His hand was on her back. His strong, steady hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Words were impossible. She shook her head, hoping he wouldn’t press it.
“It’s okay. We’re okay.” He repeated it, rubbing circles on her back.
The warm air rushed over her, caressing the top of her head. Focus on the sound of the heater, on the feel of his hand. Control your breaths. Let it pass.
When she sat back against the seat, he stared at her, worry furrowing his forehead even as he shivered violently.
Hilary flexed her fingers. They were so cold and stuff. She inhaled, concentrating on the scent of his cologne—woodsy.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Hilary swallowed once, then again as she almost choked on the dryness in her throat. She angled the vent in front of her to blow more directly onto her. “I think we should get back.”
He didn’t say anything else on the way to the lodge, but Hilary felt him glancing at her every so often. She shut her eyes and images flashed through her mind.
Dimpled smiles.
Lake water as clear as polished crystal.
One red canoe.
A life jacket left hanging on the dock.
A paddle overboard.Let it go. We’ll make do with one.
But she reached for it anyway—a mistake.
She could still feel the sensation of nothing but water beneath her feet, knowing the lake was hundreds of feet deep. She wasn’t the one to forget her life jacket, but panic seized her anyway. She bobbed in the water for a full minute, trying desperately to flip the canoe upright again before realizing she was alone.
A hot tear ran down her cheek as she and Dane sped along Highway 61 toward the inn. The sooner she got back to the busy inn, the sooner the memories might be pushed back into the dark corners of her mind where they belonged.
Chapter Ten
They hurried into the house, dripping and shivering. Darcy met them in the foyer, eyes wide with shock. It didn’t take but a second for her to realize they hadn’t gone for a casual swim, not with the water temperature in June barely above fifty degrees.
“What happened?” Darcy asked, walking a half circle around them before waving her hands in frustration. “Never mind. You can tell me later. Let’s get you warmed up.”
Dane headed for the back door.
“Take care of her first. I’ll be in my cabin,” he said over his shoulder as Darcy ushered Hilary upstairs.
Dane trotted across the lawn and headed straight for the bathroom once inside his cabin. Still shaking, he cranked up the hot water, clouding the room with steam as he ditched the last of his cold, sodden clothes. He climbed into the tub, hot water from the shower head raining over him. Twenty minutes later, he turned it off.
He knew what falling into a cold lake could do to a person and how quickly hypothermia could set in. It happened in much warmer temperatures. But Dane hadn’t lost his bearings once he went under. He got out quick too. There was a lot of insulation on him; he wasn’t exactly lean. Hilary, on the other hand, appeared to be going into shock when he’d surfaced. She stood stiff, mouthing something unintelligible, shaking uncontrollably. It was her reaction that got him moving.
Dane dug into his suitcase for two of his heaviest layers, a long-sleeved polypropylene base layer and a fleece quarter-zip. He pulled on the pair of polypropylene pants, wool socks, and fleece-lined hat, too, that he kept in the side pocket for emergencies. At last he dragged a chair across the room and parked himself in front of the wood stove to light it.
Foremost on his mind was Hilary. He worried about her alone in her room. He’d never witnessed a panic attack before, but Hilary’s behavior on the ride back had all the marks of one. Shock was a possibility too, but his immediate concern was hypothermia. He dropped his head in his hands and blew the air from his cheeks. The whole situation could have turned out much worse than it did. A chill ran through him.
A fleeting thought came to him when he tried to comfort her in the car, and it occurred to him again as he sat there, feeling the welcome heat seep through his layers. Something in her past triggered her reaction. Something she couldn’t freely talk about. From what he’d learned so far, Hilary was as cool as they came, but it was a controlled calm.
Dane thawed himself in front of the stove for another half hour. He really wanted to check on her. He wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t at least see she was comfortable. He slipped on his coat and shoes, and his hand was on the doorknob when someone knocked.
“Hi there,” Hilary said when he opened the door. “Can I come in?”
