A few seconds later, Ben’s head broke through the water, and he sucked in a great gulp of air. Thankfully, the water in the river was only about twenty feet deep, and it hadn’t taken him long to reach the surface. Hurriedly, he turned his attention to Jordan. She wasn’t breathing. He treaded water for a moment, assessing their situation. They were still a good distance from the nearest piling, and he didn’t want to wait to try helping her.
He turned her body so they were now face-to-face and checked her airway to make sure it was clear of debris. The waves weren’t horrible, but he kept an eye on them, making sure the rising swells didn’t cover Jordan’s face. He pulled gently on the corner of her mouth, allowing it to drain, then hooked his free arm over Jordan’s arm and placed his hand against the back of her neck, supporting it while he tilted her head. With his other hand, he pinched her nose and sealed it, moving her head slightly to open the airway. He gave her two quick rescue breaths.
Nothing happened.
“Dear, God, please help me!” he prayed frantically. He pressed the heel of his hand to her forehead, tilting it back a bit farther to make sure her airway was open and pinched her nostrils closed one more time. Then he turned her body toward him and gave Jordan four quick rescue breaths.
Again, nothing happened.
Then suddenly she sputtered, and water poured from her mouth. He tilted her head a bit to help the water drain and continued to hold her well above the water as she revived. She coughed, and more water dribbled out of her mouth and nose. Ben treaded water continuously, keeping them both supported as Jordan slowly recovered and started breathing on her own.
“You’re going to be okay,” he soothed. He continued to whisper words of encouragement in her ear as he brushed her hair gently away from her face. Relief swamped over him. She was alive! For the second time in his life, he had almost lost her. He pulled her close, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. For a moment, he just reveled in the touch, thankful that God had saved them from a watery grave. Then he slowly started swimming toward the nearest piling that had rocks around the base, listening carefully to her breathing as he did so. He traveled headfirst with Jordan held closely by his side, and the forward momentum helped keep water out of her face. They moved slowly, but at this point, Ben was more concerned about Jordan’s safety than he was about speed. She continued to take in huge gulps of air as he swam, but the rest of her body had relaxed and wasn’t fighting him as he moved effortlessly through the water.
A few moments later, they reached the rocks, and Ben helped her pull herself up on one so she could lean on it for support. During the swim, her breathing had become less frantic, but she had the look of someone who had fought a battle and lost. Exhaustion painted her features, and dark circles were already forming under her eyes.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked, as he pulled himself up next to her, finding a narrow ledge to wedge his body against where he could protect her from the brunt of the waves.
She nodded and grasped the rocks. “I thought I wasn’t going to make it out,” she said. “Thank you! You saved my life.” Her voice was hoarse, but her eyes were bright. She coughed again, and more liquid sputtered out of her mouth.
“You scared me,” he said, shaking some water out of his own eyes. He noticed some blood trickling out of her nose. “Your nose is bleeding. Does it hurt?”
She nodded. “A little. The air bag hit me pretty hard, and I think I got some cuts from that window glass, but I’ll be alright. I didn’t know I would panic like that under the water. I was terrified and couldn’t seem to control myself.” She reached out and gently cupped his cheek with her hand. “Thank you for putting up with me,” she said softly, looking him straight in the eye. “How about you? Are you doing okay?”
“Now that I know you’re okay, I’m doing a lot better.” He covered her hand with his own and squeezed it gently. “And I’m extremely glad I’ve gone diving for lobster several times over the last few years. All of that time underwater really helped me stay calm and think through what I needed to do to get us out of that car.”
She smiled. “Not to mention all of that ocean swimming you’ve done.” She dropped her hand and grimaced as she moved her arm. “My shoulder hurts a bit from the seat belt, but that’s not surprising since we just fell off of the bridge. I can’t believe we survived.”
