She held tight. She was strong. Trevor went under, pulled into the murky, watery darkness. He felt his body sink deeper and deeper. His lungs burned. It was no use. He needed air.
He thought of all the things the therapist had told him about fear; how to stay calm and breathe through the panic, how to face his fears by imagining the worst. Well, he thought, suddenly calm, Jane Bell was his number one worst fear.
He could not let her win.
With renewed determination, not willing to give up, he imagined he was strong as he used his arms to push harder and faster, using the windmill stroke to keep his arms cutting through the water. His head popped to the surface. He couldn’t believe it! He sucked in air, gasping for breath.
Jane’s head popped up, too.
“Come on, Lucas!” Grandpa called, his voice loud and clear.
Trevor met Jane’s gaze. He wasn’t sure if she was looking at him or through him. Her eyes were wide and round, like glossy marbles. Her skin was milky white.
She drew in air. “Lucas,” she said, her voice a garbled whisper. “Go! Save yourself.”
She let go of his ankle.
Trevor began to swim. When he was far enough away, he looked back in time to see her arms floating above her head, unmoving before she sank deeper and disappeared into the dark mouth of the lake.
His arms and legs were moving as he tread water. He glanced toward the pontoon, but it was engulfed in flames. He thought about going after Jane, trying to save her, but he knew full well he wouldn’t be able to pull her dead weight above water, let alone all the way to shore.
Trevor turned back toward Grandpa and began to swim in earnest then, his feet fluttering, his arms arcing up and through the water, pulling him along until he felt as if he were gliding.
CHAPTER FORTY
As an EMT wrapped Nora’s ankle, she made eye contact with David, who lay on a cot in the back of the ambulance, where he was being given oxygen. She wanted nothing more than to pull him close and give him a crushing embrace, but that would have to wait. Instead, Nora used her hands to make the shape of a heart, prompting David to manage a small smile. “I’ll be back,” she said before leaving him so she could check on everyone.
Nora walked across the ashy gravel driveway, favoring her bad leg. Smoke particles drifted in the air. It looked like a battle zone. Inside the main house, she found Mom making tea and Dad sitting in his usual spot on the deck. Mom had found a hammer and nails in the garage, then dragged wood she had stacked at the side of the house and fixed the broken railing. She was an amazing woman. Chills washed over Nora as she looked from Dad, who wore David’s sweat suit and was covered in blankets, back to Mom. “How’s Dad doing?”
“Thanks to Trevor, he’ll be fine.” Mom looked down at her feet, her shoulders jittery, prompting Nora to go to her and put a comforting arm around her. Mom was crying.
“It’s over,” Nora assured her.
“Have they found a body?”
“They’re out there looking now.” Nora kissed her cheek. “You saved David’s life. I owe you everything.”
Mom held up shaky hands. “I was useless. If not for Trevor and Gillian, I never would have been able to pull him from the fire.”
“Trevor said you covered David’s face with a wet cloth. You saved his life.”
Mom wasn’t listening. Instead, she stared at her hands. “I used to be so strong.”
“You’re stronger and tougher than most. You have always been my hero, and you always will be.” Nora squeezed her tight and then set out to find coats and blankets to take to the kids, who she’d last seen outside watching the firemen deal with the cottage while law enforcement and search and rescue combed the water for Jane’s body.
On her way back to the cottage, Nora found Trevor searching the woods for Tank. His eyes were bloodshot, and his nose was red from crying. “Come here,” Nora said, pulling her son into her arms.
He hugged her back, but his heart wasn’t in it. He was crying.
“We’ll find Tank,” she told him.
He shook his head, sniffling before he said, “Jane had blood on her shirt when she told me and Hailey that Tank had an accident.”
Nora released him and stepped back before clamping her hands on his shoulders. “Look at me, Trevor. Tank is a big, strong dog. He’s smart, too. We’ll find him.”
Trevor wiped his nose. “Okay.”
“And you are a hero. Grandma told me what you did for Dad. If not for you and Gillian, no telling what would have happened to Dad. And then, because you’re the bravest person I’ve ever known, you jumped into the cold lake and saved Grandpa, too.”
“The water wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.”
She smiled. “Come on. Let’s see how the others are holding up, and then I’ll help you look for Tank, okay?”
“You’re limping,” Trevor said.
“Yeah. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Nora and Trevor joined Hailey, Alex, and Gillian, and they all watched three firemen assess the building to make sure the fire was completely out and not hidden in the walls. A few minutes later, the fire chief walked toward them. He told them the cottage was uninhabitable, and they were all to keep out of the building. Windows were broken, and the roof had caved in.
They all thanked him and his men as they gathered their equipment and headed for the fire engine.
Gillian’s phone buzzed. “My mom found Tank!” she said as she read a text.
“Is he okay?” Trevor asked.
“He was struggling, so the neighbors helped my mom get your dog into her car, and she drove him to the vet. He’s there now.” Gillian was typing a message to her mom. “What’s your cell number? She’s going to give the number to the doctor so he can call you with an update later tonight. But she says he’s going to be okay!”
Trevor rattled off his number. “My phone is in my room,” he told Nora.
“We’ll get it later,” she said, then turned toward Gillian. “Tell your mom thank you.”
Gillian nodded.
Nora rested a hand on her son’s shoulder. “I told you Tank was strong and smart.”
Trevor laughed, and she wrapped her arms around him. He squeezed her back with every bit of energy and strength he had left.
“Why is it taking them so long to find her?” Hailey asked. She looked at her brother. “Are you sure she went under?” She peered out over the water, unblinking.
Nora could see the worry etched across her daughter’s brow. Jane had gotten to her. That revelation made her heart hurt.
Hailey continued with the questions. “Why would she let go of your leg? Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”
Trevor nodded. “I’m sure. She thought I was her brother, Lucas.”
“Why would she think that?” Gillian asked.
“Because Grandpa called out to me. And when he did, he called me Lucas.”
Nora closed her eyes in a long blink, grateful Jane had let her son go, refusing to think about a far worse scenario. Before they could cast further doubt on Jane’s alleged demise, a whistle sounded on the lake. They walked around what was left of the cottage to the water’s edge in time to see the search and rescue team pull a body from the water.