C HAPTER 1
“It’s nice here, don’t you think, Ryan?” The pretty blond woman’s tired blue eyes traveled from the road to the thin, dark-haired boy sitting in the passenger seat beside her.
Thirteen-year-old Ryan Swanner looked out the window. The Colorado mountains were okay, but they weren’t anything like the ones back home. Ryan had grown up in Louisiana, fishing on the swamps and bayous, and it had been hard to say goodbye to his friends there. But his mom was so excited about her new jobthat he didn’t have the heart to spoil things for her. So he’d kept his feelings to himself.
She was now the new manager of a restaurant called The Cove, which catered to tourists at the Black Water Lake Resort. It was a big break for her. Back home she had waitressed at truck stops and coffee shops. This job meant a lot more money.
Ryan collected his thoughts and turned back toward his mom. “Uh, yeah. Real nice. Lots of … trees and stuff. It’ll be great.”
The old car rumbled down the narrow gravel road and turned off onto a deeply rutted dirt lane. They stopped in front of a log cabin that was almost completely covered with vines.
“This is it, Ryan. What do you think?”
Ryan opened the car door and stepped out. In ways the scenery reminded him of the thick green foliage that had surrounded their house back home. But there was something different about the quiet and the crispness of the air here. He stepped up onto the wooden porch and was about to reach for the doorknob when a large woman wearing baggyjeans and a red flannel shirt stepped out of the cabin, shaking a dusty rug in his face.
“Oh my!” She drew back and tried to wave away the choking dust cloud. “I didn’t realize you were here. You must be the Swanners. You’re early. I’m Mrs. Brown from over the hill, your landlady.”
Ryan’s mother climbed the steps and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you in person, Mrs. Brown. I’m Cynthia Swanner and this is my son, Ryan.”
The woman surveyed him. “Rita has been looking forward to meeting you. Annie was hoping for a girl. But she’s only four so I’m sure she’ll make do.” Mrs. Brown smiled. “I’ll get out of your way now and let the two of you unpack and get settled. If you need anything, my house is the yellow one just over the hill behind you.” She gave a friendly wave and marched off into the woods.
They watched her leave and then Ryan’s mom pushed the cabin door open. “Mrs. Brown told me we’re not far from the lodge, and Black Water Lake is within walking distance.”
Water. That was one thing Ryan knew something about. Maybe it wouldn’t be so awful here after all.
The inside of the cabin was small but cozy. Cynthia Swanner stopped to smell the wildflowers that stood in a vase on the kitchen table. “It already feels like home.”
Ryan hadn’t seen his mom this happy in years—not since before the car accident that had taken his dad’s life. “I think it’s gonna be just fine, Mom. Just fine.”
C HAPTER 2
Ryan moved the branch of a pine tree and there it was—the lake. The water lay flat and shiny like a big black slab of onyx. This was the Black Water Lake the resort was named for. It was a large, kidney-shaped body of water as dark as its name. This end of the lake was some distance from the lodge, which was hidden from sight by hills and trees.
“Couldn’t get much better.” Ryan stepped out onto the sandy shore and skipped a rock across the lake’s smooth surface.
He dipped his hand in the water and foundit a little colder than he’d expected. Still, a quick swim would be fun. He sat down and began pulling off his tennis shoes.
“Wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Ryan spun around. Standing behind him was a tall redheaded girl with her arms folded.
“H-Hi,” Ryan began. “I was just—”
The girl pointed to a sign on the shore. “Can’t you read?”
Ryan hadn’t noticed the small weather-beaten sign:
CLOSED TO ALL
“It’s nice here, don’t you think, Ryan?” The pretty blond woman’s tired blue eyes traveled from the road to the thin, dark-haired boy sitting in the passenger seat beside her.
Thirteen-year-old Ryan Swanner looked out the window. The Colorado mountains were okay, but they weren’t anything like the ones back home. Ryan had grown up in Louisiana, fishing on the swamps and bayous, and it had been hard to say goodbye to his friends there. But his mom was so excited about her new jobthat he didn’t have the heart to spoil things for her. So he’d kept his feelings to himself.
She was now the new manager of a restaurant called The Cove, which catered to tourists at the Black Water Lake Resort. It was a big break for her. Back home she had waitressed at truck stops and coffee shops. This job meant a lot more money.
Ryan collected his thoughts and turned back toward his mom. “Uh, yeah. Real nice. Lots of … trees and stuff. It’ll be great.”
The old car rumbled down the narrow gravel road and turned off onto a deeply rutted dirt lane. They stopped in front of a log cabin that was almost completely covered with vines.
“This is it, Ryan. What do you think?”
Ryan opened the car door and stepped out. In ways the scenery reminded him of the thick green foliage that had surrounded their house back home. But there was something different about the quiet and the crispness of the air here. He stepped up onto the wooden porch and was about to reach for the doorknob when a large woman wearing baggyjeans and a red flannel shirt stepped out of the cabin, shaking a dusty rug in his face.
“Oh my!” She drew back and tried to wave away the choking dust cloud. “I didn’t realize you were here. You must be the Swanners. You’re early. I’m Mrs. Brown from over the hill, your landlady.”
Ryan’s mother climbed the steps and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you in person, Mrs. Brown. I’m Cynthia Swanner and this is my son, Ryan.”
The woman surveyed him. “Rita has been looking forward to meeting you. Annie was hoping for a girl. But she’s only four so I’m sure she’ll make do.” Mrs. Brown smiled. “I’ll get out of your way now and let the two of you unpack and get settled. If you need anything, my house is the yellow one just over the hill behind you.” She gave a friendly wave and marched off into the woods.
They watched her leave and then Ryan’s mom pushed the cabin door open. “Mrs. Brown told me we’re not far from the lodge, and Black Water Lake is within walking distance.”
Water. That was one thing Ryan knew something about. Maybe it wouldn’t be so awful here after all.
The inside of the cabin was small but cozy. Cynthia Swanner stopped to smell the wildflowers that stood in a vase on the kitchen table. “It already feels like home.”
Ryan hadn’t seen his mom this happy in years—not since before the car accident that had taken his dad’s life. “I think it’s gonna be just fine, Mom. Just fine.”
C HAPTER 2
Ryan moved the branch of a pine tree and there it was—the lake. The water lay flat and shiny like a big black slab of onyx. This was the Black Water Lake the resort was named for. It was a large, kidney-shaped body of water as dark as its name. This end of the lake was some distance from the lodge, which was hidden from sight by hills and trees.
“Couldn’t get much better.” Ryan stepped out onto the sandy shore and skipped a rock across the lake’s smooth surface.
He dipped his hand in the water and foundit a little colder than he’d expected. Still, a quick swim would be fun. He sat down and began pulling off his tennis shoes.
“Wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Ryan spun around. Standing behind him was a tall redheaded girl with her arms folded.
“H-Hi,” Ryan began. “I was just—”
The girl pointed to a sign on the shore. “Can’t you read?”
Ryan hadn’t noticed the small weather-beaten sign:
CLOSED TO ALL
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