Unraveled (13 page)

“Shut up.” Hannah smacked the water with the blade of her paddle. Droplets of water splashed in their faces, which only provoked more teasing.

“Bwak, bwak, bwak,” they cackled like chickens and pulled ahead. Lauren’s blood boiled and she looked back toward Blake. Tisha maneuvered her kayak next to his and as she spoke, he threw back his head and laughed.
Perfect.

“Try to relax your torso,” Jeremy instructed, paddling up on their right side. “Most of your power will come from your legs and torso, believe it or not. Arms just carry the power to the paddle.”

Hannah’s shoulders slid a fraction of an inch away from her ears. A gangly boy with dark black hair peeking from his Red Sox hat rode with Jeremy. He seemed more interested in following Jeremy’s instruction than taunting Hannah.

Lauren breathed easier as she watched Hannah respond to Jeremy. Maybe a little encouragement was all she needed.

“Stomach in, shoulders back. That’s it. Nicely done!” Jeremy cheered.

They glided out of the harbor and into the bay. Gray, soupy fog clung to the mountains that rimmed the bay. Lauren prayed the rain held off. Blake and Tisha led them away from the choppy wakes of the larger boats motoring out of the harbor. As the kayaks glided into smooth water, Lauren basked in the serenity that surrounded them. Hannah’s father pointed to a raft of sea otters swimming nearby.

“Look, Hannah,” Lauren whispered. “Some of the otters have babies.”

Hannah’s head snapped up, her eyes widened. A wet furry face appeared off the bow of their kayak, a tiny pup parked on her stomach.

“Adorable!” Hannah produced a cell phone and snapped several pictures.

As the morning progressed, Hannah’s brothers kept a safe distance and the girls found their rhythm. Lauren shoulders ached from the exertion and she hoped Hannah stepped up her game on the way home.

Jeremy announced they would beach the kayaks in a few minutes to have a snack and enjoy the view of Townsend Glacier. Lauren could see Hannah practically hyperventilate.

“No worries, girl,” Lauren said. “We’ve got this.”

“Maybe I can eat my snack in the kayak,” Hannah said.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Hannah’s mother materialized beside them, perfectly manicured nails gripping the shaft of her paddle. “You don’t want to miss the view, do you?”

“C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure?” Hannah’s father asked.

Lauren bristled at their insensitive comments. Hannah wilted under their criticism, dropping her chin to her life jacket. Blake and Tisha were already out of their kayaks, rubber boots sloshing through the water lapping at the rocky shoreline. Hopefully Jeremy could offer some pointers on exiting the kayak properly. She opened her mouth to call his name when the kayak began to rock and roll. Hannah had stood up, her body weight shifting way over the midline of the kayak. They were still in at least six feet of water.

“No!” Lauren yelled. That was the last thing she heard before she found herself upside down in icy cold water, trapped under the kayak.

The murky water enveloped her. The rocky floor of the ocean was barely visible above her head. Icy fingers of fear snaked through her gut.
Come on, think!

Lauren fumbled for the edge of the cockpit. There was no way she could roll the kayak. She needed to get out. Now. Her lungs screamed in protest. Water filled her rain pants, dragging her down. The spray skirt came loose with one desperate tug. She kicked free and the kayak rolled right side up. She swam toward the light. Jeremy’s instructions to never let go of the paddle echoed in her head. She had no idea where her paddle went. Perhaps her mistake could be overlooked given the circumstances.

Breaking through the surface of the water, she gasped for air.

“There she is!” Jeremy and his partner in the Red Sox hat were beside her in an instant. She clawed at the stern of his kayak, her teeth chattering. Hannah was nowhere in sight.

“You’re freezing. We gotta get you out of the water.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey! Blake! We need a water taxi!”

“A what?” She could feel her fingers slipping. They were numb. She must have left her gloves back on the dock. Blake was going to be mad.

