back up for air. He was in deep water, unable to touch the bottom. He hoped to God Lyssa wasn't below him. He moved again and felt his foot kick against something. Twisting his body around, he reached out and felt her arm, grabbing it as she lashed at him.
He drew her to him, feeling his way to push the hair from her face and her mouth. She coughed, and with that sound, relief flooded him. She might have swallowed water, but at least she was breathing. Her arms were thrashing, striking him in the face and shoulders, as if she were struggling.
"You're okay, Lyssa. I've got you," Cody said, hooking his arm around her and swimming in the rescue position that he'd learned years ago as a young boy taking lessons.
Lyssa was tinier than he'd imagined. The thought struck Cody hard, in contrast to his first impression of her. Although he had to admit he'd tried real hard not to imagine what Lyssa McElhannon was like behind all that sass and steam. And although she was a little bony, she was soft against him.
He pushed those wayward thoughts away and concentrated on his movement, on getting them both out of the pool.
His hand touched the edge of the pool and he felt his feet hit bottom. Relief washed over him as he stood and realized he was in the shallow end of the pool.
"Don't fight me. I have you. I won't let you go under," Cody said as Lyssa coughed. He picked her up and lifted her out of the water.
She coughed a few more times. "I'm okay. You can let go of me."
"Let me be the judge of that."
"I am. Please put me down."
He dropped the arm that held tight to her knees and felt the swish of water around his denim-clad legs as her feet submerged, but he held tight with his other arm around her waist. His boots, which he'd neglected to pull off in exchange for precious time, were now filled with water and made it difficult to move steadily.
"I'll help you climb out."
"No, really. I can do it. I just wasn't looking. I can't believe I fell in."
"I'm going to have Isadore call 911. You need to be checked."
"You're making too much of this. I'm fine. It was a simple accident."
"For God's sake, you nearly drowned, Lyssa. I just want to make sure you didn't swallow too much water."
"Please, Cody, I fell in the pool. Big deal. It's not like it's the first time I've done something this stupid."
"You mean, you make a habit of this sort of thing? Didn't you ever take swimming lessons?"
He felt droplets of water spray him as she shook her head. "No, I didn't. And I'm just not a good swimmer. I'm not very coordinated, either, it seems. Never been."
When they reached the stairs, she climbed out first. He gripped the rail and climbed out behind her. Instinctively, he returned his arm to her waist without a thought of how he was going to get back to the house.
The dining room screen door opened and he heard the click of Isadore's shoes on the concrete by the pool.
"I turn my back for a minute to do laundry and you decided to take a swim without even changing into a bathing suit," she said, thrusting a terry towel in his hand.
He unfolded it and since he knew Lyssa was standing just next to him, he draped it around her shoulders and began to rub her back.
"I have a towel, thank you." Lyssa's voice was more breathless than it had been in the pool, and Cody started to worry that maybe she just didn't want to burden anyone.
"Isadore, please call the doctor. I want to make sure Ms. McElfen—"
"McElhannon," Lyssa quickly corrected.
"Lyssa fell in the pool and I want to make sure she wasn't hurt."
Isadore gasped. "My goodness, child, are you all right?"
Lyssa groaned. "You're both making way too much of this."
"Am I?" Cody asked.
He heard her soft sigh and wished he could see her face. He wished even more that she was in his arms so he could know that she was all right.
"Yes. Isadore, please don't call anyone. Please. I'd rather forget this happened."
Cody felt the dog's tail whip against his leg as he passed. Otis's barking
He drew her to him, feeling his way to push the hair from her face and her mouth. She coughed, and with that sound, relief flooded him. She might have swallowed water, but at least she was breathing. Her arms were thrashing, striking him in the face and shoulders, as if she were struggling.
"You're okay, Lyssa. I've got you," Cody said, hooking his arm around her and swimming in the rescue position that he'd learned years ago as a young boy taking lessons.
Lyssa was tinier than he'd imagined. The thought struck Cody hard, in contrast to his first impression of her. Although he had to admit he'd tried real hard not to imagine what Lyssa McElhannon was like behind all that sass and steam. And although she was a little bony, she was soft against him.
He pushed those wayward thoughts away and concentrated on his movement, on getting them both out of the pool.
His hand touched the edge of the pool and he felt his feet hit bottom. Relief washed over him as he stood and realized he was in the shallow end of the pool.
"Don't fight me. I have you. I won't let you go under," Cody said as Lyssa coughed. He picked her up and lifted her out of the water.
She coughed a few more times. "I'm okay. You can let go of me."
"Let me be the judge of that."
"I am. Please put me down."
He dropped the arm that held tight to her knees and felt the swish of water around his denim-clad legs as her feet submerged, but he held tight with his other arm around her waist. His boots, which he'd neglected to pull off in exchange for precious time, were now filled with water and made it difficult to move steadily.
"I'll help you climb out."
"No, really. I can do it. I just wasn't looking. I can't believe I fell in."
"I'm going to have Isadore call 911. You need to be checked."
"You're making too much of this. I'm fine. It was a simple accident."
"For God's sake, you nearly drowned, Lyssa. I just want to make sure you didn't swallow too much water."
"Please, Cody, I fell in the pool. Big deal. It's not like it's the first time I've done something this stupid."
"You mean, you make a habit of this sort of thing? Didn't you ever take swimming lessons?"
He felt droplets of water spray him as she shook her head. "No, I didn't. And I'm just not a good swimmer. I'm not very coordinated, either, it seems. Never been."
When they reached the stairs, she climbed out first. He gripped the rail and climbed out behind her. Instinctively, he returned his arm to her waist without a thought of how he was going to get back to the house.
The dining room screen door opened and he heard the click of Isadore's shoes on the concrete by the pool.
"I turn my back for a minute to do laundry and you decided to take a swim without even changing into a bathing suit," she said, thrusting a terry towel in his hand.
He unfolded it and since he knew Lyssa was standing just next to him, he draped it around her shoulders and began to rub her back.
"I have a towel, thank you." Lyssa's voice was more breathless than it had been in the pool, and Cody started to worry that maybe she just didn't want to burden anyone.
"Isadore, please call the doctor. I want to make sure Ms. McElfen—"
"McElhannon," Lyssa quickly corrected.
"Lyssa fell in the pool and I want to make sure she wasn't hurt."
Isadore gasped. "My goodness, child, are you all right?"
Lyssa groaned. "You're both making way too much of this."
"Am I?" Cody asked.
He heard her soft sigh and wished he could see her face. He wished even more that she was in his arms so he could know that she was all right.
"Yes. Isadore, please don't call anyone. Please. I'd rather forget this happened."
Cody felt the dog's tail whip against his leg as he passed. Otis's barking
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