Swept Away. Kristina Mathews
job in the world.”
“Sure. A day’s work for us is a vacation for most people.” Carson still loved the heart-stopping rapids and Zen-like calm stretches on the river. He still loved helping people connect with nature and discover a little something about themselves along the way. And he still loved the constant, yet ever-changing force of the river.
It was the change that called to him now. He might as well be guiding the jungle boats at Disneyland. He was seeing the same sights, telling the same jokes over and over again until he felt like one of the automated characters. He needed a change of pace. A change of scenery. A change of company.
“Yeah, we’ve got it made.” Cody trotted along like a kid on the first day of summer vacation. He had no idea his brother didn’t share his enthusiasm for the status quo. Carson was afraid of becoming stagnant. A breeding ground for bad blood.
It wasn’t that Cody was a bad guy. He was just there. Always. They lived together. Worked together. Ate together. The only thing they didn’t do was sleep together. Although there had been women who would have been willing to take on them both. Cody probably could have been talked into it, but it was bad enough sharing breakfast and small talk with his brother’s dates. Carson wasn’t about to share anything more.
He should just get it over with. Say the words. I’m leaving. But the lump in his throat rose like the spring runoff, drowning out his voice. If he could think of another way to get Cody to grow up already, he’d take it. But the only way to get him to change would be to force it on him. He had to toss his brother overboard and hope he’d come up swimming.
“What the hell?” Cody skidded to halt. “Is that woman actually swimming? In this high water?”
* * * *
Damn. This water is cold.
Lily came up for air, sputtering and spitting out a mouthful of river water. She grasped for something—anything she could hold onto. But the current was too fast, too strong for her to grab hold of anything. She tried to find her footing, but the force of the river kept her from getting her legs underneath her. Quickly she realized that it was probably for the best. If anything, she could end up breaking a leg if she slammed against a rock. Or worse, her foot could become entrapped and it wouldn’t be long before the river pulled her under, drowning her.
She wondered how long it would take to find her body. Would some fisherman stumble upon her days, weeks, or even months from now? Or would the current eventually pull her downstream, where she’d wash up lifeless on the shore?
For the first time in her adult life, Lily was thankful she was childless. There was no baby to leave motherless. Left to be raised by her rat-bastard ex-husband.
Water shot up her nose, and Lily coughed. She tried once again to regain control of her body, but she was caught in a force too powerful to fight.
The movies were all wrong. Her life didn’t flash before her eyes. Nothing but water and sky and regret rushed past her as she was carried downstream.
Lily didn’t want her last conscious thought to be about her ex. About her failures.
As a wife. A daughter. An employee.
A woman who hadn’t been able to conceive.
She tried to think of something positive. Relaxing her body, she willed her last thoughts to be about something beautiful. Like Hidden Creek. She’d always loved it here. The smell of the pines and the whisper of the wind through the trees. How the night sky was so clear and the stars shone so brightly she felt as if she could reach up and touch them. Blackberries that would be ripe in another month. She could bake a pie in the cozy kitchen of her cabin.
Her cabin. The one thing she’d fought for in the divorce. The place where she’d hoped to raise a family.
But now it would go back to Brian.
Over my dead body.
With a new sense of urgency, Lily fought back against the current, flailing about as if her life depended on it.
* * * *
Carson turned his attention to the river. He expected to see the slow, graceful movements of a woman out for an afternoon swim. He expected smooth, easy strokes and efficient flutter kicks as she propelled herself through the water. He expected to pass her by without another thought. Instead, he felt his muscles tighten, his heart rate accelerate, and his vision narrow as the realization that she was in trouble hit him like a flash flood.
Instinct kicked in. He dropped his rod, pulled his keys and phone from his pocket, and raced into the raging river. He dove into the waist-deep water, swimming aggressively toward her. The current was strong. He had to be stronger.
“Just relax. I’ve got you.” He kept his voice steady, projecting strength, confidence, and competence. He couldn’t let her panic. He knew he was trying to save her, but there was no way of knowing what was going through her mind.
She struggled briefly, mumbling something, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. The buzz of adrenaline flooded his system, blocking out the cold, the current, and everything but the need to keep her head above water and bring her to shore. He kicked hard to propel them away from the strongest part of the current. Working with the flow of the river and not against it was crucial in getting them both out alive.
The river slowed as they approached the eddy. Carson adjusted his grip and his hand slid up over the smooth curve of her breast. He corrected his hold on her, but not before his thumb grazed her nipple.
Focus.
Get her out of the water.
All the hours of training drained from his head. This wasn’t the first time he’d rescued someone from the river. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d touched a woman’s breast. He should be able to get his mind back on track. Once they made it back to dry land, then he could think about her perfect breasts. When she was safe, he could let his mind wander in the direction his fingers had wanted to go. Not to mention his mouth.
“I’ve got you.” He tried to sound calm, in control. Like someone who knew what he was doing. Her life was still in his hands. “Trust me.”
Her body relaxed against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Relief flooded him as he realized she wasn’t going to panic and try to fight him. He still had to get her out of the water. Then get her somewhere warm. The image of his bed flashed through his mind and he brushed it away like a pesky mosquito.
Cody stood downstream, holding his rod case over the water. A rope would be better, but they’d left the hoopi in the truck. The tubular nylon webbing, often used by climbers, was one of their most valuable pieces of river gear. Almost as versatile as duct tape, and Carson wished he had some with him. He did have his brother. Cody might not remember to pay his cell phone bill on time, but get him on the river and he was one of the most reliable men around.
“Hold tight.” Carson reached for the case, and grabbed hold as Cody pulled them toward the shore, reeling them in like a couple of steelhead. Carson got his feet under him and helped the woman stand.
“You’re okay. You’re going to be just fine.” His legs felt like wet beef jerky now that the adrenaline drained from his system. His heart rate should be returning to normal, but he’d just felt her up in the middle of the river and he didn’t even know what color her eyes were. Let alone her name.
“Thank you.” She shivered.
Hidden Creek would be a very different river in another month. Once the runoff slowed, it would be marked with gentle riffles, calm pools, and some of the best trout fishing in Northern California. Today, it was a surging flow carrying a winter’s worth of snowmelt as it merged into the South Fork of the American River. Not as cold as it had been a few weeks ago, but still cold enough that twenty more minutes might have led to a different ending.
Carson tore off his wet shirt and pulled the woman against his bare skin. “I’ve got to get your core temperature up.” He