She said it like a confession.
I smiled. “That’s perfect.”
She sniffed. “They’re training me on the Dewey Decimal System. Said I could do some of the gardening work too. ”
I was out back cutting lumber when my phone buzzed.
Tony.
I wiped my hands on my jeans and answered.
“Are you sitting down?” he asked.
“I’m covered in sawdust,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Marina security called me,” he said. “We had a visitor on the boat last night. She followed a group in when they punched in the security code at the gate.”
My stomach dropped.
“What kind of visitor?”
“Female. Midnight. Twelve-thirty, maybe.” He paused, enjoying this. “Didn’t touch anything. Took off her shoes. Ran her fingers over the deck like she was looking for something.”
My pulse kicked hard.
“She didn’t break in,” Tony went on. “Just… boarded. Left after a few minutes.”
I closed my eyes.
“When I pulled the footage,” he added, “she looked like Venus herself.”
“Sage,” I said immediately. “It was Sage.”
Tony exhaled. “Yeah. Thought so.”
I leaned against the fence, sweat cooling on my back.
“She’s been back to the bar too,” Tony said. “Same place you met. Two nights in a row. Asked around. You weren’t there.”
Something tight and strange settled in my chest.
“She was looking for you, man.”
I ran a hand through my hair.
“You want me to leave her a note?” Tony asked. “Let her know you didn’t disappear. That you had family stuff.”
I hesitated.
“Do you think she’ll come back again?” I asked.
A beat.
“Well,” he said, “clearly she’s not done looking.”
“I might stay on the boat a few nights,” Tony added lightly. “Just to?—”
“Tony,” I cut in, sharper than I meant to, “don’t.”
