Evie's Bombshell - By Amy Andrews Page 0,18

everything.

She was tired and cold but suddenly she felt like everything was going to be okay and she finally relaxed and let the current sweep her along, her gaze firmly fixed on him as he threw himself into the rip and headed her way.

Her numb fingers found her bump and she whispered, ‘Daddy’s coming, baby.’

Finn caught up with her five minutes later as the rip swept them closer and closer to the rocky headland that divided this bay from the next.

Her lips were a pale purple and her teeth were chattering but she essentially looked in one piece and the tight fist around his heart eased a little. They weren’t exactly out of the woods but she wasn’t taking on water.

‘You okay?’ he shouted above the crash of the waves on the nearby rocks.

Evie nodded, smiling through lips that felt frozen to her face. The man didn’t even have the decency to look out of breath. ‘C-cold,’ she whispered.

Finn knew it would be impossible to warm her up in the water. ‘I think it’s weakened enough now that we can swim back. That’ll get the blood flowing again.’

Evie kicked into a dog paddle and managed a feeble smile. ‘Yay.’

‘Are you going to be able to manage the swim?’ Finn asked.

Evie looked at the distant beach and thought about her baby—their baby—depending on her to manage. ‘Guess I’ll have to,’ she said, knowing every arm movement, every leg kick would feel like swimming through porridge.

Finn could hear her exhaustion and wondered just how far she’d make it in the swell. He scanned around. They were situated between the two bays now, with the rip spitting them out directly in front of the rocky headland—the nearest piece of terra firma.

Waves thundered where the sea met rock and Finn knew they’d be smashed mercilessly, their bones as insignificant as kindling. But the bay on the other side seemed much more sheltered and he could see a couple of areas where they might be able to gain purchase on this calmer side of the headland and pull themselves out of the water.

It would certainly be quicker and less energy-sapping than the arduous swim back to shore.

‘There.’ He pointed. ‘We should be able to get onto those rocks. Go. I’ll follow you.’

Evie felt tired just looking at the waves sloshing against the rocks. He didn’t consult with her or seek agreement from her. Typical Finn—used to everyone jumping when he demanded it.

Finn frowned at her lack of activity. ‘C’mon, Evie,’ he said briskly. ‘You’re cold, you need to get out of the water.’

Evie looked back at him, his unkempt jawline and freaky blue eyes giving him a slightly crazy edge. Like he conquered rough seas and rocky headlands every day.

‘Evie!’ he prompted again.

Evie sighed. ‘Okay, okay,’ she muttered, kicking off in a pathetic type of dog paddle because anything else was beyond her.

Two slow minutes later they were almost within reach and Finn kicked ahead of her, looking for the best purchase. Finding a smooth, gently sloping rock that was almost like a ramp into the water, he reached for it. A breaker came from out of nowhere and knocked him against the surface, his ribs taking the brunt of the impact. Pain jolted him like a lightning strike and cold, salty water swept into his mouth as his breath was torn from his lungs.

Evie gasped. ‘Finn!’

‘I’m fine,’ he grunted, gripping the surface of the rock as pain momentarily paralysed his breathing. He lay for long moments like a landed fish, gasping for air.

‘Finn?’

Finn rolled on his back at an awkward angle, half on the rock, half in the water. ‘I’m fine,’ he said again as his lungs finally allowed the passage of a little more air. ‘Here,’ he said, half-sitting, the pain less now. Still, he gritted his teeth as he held out his hand. ‘Grab hold, I’ll pull you up.’

Evie did as she was told and in seconds she was dragged up next to him and they both half wriggled, half crawled onto flatter, water-smoothed rocks back from the edge, away from the suck and pull of the ocean.

They collapsed beside each other, dragging in air and recovering their strength. Evie shut her eyes against the feeble breaking sunlight and wished it was strong enough to warm the chill that went right down into her bones. The wind didn’t help, turning the flesh on her arms and legs to goose-bumps, tightening her nipples.

Finn lay looking at the sky. His ribs hurt—for sure there