Page 36 of Landry

The boat moved so slowly, it was excruciating.

At that rate, they wouldn’t make it back to the cottage before sunup.

“I should’ve come out alone,” Landry said.

“We wouldn’t have let you,” Camille said. “And second-guessing isn’t going to change the situation. We’ll be okay.”

“I’m not much of a protector if I’ve managed to get us stranded in the bayou.” Using the shoe, he cleaved the water faster, sending the little skiff toward a tree whose branches hung over the water.

As they neared, Camille could see that the branches were just out of reach.

Landry eased to his feet and stretched his arms as high as he could, snagging a long, narrow branch. He immediately sat, bringing the branch down with him.

The boat tipped to the starboard.

Camille leaned the other way. Slowly, the rocking stilled.

Landry pulled them along the limb several feet and then broke it off. He quickly stripped the leaves and smaller branches until he had a pole approximately seven feet long.

“Let’s hope this works,” he said as he stuck the flimsy pole into the water. It sank deeper and deeper until only a foot of the pole could be seen.

Afraid of the answer, Camille asked anyway, “Did it hit bottom?”

Landry pushed hard on the pole, sending the little skiff sliding through the water. “It did.”

Camille released the breath she’d been holding and looked forward. It would have been better if the engine worked, but the poling was moving them along as fast, if not faster, than when they’d had the paddle the alligator ate.

“You know, someday we’re going to look back at our night in the bayou and laugh,” he said softly.

The night’s events scrolled through Camille’s mind. The rush to get to Ava’s imaginary friend, finding the Later Gator Fishing Hut, running out of gas and having an alligator abscond with the only paddle...

A chuckle bubbled up in her throat.

Camille clapped a hand over her mouth, but it didn’t stop another chuckle from escaping. Soon, she was laughing so hard that tears streamed from her eyes.

Landry laughed with her. “You have to stop. My sides hurt.”

Camille nodded, her laughter slowing to a few guffaws. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and stared ahead. Her eyes narrowed. “Is that a light coming this way?” She glanced back at Landry.

He’d stopped poling, all humor gone from his face. “It is.”

Camille reached for the flashlight. “We need to wave them down. They can tow us in.” She had the flashlight in her hand and was just pushing the button when Landry touched her shoulder.

“Don’t.”

Too late.

The light blinked on.

Chapter 7

Landry swore under his breath.

As soon as Camille had touched the button and turned on the light, she hit the switch again.

Darkness descended over them.

“Why don’t you want to get their attention?” she whispered.

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