The Woman in Red Who Brought Trouble to Miller’s Lane

“I know what I was doing!” she shot back, though her voice wavered.

“You were face down in the creek.”

“I—” She stopped. Her jaw tightened. Her eyes flicked briefly to the overturned boat, then back to him. “That doesn’t give you the right to— to—”

“To pull you out?” Jack finished, calm but firm. “Yeah. I reckon it does.”

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the slow gurgle of the creek and Mia’s fishing line tapping against her bucket.