and whining had stopped now that Lyssa was out of the pool. With a whoosh of air, Lyssa moved by him.
"You were so upset," Lyssa crooned to Otis. "You're such a good dog for alerting Cody that I fell in the pool."
Confusion filled him. "What are you talking about?"
"Otis alerted you by barking. Isn't that why you came in after me?"
"Yes, but..." he said, trying to keep his sudden skepticism at bay. "Is he trained to do that?"
"Well, no. He was resting by the table, not guiding me. It's hard to tell how any dog will react in a situation like this."
Irritation mingled with anger, simmering just below the surface of his composure.
"Otis alerted me," he said flatly.
She chuckled softly. "Well, yes. How else would you have known I fell in?"
"The big splash you made was a good clue," Cody said shortly.
"But he kept barking," Lyssa protested.
"And barking."
Lyssa hesitated, her voice a little unsure. "Yes."
"Tell me, how long did it take you to cook up this little scheme?"
She fell silent for a moment. "Cody, what on earth are you talking about?"
"You were the one who was talking about heroes. You tell me."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at."
"I think you do. You wanted me to be a hero. Now you've done it. I've saved the day."
She laughed wryly. "I fell into the pool, Cody. You came in after me. I guess, yeah, that makes you my hero."
"And if I hadn't been here, what would have happened?"
She was silent.
"Don't you dare back down on me now, Lyssa. What would you have done?"
"I probably would have very ungracefully made my way to the side of the pool, climbed out, wrung out my clothes and felt pretty embarrassed about the puddles I'd made through the house."
He sighed, humiliation flaring up inside him. He was beginning to think Lyssa was different. What had made him think she'd see him as a man when no one else seemed to?
"Thank you for at least being honest."
"About what? Falling in the pool?"
"About staging this little—"
By the swoosh of air that belted him, he knew she'd swung around quickly. "Hey, wait just a second. I fell in the pool. Maybe I don't like admitting I can be a klutz, but that's the truth."
"You mean you didn't pretend to be drowning, either?"
"What are you talking about?"
He laughed, but the anger that had been simmering began to burn deep inside his gut.
"Is that part of your schooling, humiliating your students?"
"If anyone should be humiliated, it's me. I was angry and wasn't watching where I was going. I can't swim very well and I fell in the deep end of the pool. I'd swallowed some water and started coughing. I panicked. Before I knew what was happening you were wading into the pool after me. I didn't stage anything."
"No, you just stayed nice and quiet until I found you. Made me think you were in trouble so I could rescue you."
"No, that's not it at all. I wasn't drowning. But it would have taken me a while to get out of the pool on my own and I appreciate your help. Obviously you don't believe that so you can go ahead and think what you want."
"You lied."
"How do you figure that?"
"You pretended something that wasn't real."
She sighed heavily. "What's real is you got out of that chair and came in after me."
His laugh was harsh and his mouth tasted bitter. "Well, Alyssandra, you got me out of the chair, all right. Now, if you'll excuse me . . ."
"No. No more. You're not going to sink back into that hole after coming this far."
"Who gave you the right to come here and decide what hole I should or shouldn't be in? I don't want you here in my house or in my life. And I don't want your pity. Just take your dog and get out!"
"I can't! If I leave, Otis has to stay."
Ironically, his fury was blinding and he would have laughed if he didn't feel so damned lousy. His head pounded so strong it felt ready to explode.
"I don't want your dog."
"He's not my dog. Technically, he belongs to your father. So neither one of us has a say in this. And I won't let all
"You were so upset," Lyssa crooned to Otis. "You're such a good dog for alerting Cody that I fell in the pool."
Confusion filled him. "What are you talking about?"
"Otis alerted you by barking. Isn't that why you came in after me?"
"Yes, but..." he said, trying to keep his sudden skepticism at bay. "Is he trained to do that?"
"Well, no. He was resting by the table, not guiding me. It's hard to tell how any dog will react in a situation like this."
Irritation mingled with anger, simmering just below the surface of his composure.
"Otis alerted me," he said flatly.
She chuckled softly. "Well, yes. How else would you have known I fell in?"
"The big splash you made was a good clue," Cody said shortly.
"But he kept barking," Lyssa protested.
"And barking."
Lyssa hesitated, her voice a little unsure. "Yes."
"Tell me, how long did it take you to cook up this little scheme?"
She fell silent for a moment. "Cody, what on earth are you talking about?"
"You were the one who was talking about heroes. You tell me."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at."
"I think you do. You wanted me to be a hero. Now you've done it. I've saved the day."
She laughed wryly. "I fell into the pool, Cody. You came in after me. I guess, yeah, that makes you my hero."
"And if I hadn't been here, what would have happened?"
She was silent.
"Don't you dare back down on me now, Lyssa. What would you have done?"
"I probably would have very ungracefully made my way to the side of the pool, climbed out, wrung out my clothes and felt pretty embarrassed about the puddles I'd made through the house."
He sighed, humiliation flaring up inside him. He was beginning to think Lyssa was different. What had made him think she'd see him as a man when no one else seemed to?
"Thank you for at least being honest."
"About what? Falling in the pool?"
"About staging this little—"
By the swoosh of air that belted him, he knew she'd swung around quickly. "Hey, wait just a second. I fell in the pool. Maybe I don't like admitting I can be a klutz, but that's the truth."
"You mean you didn't pretend to be drowning, either?"
"What are you talking about?"
He laughed, but the anger that had been simmering began to burn deep inside his gut.
"Is that part of your schooling, humiliating your students?"
"If anyone should be humiliated, it's me. I was angry and wasn't watching where I was going. I can't swim very well and I fell in the deep end of the pool. I'd swallowed some water and started coughing. I panicked. Before I knew what was happening you were wading into the pool after me. I didn't stage anything."
"No, you just stayed nice and quiet until I found you. Made me think you were in trouble so I could rescue you."
"No, that's not it at all. I wasn't drowning. But it would have taken me a while to get out of the pool on my own and I appreciate your help. Obviously you don't believe that so you can go ahead and think what you want."
"You lied."
"How do you figure that?"
"You pretended something that wasn't real."
She sighed heavily. "What's real is you got out of that chair and came in after me."
His laugh was harsh and his mouth tasted bitter. "Well, Alyssandra, you got me out of the chair, all right. Now, if you'll excuse me . . ."
"No. No more. You're not going to sink back into that hole after coming this far."
"Who gave you the right to come here and decide what hole I should or shouldn't be in? I don't want you here in my house or in my life. And I don't want your pity. Just take your dog and get out!"
"I can't! If I leave, Otis has to stay."
Ironically, his fury was blinding and he would have laughed if he didn't feel so damned lousy. His head pounded so strong it felt ready to explode.
"I don't want your dog."
"He's not my dog. Technically, he belongs to your father. So neither one of us has a say in this. And I won't let all
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