Breathless Read Free Page B

here.” The voice was deep and musical, like one Lainey had never heard before.
    Her eyes could barely focus as she rolled onto her back and glimpsed him. He wore no shirt and his bare arms were muscular. Strands of dripping brown hair hung in his eyes, swept to the side a little. Two beautiful amber eyes stared back at her. His chin was traced with a thin line of facial hair coming together beneath his bottom lip. A thin brown cord hung around his neck, holding a single opal stone. Where did he come from? Lainey tried to focus on his eyes, but everything went dark.
     
    *~*~*
     
    Lainey opened her eyes and stared up at the stucco ceiling. It took a few minutes to realize she was lying on the couch in her living room as a cool morning breeze blew in the open window. Her eyes focused on her mom sitting in the chair across the room, flipping through a magazine.
    “Hey, sweetie, you’re awake,” she whispered, coming to sit next to her.
    “What…” Her throat felt raw and scratchy. “Ouch.”
    Her mom handed her a cup of water, and she took a sip. It didn’t ease the pain much.
    “Do you remember what happened?”
    Lainey shook her head.
    “You were out on the boat and the storm came up. You fell overboard. Peter said he jumped in after you, but he couldn’t find you, and he couldn’t leave Rachel on the boat. They came back to call the coastguard and found you on the beach two hours later. Do you remember how you got to the beach?”
    Lainey cleared her throat, quickly realized her mistake, and winced. “There was… a boy. He saved me. I didn’t get his name.”
    “We owe this boy a lot. He saved my little girl.”
    She nodded, finding it hard to keep her eyes open.
    “Go back to sleep. We can talk more later.” Her mother kissed the top of her head. “I love you, sweetie.”
    When Lainey woke up again, her mind wasn’t as muddled. Rachel was sitting next to her this time, eating a peanut butter sandwich.
    “Where’s my sandwich?” Lainey whispered, startling Rachel.
    “You’re awake! I can make you a sandwich. Are you okay?”
    “Slow down. Yes and yes. I’m hungry.”
    “I’ll get you something to eat!”
    Rachel returned a few minutes later with a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Lainey managed to sit up, adjusting the pillows behind her back. She thanked her sister and ate her soup. The nice thing about Rachel was her ability to be incredibly patient. She didn’t press her and Lainey was grateful. She finished and smiled at her sister.
    “Are you okay?” Lainey handed the bowl to Rachel.
    “Yes. Shouldn’t I be the one asking you? You’re the one who almost drowned.” Rachel studied her rainbow painted fingernails.
    “I’m okay.”
    “Then I’m okay.” Rachel looked up with a smile on her face. “Dad says you mentioned something about a boy saving you. I didn’t hear it. Did a boy really rescue you?”
    Lainey nodded. “I don’t know how, but he pulled me to the beach and told me I’d be safe. He… was kinda gorgeous, but all I really remember is his amber colored eyes. They were different. He’s the mysterious man of the sea.”
    Her sister leaned closer, resting her elbows on her knees. “He sounds magical.”
    Lainey pulled the pillow from behind her and gently hit her sister. “Shut up. He was real, even if you don’t believe me.”
    “I believe you.”
    Lainey looked at her outfit and realized she was wearing an old knit nightgown. Her hair still smelled of the salty water, and she felt dirty. She excused herself to take a bath. As the warm water washed the rest of the misadventure from her skin, Lainey wondered if she would see her rescuer again. A part of her wanted to know more about the man who saved her from drowning. She pulled on a sundress and wandered downstairs. Rachel flipped through the channels and picked a cartoon with a platypus who was a secret agent. She sat beside her little sister to watch TV.
    “Where’s Mom?” Lainey asked.
    “She went to the