“Oh, brother, you’re such a rule-follower,” scoffed Nicole. She used the mirror as she applied her newly purchased, blood-red lipstick, rubbed her lips together, and then made an exaggerated smacking sound at her reflection, before flipping the visor upward again and shifting to look at Caitlin. “If you really want to be with Donald, then you can’t let your doubts or fear stop you—you’re going to have to take a risk. And just to prove how sorry I am for making us late, I’m going to help you out.”
“How?”
“Once the chaperone starts playing his guitar, I’ll get everybody singing and dancing. Dave won’t even notice what you and Donald are doing. You can take off for as long as you want—I’ll keep everyone distracted until you get back.”
Caitlin chewed on her lower lip, hesitating. Nicole’s plan gave her an uneasy feeling—more like bees than butterflies—in the pit of her stomach. She knew she should say that it wasn’t necessary for Nicole to put on a show; that Caitlin didn’t want to get in trouble, and that she and Donald would find another time to be alone. But what if they didn’t get the chance before leaving the island? To Caitlin, that would be a lot worse than any consequence she could imagine from sneaking away from the group.
“Okay,” she finally agreed, against her better judgment. “Let’s go for it.”
FOUR
PRESENT DAY
A tap on the car window startled Caitlin. She’d been so entranced in her thoughts that it took a second to get her bearings: she was parked in the driveway in front of her aunt’s cottage and windmill, with the car’s engine still running. She turned it off and twisted her head to find a round-faced, white-haired woman peering at her through silver-framed bifocals.
“Hello, there,” the woman said loudly. “Are you okay?”
Caitlin nodded and answered just as loudly, “I’m fine, thanks.”
The woman said something else, but Caitlin couldn’t quite hear her, so she slowly opened the door, allowing the woman time to step back. That’s when she noticed the leashed gray and white Havanese dog near the woman’s feet. It vigorously wagged its tail and barked excitedly at her.
“Pepper, shush,” the woman said sharply to quiet him, but Caitlin didn’t mind.
She bent down to pet the friendly animal, stalling as she decided how to approach her conversation with the passerby. Caitlin had anticipated that she wouldn’t be able to keep her presence on Dune Island a secret for very long, but shehad hoped she’d at least be able to unpack before the locals discovered she was there.
“I don’t mean to be intrusive,” the woman said, as if she could read Caitlin’s mind. “But if you’re lost or looking for someone, maybe I can give you directions?”
As Caitlin straightened into a standing position and looked into the woman’s eyes once again, she suddenly recognized her. Marion Graham, a widow and the only full-time resident on Windswept Way, had been what Lydia affectionately had called “my dearest Dune Island friend.”
Apparently, at second glance, she recognized Caitlin, too. “Oh, look who it is—Lydia’s niece,” she exclaimed. “How wonderful to see you again, Caitlin.”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Mrs. Graham. How areyou doing?”
“Please, call me Marion. I’m doing very well, thank you, just a little slower than I used to be.” She puckered her forehead. “How about you—and how’s your aunt?”
Although it made sense that Lydia’s death wasn’t announced in the local newspapers because she hadn’t been a permanent Dune Island resident, Caitlin felt bad that Marion hadn’t been informed. She tried to break the news gently. “I… I’m afraid she passed away a little over a week ago.”
“Oh, dear.” Marion mournfully shook her head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.” Caitlin’s eyes unexpectedly welled with tears, which she quickly blinked away. She’d been so composed at the funeral, but being back at her aunt’s house was causing her to feel more emotional than usual.
“Even though Lydia and I didn’t keep in close touch during the winter months, I always looked forward to spending time with her when she returned to the island each summer. I was very sad when she wrote me a note to say she had developed dementia and wouldn’t be returning to Dune Island,” Marionsaid. “I still try to keep an eye on her house. Not that there’s ever been a problem with crime in Hope Haven, but on such a deserted road, during the off-season it doesn’t hurt to know who’s coming and going. That’s why when I saw an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway, I came to find out what it was doing here—you must have thought I was a terrible busybody!”
“Not at all. I appreciate it that you’ve looked out for my aunt’s home,” said Caitlin. “And just so you know, the car’s a rental and I’m returning it tomorrow. So after that, you won’t see a vehicle parked in the driveway, but if you notice lights on in the cottage, please don’t worry—it’s just me, not an intruder.”
“Ah, it’ll be wonderful to have a neighbor on the street again. As you can see, once the vacationers go home, it’s like a ghost town around here,” said Marion. “Did you bring anyone with you? Your husband and children?”
“No, this is a solo trip,” Caitlin answered evasively, without explaining thatallher trips were solo these days, especially after breaking up with Jonathan.
“How long will you be staying?”
“I’m not sure. A few weeks, maybe.” Caitlin felt self-conscious about arriving to sell the house so soon after her aunt’s passing, almost as if she needed to justify her schedule. “I happened to have a long break from work, so I came here to… to make sure everything’s in order in the cottage.”
“I see.” Marion glanced down at Pepper, who was standing on his hind legs and wiggling his backside as he pawed her shins. To Caitlin’s relief, instead of asking more questions, the elderly woman said, “I hate to cut our conversation short, but it looks like Pepper’s eager to get home to have his treat. I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to since I last saw you, so once you get settled in, please drop by for a visit.”
Touched by the welcoming invitation, yet reluctant to commit to sharing “all about” her life, Caitlin smiled and simply replied, “Thank you—that’s very kind.”
As Pepper led Marion down the driveway, Caitlin reached into the car and retrieved her phone from the cupholder. She scrolled through the texts from the estate attorney until she found the code to the back door to Lydia’s house. Caitlin tapped the number into the keypad, turned the handle, and braced herself for another wave of memories to wash over her.
