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As if summoned by their conversation, the sound of tires on gravel announced a visitor. Both women turned to see Matt’s Jeep headlights pulling into the cottage lane.
“Speaking of surprises,” Amy murmured, settling back in her chair with obvious satisfaction.
Matt’s footsteps crunched across the gravel as he approached the porch, his expression uncertain in the dim light spilling from Amy’s windows.
“Evening,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “Hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Not at all,” Amy replied cheerfully. “We were just discussing career opportunities and the benefits of island living. Care to join the conversation?”
“Actually,” Matt said, his gaze finding Kaitlin’s, “I was hoping to speak with Kaitlin. If you have a few minutes.”
Kaitlin’s pulse hammered against her throat. “Of course.”
Amy stood, gathering the wine bottle and glasses. “I’ll leave you two to it. Kaitlin, think about what we discussed. The town clerk position closes for applications Friday.”
As Amy disappeared into her cottage, Kaitlin found herself alone with Matt for the first time since their confrontation. The evening air felt charged as they stood looking at each other.
“Walk with me?” Matt asked, gesturing toward the path that led toward the bluff.
Kaitlin nodded, rising from her chair on unsteady legs. Whatever he had to say, at least she’d finally know where she stood with him.
Chapter 25
The loose stones crunched softly beneath their feet as they walked toward the bluff, the November darkness settling around them. The unseasonably warm day had given way to a crisp evening, and Kaitlin pulled her cardigan closer as they moved away from the cottage lights.
“Amy mentioned the town clerk position,” Matt said, his hands tucked deep in his jacket pockets. “Are you considering it?”
“I’m thinking about staying,” Kaitlin replied carefully, studying his profile in the dim light. “On the island, I mean. Not just for the holidays.”
Matt nodded, his face unreadable. “I didn’t know you were thinking of it. Why now?”
“I found my family.” She paused, watching her breath form small clouds in the cool air. “And I suppose I’ve grown attached to this place, despite everything.”
They reached the edge of the bluff where the land dropped away toward the Atlantic. Below them, waves crashed against the rocky shore, their rhythm steady and eternal. The lighthouse beam swept across the water in its predictable arc, a comfort in the darkness. The moon shone as it rose over the water. It was a beautiful night.
Matt stopped walking, turning to face her. “Kaitlin, I owe you an apology.”
The words hung between them, unexpected and weighty. Kaitlin felt her pulse quicken. “Matt—”
“No, let me say this.” He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture she’d come to recognize as nervous habit. “I’ve been thinking about what happened between us, about how I reacted when I learned why you were really here.”
“You had every right to be angry. I lied to you.”
“Did you?” Matt’s voice was quiet but intense. “Or did you protect yourself the only way you knew how? You came to this island alone, searching for something incredibly personal. You had no reason to trust me, especially given how I treated you from the beginning.”
Kaitlin stared at him, surprised by the admission. “You were just doing your job.”
“Was I? Or was I being exactly what Amy accused me of being—a misanthrope toward anyone who wasn’t born here?” Matt stepped closer, close enough that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. “I’ve spent my whole life watching people come and go from this island. Tourists, seasonal workers, even well-meaning volunteers who stay for a summer and then disappear. I told myself I was protecting the community by keeping my distance.”
“You were protecting yourself,” Kaitlin said softly.
“Maybe. But that’s not an excuse for how I treated you.” Matt’s voice grew rougher. “From the moment you walked into that records room, you were nothing but professional and helpful. You risked your life to save those documents in the fire. You fought off a federal agent who was trying to destroy evidence. And how did I repay that? By walking out on you the minute I discovered your secret.”
The wind picked up, carrying the briny scent of low tide. Kaitlin wrapped her arms around herself, not from cold but from the vulnerability in Matt’s words.
“Honestly Kaitlin, I’ve been a fool.” He waved his hands back toward the mansion lurking through the trees. “I though secrets made someone evil. But all of this has shown me that, frankly, everyone has them. The islanders all have them. The women who came here and gave their children up for adoption had them. You, worried that you wouldn’t find your truth if you revealed them. It doesn’t make any of you criminals, even though I treated you like it did.”
“I was hurt,” she admitted. “Not just by your anger, but by feeling like everything we had together meant nothing the moment you found out the truth.”
