Chapter 25
Beep, whirr!
Maggie coughed out the silty water. “Nic?”
“Maggie!”
Hands gripped Maggie under the arms, hauling her backward out of the creek.
“Maggie, are you hurt?” Alden set her down on the edge of the bank.
“I’m fine.” She wiped her sopping hair from her eyes. “Where’s Bertrand?”
“Here.” Bertrand stood twenty feet downstream, examining the sunset.
“We did it.” Maggie pushed herself to her feet. “We made it back. How long have we been gone?”
“Oh, well”―Alden blushed to the roots of his dark hair―“not long, I think. I was sitting here feeling rather sorry for myself, and then I noticed the sun was setting and you wanted me to see Lena. So I got up to leave, and you fell into the creek.”
Maggie threw her arms around Alden’s neck, soaking him with Nilla’s sweater.
“I’m
