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watched him go, then sat down alone, pulling grass and tossing it onto the path. Jaymie was torn. There was so much pain evident in her slumped posture and obvious loneliness, but Jaymie was not going to approach her in public just to be rebuffed. If there was ever going to be a reconciliation between them, it was going to have to be in private where they could hash out their differences.
    Jaymie joined Becca and Kevin, who stood at the railing above the river, arms linked, watching for the sailboats to reappear from Fawn Island. Some of their neighbors on Heartbreak Island had boats in the competition, and Jaymie grabbed her binoculars when she saw some sail craft appearing downriver. “That boat in the front is the
Heartbreak Kid
, out of the Heartbreak Island marina,” she told Daniel, who joined her. “It belongs to Ruby and Garnet Redmond, a sister and brother team who sail competitively every summer. Here, look through the binoculars.”
    “They’re raising the spinnaker!” Becca cried. “Go, Redmonds!”
    Hundreds had surged to the walkway overlooking the St. Clair to watch the end of the race, and applause broke out at the swift use by the frontrunners of their blooming spinnaker sails, fuller sails that caught the wind dramatically as the boats sailed downwind. They made the river a garden of gaudy delights.
    Jaymie jumped up and down. “I love this part of the race,” she cried, and took the binoculars back. Through them she could see Ruby leaning way out over the water, providing much needed balance, while Garnet steered. It was tricky to raise the spinnaker in a race, and some boats were too close to each other to do it, but the
Heartbreak Kid
was out in front, followed by the
Sea Urchin
, and both had room to hoist the ballooning sails. The wind was right, and the added pull made both surge ahead, but the
Heartbreak Kid
sailed to a clear victory, the Redmonds’ third win in a row.
    “That was exciting!” Jaymie said.
    “The Redmonds win again!” Valetta said. They discussed for a few minutes who would be put out by the third win, and who, among those who belonged to the sailing club onthe island, would demand that the Redmonds be disqualified next year to give others a chance. The owners of the
Sea Urchin
were sure to be fuming.
    Daniel listened for a while, and said, “Do you like to sail, Jaymie?”
    “Only as a passenger.”
    Valetta raised her eyebrows and looked from one to the other. “Do
you
like sailing, Daniel?” she asked.
    He shrugged. “Not much sailing where I’m from. Bakersfield is kinda deserty; more cowboy boots and rodeos than sailing and tea parties. And Phoenix, my company headquarters, is the same.”
    So why had he come to Queensville and bought Stowe House? That was still a mystery to Jaymie. He never had explained how he found Stowe House and why he wanted to live there.
    As folks drifted away from the railing, Jaymie noticed Ella Douglas in her motorized wheelchair trundling down the walkway, accompanied by a man who must be her husband. Her guess was confirmed when Valetta went to talk to them and then beckoned Jaymie.
    The tall, slightly stooped man, his head showing a faint corona of bristle where his receding hairline had encouraged him to shave it bald, smiled. He shoved his hand out to her, clasped hers in his and pumped vigorously. “Hey there, Jaymie. I’m Bob Douglas. My wife told me how you stuck up for her when
that
woman,” he said, shooting an annoyed look at Kathy Cooper, who was moving her blanket yet again, “had the audacity to accuse her of running over her nephew on purpose.”
    Kathy looked over, as if she’d heard her name, and regarded Bob with a pinched expression. She shifted her gaze to stare at Ella.
    Hoping Kathy wasn’t going to make trouble and confront Ella, Jaymie said, “It’s nothing.” She turned to Ella. “I’m glad you came out for the festivities. I know you’re not feeling well.”
    Ella shrugged, her knitted shawl