“We need a boat to pick you up and take you back.”

“That’s crazy. I-I-I can p-paddle b-b-back,” she chattered.

“You can’t paddle home soaking wet.” Jeremy extended his paddle. “Come on. I’ll tow you in closer so you don’t have to float.”

“I’m fine. Where’s Hannah?” She could see the adults huddled around a figure on the beach. The boys were gathering sticks and throwing them into a big pile.

“Hannah’s on the beach. We need to get her warmed up, too.”

“I’ll warm up as soon as I start paddling again,” she grumbled.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes. “You are so stubborn, you know that?” He turned to the raven-haired boy in the front of his kayak. “Ross, I need you to paddle while I help Lauren get back in her kayak.”

Wide-eyed, Ross lifted his Red Sox hat and scratched his head.

“I’m not getting back in that thing. It’s full of water!” Lauren cried.

“We have a pump.”

“I can swim.” Lauren let go of the kayak and flipped on her back. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this cold. Somehow she had lost her rubber boots and the water-logged wool socks made her feet feel like they weighed fifty pounds. Arms flailing, she made a very weak attempt at swimming the backstroke.

A lean muscular arm wrapped around her chest and she squealed. “What are you doing?” She twisted to see Blake behind her, water lapping at his chin.

“I’m trying to help you,” he said, tightening his grip and swimming toward the beach.

“I’m f-f-fine,” she protested, trying to break free. Her feet didn’t quite touch bottom.

“Really? Is that why your lips are blue? We have to get you warm.”

She gave up resisting and let him tow her into the shallow water. Struggling to walk on her own, she found her legs weren’t responding to her brain’s instructions.

“I’ve got you.” Blake scooped her up and sloshed through the breakers to the narrow strip of gray sand. The boys had a fire going and Hannah sat propped up against a log, staring into the flames. Lauren wanted to ask her what in the world she was thinking, standing up like that but the expression on the girl’s face was alarmingly detached.

Blake lowered her gently to the ground and fumbled with the buckles on her life jacket. She studied the lines on his forehead, the muscle twitching in his jaw. His breath warmed her face.

“I’ll call Jason Cavanaugh on my cell. Hopefully he can pick you up.” He avoided her gaze as he pulled off her life jacket then fumbled for his cell phone.

“There’s a name I haven’t heard in years. Pick me up how?” She shivered and yanked off the rain pants.

“In his boat. He’s my emergency water taxi when he happens to be fishing nearby.”

“Is this really an emergency? We just got a little wet. Why don’t we—”

Blake pressed a finger to her lips and leaned in. Anger flashed in his eyes. “This is a potentially dangerous situation. Hypothermia is still a possibility. You’re going. No arguments.” He dropped his hand and she sat back in stunned silence. Her lip tingled from his touch. Why was he angry? Did he think she did this on purpose?

Blake stood up and trudged over to Hannah and her parents. He squatted next to the fire. Lauren couldn’t hear their conversation but she could tell by his animated hand gestures and the ramrod straight posture of Hannah’s mother that things were not going well. As their voices grew louder, Tisha glanced up from an impromptu game of tag she was playing with the teenagers. Her eyes met Lauren’s. A trace of annoyance flickered across her face before she turned away and huddled with Hannah’s brothers.
Whatever. This is so not my fault.

The unmistakable rumble of a boat engine captured everyone’s attention. Lauren looked up and saw the white bow with kelly green trim and the name
Ellie Mae
painted on the side. Jeremy and Ross paddled their kayak out to meet the boat. Blake walked back toward her, glancing at his phone.

“Jason will have to drop anchor,” Blake said.

“What? Why?”

“He can’t come in here, it’s too shallow. We’ll have to paddle out to him.” Blake’s fingers danced over the screen on his phone.

Lauren glanced at Hannah. She hadn’t moved. Her parents sat on either side, like sentries standing guard.
There’s no way she’ll get back in a kayak
.

