25. River

25

River

We found the raft, but it was turned upside down. Still, I had them lower me into the water to check underneath. Nothing. I screamed in frustration, the urge to cry overwhelming me. But then I thought of Kat—a fighter who had survived so many terrible things and fought her way back every single time.

The guys watched me as I was pulled back into the helicopter. “We’re not giving up,” I said firmly. “Kat’s a fighter. She’s still out here, waiting for me to find her. I can feel it. We have to keep searching.”

“I can keep going until they order me to turn back,” Roland said. “When that time comes, I have no choice.”

“It’s been eight days since they tossed her overboard,” Gage chimed in. “We don’t know when the raft flipped, but if it didn’t happen before that storm four days ago, it definitely did then. She’s out there on her own now. We’ll follow the current.”

As night fell, the copter turned to head back to the ship for the evening. Another night for Kat to be alone. I knew she had to be scared to death. I glanced down at the water and noticed dolphins leaping out of the waves. They had been following us all day, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were trying to tell me something.

“Wait,” I said suddenly, catching everyone’s attention.

“What is it?” Oliver asked.

“Those dolphins,” I pointed. “They’ve been following us this entire time. I think they’re trying to tell me something.”

At first, the others were skeptical, but after watching the dolphins for a while, they started to agree. “Lower me into the water,” I said. “I’m going to swim with the dolphins.”

“It’s getting really dark out there,” Roland warned. “We won’t be able to see you. How will we follow you if you’re wrong?”

“If it gets too dark, shine the spotlight on me. If you don’t feel safe, head back to the ship.”

Not a chance,” Raven cut in. "No man—or woman—gets left behind on our team. We’re the best, and if you say she’s out there, then we believe you. We’ll follow you and the dolphins.”

Roland nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I jumped into the freezing water, and the dolphins stayed by my side. One of them brushed against me, and I grabbed onto its fin. It felt like a dream as they surrounded me, pulling me through the water.

After hours in the water, I worried about the helicopter’s fuel. The light moved away from me briefly before circling back, and then I spotted something—an island in the distance. The dolphin carried me as close as possible, and I swam the rest of the way.

Once I reached the shore, I ran, calling out Kat’s name. The helicopter must have seen something because the spotlight moved toward the foliage. I kept shouting, and then I heard it—her voice calling my name .

My legs almost gave out when I saw her running down the hill toward me. I rushed to her, scooping her up into my arms. She was crying, and for the first time in years, I let myself cry too. My mouth found hers, and we kissed until we needed to breathe.

“I knew you’d find me,” she whispered.

“Sweetheart, I love you so much. I would’ve never stopped searching for you,” I murmured against her lips.

“River, I love you too. I’m ready to go home.”

“Let’s go,” I said, holding her close as we made our way to the open clearing. The guys were shouting as they lowered the rope. I held Kat tightly as we were hoisted into the helicopter.

“River,” she whispered, her voice a mix of exhaustion and humor, “I lost my pants in the ocean. All I have on are my panties.”

I chuckled softly. “I’ll cover you up once we get inside. Just relax. I’ve got you now, and I’ll take care of everything. I can’t wait to hear the story of what you’ve been through.”

Once we were pulled inside, everyone was reaching out to touch Kat, hugging her.

“Damn, Kat, how did you survive all this time?” Gage asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I grabbed two life jackets before that bastard lowered the raft. If I hadn’t done that, I would have died,” she said with a tired smile. “And God sent me some dolphins—and a baby whale, who dropped a few fish into the raft for me.”

I wrapped her in a blanket, and she rested her head on my shoulder. “I knew you’d find me. We’re a team, and we love each other,” she whispered. “But I’m starving.”

Gage dug into a bag and handed her a sandwich. “Here, eat this.”

She smiled as she took it. “This bread smells heavenly. Thank you. Can you make some of your street tacos when we get home? She said, looking at Gage.”

As we flew back toward the ship, the helicopter began sputtering. “Hold on, everyone!” Roland shouted. “I’ll try to rock this thing to squeeze out more fuel.”

For some crazy reason, we all laughed, the weight of the situation finally lifting. We were so damn happy we just let it out as Roland skillfully landed on the ship. Cheers erupted from the servicemen on the deck when they saw Kat.