Whatever had upset Fynn the day before remained a mystery to me. I could tell there was still something off, but he never brought it up again. My first guess had been Brent, and especially with Patty's cryptic mention of Brent finding something out about Fynn that would upset people. But I hadn't seen Brent in town for two weeks, so it was easy to dismiss that theory.

In the meantime, Fynn's enthusiasm for his park restoration project hadn't waned in the least. The painters had arrived to spray the pavilion with glossy white paint, and while they worked, Fynn started on the pond. Just like with the fountain, the pond had been clogged with mineral deposits. Fynn had been working all morning to unclog the drain.

I had opened the store at six, which meant I'd be off at noon. I'd planned a picnic lunch by the river. I decided it would be another way to help Fynn push away whatever was troubling him.

With a cooler of sandwiches clutched in my hand and a blanket tucked under my arm, I hiked to the north end of the park. The painters had just finished taping off the cement floor and steps of the pavilion so they could begin spraying the outside. I couldn't wait to see it in all its shiny, pearl white glory again. I had walked past the park for years, watching it fall further into decay. It shamed me to think that I'd never once considered it a terrible waste. Now, seeing it come back to life, I realized that even though all of us had been swallowed by sorrow, we should have taken care of the town's shining jewel. We should have taken care of the park. It held so many wonderful memories. With the fountain running and the grass growing, it felt as if someone had breathed life back into Butterfield.

And that someone was bent over the center drain of the pond.

"Ella," Fran called as she walked across the grass to meet me.

She surveyed the park with a wide grin, and she had every right to feel proud. "The painters said it should take two days. We're bringing in a new playground set that is bigger and more weather resistant. The engineer said he wouldn't put his kid up on that rocket. Not necessarily because it's unsteady, but because it doesn't have any of the safety features of the new equipment."

"That's too bad. It'll be sad not to see the rocket anymore, but I'm sure he's right. I guess you're really digging deep in the budget for this park."

"I'm hoping we can return the whole darn town back to the tourist stop it once was. Even Jilly is sitting in her shop right now deciding how to paint it. And we owe it all to Fynn. He started the dominos falling. I suppose that's what we needed all along—an outsider to take an unobstructed view of this town and see it needed a face lift." She looked up to the north corner of the park. "How is he doing? Richard said that Fynn and Carl got into it a bit and that Fynn left looking pretty upset."

"Carl? When did he talk to Carl? Patty never said a word to me. What was it about?"

Fran tamped her hat down on her head to secure it. "Somehow or another, the topic of the accident and how the bus driver was never charged came up in conversation and it set Fynn off."

"That's weird. But then Carl has been pretty grumpy since he hurt his back. And Patty too, for that matter. Now I walk into work holding my breath, wondering what I did wrong that might earn a morning lecture."

"Well, Ella, we all know the source of Patty's discontent. Don't take it personally."

Boone trotted over and set about sniffing the ice chest in my hand.

Fran motioned toward it. "Are you taking Fynn lunch?"

"We are hiking up to the river."

"Sounds fun." Fran reached forward and pinched the end of the blanket tucked under my arm. "And romantic. I'll let you go then. By the way, I'm forming a committee to plan a party to celebrate the new park. Fynn, will, of course, be honored. If you have time, why don't you join? But don't mention anything to Fynn yet. It's still in the works."

I ran a zipper across my lips. "I'll see you later, Fran."

Fynn looked up from his work and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Great. I'm starved." He took hold of the ice chest and blanket.

We wasted no time heading up to the river trail with our lunch fare. The day before had been marred by a short-lived, turbulent storm, but today, the sky couldn't have been bluer if someone had painted it with a cerulean colored brush.

Boone immediately picked out his toy for the day, a ten inch branch that was already smooth and ideal for a game of fetch. Since Fynn was holding the lunch items, the tossing end of the game fell to me. I threw the stick. It flew end over end and landed a disappointing five feet away. Boone didn't even bother to run to retrieve it. He trotted it back and dropped it at my feet.

I laughed. "I swear to you that dog just rolled his eyes to show me his disgust at my pathetic throw."

"Yep, Boone's real good at showing his disapproval. Throw it sideways, like a Frisbee, and it'll go farther."

I stopped to take my time with the throw. Boone's whole body tensed with anticipation. "Oh my gosh, I better not let him down this time or he'll be calling me loser behind my back."

