The sound of his hammer started up a few minutes later, a steady rhythm that mixed with the waves and the wind. She found herself timing her breathing to it, letting the repetition settle something restless in her chest.
This was what she'd come here for. This quiet. This space to breathe without someone needing her, without the constant pressure of lives hanging in the balance. For months, she'd been drowning in the weight of it, the faces of patients she couldn't save layering over each other until she couldn't see anything else.
Here, the only weight was the book in her lap and the warmth of the sun on her shoulders.
She closed her eyes and let herself drift.
By early afternoon, she'd moved from the deck to the dock. The wooden planks were warm under her bare feet, and she sat at the edge with her legs dangling over the water, watching the light play across the surface.
Brian had taken a break from the addition to fix something on the dock itself, a loose board near the ladder that he said had been bothering him for a week. She'd offered to move, but he'd waved her off.
"Stay," he'd said. "The dock's big enough for both of us."
So she stayed, and he worked, and they existed in the same space without it feeling crowded. It was strange how quickly she'd gotten used to his presence. The sound of his tools, the occasional grunt of effort, the way he talked to himself under his breath when something wasn't cooperating.
"You ever been on a boat?" he asked, straightening up from the board he'd just secured.
She looked over her shoulder at him. "A few times. Nothing serious. Why?"
He nodded toward the canoe tied at the end of the dock. "I could take you out sometime. Show you the cove. It's prettier from the water."
The offer surprised her. "I thought the canoe was off-limits."
"Off-limits alone. The current's tricky if you don't know what you're doing." He wiped his hands on his jeans and came to stand beside her, looking out at the water. "But I know what I'm doing."
She tilted her head to look up at him. The sun was behind him, turning his hair to gold at the edges and throwing his face into shadow. "Are you being nice to me, Brian Knight?"
"Don't get used to it." But there was warmth in his voice that hadn't been there yesterday. "I'm going into town later. Got to pick up some supplies at the hardware store. You want to come?"
She considered it. Part of her wanted to stay here, wrapped in the quiet she'd been craving. But another part, the part that had spent too many months isolated in her own head, wanted to see more of this place that had made him want to stay.
"Sure," she said. "I'd like that."
The craft fair was winding down by the time they reached Main Street, vendors packing up their wares and families heading home with armfuls of purchases. The afternoon light had turned everything golden, and the harbor sparkled like someone had scattered diamonds across the water.
Brian parked near the hardware store, a squat brick building with a hand-painted sign that read Copper Moon Hardware & Supply. The windows were cluttered with displays of tools and garden equipment, the kind of organized chaos that suggested the owner knew exactly where everything was, even if no one else did.
"I won't be long," Brian said. "You can look around if you want. There's a bookstore two doors down, and Lila's Sweet Treats across the street has the best lemon bars in the county."
"Lemon bars sound perfect."
They split up, and Tessa wandered down the sidewalk, taking in the storefronts. A chocolate shop with truffles displayed in the window like jewels. A boutique selling dresses in colors that made her think of summer gardens. The bookstore Brian had mentioned, its display featuring local authors and beach reads.
She stepped inside and breathed in the familiar scent of paper and ink. The shop was small but well-curated, shelves organized by genre with handwritten recommendation cards tucked between the spines. A gray cat dozed in a patch of sunlight near the register.
"Can I help you find something?"
She turned to find a woman behind the counter, white hair pulled back in a tidy bun, reading glasses perched on top of her head. Ruth. The woman from yesterday, who'd teased Brian about forgetting to eat.
"I'm just browsing," Tessa said. "This is a beautiful shop."
Ruth's eyes sharpened with recognition. "You're Brian's friend. The one staying at the cottage."
"Tessa." She offered her hand. "We met briefly yesterday."
"I remember." Ruth's handshake was firm and warm. "Small town. Word travels. I heard about the mix-up with the rental."
Of course, she had. Tessa managed a smile. "It's been an adventure."
