Page 94 of Hold Your Breath

“The EMTs said you two would probably be here,” he explained. “Could you thank the other guys on your dive team for me, too?”

“Of course,” she said.

After additional hugs and thanks and yet more tears, the Spalding family drove away, waving and honking as they left. Once they were out of sight, Lou and Callum entered the shop as small, sharp flakes of snow began to prick their exposed skin.

“Brr,” Lou said as she stepped into the warmth of the small building. “I didn’t realize how cold it had gotten.”

Callum ran his hands briskly over her upper arms. As she began to thaw, she smacked him on the belly.

“What?” he asked, looking offended.

“You just left me to those people’s crying and hugging and gratitude!”

He laughed. “You deserved it.”

“I didn’t know what to say,” she admitted. “I mean, whatcanyou say when someone is thanking you for saving their life? I really didn’t do anything. You and Wilt went into the water. I just pulled on a rope. They were acting like I’m a hero or something.”

“You are a hero.” Leaning in close, he kissed her temple. “Get used to it.”

* * *

“Holy cow,” Lou breathed later that evening, standing close enough to Callum’s living room window that her exhalation fogged the glass. After peeking over her shoulder to see if he’d noticed, she used her sleeve to surreptitiously rub away the smudge.

“What?” he asked.

“The wind is just crazy,” she explained, taking a half step away from the glass. “It’s not snowing anymore, but it might as well be, the way it’s blowing around. I can’t even see that spindly looking pine tree in your yard. What’s the visibility—two feet?”

“Ground blizzard,” he said, crossing the living room to stand behind her. His arms crossed over her upper chest as he pulled her back against him and rested his chin on the crown of her head. Casual physical affection from Callum still surprised her, but Lou had to admit it was really, really nice. “Glad I don’t have to drive in this.”

When the radio sounded, Lou sighed, giving his forearm a light smack. “You justhadto say that, didn’t you?”

His only response was a groan of his own as he grabbed the radio off the breakfast bar and headed for the mudroom. Lou followed, automatically pulling on her outerwear as fast as she could as she listened to the dispatcher.

“Dive Rescue One, there’s been a report of an unidentified victim falling through the ice on the west side of Mission Reservoir. Caller is on scene and witnessed the victim enter the water less than one minute ago. Victim is conscious and attempting self-rescue. Dive Rescue One, do you copy?”

Callum depressed the button as he grabbed his gear bag and charged into the garage. “1210 copies. En route with 1244 to Station One. ETA three minutes.”

“Copy.”

After waiting for the paramedics to call in their status, Callum spoke into the radio again. “Dispatch, can you see if Fire and Sheriff are available to assist?”

“Affirmative.”

As they hopped into the truck, Lou waited for other dive-team members to speak, but the radio stayed ominously silent. Callum backed out of the garage as soon as the pickup had an inch of clearance below the rising door.

“Are we it?” Lou asked, wishing her voice didn’t sound so small.

“Wilt’s still gone,” he said grimly, peering through the white sheet of blowing snow. “Derek and Chad ran to Denver this morning to pick up that part for the van, and the pass was closed before they could get back. Phil lives over in Burne, which means it’ll take him two hours to get to Mission in this weather. So, yeah. We’re it. Hopefully, Fire and some deputies will make it out to help.”

“Okay.” Her knee jerked nervously up and down. “Poor Derek.”

“What?”

“He has to share a hotel room with Chad.”

“If he’s lucky. Otherwise, they’ll have to bed down in the truck cab.”

Her laugh was too loud for the joke, revealing her nerves. “They’ll need to cuddle, in order to share body heat.”