“For me?” Lizzy reached for it, enchanted. “It’s like the Captain Hook. Does it float?”
“Should do. You’ll have to take it down to the beach and test it. Let me know.”
“Will you come?”
“To the beach?” John scratched his beard. “Maybe I will. Dora and I enjoy a walk on the sand. I appreciate the invitation.”
“Look.” Lizzy leaned forward to show Emily, and she examined the boat, marveling at the detail. There was a ramp that lifted and lowered and a little chain that fastened across the back.
“It’s perfect. Thank you, John.” She admired the craftsmanship, touched by the sentiment as much as the hours he’d obviously spent. She remembered how afraid of him she, Sky and Brittany had been.
As Ryan drove away, she mentioned it to him. “We used to be scared of him.”
“Plenty of folk are. It’s a trick he uses to stop people messing around near the ferry.”
“I thought Lizzy had driven him crazy asking questions.”
“John loves anyone who shows interest in the Captain Hook.” He eased the car along the crowded roads. “And you’re an honorary islander.”
“Because I’m staying in Brittany’s cottage?”
“Not just because of that. You’ve contributed to the community. Not only have you earned Hilda’s approval, but Summer Scoop’s business has doubled in the past few days. And all the islanders were worried about Lizzy. I couldn’t walk down the street without being accosted for information, so in the end I had Kirsti put out a tweet on the Ocean Club Twitter account. Hope you don’t mind.” He slowed for a group of tourists who were loaded down with beach bags and coolers. “It’s the silly season.”
“This is why the business has doubled. It’s the summer crowd.”
“Not true. You had some great ideas.”
“What’s it like on the island in winter?”
“Quiet. I love it, although obviously the weather can be brutal. It can also be fun. I’ll take you snowmobiling.”
He was making the assumption she’d still be here in the winter.
Realizing they were leaving the harbor, Emily reached for her purse. “Could you take me via the airfield? I need to pick up my car.”
“Jared drove it home for you yesterday.”
“Jared?”
“The guy who is dating my sister. The guy I’m trying not to punch.”
“But I’ve never even met him. Why would he help me? And where did he get the keys?”
Ryan glanced at her. “You left them in the car. I guess you had other things on your mind.”
“I—” She’d left them in the car? “That doesn’t explain why he’d help me, a stranger.”
“Apart from the fact he can’t keep his hands off my sister, he’s a decent guy. And as I said, you’re an honorary islander.” Ryan took the coast road, and Emily looked out of the window at the islands dotted around the bay.
An honorary islander.
A month ago she hadn’t been able to imagine living here. Now she couldn’t imagine leaving.
When she’d arrived on that first night, she would have turned around and left again had there been some way of getting across the water; but at some point leaving had ceased to be a priority. The charm of the island had sneaked up on her, like the slow merging of the seasons.
The contrast to the night of the storm was incredible. The rain had stopped, the sky had cleared and visibility was perfect. It was as if it had never happened.
When they reached Castaway Cottage, she stepped out of the car and felt the breeze on her face. The scent of salt and sea expunged the last memories of clinical sterility. Shell Cove lay in front of her, a perfect crescent of golden tones, and she wondered why she’d wasted all those summers keeping her back to the water.