me go.”
Joseph clenched his jaw and hardened his heart. Lucy’s dying words echoed in his mind. A week ago she had threatened him with bodily harm for looking at Sophie with interest. He was more determined than ever to honor Lucy’s request, and in order to fulfill her wish, he had to get Sophie off this boat.
Wrapping one arm tightly around her middle, he hauled her away from the lifeless body, and veered toward the side of the deck. Sophie’s arms flailed wildly and she strained against him with a strength that belied her slight size. Her fists connected with his arms and chest, but Joseph ignored her attempts to free herself from his grip.
“You have to save the nice lady,” a child’s voice hollered. Joseph’s head turned to see the young boy Sophie had helped earlier rush up to him. “Into the river,” the boy shouted, pointing to the shoreline some thirty feet away.
“That’s what we’re doing,” Joseph yelled back at the boy. “Can you swim?”
“Yessir,” the boy nodded, and ran for the edge of the deck. He hesitated, and glanced back. Joseph nodded in encouragement. The boy jumped into the water and disappeared from view. Adjusting his hold around Sophie’s waist, Joseph dragged and half-lifted her along. She continued to struggle against him.
“Let me go. Please, let me go,” she screeched, digging in her heels on the wooden deck. “We can’t leave Lucy behind.”
“Take a deep breath,” he yelled, ignoring her pleas. He didn’t stop when he reached the edge of the deck, and leapt overboard, his arm wrapped tightly around Sophie’s middle. Her shrill scream pierced his ear. The cold river water closed around him and over his head. Joseph kicked with his legs and free arm, pushing upward to the surface. His head broke through the water, and he sucked in a deep breath. He lifted Sophie above water, and she gulped for air.
“Kick with your legs,” he commanded in her ear. “I’ll keep you afloat, but you have to help.”
Sophie gasped, her arms paddling frantically like a dog’s. Joseph pulled his free arm through the water, the weight of the woman in his grip growing heavier by the second. Sophie’s skirts acted like anchors, dragging her down and hindering his efforts. She coughed and sputtered, and struggled with her arms. He renewed his hold on her, refusing to let go. Why the hell hadn’t he thought to pull all those petticoats off of her before jumping into the river?
“Can you swim?” he shouted without looking at her. If she didn’t help, she’d drown both of them.
“Yes,” she choked. “I’m trying. My skirts are too heavy.”
The strong current swept them along, and Joseph kicked his legs through the water to get them closer to shore. Debris from the destroyed steamboat rushed past, and every now and then, the head or arms of a lifeless body bobbed up and down in the water. Joseph hoped the young boy was strong enough to swim to shore.
A few more yards away from where he thought the water would be shallow enough to touch bottom, a heavy jagged object rammed into him, just above his left hip. Joseph inhaled sharply, and gritted his teeth. For a second, his vision blurred and faded to blackness. He blinked and pushed on despite the crippling pain. He lost his hold around Sophie, and she flailed her arms in an effort to keep her head above water. Her hands clung to his arm, and he redoubled his efforts. Pure determination and adrenaline drove him forward. His feet finally touched bottom, and he breathed easier. Stumbling onto the banks of the river, he hauled Sophie out of the water. She collapsed instantly, gasping for breath and sobbing.
“Come on, we’ve almost made it,” he said to encourage her. When she didn’t respond, he bent and scooped her into his arms. Water poured from her drenched skirts, and he strained to lift her up off the ground. Her clothes were so heavy with water, it was a miracle he hadn’t lost his hold on her in the river. She
Joseph clenched his jaw and hardened his heart. Lucy’s dying words echoed in his mind. A week ago she had threatened him with bodily harm for looking at Sophie with interest. He was more determined than ever to honor Lucy’s request, and in order to fulfill her wish, he had to get Sophie off this boat.
Wrapping one arm tightly around her middle, he hauled her away from the lifeless body, and veered toward the side of the deck. Sophie’s arms flailed wildly and she strained against him with a strength that belied her slight size. Her fists connected with his arms and chest, but Joseph ignored her attempts to free herself from his grip.
“You have to save the nice lady,” a child’s voice hollered. Joseph’s head turned to see the young boy Sophie had helped earlier rush up to him. “Into the river,” the boy shouted, pointing to the shoreline some thirty feet away.
“That’s what we’re doing,” Joseph yelled back at the boy. “Can you swim?”
“Yessir,” the boy nodded, and ran for the edge of the deck. He hesitated, and glanced back. Joseph nodded in encouragement. The boy jumped into the water and disappeared from view. Adjusting his hold around Sophie’s waist, Joseph dragged and half-lifted her along. She continued to struggle against him.
“Let me go. Please, let me go,” she screeched, digging in her heels on the wooden deck. “We can’t leave Lucy behind.”
“Take a deep breath,” he yelled, ignoring her pleas. He didn’t stop when he reached the edge of the deck, and leapt overboard, his arm wrapped tightly around Sophie’s middle. Her shrill scream pierced his ear. The cold river water closed around him and over his head. Joseph kicked with his legs and free arm, pushing upward to the surface. His head broke through the water, and he sucked in a deep breath. He lifted Sophie above water, and she gulped for air.
“Kick with your legs,” he commanded in her ear. “I’ll keep you afloat, but you have to help.”
Sophie gasped, her arms paddling frantically like a dog’s. Joseph pulled his free arm through the water, the weight of the woman in his grip growing heavier by the second. Sophie’s skirts acted like anchors, dragging her down and hindering his efforts. She coughed and sputtered, and struggled with her arms. He renewed his hold on her, refusing to let go. Why the hell hadn’t he thought to pull all those petticoats off of her before jumping into the river?
“Can you swim?” he shouted without looking at her. If she didn’t help, she’d drown both of them.
“Yes,” she choked. “I’m trying. My skirts are too heavy.”
The strong current swept them along, and Joseph kicked his legs through the water to get them closer to shore. Debris from the destroyed steamboat rushed past, and every now and then, the head or arms of a lifeless body bobbed up and down in the water. Joseph hoped the young boy was strong enough to swim to shore.
A few more yards away from where he thought the water would be shallow enough to touch bottom, a heavy jagged object rammed into him, just above his left hip. Joseph inhaled sharply, and gritted his teeth. For a second, his vision blurred and faded to blackness. He blinked and pushed on despite the crippling pain. He lost his hold around Sophie, and she flailed her arms in an effort to keep her head above water. Her hands clung to his arm, and he redoubled his efforts. Pure determination and adrenaline drove him forward. His feet finally touched bottom, and he breathed easier. Stumbling onto the banks of the river, he hauled Sophie out of the water. She collapsed instantly, gasping for breath and sobbing.
“Come on, we’ve almost made it,” he said to encourage her. When she didn’t respond, he bent and scooped her into his arms. Water poured from her drenched skirts, and he strained to lift her up off the ground. Her clothes were so heavy with water, it was a miracle he hadn’t lost his hold on her in the river. She
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