"Nah," Fynn said. "He won't bother to do it behind your back. Just bend your arm and let the stick fly."

I curled my arm back and let go at the perfect moment. The stick spun through the air like a disc and landed a good fifteen feet away. I patted myself on the shoulder.

We continued up through the trees, following the scent and roar of the water. After the rain, the river would be much deeper.

"So, you've started on the pond."

"Yes, it doesn't need much. I just need to clean the mineral deposits and get the pump working like the fountain." A noticeable pause followed, which made me look his direction.

I could read his next words on his face. "I'll be finished with the park, Ella. I need to move on."

"I know. Are you sure you couldn't find something to do right here in Butterfield?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Starshine."

"I do."

We reached a flat clearing that was just twenty feet back from the river. Fynn put down the ice chest and kicked away some of the forest litter with his foot. We stretched the blanket out, and Boone promptly dropped the stick on it. I grabbed it before Fynn could.

"I want to try it again." I got up and turned so that I was looking along the river and not toward it. I tossed the stick and it spun through the air. Boone's short legs carried him quickly toward it.

"Well, you two have your fun." Fynn opened up the ice chest. "I'm famished."

Boone returned so quickly, I didn't have time to sit down on the blanket before he dropped the stick at my feet. I threw it again, and Boone chased after it.

"Hey, I'm really getting the hang of this."

Fynn lifted up his sandwich and muttered over a bite full of food. "I'm getting the hang of this too."

Boone came right back, only he got lazy and dropped the stick halfway. "One more time and then we eat," I told the dog.

I walked to the stick and picked it up. I twisted my upper torso around to build up some good inertia. Then I flung out my arm, but I let go of the stick too late. It flew toward the river. Boone raced after it. The next few seconds happened fast, but they felt like slow motion. In my mind, I was certain Boone would stop, but his grit determination to fetch the stick carried him right off the bank of the river and into the churning water below.

"Boone," I screamed and tore after him. He was struggling to keep his head above water as he paddled his paws wildly through the rapids. Without another thought, I jumped in after him.

The shock of the icy water stole my breath, but I had no time to catch it. My legs were instantly battered on the jutting rocks as I swam like crazy toward Boone's little body bobbing up and down in the water. I stretched my arm out and managed somehow to grab hold of his back paw. I pulled him against me. His claws dug deep into my shoulder as we were both carried along in the rushing water.

I held tightly onto Boone and worked hard to avoid massive rocks. Then searing pain shot through my side as a submerged tree limb jabbed me. I lost my wind from the impact, but I hung on to Boone. His claws drew blood from my skin, but I was thankful that he was holding on to me as hard as I was holding on to him. Overhead, I heard Fynn calling me. His frantic voice brought tears to my eyes.

I looked up to search for him on shore and was broadsided by a boulder. Black spots formed in my eyes, and I had to concentrate on not passing out. I held tightly to Boone and couldn't stop thinking about how much Fynn would hate me if something happened to his dog.

My body was growing numb from the cold and the battering on the rocks, and I wasn't sure if I could keep afloat. The river headed sharply down a slope, and it felt as if I was falling. My head spun and the weight of death loomed over me. Fynn's voice was replaced by screams for help. I recognized the voices, especially one. Ethan's terrified scream played through my foggy head over and over again. Suddenly, I wanted the river to finish me off just so the screams would stop.

Then they fell silent. A large hand grabbed my arm roughly. I yelled out as a sharp pain shot through my shoulder. I kept Boone cradled in my arm as I was yanked free from the violent current.

"You're all right. I've got you." Fynn fell back on his bottom with Boone and me in his grasp.

I immediately broke into sobs. "I'm so sorry. That was my fault." Boone released his death grip on me and pushed out of my arms. He shook his fur and then sat down, shivering and looking about as wet as a dog could look.

Fynn held me tightly as if he worried the river might reach up and grab me back. "Holy shit, Ella, I thought I lost you." He rubbed my back to warm me up, but it was going to take a long time for my body temperature to return to normal.

"Fynn," I cried. "I'm so sorry. I almost lost Boone."

"But you didn't, Starshine. You saved him."

My entire body shook with the notion that I had almost drowned in the river. "And you saved me."

He squeezed me again. "I thought I lost you, Ella." His voice shook as he spoke. "I thought I lost you."