“Ross and Jeremy will row in with Jason’s raft and pick you up.”

Lauren wrapped her arms around her torso. “Why don’t we all ride back with Jason?”

Blake stared at her, impatience flickered across his face. “Jason can’t haul us and our kayaks.”

“Why not b-b-beach the kayaks and c-c-come back for them later?” Her teeth chattered again and she rubbed her arms vigorously.

Blake sighed. “You’re kidding, right? High tide could easily wash them all out to sea. That’s thousands of dollars in equipment. Here,” he offered her a hand up. “Why don’t you scoot closer to the fire?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to speak to Hannah right now.”
Or be anywhere near her at the moment.

Blake dropped his hand. “Suit yourself. But you’re going to have to ride back with her.”

Lauren scowled and huddled against the log. Jeremy and Ross were in the raft, each had an oar in hand. Jason had somehow pulled their kayak on board the
Ellie Mae.

By the time Jeremy and Ross came ashore with the gunmetal gray raft, Lauren was certain she’d never feel warm again. She stood slowly, dusted the gritty sand from her backside and moved toward them. The water and sand squished through her soggy wool socks and she grimaced. Gross.

Jeremy frowned. “Where are your boots?”

She shrugged. “I lost them when I rolled.”

He shook his head. “Good grief. This gets worse by the minute. We have got to get you warm.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that.” She couldn’t stop shivering. The sunshine eluded them. Her head felt as thick as the fog that blocked their view of the glacier.

“You need to put your life jacket back on.” Blake appeared at her elbow. Hannah and her father stood behind him. A look of sheer panic filled Hannah’s features as she eyed the raft.

Lauren shrugged back into the life jacket while Blake and Jeremy conferred on the logistics of ferrying people and kayaks out to Jason. Blake insisted he row the raft back out and escort Lauren, Hannah and Hannah’s father back to town. She was in no mood to argue. Visions of a warm bed and a hot cup of coffee danced in her head as she tried to climb into the raft. Her foot slipped and Ross’s hand shot out to steady her.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, too tired to even think about being embarrassed.

Hannah refused to get in the raft and her father lost his temper. Lauren’s eyes widened as he let a string of profanity rip and all but dumped her in the raft. She whimpered as he snapped the buckles on her life jacket closed.

The air was fraught with tension as Blake climbed in. A vein bulged in his forehead and his ears were bright red. Blake and Hannah’s father rowed in silence. Lauren prayed they would make it back to town in one piece.

Jason greeted them with a smile. Lauren hadn’t seen him since they graduated from high school. He was short and muscular, barrel chested with a crew cut and wide-set hazel eyes. He winked and leaned over the stern. “Miss Lauren. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

Lauren offered a weak smile. Blake tossed Jason a line and he pulled the raft against the
Ellie Mae
.

“Go on, Lauren,” Blake instructed.

She didn’t know if she had the strength to climb the swim ladder. She slung her leg over the side of the raft, a fresh wave of anxiety washing over her.

Jason extended both arms and lifted her off the last rung and into the boat. He squeezed her shoulder. “Good to see you, sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

“Thanks for the ride. You’re a lifesaver.”

He shrugged. “This is what friends do. We gotta stick together out here.”

As the others climbed aboard, Lauren felt her legs quivering. She sank onto the giant cooler Jason kept lashed to the boat. Blake saw her and raised his eyebrows. “You okay?”

She nodded, her teeth still chattering.

Blake turned to Jason. “Do you have dry clothes and blankets? Any hot drinks on board?”

“Sure thing,” Jason nodded and gave Lauren the once-over. “My wife keeps extra clothes down below and I fired up the coffee pot while I was waiting. Christi wouldn’t mind if you borrowed her stuff.”

Lauren shook her head. She opened her mouth to protest but the words wouldn’t come.

