Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(107)

Perrie clasped her hands on her head so tightly it felt like it might crack. The war within her threatened to split her apart.

He will die if you don’t get him up from there.

But he might roll over and—

A thousand mights raced through her head. Every maternal instinct she possessed kept her immobilized against leaving him alone for a second.

Her stomach heaved with terror. But she had to stay calm. Had to convince him. Had to force herself to leave.

“Sweetie, I know you’re scared. And cold. But I have to get you up from there. I can’t reach you where you are. It won’t take me very long to get to the cabin and back, and then I’ll get you up.” How, she didn’t know yet, but she’d do it. No matter how hard it was.

“Get Mitch. Mitch can save me.”

Oh, honey, if only you knew how badly I wish he were here. “Maybe Mitch will be back when I get there, but even if he’s not, I’ll get you up. Don’t worry, all right? Just be very, very still, Davey. Do you hear me? You can’t move from where you are.”

“I wish you could stay here and tell me a story until Mitch comes.”

Her throat felt like someone had stuffed it with rags. Around the mass of terror and anguish, she forced her words. “Mitch doesn’t know where we are right now, but I’ll leave him a note, okay? And I’ll be back in just a very few minutes.”

“Mom?” His voice reached out to hold her, fear threaded with need. “Can you tell me a little bit of a story first?”

Perrie pressed her hand over her lips to keep from crying out. Swallowing hard, she grasped for control. “Okay—just a little bit. Then I really have to go, sweetie.”

“Okay.” His voice seemed fainter.

For a second, Perrie wanted to scream. How could she possibly think of a story at a time like this? But she had to. It might be the last story she ever told—

No. It would not be. She would make her point to Davey with this story, and then she would race to the cabin and back.

“Okay.” She sucked in a draft of frigid air. “Remember Ermengilda and her friend Henry?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, one day they and another fish named Gloria were swimming around too close to a boat. She and Gloria got caught and pulled from the water, but Henry swam away. Ermengilda felt like she couldn’t breathe and she knew they had to get back in the water soon or they would die. She couldn’t panic; instead, she had to think. Gloria wasn’t doing so well, though. She was screaming and thrashing around where they’d been set down, not too far from the water.

“Ermengilda knew that their goose was cooked if they didn’t figure out a solution—quick. ‘Gloria, be quiet,’ she whispered. ‘Be still. Play dead. Then when they’re not looking, we’ll get away.’

“But Gloria wouldn’t listen. She kept thrashing around so much that Ermengilda was afraid she’d draw their attention. The next thing Ermengilda knew, Gloria was being yanked up and put in some kind of bucket. But while they were looking away, Ermengilda managed to get back in the water where Henry was waiting, and they swam away, back to their mothers.”

“So what happened to Gloria?”

“They never knew. She didn’t come back. If she hadn’t panicked, if she’s just been very still like Ermengilda told her to do, she could have gone back home and been all right.”

“That’s what you want me to do, Mom? Be real still?”

Perrie pressed one fist to her chest, against an aching heart. “Yes, sweetie. It’s very important. I know you’re cold and I know you’re scared, but I need you to be brave like you were when you went to find help for me. Only this time, I’m the one who has to find the tools I need so I can get you up and then take you back to the cabin.”

“And Mitch. Bring Mitch back.”

“If he’s anywhere around, I’ll find him. But I’ll get you up, with or without Mitch, do you understand? It won’t be long, so just be very, very still.” He looked so small, so helpless. She forced a smile to her face. “Everything will be fine, I promise.”

His blue eyes had never looked bigger. He had never looked more precious…or more fragile.

“Okay. I won’t move.”

She blew him a kiss. “Hold that kiss for me, okay? I want one back when I get you up here.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, sweetheart.” She could feel a sob rising up from within her. With all her strength, she pushed it back down. “It will be just fine. I’ll get you up and then we’ll go make some hot chocolate. You can have as many marshmallows as you want, all right?”