Penny dropped to her knees.
The water instantly soaked through her skirt.
“Can you move it?”
“No.”
His voice shook violently from cold.
“Don't try.”
Penny studied the branch.
Too heavy to lift outright.
She looked around.
A broken pine limb lay nearby.
Lever.
She dragged it over.
Declan watched.
“You'll fall.”
“Then we'll both have something to complain about.”
Even through pain, his expression changed slightly.
Penny wedged the limb beneath the trapped branch.
“On three.”
Declan tightened his jaw.
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
Penny threw her weight downward.
The branch lifted.
Declan yanked his leg free.
Immediately the current pulled him.
Penny grabbed his coat.
For one terrifying second, she thought both would go under.
Declan caught the bank.
Penny dug her knees into mud beneath snow.
“Push!”
He did.
Together they dragged him onto the shore.
Declan rolled onto his back.
His lips were blue.
Penny pulled off her cloak.
Covered him.
“Stay awake.”
He laughed weakly.
“Bossy.”
“Yes.”
“You’re Ashford’s daughter.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Big Penny.”
That stopped her.
Declan immediately realized.
His eyes closed briefly.
“Sorry.”
Penny stared.
Most people pretended the nickname did not exist when caught.
Declan had apologized.
Interesting.
She said:
“You can make it up to me by not dying.”
His mouth moved.
Almost a smile.
Then he groaned.
Penny examined the leg.
Lower tibia.
Possibly fractured.
No bone through skin.
Good.
She removed two narrow pieces of wood from her medical basket.
Declan looked.
“You carry splints?”
“I carry useful things.”
“You expected to find a half-drowned idiot?”
“No.”
“That would require a larger bag.”
He laughed once.
Then winced.
Penny wrapped the leg.
His body shook constantly.
Cold.
Dangerous.
She needed shelter quickly.
Twin Rivers was four miles down.
Too far on foot with him.
His horse.
Could Declan ride?
Barely.
Penny helped him sit.
He was enormous.
At least six feet four.
Heavy with muscle.
Dragging him from water had been like moving soaked timber.
When she tried helping him stand, his arm went around her shoulders.
Penny braced.
He looked embarrassed.
“I’m crushing you.”
“You’re not.”
“You’re surprisingly strong.”
There.
The usual comment.
Penny stiffened.
Declan noticed.
He corrected:
“I mean useful strong.”
She stared.
“Still terrible.”
He smiled faintly.
“I’m losing blood and freezing.”
“Poor excuses for bad manners.”
She got him onto the horse.
Then climbed behind him.
His back pressed against her.
Under different circumstances, Penny might have noticed how warm or broad he was.
At that moment he was nearly hypothermic and smelled like creek water.
Romance would need patience.
They reached Twin Rivers after sunset.
Her father opened the surgery door.