It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) by Tamra Baumann Page B

bridge a few feet below the tracks. Memories of his father falling to his death warred with Zane’s struggle to stay focused and calm. A little boy’s life might depend on him.
    He called out, “Hang on, Ty. I’m coming.”
    Casey caught up. “Maybe I’d better go, Zane. I’m lighter.”
    “No. I’ll go.” He felt responsible for the boys being out there alone in the first place.
    “I’ll call my brother and ask him to bring some climbing gear.” Casey was clearly trying, but unable, to keep the fear from her voice.
    He couldn’t blame her; he could barely draw a deep breath. What if Ty fell into the rocky water below? Could he swim with his injuries?
    Tamping back his fear, Zane stepped carefully onto a cross section of wood. It cracked under his weight, so he quickly moved to the edge. Like a tightrope walker, balancing and swaying with his arms extended, he slowly made his way to the middle. The bridge creaked and groaned underneath his feet, threatening to give way any moment.
    When he finally reached the section Ty had fallen through, Zane lay on his belly and reached down. “Can you grab my hand, Ty?”
    Ty extended his left arm as high as he could, but still couldn’t reach. His right arm was bent at a strange angle that could only mean it was broken. Zane slid closer to the gaping hole and strained for the extra few inches they needed. But it wasn’t enough. He could jump down to get Ty, but he wasn’t sure how they’d get back up. Maybe he’d have to wait for a rope.
    “Hurry. It’s cracking!” The fear in Ty’s eyes was identical to Zane’s father’s right before he’d slipped on the edge of the cliff. And died.
    No time to wait for a rope. The cross supports were giving out. They’d never hold both of their weights. It was probably only an eight-foot drop into the water below. But the rapid river was filled with large boulders.
    Zane lowered himself down the hole, feet first. “Can you grab my legs, Ty?”
    “A little lower.”
    Zane’s arms shook, mostly with terror of Ty falling, as he lowered himself as far as he could. But then a loud crack sounded, and Ty fell, just as the wood beneath Zane’s hands disappeared too. He fell into the river right behind Ty.
    Ty screamed as he hit the water. The kid would never be able to swim with a broken arm. Zane hoped he’d missed a rock when he landed.
    The cold water stole Zane’s breath as he flailed underneath the surface trying to get his bearings, straining to find Ty. After Zane broke the surface, a chunk of the still-falling bridge landed on his forehead and forced him under again. The blinding pain made his vision turn white.
    Pushing off the sandy bottom, he broke the surface again and spotted Ty floundering a few feet down the river. Black dots danced before Zane’s eyes as he swam as hard as he could. Barely hanging on to consciousness, Zane grabbed Ty’s shirt and pulled him against his chest as they were thrown from rock to rock like the little metal ball in a pinball machine. Zane’s strength waned and he could barely keep their heads above water. “I’ve got you, Ty.”
    He had to hold it together long enough to get Ty to the shore.
    With the last bit of effort he could muster, Zane kicked and changed their direction, cutting a new path against the current. The sides of the river were rocky with little shoreline, but he’d not make it much longer, so he couldn’t be choosy.
    The little black dots turned into big ones as they approached the edge. When the water became shallow enough, he let Ty down and they trudged to the rocky shore. Ty flopped to his knees on the ground as he struggled for air.
    Zane dropped right beside him and then the dots won—everything went black.

C asey held Ty’s uninjured hand as her brother Ben finished casting her son’s broken arm. Ben beamed one of his big movie-star smiles at Ty and said, “Now you can have all the girls in your class sign your cast on Monday when school