Ben tenderly moved his hand to her shoulder and moved her shirt a bit so he could see the abraded red skin where the seat belt had held her in the car during the fall. She would have a good bruise there at some point. He watched her carefully, but her arm didn’t seem dislocated or otherwise injured. The soreness she was experiencing was a small price to pay for surviving the fall into the water. The seat belts and the air bags had probably saved both of their lives. “You’ll probably ache for a few days, but I think you’ll be fine. You’re moving it pretty well, and it doesn’t seem to be broken.” He glanced up above them, but from this angle, he couldn’t see the top of the bridge or the railing. It seemed like they had fallen about forty feet into the water. He hoped their attacker had been arrested on the bridge, but he doubted anyone had stopped him after the car had gone over the side. The police really hadn’t had time to get to the scene, and any of the onlookers who actually saw what happened would undoubtedly be scared of approaching him. The man had probably gotten away scot-free as the crowd of bystanders had grown and rushed to see what was happening with their car once it landed in the river. In the grand scheme of things, though, it didn’t matter whether the man had been arrested or not. What mattered was that Jordan and he had survived. They could hunt the killer down and arrest him later, once Ben knew for sure that Jordan was safe. And now, Ben also had an advantage. He had gotten a good look at the offender’s features, and he knew exactly what the man looked like. He had also heard his voice. His first order of business, after making sure Jordan was out of harm’s way, would be to start searching for the man who had sent them into the river and left them for dead.
He turned his attention back to Jordan. Why had he hesitated to renew their relationship? The enormity of what had just happened wasn’t lost on him. She had been minutes from brain damage. If he hadn’t gotten her out of the car when he had, she would have drowned for sure. He reached across the short distance that separated them and cupped her chin with his hand, making their eyes meet once again. “I’m really thankful that you’re okay.” The air felt thick and charged with electricity, and he couldn’t seem to stop touching her. It was if by having that contact, he was convincing himself that she was still alive and hadn’t been lost to the river. He wanted to lean closer, to feel her lips against his own, even though he absolutely knew this wasn’t the right time or place to share a kiss. Her eyes were filled with questions, yet he thought he saw a yearning there that matched his own. Or at least he hoped he did. He pulled her closer and just held her, savoring the feel of her in his arms. She was alive. Holding her felt so right. Finally, he sighed and pulled back. Following his better judgment, he released her and turned his attention to their surroundings. First things first. He needed to get them both out of the water and verify that she hadn’t sustained any serious injuries. Then he could think about the rush of feelings that was pouring over him and figure out what to do about it.
“Can you swim over there?” he asked, pointing to the closest shoreline. There were a couple of apartment complexes along the river, and one of them had a large dock with several boats moored along the planking.
“I’ll do my best,” she said, pushing some hair away from her eyes. “It’s pretty far, but I’ll try.”
“You can do it,” he said with an encouraging smile. He wasn’t sure she actually could since she was still recovering from her near-drowning experience and had a hurt shoulder, but he didn’t see any other options. He also knew that Jordan was tough and independent. When she said she would try, he knew she would give 100 percent, just like she did with every project or duty she ever took on. Jordan had always been strong-willed, and there were times in the past that they had locked horns for one reason or another and he’d ended up feeling totally useless. She was so self-determined, so capable. Yet, now he could see that personality trait with new appreciation. He valued her strength and fortitude. He also was starting to understand that just because she was so capable, it didn’t mean she didn’t need him, too. She excelled in many areas where he didn’t, and the opposite was true, as well. Together, they made a formidable team. He shook his head, wondering why it had taken him so long to realize how precious she really was. It was as if a lightbulb had suddenly been turned on in his head.
He smiled, hoping to reassure her. “If you start having trouble, I’ll help you.” A new surge of protectiveness swept over him as he helped her back in the water and away from the rocks before the momentum could push her back and fling her against the stones. She started swimming the best she could, and he followed not far behind. He didn’t want to get in her way, but he also wanted to stay close enough to help if she started struggling. His chest still felt unbearably tight. He didn’t want to lose her. No, he couldn’t lose her. Watching her come so close to death just now had made him see something with undeniable clarity. Gone were the lingering doubts and apprehension. Ben still loved her, and he wanted her in his life. He didn’t know what the future held, but he did know he didn’t want to experience any of it without Jordan by his side. Now he just had to convince her that staying together was the right thing to do.
