Page 81 of Extreme Romancing in Idaho

I AM GOING TO EFFING DIE.

I rammed against a rock, which sent me rolling in the churning water.

My lungs burned.

I couldn’t breathe.

Reaching in any direction, I tried to find something to pull me to the surface.

Nothing.

I’m going to die.

The strong current tossed me about like a rag doll.

Remi’s voice came to me. Calm and steady.Relax. Keep your legs straight. Don’t fight.

Then my Papa’s.You’re tougher than this river.

Closing my eyes, I stabilized my mind, stiffened my legs, and grabbed the shoulder straps of my life vest.

Then, I submitted to the chaos around me, trusting it to bring me above water. The world around me grew lighter. I broke the surface and gasped for air.

“Angie!” Two strong hands gripped my life vest and pulled me into the boat. “Are you okay?”

I coughed and fell back onto the plastic base of the raft next to my father. The sun blinded me as I continued gulping in air. I wanted to yell,Get me out of here!But then Papa leaned over me, blocking the sun. I couldn’t ruin this for him.

“Never been better,” I croaked. Leaning on Remi, I made it back to my position on the edge. I checked on Mama. Her hair was still dry, but she held the paddle like her life depended on it. Thank goodness she hadn’t gone in with me.

Remi maneuvered the raft to where my paddle floated in an eddy. We retrieved it in time to face off with the next gauntlet. Rivulets of water trailed down my body, cooling me in the bright sunshine. I’d already survived falling off the boat. Holding my chin up, I challenged the rapids.

“Bring it on,” I whispered.

At the same time, Remi hollered, “Forward paddle!”

Chapter 31

Remi

Doublecheckingthestrapson the rafts, I waved to Myles in his rearview mirrors. After picking us all up at the end of the run, he’d given Angie and me a ride back to where I’d parked my vehicle.

“Thanks for your help!” I yelled.

Myles leaned out his window. “No problem. I’ll make sure these two get home safe. See you later.” With one final wave, he let off the brakes and drove forward.

The back truck tires spun on the gravel until they leveled out on the paved road. Checking the surrounding area for anything we might have left, I walked to where Angie sat with a towel wrapped around her in the passenger seat of my Ford.

With each step, the last of my stress left me. Tony and Nora were alive and well. Angie too. As a bonus, Tony had loved every minute of it once his nerves had settled. His smile had lit up his whole face, making everything worth it.

I’d chosen the rafting run because everyone around here talked about the mild rapids. With the low water levels, some had been bigger than I’d anticipated, and when Angie had disappeared under the water, my heart had stopped. The experienced rafter in me expected she’d surface like everyone usually did. The key word beingusually. I’d never been present when someone had died on a rafting trip, but I’d heard horror stories. My mind went to those worst-case scenarios the longer Angie stayed underwater.

What if she never came up? What if she drowned? What if Angie wasn’t a part of my life anymore?

What if? What if?What if?

In less than two minutes, my feelings for Angie had become clear.

I loved her.

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