AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Wait. Had he been talking about her? Judging from the wry glance he shot at his friend, it seemed the answer was yes. Which begged the question—why? Heat rose up her cheeks as she wondered what he might’ve said. That she was the clumsiest person he’d ever met? The rudest? She ducked her head, glanced at her phone, and wondered if it was too early to call her mother.
“Lexi, meet Jasper.”
She peeked up. Managed a small smile. “Pleased to meet you.”
Jasper’s grin didn’t cause sparkles inside like his friend’s had. Hismarriedfriend, she told herself firmly. “Hi.”
Jasper seemed to take this as invitation to join them on the nearby wicker lounge and talk to Jackson. The man from Barb’s photo inside called “grub’s up,” triggering a rush to the barbecue.
She wasn’t hungry, and the thought of all those strangers she’d need to make small talk with meant she’d happily wait a while longer. So she tuned out, her gaze drifting back to the pool, which had by now emptied of most bodies, except …
She leaned forward, peering more closely. Was that—? No. Surely someone else would’ve noticed. She stood anyway, edging closer to the water. Then gasped, and tossed the plastic tumbler to the ground and jumped in.
* * *
“Lexi? What are—?”Ellie’s words dissolved into a shriek.
Jackson’s attention snapped to the woman at the bottom of the pool, her arm crooked around a lifeless-looking body as she slowly propelled herself to the surface.
Her head broke the surface, and she was spluttering. “Help me!”
Jackson dived in. Two seconds later, he relieved her of her burden, doing his best to keep the boy’s nose and mouth out of the water. “It’s Jordan,” he yelled to the others standing watching, jaws dropped, horrified. “Call 911.”
He reached the side where willing hands drew Jordan up and onto the ground, and someone pounded the teen on the back.
“No!” Barb screamed and rushed to her son’s side. “What happened? Jordan? Oh, my baby!”
“He was in the water,” Lexi said, gasping, from behind him. “Who knows CPR?”
“I sorta—”
“Move.” She pushed past, elbowing him aside and dropped to her knees, her t-shirt and shorts plastered wetly to her skin. She rolled Jordan onto his side and drew open his mouth. “Come on.”
Water trickled, but there was still no response. She tugged Jordan to lie on his back, laid two fingers under his nose, her brow wrinkling.
“What can I do?” Jackson said. “Give me a job.”
“Get them back,” she said, not looking at him. “He needs space, and he’ll freak out if everyone’s here in his face.”
She repositioned Jordan’s head, then leaned down to listen, ear to his chest, then measured two hand spans in, interlocking the heels of her hands as she commenced fast, hard compressions on his chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive.”
After counting to thirty, she tilted back Jordan’s forehead, lifted his chin forward and leaned close, and pushed air from her mouth to his, then resumed pressing his chest.
“Here, let me.” Jackson moved beside her and breathed for the boy he’d known all his life.
“Give him two breaths.”
Jackson breathed again. This time the boy coughed, choked, then turned his head away as more water spilled from his mouth in a series of gasps.
“Get him a towel to warm him up.” Lexi lifted Jordan’s head slightly, soothing him and encouraging him to expel all the water. “Everyone needs to get back again and give him room.”
Jackson sat back on his heels as the others obeyed, adrenaline fading as he watched the woman whose calmness had saved Jordan’s life carry on her ministrations. If she hadn’t noticed Jordan …
Guilt struck. How many of them had been here? And Lexi had been the only person to notice? His skin crawled. He’d always prided himself on being observant. A man had to be observant to run a ranch—missing a coyote’s tracks today could mean missing several sheep in upcoming days or weeks. But he hadn’t been observant this evening. No. He’d been observant, but he’d been focused on the wrong things. Like wondering what the specific name was of the pretty color of Lexi Franklin’s hair, and why she still wore a scarf around her neck on a blazing hot day.
He glanced at her now, the scarf hanging limply at her throat, the wet clothes she wore meaning she’d need a towel or jacket real soon. She obviously hadn’t planned to go swimming.
He swallowed and pushed himself to his feet, trailing closer to Lexi as she spoke quietly to Barb and Hank, who were now hovering over Jordan.