Jordan swam slowly, unable to muster any more energy. She was exhausted. She knew they needed to get out of the water, but every stroke seemed to tire her further. Her arm was also hurting more than she wanted to admit, both from her healing gunshot wound and the damage she sustained from the crash and subsequent fall. Ben was right behind her, and she was humbled by the attention and care he had shown her. Not only had he saved her life—he had protected her and encouraged her when fear had enveloped her from head to toe. She said a silent prayer, thanking God for saving them from their fall from the bridge and subsequent drowning.
Suddenly she heard an engine in the distance, and she turned to see a twenty-foot center console boat heading in their direction. She breathed a sigh of relief. She doubted any of her enemies would have had time to reach them yet, so the boat had to be someone who had already been nearby and was coming to investigate the ruckus on the bridge. Hopefully, they were also coming to help. She saw Ben motioning to the driver, who waved in acknowledgment. He was a crusty older man in his sixties or more, with deeply tanned skin and heavy wrinkles from his years of working in the Florida sunshine. He was wearing tan shorts, a tank top and a baseball cap with a marlin on the front. Several fishing poles were lined against the back of the boat, and she imagined he had been out trying to catch a few yellowmouth trout or croakers in the river only minutes before. She heard the motor slow, and the boat pulled up about twenty feet away from them. The driver stayed at the controls, but once the boat got closer, she also noticed another man moving near the fishing equipment. He was younger, maybe half the other man’s age, but shared many of the same features. If Jordan had to guess, she would say they were related—probably father and son.
“Looks like you two could use some help,” the younger man called loudly, making sure his voice carried over the sound of the boat and the waves slapping against the hull.
“Yes, we sure could,” Ben answered.
The son nodded and threw out two life preservers. Ben yelled his thanks and grabbed them both, then turned and swam one over to Jordan, covering the distance between them with a few short strokes. Jordan grabbed onto the white cord that surrounded the floating device and pulled it close, then put her arm through the middle. She breathed out a sigh of relief and said a quick prayer of thanks. She had been willing to try to swim to shore, but reality had shown her that she probably wouldn’t have made it, at least not without a lot of help from Ben. This boat had arrived right in the nick of time.
The father turned off the engine and the son followed the life preservers by throwing them a floating rope. Ben caught it easily with one hand. Then he swam behind Jordan and put one arm around her, making sure to support her so her head wouldn’t go underwater.
“Okay, we’re ready,” he called. As Ben swam from behind, the son pulled on the rope, guiding them to safety. Between their efforts, they slowly maneuvered Jordan and Ben toward the back of the boat. There was a boarding ladder attached to the stern, and Jordan was also thankful to see a small swim platform. As soon as she was close enough, she released the life preserver and grabbed the ladder, then carefully pulled herself up to the platform. It was slow going since her shoulder ached, but she could feel Ben behind her, ready to catch her if she had any problems. The son also reached forward to help, and soon she was sitting in the back of the boat on the seat cushion, water pouring from her and her clothing all over the floor of the vessel. The father immediately appeared beside her and handed her a clean folded towel.
“You doin’ okay, missy?” His voice was gruff but caring.
Jordan took the towel and gave the man a smile. “Yes, sir. Thank you so much for pulling us out of the water.” She unfolded the towel and wrapped it around her torso. “I don’t think I was up for the swim to the dock over there. It’s quite a distance.”
“Glad we could help. We were nearby and saw your car go over the bridge. I’d say you’re both in the blessed-to-be-alive category.”
Jordan nodded. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
She saw Ben hand up the two life preservers to the son, who threw them on the deck. Then Ben pulled himself up and into the boat. The father greeted him with a handshake and a clean blue towel as the son pulled the rope into the boat. At some point, Ben had ditched his suit jacket and tie, but it was still strange to see him coming out of the water in dress pants and a button-down shirt. Jordan felt a laugh bubble up inside of her. She couldn’t help herself. “If I’d known we were going swimming today, I would have brought a bathing suit,” she quipped.
All three of them laughed along with her. Today had turned out nothing like she’d expected, but they were alive. That was the important part. She had learned over the last few months to take hold of the joy she found whenever she discovered it. For this moment in time, they were together and safe. That was all that mattered.