Page 31 of First Moon

“I saw it go down,” Jack said, remarkably calm.

“You saw the pouch go down. What if the ring came out? What if it’s gone forever?”

“Then I’ll get you another one. But let’s try and find this one first.” He took my hand as we went further into the water. Sunlight trembled over the surface, ironically, like diamonds.

Jack dove first.

I stood there, heart pounding, arms wrapped around myself, watching his body disappear beneath the water. Seconds stretched. The creek bubbled and shifted.

He came up empty.

My stomach sank. “No?”

“I’m going back in.” He drew a breath and dove again.

This time I went with him.

Cold and green and full of dappled light, the creek swallowed me whole. I kicked down to the bottom, opening my eyes to the blur of stones beneath us. I saw smooth brown rocks and pale limestone. Water weeds waved gently in the current. Tiny fish darted out of the way.

My lungs burned. I kicked back up, breaking the surface with a gasp.

Jack surfaced beside me, pushing hair out of his eyes.

“Anything?” I asked.

“No.”

Panic rose sharp in my throat.

Then he went still.

“What?” I asked.

His gaze had fixed on the water just beyond my shoulder. “I see something.”

My hands flew to my mouth and stayed there.

He took one breath and dove again, cutting through the water cleanly. I leaned forward, trying to see through the ripples. My heart beat so hard I could hear it in my ears.

Beneath the surface, Jack reached toward a cluster of flat stones near the base of the bank. A moment later, he came up with one hand closed in a fist.

He opened his fingers. There it was. Not the pouch. Just the ring. The sparkling, gorgeous ring. That was about to go on my finger.

“Oh my Lord,” I whispered. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Big diamond with the halo like Madeleine said you’d want,” Jack said. “Madeleine warned me not to get anything too showy, but for once I didn’t listen to her because I wanted it to sparkle just right on your pretty hand. That was before I decided to propose over Juniper Creek.”

I burst out laughing and sobbing at the same time.

He swam to me, careful to keep the ring pinched between his fingers. “I think we should put it on you before Juniper Creek tries to claim it permanently.”

“Yes. Please.”

We made our way to the flat limestone shelf, both of us dripping, shivering, and laughing like fools. Jack climbed out first, then helped me up. Water streamed from his hair down his face. His knee was scraped somehow. And his lips were slightly blue. He didn’t seem to notice.

He held the ring up between us.

“Can I try this again?” he asked.