Love Inspired Suspense November 2015, Box Set 2 of 2 by Terri Reed

Author:Terri Reed
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459292222
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Fran was unresponsive when Donna finally made it to her. She checked for a pulse and felt a tiny thrumming in her carotid, or was it the trembling in Donna’s fingers? She flipped Fran onto her back and began to tow her in, but the current seemed to have other plans.

For every foot of progress, the water swept them back toward the open sea. Radar paddled out to her.

“Good boy,” she gasped.

The dog chomped down on Fran’s jacket and began to tug. Was it a game to him? Or did he somehow know the humans needed help? She didn’t care.

Radar’s added strength made all the difference. Donna kicked as hard as she could, stroking with one arm while the dog kept up his share of the load. They were within fifty feet of the shore, still in deep water, when Brent made it to them.

“Can you swim back on your own?” he said.

She nodded.

Radar let go and Brent held on to Fran. He ordered Donna and Radar to go ahead of them. So he could make sure they made it back, she realized. Indeed, it took all her remaining reserves of strength to haul herself up on the sand and she fought against pain in her back.

On the beach, Brent laid Fran down next to Darius, who was sitting up.

He crawled to her on hands and knees. “Frannie.”

Brent pushed him away. “Get off and let me check her out.”

Donna was relieved when he sat back. “She’s breathing on her own.”

Radar trotted over. He sniffed at Fran’s hair and made his way to Darius, who swatted at him. Radar stiffened, the scruff of hair on his neck rising, and he barked furiously at Darius.

Brent pulled Radar off, but he continued to bark, darting closer to Darius and then away when Brent ordered him back.

Donna finally grabbed Radar by the collar and hauled the dog away down to the surf, where he began to chase some seagulls that had arrived. When she was reasonably sure the dog was distracted, she returned to Brent, who was finishing up his 911 call.

Fran had started to mumble and shiver. Brent climbed back to the car and returned with a blanket, which he draped over Fran, and his jacket, which he wrapped around Darius, continuing to monitor both victims.

Darius patted Fran’s hand. “Wake up, Frannie. Why’d you have to follow me, huh? I told you a million times to leave me be.”

“She was worried about you,” Donna said. “Drunk people shouldn’t be sailing. Why did you come here?”

He didn’t look at her. “Told you a million times,” he repeated softly to Fran.

“Who do you owe money to?” Brent asked.

Darius still did not look at them, just crooned softly, swiping a hand under his nose.

“He needs to sober up,” Brent said in disgust.

Paramedics made their way down the trail and took over. Brent and Donna were given blankets and were crowded away from the victims.

Donna watched Darius’s abandoned boat making its haphazard journey out into the Pacific Ocean.

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