Unconsciously, Ryker swallowed and felt a strange warmth rise from beneath the cold on his skin and creep into his face. For a second, he felt the urge to avert his gaze in unaccustomed embarrassment. Instead, he stared back.

A delicate blush was visibly spreading across Eve's cheeks, which looked far too good on her. Although she neither moved nor raised her hands, he could literally feel her gaze glide over his bare skin like a gentle touch. He paused on it and another hot, cold shiver ran down his spine.

Now he averted his eyes. He slid to the side, clinging to something. The seconds stretched out. But not like in the lake, agonizing or cruel. More like amber-colored resin in the summer sun or sweet syrup. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively, he turned his head - and it went dark around him.

The blanket landed right in his face, and he almost stumbled back because it caught him off guard. Presumably, he had done the same, though, so... Fair enough.

"It's okay," Ray heard her stammer and quickly wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. Since his right hand was still shaking, Ray held it in front of his chest with his left. The wool tickled his bare skin, but he could already feel himself getting warmer.

"Sit down, you need to warm up."

Ray nodded slightly, pushed himself heavily off the wooden frame of the doorway to the living room and limped to the fireplace. He was immediately struck by the warmth and smell of the crackling fire, into which Eve was adding a log before scurrying off towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Ray sat down next to Liam, but didn't miss the opportunity to gently tousle his light brown hair first.

Slowly, the boy's gaze lifted from the dancing flames and he gave the little boy an encouraging, friendly smile. His cheeks were flushed, either still from the cold or now from the warmth. Either way, he looked much more alive and no longer as frighteningly pale as he had been in the water.

As soon as he sat down, a new coughing fit constricted his chest, and Ray squeezed his eyes shut as the pain washed back into his limbs like driftwood on the beach.

"Here. Drink them both. While it's still warm," Eve's voice rang out. With clear emphasis, she handed them both a cup of steaming tea. Liam and he obediently followed her instructions.

There were two ways to react after such an incident. Some thought it was overly cautious. Others ran straight to the hospital. Many feared secondary drowning, which could occur even after the rescue due to water in the lungs. The developments immediately after swallowing the water were crucial.

But Liam did not appear to have swallowed a large amount. He did not cough up any seawater, did not spit it out and did not rattle. He hadn't lost consciousness at any point either - which was a good sign.

When Riona returned to the living room, she immediately took Eve aside. Her mother had her arms around her and seemed indecisive. But there was more. She seemed restless. Nervous.

'What are you hiding, Eve?'

A stone rolled back and forth in Ryker's stomach, weighing down his shoulders.

Involuntarily, his gaze lifted and travelled to the ladies. Unconsciously, he narrowed his eyes, as if he could hear or see better that way. Although the two women were talking quietly, he understood every word. They filtered out the best and most logical option at the moment: the doctor.

Eve also seemed to calm down immediately and rushed to the phone.

As if of its own accord, his gaze lifted and wandered to the ladies. Unconsciously, he squinted his eyes as if he could hear or see better that way. Although the two women were talking quietly, he heard everything. At the words "Doctor and Dr Taylor", his face contorted into a grimace of disapproval.

Slowly, he turned away, gazed into the flames of the fireplace and let the warmth work its magic on his limbs, which were stiff with cold.

No.

He would never let the doctor get close to him. Since the incident in the field, he had never let anyone who even remotely bore the title of doctor or medic get close to him and avoided them like the devil avoids holy water. The stranger wouldn't touch him; that much was certain.

The phone call seemed to be over quickly. Because only a short time later, he heard the typical walk that he could now easily recognize as Eve's. She sometimes wandered around, especially at night. Something seemed to be keeping her awake. He suspected a guilty conscience as the cause. That would at least be plausible.

Whatever. By now, he could tell whether it was Riona, Liam, or Eve when someone walked across the creaky floorboards. Ri always wore sturdy shoes, sometimes even in the house. Leather boots or boots that made a heavy, muffled sound. At night, the young woman usually worked in the bar, so after a certain time of night, only Eve and Liam remained. Liam was always quicker and lighter. Some floorboards didn't even creak under his feet. He scurried around and sometimes resembled a cat during his zoomies. Eve, on the other hand ... was like a small, lively squirrel. She spent the whole day scurrying from here to there.

When Ray turned his head now, his suspicions were confirmed. Eve had rejoined them. She took the cup from Liam's hand, put it aside, and pulled the blanket around the boy. Ray's gaze fell on the fabric of her jeans - dark blue. Wet. He slid lower and now noticed the wet trail that led across the parquet floor into the kitchen, round the corner to the telephone, and back to the fireplace. It was a wonder Riona hadn't strangled her yet.

The woolens over his shoulders slipped slightly as he slid his left hand out from under them. Carefully but firmly, his hand closed around hers. His fingers were much larger than hers. Although it was he who had fallen into the lake, the small hand felt cooler than his. More delicate. Softer.

Ryker lifted his chin. 

Eve's gaze dropped down to him.

Their eyes met.

His expression remained unyielding as he pulled her closer until they were separated by barely more than a hand's breadth. Her clothes were soaked and clung to her like a second skin. She was freezing cold. She probably hadn't even noticed the slight trembling, she had been so worried about Liam and him. She acted according to her heart - blind with worry and apparently without any regard for herself.

But he wasn't blind and he was worried too ...

"You have to get out of those clothes," he whispered softly when she was close enough. "Otherwise you'll catch cold."

He lifted his arm so that the blanket slipped off his shoulder. He couldn't tell what impulse prompted him to gently wipe a strand of hair from her face.

The delicate blush on her cheeks became clearer. The corners of his mouth twitched, lifted and drew a warm line on her lips. He appreciated her care, but ...

"You have a choice," he pressed out hoarsely. "Either you change and quickly, or I'll help you out of your clothes," he murmured, half joking, half threatening.