Chapter 15 #2
Bradley’s big laugh startled or possibly just annoyed some of the seagulls, and they took off toward the water.
“Yep, did my share of detention. But it seems that a guy like you would have been one of those jocks. You know, the kind that all the cheerleaders followed around. Had a few groupies myself during my water polo days.”
“Nope, there weren’t any sports in high school for D students. Although, I had my share of cheerleaders.”
Another roaring laugh. He was annoying, but he wasn’t a bad guy. I liked someone who could laugh easily and that was definitely Bradley. Rita had stretched out the second towel. As she relaxed back, her husband hopped up. He made quite a show of taking off his sweat suit.
“Well, you landlubbers can just sit there and watch. I’m going in.”
“Take it easy out there,” I warned.
Rita propped up on her elbows and watched him wade into the water. “Thinks he’s still in high school,” she huffed. She had on giant, round sunglasses that hid most of her face. “So, are you two married or engaged? You’re such a cute couple.”
I shook my head.
“What the heck are you waiting for?” she asked suddenly stepping into her husband’s role of asking questions as if we’d all been buddies for years.
“Just waiting for the right time, I guess.”
Britton grinned at me. She seemed to be reading my thoughts. “I know you’re hungry, Slade, so why don’t we go hunt down that burger.”
“Oh, where are you going to eat?” Rita asked. “We were just talking about dinner before we walked down here.”
“We’re just going to see where the road takes us,” I said. “Nice talking to you, Rita.” I stood and lowered my hand for Britton. I popped her to her feet, and we were off, making a clean, quick getaway.
We were only halfway across the sand when a shriek broke the silence behind us. We turned around. Rita was standing on the sand looking decidedly distraught. Farther off, I heard Bradley yelling for help.
“Damn it, and my mouth was already watering for that burger.” We hurried back toward the shore. “I told the fool there was an undertow.”
We reached the waterline. Bradley’s head was bobbing up and down in the waves. It was obvious that he was worn out from struggling to swim back to shore, a feat that was much harder than it looked when the tide was working against you.
Rita was fanning her face and hopping up and down as if she was deciding whether to pee her pants or faint. “Help him, please. He can’t get into shore.”
“Yeah, I see that.” I yanked off my shirt and handed it to Britton.
“Be careful.”
I leaned forward and kissed her. “Just so you know it, you are extremely cute when you’re worried.” I walked into the water. “Fuck, that’s cold.”
“Hang on, Brad,” Rita cried from the shore.
Britton walked over and put an arm around her.
I headed in the direction of Bradley’s flailing arms and dove into the cresting waves.
My head popped up, and I sucked in a sharp breath from the shock of the icy water.
I was about fifteen feet from Bradley. From his expression of despair, it was obvious he was losing strength fast.
One good wave washed over his head, and he disappeared below the surface for a few seconds.
Behind me, Rita screamed. Bradley popped back up and coughed up sea water.
The undertow was drawing me out toward him fast, but I decided it was more the freezing temperature of the water than the relentless pull of the ocean that was sapping Bradley of his energy.
I reached him just as another wave slapped him down toward the bottom. I seized his arm as he tried desperately to grab for something. I pulled him up above the surface, and he sucked in another mouthful of water. In a panic, he struggled against me.
“Hey, stop, just fucking relax. I’ve got you.”
He was past the point of listening.
The wave sets were coming in faster, harder and colder as the water below the surface pushed in the opposite direction. Holding Bradley, with his thrashing arms and legs, above the surface took all my strength, a strength that was also being drained by the strong, ice cold current.
I wrapped my arm around his chest and started swimming side stroke toward the shore, but every foot in the right direction was followed by six inches back toward the open sea.
“Hold your breath. Here’s another wave.” I gripped him tightly as the water rolled over us, taking us a few feet closer to shore. Before I could keep going in the right direction, the riptide pulled us back again.
I needed to go across the waves instead of with them. It would make the path to shore that much longer, but there was no other way to get in.
“Another wave,” I warned. This time the water polo expert freaked, and for some stupid ass reason, he threw his head back. His skull nailed me hard on the cheek, sending a jolt of pain through my head.
“Fuck, dude, you’ve got to relax. If you knock me out, then we’re both going under.”
I finally made some progress as I swam across and inched closer to the shore. The women had moved along the sand to meet us. For a few seconds, my feet touched solid sea bottom, and I pushed forward. The shore was getting closer.
Without warning, a sizable wave smacked us from behind, and we both rolled under like clothes in a washer. I kept a grip on his arm. As we surfaced, his free elbow shot back and landed directly on my stab wound. This time the acute pain knocked the breath from me.
I had a hard time holding onto my sharp-elbowed victim as I tried to catch my wind. The waves pushed against us and then dragged us back.
In my haze, I glanced toward the beach. Britton’s face was pale with worry as she walked a few feet into the water. I sucked in a long, unsteady breath. The pain in my side radiated through my entire body.
The water pulled back, and I felt the sandy ocean floor beneath my feet. I grabbed Bradley’s arm and pulled him through the water. Britton sensed that I was in some trouble and waded out to meet us. She helped Bradley stumble to dry land.
I pressed my arm against my side to staunch the pain, but it felt as if I’d been stabbed all over again.
Britton waded back into the water. “What happened?”
I shook my head, which was spinning like a fucking top. “It’s fine. His elbow just landed on my wound like a dart on a bullseye. I’ll be fine after I puke.” I spun back around to face the water. Throwing up didn’t lessen the pain, but I definitely felt better.
Rita was knelt down next to Bradley, who looked gray with fatigue as he struggled to catch his breath.
“Thank you,” he said weakly.
“No problem. We’re heading up. You guys all right from here?” I asked.
“Yes.” Rita was still weepy. “You’re wonderful. Thank you for saving him.” She noticed for the first time that I was holding my side. “Oh my gosh, did you get hurt?”
“Nope, just an old wound. Take care.”
Britton picked up my shirt, took hold of my hand and draped my arm over her shoulder. “You can lean on me.”
We walked back toward the steps. The pain was slowly subsiding from sharp stabs to a thunderous throb that pulsed across my stomach.
“Maybe we should get you to a doctor,” Britton suggested.
“Nah, I think Bradley just awakened some of those damn nerve endings. He must have been one hell of a water polo player with those elbows. I think, with a little nursing, I’ll feel a lot better.
As long as you’re the nurse. You didn’t happen to bring one of those hot little nurse dresses the chicks always wear on Halloween?
That would really speed up the healing process. ”
“I can check in my duffle, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t pack one.” We neared the steps. Our shoes were still at the bottom.
“Think I’m going to have to sit for this.” With a grunt of a pain, I plunked my ass down on the bottom step to pull on my shoes. Bending forward was pure agony.
Britton knelt down. “Let me help.” She wiped her hands over my feet to get off the sand.
“Hmm, I could get used to this.”
She shook her head. “You’re something else. You just dove into a strong riptide to save a complete stranger, a stranger, who despite his water polo skills nearly took you along with him to his watery grave, and you’re flirting like a madman with a raging erection.”
I smiled down at her as she struggled to get my shoe on. “First of all, madman with a raging erection is how I get up in the morning and how I go to sleep in the evening, so nothing new there. And if you didn’t make such a darn cute shoe fitter, I wouldn’t have made the comment in the first place.”
I held my breath and leaned forward to help her jam on my stubborn shoes. It took a few seconds of cursing through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw for the waves of pain to settle.
“At least the pain in my gut has lessened the gnawing hunger pangs.” I grabbed the railing on the stairway and hauled myself up to my feet. “Now, my sweet little nurse slash wood sprite, get me upstairs for some much needed first aid.”