No one had moved. Bijou took a deep breath. Reliving it only made the entire episode worse. “Our ropes were cut first, leaving us trapped on that very tiny ledge. Then the SUV was pushed over the bank, nearly on top of us. We waited a long time, hours really, before Arnaud insisted he climb out and then get me up. He tried three times, and the bank kept crumblin’. He waited between each climb because I was pretty freaked out, afraid he’d be killed, but night was fallin’ and he felt we had no choice.”

Bijou lifted her gaze to Remy’s face. He was absolutely still. His face could have been one of Arnaud’s sculptures, so utterly without expression, frozen. Her heart did a funny little flip and a million butterflies took flight in her stomach. She looked away.

“He finally used a tree root to tie off just in case he fell again and it would save him from going into the bayou. Unfortunately, what neither of us knew was that the tree above us had been hit by the SUV when it went over and was already unstable. To make a long story short, the tree went, takin’ Arnaud with it. I followed him in just in case and it was a good thing I did.”

“Did it occur to you at any time,” Remy asked, “that an alligator most likely was in that water?”

“Of course. I was scared, if that’s what you want to hear.” She couldn’t help the belligerence creeping into her tone. “Don’ tell me you wouldn’t have gone in after him, because I know you would have.”

“That’s not the same,” Remy snapped.

Deliberately, Saria stepped between them. “What happened, Bijou?”

Grateful for Saria’s presence, Bijou focused on her. “The tree rolled, and he couldn’t get out of the rope and harness so it took him with it. I cut him free but he was still trapped. His hikin’ boot was wedged in the crook of the branch. I had to cut him out of that as well. I didn’t think either of us was goin’ to make it out of there alive.”

“Thank God you were there,” Saria said, casting a warning glance at her brothers when both moved as if to protest. “Arnaud would be dead if you hadn’t gone in after him. I’ll get the tea made, you take a shower and we’ll disinfect those scratches on your arm before you have to go to work.”

“Thanks, Saria,” Bijou said. She hurried into the house before either of the Boudreaux brothers could say another word to her.