pulling us forward. Takoda rested his little head on Wade’s shoulder and my arm, his eyes still alert as he gazed up at me.
We’re gonna get out.
Wade’s breaths were labored as he one armed us down the rope, his horse in water that was all the way to the base of her neck. “Hold us, girl, you got it,” Wade called out in reassurance as the horse visibly strained against the current.
“Can she hold us?” I asked over Wade’s shoulder, the three of us only about fifteen feet from the tree.
“She’s an amazing horse,” he answered, his voice graveled as he spoke. “Roanie can do just about anything. She won’t give up.”
“Too bad your other horse doesn’t have that same kind of grit.”
Wade chuckled, though it was strained. “I swear only you could make a joke in this kind of situation.”
However, a loud creak and jar of the rope interrupted the moment, causing my grip to tighten around Wade.
“Shit,” Wade called out, his grip slipping slightly. “That tree is gonna go anytime. We have to get out of this.” With a grunt, I could tell he upped his effort, no longer trying to conserve energy.
He was giving it everything he had.
I clung to him as he moved us forward until the swim transitioned to a walk. I still couldn’t touch the ground, buthecould.
“Finally…” he panted, though he still used the rope. We weren’t even at the halfway point, but Wade’s body became like a rock, not wavering as it had when he swam. “Keep it tight, girl,” he called out to the mare, who I could now visibly see shaking to hold it.
She’s exhausted.
But she listened to Wade, backing against and holding tension. I shut my eyes, praying as Wade took every single step with intention, sometimes letting out a grunt against the current. The water swirled around us, nearly sweeping my feet out from under me when I finallycouldtouch the ground. I was shivering, my muscles burning from fatigue, and my skin still numb to the coolness of the moisture around me.
“Almost there,” he muttered in between heavy breaths.
My eyes flickered open, and suddenly, the horse was right in front of us, her hot, rapid breaths coming out in puffs of what could be confused with smoke. Wade led us to the side of his horse, Takoda still in his arms. He reached for the rope around the horse...
And then a crash erupted around all of us.
“No!” Wade shouted, the rope suddenly going loose as the tree crashed down. In a blur, the horse went sliding, still bearing against the weight. Wade went with her, though Takoda jumped—right into my arms, causing me to release Wade. The scene played out in slow motion in front of me, Wade hanging onto the saddle as they careened forward.
He wasn’t letting his horse go down.
With one hand on the saddle's cantle, his other disappeared into the water. I watched in terror, standing in waist-deep water, cradling Takoda.