Blake slid onto the cooler next to her, his blue eyes dark with concern. “Listen, these wet clothes have to come off. You go change into Christi’s stuff and I’ll fix you some coffee.”

She stood up and made her way through the sliding glass door into the galley. The smell of coffee greeted her and she glanced longingly at the carafe waiting on the counter. Moving into the forward cabin, she saw a large zip top bag with clothes inside laying on the bed. She sank onto the cushions and pulled a pillow under her head. She clutched the bag to her chest and closed her eyes. If she could just rest for a few minutes.

“Lauren, wake up.” Blake jostled her arm.

“Hmmm?”

“You need to change your clothes.” Blake nudged her again.

She batted his hand away. “Just let me rest for a minute.”

“I can’t. You might have a head injury or hypothermia. C’mon.” Blake shoveled his arms under her back and propped her up. “You need to stay awake and get warm.”

He tugged on the cuff of her shirt sleeve. Her eyes popped open and she gripped his forearm. “What are you doing?”

“You have to get out of these wet clothes.”

She scooted away and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not changing in front of you.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”

She gasped and her jaw dropped. “I can’t believe you just said that.” She picked up a pillow and whacked him in the arm.
Even if it is true
.

A gleam of mischief glinted in his eyes. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“Oh, I’ll finish it.”

He cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head. “I’d like to see you try.” His voice was husky and she couldn’t tear herself away from those incredible dimples. Warning bells sounded in her head.
Down, girl.

She cleared her throat. “I’ll get changed.”

He nodded and disappeared through the galley.

Christi Cavanaugh had several pairs of sweats and long sleeved shirts to choose from. Lauren left the smallest sizes for Hannah. She settled on gray sweatpants and an old navy blue ECHS wrestling shirt. The sleeves were way too long and the legs of the sweats pooled around her ankles. It felt so good to be dry.
I owe you one, Christi
. She put the extra clothes on the bed for Hannah and jammed her wet stuff in the bag. The galley floor was freezing cold on her bare feet. She went back to the bed and rummaged until she found a pair of men’s gym socks. Better than nothing.

Back on deck, Blake handed her a cup of coffee.

“Thanks.” She smiled and wrapped her hands around the steaming mug.

“Hannah, there are extra clothes down below if you want to change,” Blake said.

Hannah’s father nudged her arm. “You need dry clothes, sweetie.” The young girl hesitated, then stood and shuffled inside.

“Once we’re underway, you need to sit inside out of the wind. Would you like a sweatshirt?” Blake offered a hoodie.

“Hannah can have it.” Lauren sipped the coffee slowly, letting the warm liquid slide down her throat. “I’m getting warmer.”

“Yeah, you look positively toasty. Let’s borrow some blankets from Jason.”

Jason appeared and assessed Lauren from head to toe. “Never thought I’d see the day when Lauren Carter wore my clothes. You look good, girl.” She pretended to glare at him over the rim of her coffee cup.

“Blake, I stowed the kayak. I’m ready to go. There are blankets under the bench seat in the galley.” Jason fist-bumped Blake and headed for the fly bridge.

Lauren stepped into the galley and set her coffee on the counter. Hannah sat at the little table, eyes downcast. Lauren opened the bench seat cushion and pulled out two blankets. She offered one to Hannah but the girl remained motionless.
Fine. Have it your way
.

“Would you like something to drink, Hannah?” Blake asked.

Lauren turned and saw him leaning against the doorway. She glanced back at Hannah. The girl gave the slightest shrug of her slender shoulders and stared at the table.
Ungrateful little thing, aren’t you?

Blake took the blanket from Lauren’s hands and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up as he squeezed her shoulder. “Sit.” Something stirred inside when she saw the tenderness lingering in his eyes.

She sank onto the cushion opposite Hannah. The engine rumbled and Hannah clutched the table as the boat picked up speed.

“How about some Russian tea?” Blake opened a plastic container next to the sink and scooped some rust-colored powder into a mug.