“Like I said, mum’s the word,” he promised. “But if you’re not too worried I’ll blow your cover, can you at least tell me your first name?”
She giggled at his light-hearted teasing. “Sure, of course. I’m Caitlin. Caitlin Hines.”
“I’ll stop by around two o’clock, Caitlin—if that’s okay with you?”
“Sounds good,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The next morning, Caitlin decided that there was no putting it off any longer: she needed to go inside the windmill before Shane arrived. For one thing, the maintenance crew stored lawn equipment for the property there, and Caitlin wanted to be sure it wasn’t blocking access to the loft stairs. More importantly, she was concerned about how she’d react to being back in thewindmill, and she didn’t want to risk becoming emotional in front of a stranger.
It’s better if I’m by myself the first time I go inside, she thought as she unlocked the padlock.Although I’m probably worried for nothing.
But when she pushed open the door and entered the dim interior, the familiar earthy scent of wood filled her nostrils and she felt as if she’d just stepped back in time.
FIVE
LATE AUGUST, TWENTY YEARS EARLIER
Nicole’s plan to help Caitlin and Donald slink away from the beach party went off without a hitch.
After ravenously consuming three party-sized pizzas, the group of teenagers played volleyball in the fine, cool sand until the sun hovered just above the horizon. Then they stopped to watch it tint the sky pink and purple before it vanished.
Dave, the chaperone, supervised as the student rangers lit a small campfire, and when everyone had circled around it, he began strumming his guitar. Almost immediately, Nicole burst into song, and she encouraged the pudgy, smiling boy on her left and the tall girl with braces on her right to sing along, too. Dressed in a revealing halter top and high-cut shorts, Nicole appeared out of place sandwiched between the two student rangers, who were still wearing their uniforms. But the trio sounded surprisingly harmonious, and by the second song, most of the other youth had joined in, as well. Encouraged by their enthusiastic response, Dave smiled and closed his eyes as he played, and Caitlin and Donald slipped away unnoticed.
In the lilac haze of dusk, they stole down the beach, ducked into the slope between two dunes, and dropped onto the sand.The pair kissed until they were sweaty and breathless, and their lips went numb.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Caitlin said when they paused to cool down. She propped herself on her elbows, watching Donald wipe his steamed-up glasses with the hem of his shirt. “The past three days without you have been torture.”
“I felt that way, too. And it’s going to be a thousand times worse after we leave Dune Island.” He groaned. “For the first time in my life, I wish I didn’t have to go back to school.”
Caitlin smiled to herself; she didn’t enjoy school quite as much as he did. “I’m always sad when summer ends, but this year, I really wish it would last forever.”
“So do I.” Donald leaned over. Touching her cheek, he studied her face with almost scientific concentration. Finally, he cleared his throat and parted his lips to speak, but no words came out.
“What is it?” she prompted. “What are you thinking?”
“That I…” His voice was raspy. “That I love you, Caitlin.”
She traced his jaw with her finger and whispered back, “I love you, too, Donald.”
As they kissed again, Caitlin’s heart thrummed so intensely it seemed to shake the dune beneath her. Donald abruptly pulled back and cocked his head. Was it happening to him, too? Before she could ask, the chh-chh-chh-chh-chh sensation inside her chest filled her ears, and a bright light illuminated the shoreline. She sat up and blinked, confused.
“A search and rescue ’copter!” Donald exclaimed, pointing to the sky.
Still trying to understand what was happening, Caitlin marveled, “Dave sent someone to look for us?”
She’d been serious, but Donald laughed as he stood up. “No, it’s not for us, but someone else must be lost. Student rangers are required to be available to assist in the search, so we’d betterget going. If I’m not in the van when everyone’s ready to leave, I’m going to be in a lot of trouble with Dave—just like the first time you and I met.”
“You got in trouble that day?” she asked, scrambling to her feet.
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “But it was worth it.”
Caitlin felt as if she were floating on air as they raced down the beach. By the time they reached the group, most of the other kids had left and the campfire had been extinguished.
“Where have you been?” Dave growled at Donald, but Caitlin counteracted with a question of her own.
“Where’s Nicole?” she asked.
“Who?”
