She looked out the window, and I saw her mouth drop open in wonder.
‘Oh wow,’ she said breathily. ‘This view really is something else.’
I followed her gaze, trying to look at it through her fresh eyes, rather than my own, which had grown up with it. From this window on the second floor the view was expansive, and we could see clear down the bar towards town, and miles in the other direction towards the open sea. The sea was gray and choppy, whitecaps dancing in little lines as the waves rippled across the surface.
A fishing boat tackled them head on as it headed out to sea. I recognized it as theAmber Dawn, belonging to Jim Kelley. Thirty years older than me, he was one of the best lobstermen in town. Worked like a trojan, and was a nice guy too. Always happy to mentor the younger men coming into the industry. He was one of only a handful of local guys with a large enough boat and gear to still work throughout the winter, heading out to Williams Bank seventy miles offshore, while the rest of us used the cold months to carry out maintenance and repairs onour gear and boats. Williams Bank was a large, elevated area of seafloor off the coast. A prime breeding ground for lobsters and other shellfish. I often went out with him in the winter, not because I needed the money – I managed to live a modest but comfortable life all year off of what I made in the summer – but because it gave me something to do. I got bored if I sat around for too long.
Mae knelt on the seat, her face almost pressed against the glass. ‘Is that a lighthouse over there?’
‘It is. Dalton’s lighthouse. It’s manned by the US Coast Guard.’
She looked surprised. ‘It’s still operational?’
‘Yeah. It’s a pretty rugged granite coastline up and down the island, not to mention a pretty gnarly bar coming into the harbor. It’s caught many a boat unawares over the years. They built the lighthouse in the fifties.’
‘Can you visit it?’
‘The grounds, yes. But not the lighthouse itself.’
She looked crestfallen. ‘That’s a shame. I always wanted to see inside one of those. I remember growing up, I read a book about a girl who lived inside a lighthouse with her father, and I was so jealous. The spiral staircase, her own floor for a bedroom. Curling up safe and sound inside the light part at the top with a book, while a storm and the sea raged outside.’ She sighed. ‘It sounded so cool.’
I snorted. ‘And pure fiction. In reality it was probably cold, damp and isolated.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Where’s your sense of romance?’
Dad chuckled. ‘He’s never had one.’
‘I just see things for how they really are,’ I told him, defending myself. I stared at Mae. ‘It doesn’t mean I don’t also see the beauty in life.’
She blushed under my stare, then turned to fuss over my father again. ‘I think we should get you back to bed now.’
11
MAE
‘Mae, wait up.’
I pretended I didn’t hear him, taking the steps two at a time in my hurry to get to my car and get the hell out of there. Once Gray had been back in bed, I’d gone over his medication with him and Eleanor, advising them of some of the side effects to expect and watch out for and what to do if they occurred. I also moved a few objects and rugs that I considered to be trip hazards, and showed them some light stretches and exercises he could do from bed to help his body recover. I took advantage of a moment when Jonah was out of the room refilling his father’s water jug to say goodbye and quickly leave. But I only made it as far as putting my hand on the car door handle before he caught up, placing his hand against the door so that I couldn’t open it.
‘Wait,’ he said. ‘Please.’
‘Sorry, Jonah, but I really have to go,’ I said without looking at him. ‘I have another appointment.’
‘Did I do something wrong?’
I blinked up at him in surprise. ‘What? No. You haven’t done anything. I’m the one who made a spectacular fool of myself. Nodoubt your dad is telling your mom all about it right now and the agency will fire me.’
‘They’re not going to fire you.’
‘You don’t know that.’
‘My father wouldn’t let that happen.’
‘Like he could have control over that.’
‘You’d be surprised.’
I stared at him. ‘Is he the Godfather of Pine Harbor or something?’
