Page 87 of The Replacement Wife (New Hope 2)

“I can’t see anything.”

“We have to swim.”

“I can’t.”

“You’re doing fine,” I say, slipping one arm under hers. “Hang on to me.”

I swim. I kick with everything I’ve got.

“You have to help,” I tell her. I’m panting hard. I can’t suck in enough air. I smell gasoline. “It could still blow.”

“The trick,” I tell her, “Is not to panic.”

The smoke from the boat rolls over us.

Suddenly, we’re moving faster, and eventually, we find, or rather we hit, a jagged edge. I hoist Melanie up.

“I have to catch my breath,” I say. “I think my ribs are broken.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” She does exactly what I’ve advised her not to do. She panics.

“We’re going to have to swim up the lake for a bit until we find flat land…”

“You know I can’t swim, Tom. I can’t.”

“I’ll help you,” I assure her. “We’ll do it together.”

“It’s pitch black out here.”

“It’s better this way.”

I hear Melanie pull herself further onto the ledge. “They’re dead. We killed them.”

“They had a boating accident,” I correct her. “We weren’t here.”

Eventually, she says, “That’s really brilliant, Tom. Really brilliant.”

“What are you doing?” I can’t see anything. “Is there room up there for me?” I don’t know if I have the strength to pull myself up.

“Thank you for coming for me.” Her voice is far away.

“My pleasure.” My ribs ache. “Come down. You have to get back in the water.”

“I can’t.”

“We have to swim now. We can’t stay here. Someone’s bound to have heard the crash.”

She doesn’t respond.

“Melanie?”

“I can’t, Tom.”

“I’ll help you.” It hurts to talk. It hurts to move. “Just let me catch my breath.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Melanie