quick glance and no adults. Hearing a splash and a scream, LuAnn took off at a full run to get there and save the little girls.
High pitched squealing came between splashes of water. LuAnn dropped her shoes before entering the tall grass and yelled to the girls. "I'm coming. Where are you?"
Splashing was all she heard. Seeing the water before her, and where the splashing was coming from, LuAnn jumped into the mucky water and swam to the closest girl who was thrashing about. Grabbing her by the waist she tried calming her while wildly looking around for the other little girl. "It's okay, I've got you."
The water deepened and she was now trying to swim with one arm. Finally seeing the other little girl bobbing near the tall grasses she turned in that direction and yelled as loud as she could. "Help." Getting closer but seeing the little girl go under she yelled again. "Help. Someone. Help."
Hearing footsteps running toward her, she continued to swim through the muck to the little girl whose crying had turned to coughing and gagging.
"What the fuck?"
Looking up she saw Chase. "They fell in. Can you reach the little one?"
She tried pointing while also trying to stay above the water. The little one in her arm cried. "I want my momma."
"I'll get you there, sweetie." LuAnn huffed. She was growing tired but close to the edge now.
Chase reached down and pulled the littler girl from the water. Turning her over he patted her back to get the water from her lungs.
LuAnn reached the edge, hoisted the girl she had in her arms to the edge of the water and grabbed onto the long grasses to pull herself from the water. Voices from the parking lot could be heard, "Maddie. Dakota."
Chase yelled, "Over here."
LuAnn checked over the little girl she'd pulled from the water. She was coughing and crying at the same time and LuAnn patted her back and told her it would be alright.
"What the hell did you do?"
She looked up to see Jeremiah scowling down at her. "I didn't do anything."
"Were you trying to drown them?"
"Of course not. Why would I do that?" She felt panicked that they'd think it, and she'd be arrested again. "I saved them." Reaching down for the little girl Chase was with, Jeremiah picked her up and ran up to the edge of the parking lot. Gunnar and JT came to the edge of the parking lot and JT immediately grabbed the little girl she'd helped. "Dakota are you alright?"
Dakota started crying and JT hugged her close.
Soon others came rushing toward them. Ryder said, "I called an ambulance."
Chase walked over to her and reached down to help her up. Her gorgeous dress was ruined and so was her mood. They'd always think the worst of her. Always.
"Tell me what happened, Lu." Chase asked softly.
Her lips quivered. "I was sitting in the truck and I saw them walking across the parking lot. I didn't see any adults following them or anywhere around." Her voice cracked, but she kept going, "I knew about the marsh here and I worried they'd fall in, so I started following them. Before I could get here, they'd fallen in."
Chase's arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. She softly cried in his arms. Part fear. Part adrenaline. Part sadness at the look Jeremiah had just given her. Joseph was right, a new start was in order.
42
He held her while she cried. Her body shook, her skin now cold from the water, and she was covered in a green slime that covered the top of the water.
"Hey, it's alright."
She shook her head, and he knew what she meant. Jeremiah had no right. None. He'd accused her of trying to drown the little girls. Chase's jaw hurt from clenching it so tightly.
The sirens could be heard in the distance and he pulled away slightly. A crowd at the edge of the pond gathered. Gooseflesh formed on LuAnn's skin. He looked down at her and saw her makeup had smeared under her eyes, her hair which had been curled now hung in wet strands with a soft covering of green on them and her dress. That sexy flowing dress now wet and dirty clung to her body. Her nipples were visible against the soft fabric and while he liked that, he didn't want anyone else looking at her.
Unbuttoning his black dress shirt, he pulled it off, leaving the black t-shirt on and draped it around LuAnn's