Page 66 of Rescued Heart

Voices shouted from the shore. The river’s current lapped against the bank. But all she could see was her hero.

He stared down at her, and his chest heaved. “Thought I lost you.”

She heard his words above any of the other muffled shouts. His mouth remained right by hers. She cupped his chin. Her fingers danced along his five-o’clock shadow. In his arms, she was more than simply safe. It was like coming home.

She lifted her lips toward her hero. Eddie’s eyes remained locked on hers. His heartbeat jumped under her palm. She closed her eyes, and hands pulled at her sides.

Her eyes flew open. No longer as close to him as she wanted to be.

Eddie shifted her tighter against him. “I’ve got her.” His voice sounded like gravel.

Chip held out his palms, soaked up to his chest, and pointed behind Eddie. “The ambulance has arrived. I just wanted to help get you both to the shore.”

Eddie glanced down at Bianca as if to ask if she wanted Chip to hold her. Bianca simply answered by lacing her fingers back around Eddie’s neck.

A collection of safety and special-effects crew members circled around them with shock and fear in their expressions.

As Eddie reached the shore, his foot stumbled onto the bank.

“I can walk.” Her throat, though raspy, finally released words.

Eddie’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “If I let you do that, you might beat me to the ambulance.”

Two paramedics raced toward them from the ambulance on the hilltop.

Eddie set her feet on the ground, and Bianca lowered to sit on the grass, but he didn’t let go of her hand.

She squeezed her fingers around his.

The first medic flashed a light in Bianca’s eyes. “How long was she underwater?”

“Thankfully not any longer.” Bianca coughed. “Thanks to Eddie.”

Eddie tightened his hold on her fingers. “She never lost consciousness.”

A brief nod from one of the paramedics and then, “Any pain? Symptoms? Head injuries?”

She shook her head, and then Eddie leaned closer to the medics. “Can we get her into the ambulance so she doesn’t have an audience?”

Bianca squeezed his hand again.

His gaze lifted off her and moved to the fence on the other side of the river.

Oh.

Not only did it seem the entire film set had encircled them—watching, waiting, and who knew what kind of unauthorized pictures being taken—but there was also a line of heads peeking over the far wooden fence row. It could be fans, or more than likely protestors today. Either way, people ready to sell a story about her to the press. And those stories were never good.

But did it really matter what the world thought of her? Frances kept promising her it didn’t.

Inside the ambulance, an EMT listened to her heart while the other spoke to Eddie.

Bianca’s head throbbed, and she rubbed her thumb over Eddie’s hand. What would she have done without him?

Eddie stopped talking and glanced at her.

She blinked away tears. “I think I like having you around.”

A half smile showed a small dimple on the left side of his cheek. “If you want to keep me around, there are other ways besides getting into danger.”

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