London had been texting me regularly to check in.
Hugh used a new number to start blowing up my phone with “We need to talk, baby” texts and multiple calls. I was now starting to freak out about his persistence, but I didn’t know how to handle it with all this other carnage going on, so once again, I blocked him.
And realized, as selfish as it might be, I wanted to block everyone.
So the Isle of Kiln called to me.
Instead of heading to the B and B that morning, I told Cammie I was catching the ferry to Kiln to hike around the island all day. I packed supplies and carefully checked the ferry timetable. Because the ferry to Kiln was privately owned, it didn’t run as regularly as those to the mainland. There was one in the morning and one in the late afternoon, and that was it.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Cammie glowered, taking a sip of her coffee.
We’d grabbed to-go cups at Macbeth’s Pages & Perks after I’d bought my lunch at the bakery to take with me on my island adventure.
“It’s a splendid idea,” I disagreed.
“Let me switch out my hair appointment today so I can come with you.”
“Nope. I don’t need an escort.”
Cammie huffed. “Someone has threatened you three times, so I vehemently disagree.”
“I am the only one waiting for the ferry,” I reminded her. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay on Kiln with its population of twenty people.”
“Fine.” Cammie threw back the rest of her coffee. “But I’ll be here on the Leth Sholas dock waiting for you at five o’clock.”
“I’ll be here,” I promised as I reached out to squeeze my friend’s hand. We’d only known each other a few short months, but it felt like we had a bond that transcended time. “It’s not that I don’t trust you with the truth. I’m … bound by circumstances right now. As soon as I’m not, you are the first person I will explain everything to. All right?”
Her expression softened. “Okay. I’m just worried about you.”
Emotion brightened my eyes. “You have no idea how nice it is to have people in my life again who worry about me. I don’t take it for granted. I … I hate having to keep this stuff to myself and I just need a day of not thinking about it.”
“Aye, I understand.” Cammie sighed and nodded beyond me. “Here’s the boat.”
The small boat, as it turned out, was operated by Donal Macintosh, a gruff man in his fifties. A few people disembarked before I boarded, and I was his lone passenger. We waited for ten minutes until Donal announced, “Just one today.”
He pulled away from the harbor and I waved goodbye to Cammie who stood watching until we cruised out of sight.
“I’ve not seen you around. Tourist?” Donal asked loudly over the engine.
“No, I moved to Leth Sholas a few months ago.”
“Oh, are you the lass who bought the B and B?”
It would seem the occupants of the smaller islands around Glenvulin knew of my arrival too. Talk about a close-knit community. “That’s me.”
“What brings you to Kiln?”
“I wanted to hike and explore.”
“Not much to see.”
“Merely natural beauty,” I replied with a smile.
Donal liked that and nodded. “Aye, we have that in abundance. It’s moorland, woodland, and grassland on Kiln. There’s some boggy ground, so be careful where you put your feet.”
“Is the main town close to the ferry dock?”
“There’s not really a main town. Just homes dotted around the island. There’s a restaurant and pub up from the ferry dock, though. It’s mine. I close at four today, though, to run the ferry, so there’s no point coming knocking anytime after that because nobody will be there.”
