to play out here for a bit longer, but if you change your mind , he can always . . .” She broke off as she noticed Bella. The little girl had given up tugging on her father’s hand, and now, with hands on hips, let out a heavy sigh. She looked over at Clarissa and something flickered in her eyes. Without a word, she circled around the back of the chairs.
Before Clarissa could even call out to her, Bella skipped over to the big pool and went directly over the edge. Her parting into the water only made a whispered splash.
At first Clarissa could neither move nor breathe, then her body suddenly worked again, and she yelled, “Slade!”
She leapt from her chair without waiting to see his response. Her sandals made it hard to run, but she didn’t have time to take them off. In seconds she reached the pool. She saw the form of Bella beneath the water’s surface and immediately plunged into the pool next to her.
The water felt cool and heavy, too heavy. Her robe, now saturated, weighed her down, and every motion seemed to take aggravatingly long. She reache d out for Bella, kept reaching. The little girl seemed to always be just beyond her grasp. Then a moment later she grabbed hold of Bella’s hand and pulled her into her arms.
Clarissa turned and pushed through the surface, holding Bella’s head up into the air. She swam to the shallow water, checking the little girl’s face to make sure she was breathing.
“Are you all right?” Clarissa asked.
Bella nodded, her eyes wide with surprise.
Clarissa pushed her way to the stairs, hugging Bella to her to keep herself from shaking. “You scared me to death. Didn’t I tell you not to go near the big pool—didn’t I?”
“But you weren’t watching me anymore. Daddy was.”
“That matters?”
Elaina, Slade, Joe, Breck, and Sherry were all standing and staring at her from the side of the pool.
Slade gazed at her without the worry, without the terror, Clarissa had expected to see. He only looked puzzled. “What in the world are you doing?”
“Bella jumped in the pool. I went in to save her.”
“Oh,” Slade said, and a smile played on his lips. “That’s very sweet of you. Very heroic.” He held out his hands and took Bella from her arms. “Of course, it would have been more meaningful if Bella didn’t already know how to swim.”
Clarissa stood on the top stair, her robe heavy with water, which now streamed down around her ankles. Slowly she said, “Bella knows how to swim?”
“Well, yeah. I’ve got a pool at the house, so she’s had lessons since she was a baby. She probably swims as well as I do.” Clarissa stepped out onto the pool deck. One of her sandals dangled halfway off her foot. She kicked her foot into it angrily. “You never told me she knew how to swim.”
“I never told you she didn’t.”
Clarissa glared at him but didn’t dare look at the other faces. It was one thing to feel like a fool; it was another thing to see the proof that everyone agreed with you. Instead, Clarissa pushed the clinging strands of hair away from her face, then peeled off her bathrobe and rung it out. Water pooled at her feet.
“Who says good help is hard to find?” Sherry said cheerily.
Slade took the robe from Clarissa’s hands. “If we drape this across one of the pool chairs it should dry out soon.”
Clarissa had already had e nough humiliation for the day. The thought of staying here for even one more moment didn’t appeal to her. She shook her head. “I’ll just hang my robe up in my bathroom.” She reached for the robe, gave it another twist, and watched as more water dripped onto the concrete. “Maybe I should take Elaina with me. She doesn’t know how to swim, and I wouldn’t want you to worry—”
Slade held his hand up like he was taking a pledge. “I’ll keep both girls safely in the kiddy pool, we’ll have lunch, and then go up to the hotel room and play a few rounds of Shoot and Batter or something.” His eyes
Before Clarissa could even call out to her, Bella skipped over to the big pool and went directly over the edge. Her parting into the water only made a whispered splash.
At first Clarissa could neither move nor breathe, then her body suddenly worked again, and she yelled, “Slade!”
She leapt from her chair without waiting to see his response. Her sandals made it hard to run, but she didn’t have time to take them off. In seconds she reached the pool. She saw the form of Bella beneath the water’s surface and immediately plunged into the pool next to her.
The water felt cool and heavy, too heavy. Her robe, now saturated, weighed her down, and every motion seemed to take aggravatingly long. She reache d out for Bella, kept reaching. The little girl seemed to always be just beyond her grasp. Then a moment later she grabbed hold of Bella’s hand and pulled her into her arms.
Clarissa turned and pushed through the surface, holding Bella’s head up into the air. She swam to the shallow water, checking the little girl’s face to make sure she was breathing.
“Are you all right?” Clarissa asked.
Bella nodded, her eyes wide with surprise.
Clarissa pushed her way to the stairs, hugging Bella to her to keep herself from shaking. “You scared me to death. Didn’t I tell you not to go near the big pool—didn’t I?”
“But you weren’t watching me anymore. Daddy was.”
“That matters?”
Elaina, Slade, Joe, Breck, and Sherry were all standing and staring at her from the side of the pool.
Slade gazed at her without the worry, without the terror, Clarissa had expected to see. He only looked puzzled. “What in the world are you doing?”
“Bella jumped in the pool. I went in to save her.”
“Oh,” Slade said, and a smile played on his lips. “That’s very sweet of you. Very heroic.” He held out his hands and took Bella from her arms. “Of course, it would have been more meaningful if Bella didn’t already know how to swim.”
Clarissa stood on the top stair, her robe heavy with water, which now streamed down around her ankles. Slowly she said, “Bella knows how to swim?”
“Well, yeah. I’ve got a pool at the house, so she’s had lessons since she was a baby. She probably swims as well as I do.” Clarissa stepped out onto the pool deck. One of her sandals dangled halfway off her foot. She kicked her foot into it angrily. “You never told me she knew how to swim.”
“I never told you she didn’t.”
Clarissa glared at him but didn’t dare look at the other faces. It was one thing to feel like a fool; it was another thing to see the proof that everyone agreed with you. Instead, Clarissa pushed the clinging strands of hair away from her face, then peeled off her bathrobe and rung it out. Water pooled at her feet.
“Who says good help is hard to find?” Sherry said cheerily.
Slade took the robe from Clarissa’s hands. “If we drape this across one of the pool chairs it should dry out soon.”
Clarissa had already had e nough humiliation for the day. The thought of staying here for even one more moment didn’t appeal to her. She shook her head. “I’ll just hang my robe up in my bathroom.” She reached for the robe, gave it another twist, and watched as more water dripped onto the concrete. “Maybe I should take Elaina with me. She doesn’t know how to swim, and I wouldn’t want you to worry—”
Slade held his hand up like he was taking a pledge. “I’ll keep both girls safely in the kiddy pool, we’ll have lunch, and then go up to the hotel room and play a few rounds of Shoot and Batter or something.” His eyes
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