She clutched the front wheel with her right hand and reached out toward him with her left. A foot of churning water lay between her and him. “I think if I let go, I could swim over.”
“No! The water is moving too fast and I have more weight on me. I’ll come to you.”
“Let me…” She released the wheel and promptly disappeared beneath the raging dirty water.
“Oh, God.” Drew’s heart stopped. “Sarah!” His fingers cramped, so tightly did he hold onto the wheel. When her head broke the surface, he blew out a breath of relief. Once more she clung to the far wheel, her body plastered to it as she shivered. The dark green of her wet cloak blended with the muddy water. If it weren’t for the glint of her golden hair, he’d have issue pinpointing her location.
“The current is too strong and the creek bottom too slippery.” She adjusted her spectacles and set them to rights once more. “This is impossible.”
“No, we merely need to find a different way.”
“My lord, do you wish us to come in and help?” one of the drivers of his coach yelled over.
He glanced over his shoulder and spat out foul water from his mouth. “No need for us all to land in the drink. I’ll have the countess out soon enough, but perhaps you can make certain there’s a blanket available for her.”
“At once.”
When Drew regarded Sarah once more, a hint of anger sliced through him so quick he couldn’t recall it. “Why the devil did you break your promise to me? You said you wouldn’t leave me, yet here we are.”
She snorted, ended up inhaling water and then coughed until it had cleared her airway. “You’re choosing right now to take me to task?”
“It’s not like you can storm away.” He shook his head.
“We both seem to have a problem with running from our challenges.”
Oh, he adored her, for she didn’t try to hide her flaws. “You’re right.”
“You can vent your spleen at me once we’re on safe ground.”
“No, I mean you were right.” Now was as good a time as any to bare his soul. “About everything. My being an arse. Finn not needing me underfoot. All of it.” It was humbling to admit, but he couldn’t wait to tell her everything that had transpired while away.
“For the love of God, Andrew. Let’s get out of the water before we begin a discussion.” Threads of annoyance cut through her voice.
What the devil had she to be irritated about? “Fine. I merely thought you might like to know.” Once more he extended his arm. “Stretch out as far as you can and take my hand.”
When she did as he asked, a strangled scream escaped, and she ducked partially beneath the surging water. As she regained her footing, she clung to her wheel. “I can’t do this. The water is too strong, and I was never a good swimmer.”
“There’s no other way.”
Her eyes were wide and clouded with fear as she shook her head. “I’m afraid.” The sound of the rain ate up the whispered admission, but that tiny waver in her tone tore at his heart.
Perhaps everyone was indeed frightened as they went about life, and it was a matter of fortitude how they overcame it.
“So am I.” That was the crux of his problems. Deep down he finally acknowledged it. Fear was the thing keeping him back, making sure other emotions held him down like a bully. Well, no more. “Everything I want—we want—lays on the other side of that fear, so please. You have to help me to get you to safety.” Drew’s pulse pounded hard through his veins. He extended his arm, his eyes locked onto hers. “Give me your hand. Let go of that wheel in faith and know that I will catch you. Always.”
Archie and the other drivers stood on the bank waiting to haul him and Sarah up if they could but reach them.
Seconds went by as his muscles tightened from strain and exposure. “Sarah, now!”
“All right.” She threw out an arm. Water rushed into her face, and she coughed against it. Their fingertips brushed. The creek surged and wrenched her hand from his.
He missed the connection. “Damn it.” If he couldn’t do this one little task, he’d lose Sarah, and there would be no opportunity to make things rights.
“My skirts are so heavy. They’re dragging me down and tangling against my legs.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to do.”
Cold, crushing anxiety came barreling back into his chest, squeezing with tight bands to steal his breath. He shook from the force of it; would he never be free? For long, heart-stopping seconds, he stared at his wife, who looked back with a silent plea in her eyes.
I’ve worked too hard for this to be the end.