pretended not to notice how happy they both seemed.
Oliver, Jesse, and I each had two slices of pie before Eleanor took the plates away. “Save some for Kennette,” she scolded as she put the kettle on for a second time.
“Where is she?” Jesse asked. “It’s been at least half an hour.”
“Maybe we should go out and look,” I said.
“Barney’s with her,” Eleanor tried to reassure us, but she looked worried. “He has some sense, that dog.”
“If he had any sense he would have come in twenty minutes ago. It’s cold out there,” I reminded her.
“I’ll go.” Jesse got up.
“I’ll go with you.” I stood next to him.
He looked like he was about to protest, but then he nodded. “Oliver, you and Eleanor hold down the fort. If I can borrow a flashlight, that will help. Nell will take her cell with her, so call her if Kennette or Barney comes back.”
“What do you mean Kennette or Barney?” Eleanor asked. “They’ll be together.”
“Then why aren’t they back?” I asked.
“Barney just got interested in some squirrel, that’s all.” Eleanor took a deep breath and Oliver put his arm protectively around her.
Jesse and I wrapped up warmly and headed out. It was snowing, but for a while Jesse was able to find a set of human tracks and a set of dog tracks. Then, near the river, both sets disappeared.
Ice crystals were forming on my face, and the wind was making it hard for me to keep my eyes on Jesse. I was getting confused even though I knew the area, and Kennette had only been at the house for just over a week.
“Stay with me,” Jesse shouted. “Stay right next to me but look in the opposite direction.”
I nodded and stood with my back to him. I could see nothing but snow, and I could feel nothing but cold mixed with a growing sense of panic.
“What could have happened to them?” I asked Jesse.
“Barney probably ran after something and Kennette got lost looking for him.” Jesse sounded so sure. I leaned my head against his shoulder just for a moment of comfort. As I did, my phone rang.
“She’s back?” I asked before Eleanor had a chance to speak.
“No.” Eleanor’s voice sounded frantic. “Barney is back. He’s covered in ice and snow. And he’s soaking wet.”
“And he’s alone?”
Her voice was almost a whisper. “He’s alone.”
I hung up and started to tell Jesse, but it was clear he had figured out the situation. “She’s lost out here, that’s all.” Jesse turned toward me and held me. “Don’t get scared. It takes longer than a half hour to freeze to death in this weather.”
“You’re right. It’s just that it’s easy to get lost.”
“But she’ll walk toward the light coming from the house. She’s got common sense, right?”
Against my better judgment, I laughed. “Not really. But she’s got a way of getting herself help.”
Jesse grabbed my hand and started to walk toward the river, shining the flashlight on the water. “If Barney is wet, maybe he walked into the water. Maybe she followed him.”
With the snow and the incline, walking became nearly impossible. I grabbed Jesse’s coat and held on. I knew I was slowing him down but I couldn’t turn back. If Kennette was in trouble, then I was partly responsible. I’d brought her to Eleanor’s house, I’d insisted she be here for this dinner party, and I’d let her go out into the cold alone so I could sit with Jesse.
“It’s not your fault, you know,” Jesse said.
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“I know you,” he said.
I smiled. He did know me, and that was pretty cool. I looked up at him, his glasses frosting over in the cold, and I thought how lucky I was to have found such a good man. But before I had a chance to say that, something flashed behind him.
I stopped and took a deep breath. “Something’s in the water,” I said slowly. “I don’t know what it is.”
“Stay here,” he said. “Stay right here.” He moved slowly, deliberately,
Oliver, Jesse, and I each had two slices of pie before Eleanor took the plates away. “Save some for Kennette,” she scolded as she put the kettle on for a second time.
“Where is she?” Jesse asked. “It’s been at least half an hour.”
“Maybe we should go out and look,” I said.
“Barney’s with her,” Eleanor tried to reassure us, but she looked worried. “He has some sense, that dog.”
“If he had any sense he would have come in twenty minutes ago. It’s cold out there,” I reminded her.
“I’ll go.” Jesse got up.
“I’ll go with you.” I stood next to him.
He looked like he was about to protest, but then he nodded. “Oliver, you and Eleanor hold down the fort. If I can borrow a flashlight, that will help. Nell will take her cell with her, so call her if Kennette or Barney comes back.”
“What do you mean Kennette or Barney?” Eleanor asked. “They’ll be together.”
“Then why aren’t they back?” I asked.
“Barney just got interested in some squirrel, that’s all.” Eleanor took a deep breath and Oliver put his arm protectively around her.
Jesse and I wrapped up warmly and headed out. It was snowing, but for a while Jesse was able to find a set of human tracks and a set of dog tracks. Then, near the river, both sets disappeared.
Ice crystals were forming on my face, and the wind was making it hard for me to keep my eyes on Jesse. I was getting confused even though I knew the area, and Kennette had only been at the house for just over a week.
“Stay with me,” Jesse shouted. “Stay right next to me but look in the opposite direction.”
I nodded and stood with my back to him. I could see nothing but snow, and I could feel nothing but cold mixed with a growing sense of panic.
“What could have happened to them?” I asked Jesse.
“Barney probably ran after something and Kennette got lost looking for him.” Jesse sounded so sure. I leaned my head against his shoulder just for a moment of comfort. As I did, my phone rang.
“She’s back?” I asked before Eleanor had a chance to speak.
“No.” Eleanor’s voice sounded frantic. “Barney is back. He’s covered in ice and snow. And he’s soaking wet.”
“And he’s alone?”
Her voice was almost a whisper. “He’s alone.”
I hung up and started to tell Jesse, but it was clear he had figured out the situation. “She’s lost out here, that’s all.” Jesse turned toward me and held me. “Don’t get scared. It takes longer than a half hour to freeze to death in this weather.”
“You’re right. It’s just that it’s easy to get lost.”
“But she’ll walk toward the light coming from the house. She’s got common sense, right?”
Against my better judgment, I laughed. “Not really. But she’s got a way of getting herself help.”
Jesse grabbed my hand and started to walk toward the river, shining the flashlight on the water. “If Barney is wet, maybe he walked into the water. Maybe she followed him.”
With the snow and the incline, walking became nearly impossible. I grabbed Jesse’s coat and held on. I knew I was slowing him down but I couldn’t turn back. If Kennette was in trouble, then I was partly responsible. I’d brought her to Eleanor’s house, I’d insisted she be here for this dinner party, and I’d let her go out into the cold alone so I could sit with Jesse.
“It’s not your fault, you know,” Jesse said.
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“I know you,” he said.
I smiled. He did know me, and that was pretty cool. I looked up at him, his glasses frosting over in the cold, and I thought how lucky I was to have found such a good man. But before I had a chance to say that, something flashed behind him.
I stopped and took a deep breath. “Something’s in the water,” I said slowly. “I don’t know what it is.”
“Stay here,” he said. “Stay right here.” He moved slowly, deliberately,
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