While Alex watched, Garrett blew into the boy’s mouth once. Twice. The waiting was the worst part. The quiet, but for the water continually slapping the hull and the now quiet weeping from the woman who had to be the boy’s mother.
Again, Garrett breathed air into the boy’s lungs and this time, there was a reaction.
Coughing, sputtering, retching what seemed a gallon of sea water, the little boy arched up off the deck of the boat, opened his eyes and cried, “Mommy!”
Instantly, the woman was on her knees, gathering her son to her chest. Rocking him, holding him, murmuring words only he could hear between the sobs racking her.
Tears streaked down Alex’s cheeks, too, as she watched the man in the water grab Garrett and give him a hard hug. “Thanks, man. Seriously, thank you. I don’t know what— If you hadn’t been here—”
Garrett’s gaze drifted to Alex and she felt his fury and relief as surely as she felt her own. But mixed in with those churning emotions, pride in what Garrett had done swelled inside her. He’d saved that child. If not for him, the boy would never have been recovered. His parents might have spent hours looking, wondering exactly where the boy had fallen in, having no idea where to search for him.
“Glad I could help,” Garrett said tightly. “Next time slow down. And give that kid a life vest when you’re on a damn boat.”
“Right. Right.” The man swiped one hand across his face, looked up at his family and Alex saw him pale at the realization of what might have happened.
“Yeah,” he said. “I will. I swear it.”
“Thank you,” the woman said, lifting her head long enough to look first at Garrett and then at Alex. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what else to say—”
She broke off, her gaze narrowing as she stared at Alex, a question in her eyes. “Aren’t you…”
A knot of panic exploded in Alex’s stomach. Would this woman recognize her? Say something?
“You’d better get him to a doctor,” Garrett blurted. “Have him checked out.”
“Yes,” the woman said, tearing her gaze away from Alex long enough to nod, then stare down at her son again. “Good idea. Mike?”
“Coming,” the man said, pushing himself out of the water and onto the boat. “Thanks again. It’s not enough but it’s all I can say.”
Relieved that not only the boy was safe, but her secret as well, Alex watched Garrett swim toward her. She paid no attention when the speedboat owners fired up their powerful engine and took off—at a slower pace than they had been going previously. She was just glad to see them gone. Of course she was happy the child had survived. Happy that Garrett had been able to save him. But she was also grateful that her identity was still a secret. What were the odds, she wondered, of being in the middle of an ocean with a child near drowning and that boy’s mother recognizing her?
She shoved those thoughts away as Garrett braced his hands on the edge of the boat and hoisted himself inside. Then he just sat there, holding his head in his hands. Alex sat down beside him, uncaring about the water sluicing off his clothes, soaking into hers.
Alex wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You were wonderful,” she said softly.
“I was lucky,” he corrected, lifting his head to look at her. “Saw a flash of the kid’s white T-shirt and made a blind grab for him.”
“You saved him,” Alex said, cupping his cheek in her palm. “You were wonderful, Garrett.”
A slow smile curved his mouth. “If you say so.”
She smiled too. “I do.”
“I learned a long time ago—never argue with a beautiful woman.” He caught her hand in his, squeezed it briefly then leaned in to give her a fast kiss. “But, I think our boating trip is over.”
Her heart tumbled in her chest. She didn’t want the day to end. It had been
Again, Garrett breathed air into the boy’s lungs and this time, there was a reaction.
Coughing, sputtering, retching what seemed a gallon of sea water, the little boy arched up off the deck of the boat, opened his eyes and cried, “Mommy!”
Instantly, the woman was on her knees, gathering her son to her chest. Rocking him, holding him, murmuring words only he could hear between the sobs racking her.
Tears streaked down Alex’s cheeks, too, as she watched the man in the water grab Garrett and give him a hard hug. “Thanks, man. Seriously, thank you. I don’t know what— If you hadn’t been here—”
Garrett’s gaze drifted to Alex and she felt his fury and relief as surely as she felt her own. But mixed in with those churning emotions, pride in what Garrett had done swelled inside her. He’d saved that child. If not for him, the boy would never have been recovered. His parents might have spent hours looking, wondering exactly where the boy had fallen in, having no idea where to search for him.
“Glad I could help,” Garrett said tightly. “Next time slow down. And give that kid a life vest when you’re on a damn boat.”
“Right. Right.” The man swiped one hand across his face, looked up at his family and Alex saw him pale at the realization of what might have happened.
“Yeah,” he said. “I will. I swear it.”
“Thank you,” the woman said, lifting her head long enough to look first at Garrett and then at Alex. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what else to say—”
She broke off, her gaze narrowing as she stared at Alex, a question in her eyes. “Aren’t you…”
A knot of panic exploded in Alex’s stomach. Would this woman recognize her? Say something?
“You’d better get him to a doctor,” Garrett blurted. “Have him checked out.”
“Yes,” the woman said, tearing her gaze away from Alex long enough to nod, then stare down at her son again. “Good idea. Mike?”
“Coming,” the man said, pushing himself out of the water and onto the boat. “Thanks again. It’s not enough but it’s all I can say.”
Relieved that not only the boy was safe, but her secret as well, Alex watched Garrett swim toward her. She paid no attention when the speedboat owners fired up their powerful engine and took off—at a slower pace than they had been going previously. She was just glad to see them gone. Of course she was happy the child had survived. Happy that Garrett had been able to save him. But she was also grateful that her identity was still a secret. What were the odds, she wondered, of being in the middle of an ocean with a child near drowning and that boy’s mother recognizing her?
She shoved those thoughts away as Garrett braced his hands on the edge of the boat and hoisted himself inside. Then he just sat there, holding his head in his hands. Alex sat down beside him, uncaring about the water sluicing off his clothes, soaking into hers.
Alex wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You were wonderful,” she said softly.
“I was lucky,” he corrected, lifting his head to look at her. “Saw a flash of the kid’s white T-shirt and made a blind grab for him.”
“You saved him,” Alex said, cupping his cheek in her palm. “You were wonderful, Garrett.”
A slow smile curved his mouth. “If you say so.”
She smiled too. “I do.”
“I learned a long time ago—never argue with a beautiful woman.” He caught her hand in his, squeezed it briefly then leaned in to give her a fast kiss. “But, I think our boating trip is over.”
Her heart tumbled in her chest. She didn’t want the day to end. It had been
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