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Authors: Laurie Roma
Tags: Romance
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back was facing the river and got out.
“Help! Please, we can’t hold on!”
She turned to see two little girls about nine years old hanging onto the tree branches. They were blue with cold and their voices were weak. Mikayla could see their little hands were slipping farther down the branches and knew she didn’t have much time.
She hurried to the covered truck bed and opened it. Relief flooded her as she saw various items thrown into the back that would help her. She pulled out a long length of coiled rope that looked like it would have been used for rock climbing. Perfect. This would work for what she needed it for.
She felt a brush of fur and looked down to Wulf as he stood by her, a silent sentinel. She bent down and rubbed his head, holding his face in her hands. Feeling like an idiot, she said, “Go get help, boy. Get Gage.” She repeated the demand, pointing a finger toward the bridge. Wulf let out a bark and raced across the snow-covered ground, obviously understanding her plea.
Not willing to wait for additional help to arrive, Mikayla tied one end of the rope to the truck’s tow lever and looped the other end in a large loose circle. She yanked at the knot hard to ensure it wouldn’t unravel and looked toward the bridge. Wulf was running toward the others but still hadn’t made it yet.
She towed off her boots and took off her down coat and sweater. Shit, it was cold standing in nothing but a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but the rest of her clothing would just weigh her down and make it more difficult to maneuver once she was in the water. Mikayla looped the circle of rope around one of her arms so it laid across her chest, with her other arm free. She hurried to the edge of the water and braced herself.
God, she hated the water, hated it so much that the fear was almost incapacitating. But she wouldn’t let it stop her. Not when the lives of two girls were in jeopardy. She would do what she had to, just like she always did. Mikayla thought she heard her name and turned her head to see Gage running toward her.
“No! Mikayla!” His voice was faint as the wind carried it toward her.
“I’m slipping!” One of the girls cried out. “Help me!”
Gage was still too far away. Time had run out. Mikayla panted in a few deep even breaths then jumped into the icy river.
Chapter Five
The cold literally stole Mikayla’s breath as she plunged into the icy rapids. It felt like sharp needles were stabbing her entire body. She fought off the initial panic that tried to set in as she struggled to keep her arms and legs moving so she broke the surface of the water and gasped for air.
The river was colder and deeper than she had first realized, but it made maneuvering into position easier as she used strong strokes to propel her forward, using the river’s natural current to take her downstream to where the girls were struggling to hold on.
Fight through the fear.
She kept repeating the mantra over and over again in her head as she swam down the river.
Mikayla was happy that her calculations of the distance were spot on and she reached the tree where the kids were hanging on just in time. She took a firm hold of the tree, using it to move closer to where the kids were waiting for her.
Closer now, she could see that one of the children was holding the other in place. Hypothermia had set into the other girl and time was of the essence. The first girl sobbed with relief as she saw Mikayla, but the branch she was holding onto broke and she let out a scream. Mikayla lunged forward and grabbed the girl’s arm before the river took her and she pulled the girl to her with arms that felt leaden by the cold and fatigue.
“I’ve got you, sweetie.”
“No one could hear us, but you came. You came for us,” the child sobbed.
“Everything is going to be okay now,” Mikayla said, praying it were true. “Climb onto my back, under the rope so you are tucked in. Hurry now.”
The child fumbled a few times
“Help! Please, we can’t hold on!”
She turned to see two little girls about nine years old hanging onto the tree branches. They were blue with cold and their voices were weak. Mikayla could see their little hands were slipping farther down the branches and knew she didn’t have much time.
She hurried to the covered truck bed and opened it. Relief flooded her as she saw various items thrown into the back that would help her. She pulled out a long length of coiled rope that looked like it would have been used for rock climbing. Perfect. This would work for what she needed it for.
She felt a brush of fur and looked down to Wulf as he stood by her, a silent sentinel. She bent down and rubbed his head, holding his face in her hands. Feeling like an idiot, she said, “Go get help, boy. Get Gage.” She repeated the demand, pointing a finger toward the bridge. Wulf let out a bark and raced across the snow-covered ground, obviously understanding her plea.
Not willing to wait for additional help to arrive, Mikayla tied one end of the rope to the truck’s tow lever and looped the other end in a large loose circle. She yanked at the knot hard to ensure it wouldn’t unravel and looked toward the bridge. Wulf was running toward the others but still hadn’t made it yet.
She towed off her boots and took off her down coat and sweater. Shit, it was cold standing in nothing but a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but the rest of her clothing would just weigh her down and make it more difficult to maneuver once she was in the water. Mikayla looped the circle of rope around one of her arms so it laid across her chest, with her other arm free. She hurried to the edge of the water and braced herself.
God, she hated the water, hated it so much that the fear was almost incapacitating. But she wouldn’t let it stop her. Not when the lives of two girls were in jeopardy. She would do what she had to, just like she always did. Mikayla thought she heard her name and turned her head to see Gage running toward her.
“No! Mikayla!” His voice was faint as the wind carried it toward her.
“I’m slipping!” One of the girls cried out. “Help me!”
Gage was still too far away. Time had run out. Mikayla panted in a few deep even breaths then jumped into the icy river.
Chapter Five
The cold literally stole Mikayla’s breath as she plunged into the icy rapids. It felt like sharp needles were stabbing her entire body. She fought off the initial panic that tried to set in as she struggled to keep her arms and legs moving so she broke the surface of the water and gasped for air.
The river was colder and deeper than she had first realized, but it made maneuvering into position easier as she used strong strokes to propel her forward, using the river’s natural current to take her downstream to where the girls were struggling to hold on.
Fight through the fear.
She kept repeating the mantra over and over again in her head as she swam down the river.
Mikayla was happy that her calculations of the distance were spot on and she reached the tree where the kids were hanging on just in time. She took a firm hold of the tree, using it to move closer to where the kids were waiting for her.
Closer now, she could see that one of the children was holding the other in place. Hypothermia had set into the other girl and time was of the essence. The first girl sobbed with relief as she saw Mikayla, but the branch she was holding onto broke and she let out a scream. Mikayla lunged forward and grabbed the girl’s arm before the river took her and she pulled the girl to her with arms that felt leaden by the cold and fatigue.
“I’ve got you, sweetie.”
“No one could hear us, but you came. You came for us,” the child sobbed.
“Everything is going to be okay now,” Mikayla said, praying it were true. “Climb onto my back, under the rope so you are tucked in. Hurry now.”
The child fumbled a few times
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