Caitlin was crouched down, examining the children’s display of cranberry-themed puzzles, books, and toys in the gift shop at the farm when a young boy came up beside her.
“Hi. Do you need a basket?” he asked, extending one to her.
Noticing he was wearing a cap that had the farm’s name and logo printed on it, Caitlin deduced the helpful child was probably Lily’s son. She was only holding two small items—a recipe book and a bag of cranberries—but she accepted the basket and said, “Thanks. This will come in handy once I decide what to buy for my niece and nephews. Do you have any ideas about what they might like?”
He cocked his head and wrinkled his freckled nose. “How old are they?”
“The boys are four and seven, and my niece is almost six. I’m looking for something small that I can mail to them.”
“That harvesting game is small.” He pointed to a deck of cards. “You have to try to match all the same cards with the same number of berries, and the person with the most pairs wins.”
“Hmm, thatissmall enough to fit in an envelope, and it’s educational, too,” said Caitlin. “The only problem is my four-year-old nephew can’t count very high yet, and he’d probablybend the cards. Is there anything easier and more durable you think they’d like?”
The boy nodded enthusiastically and pulled a large box from the lower shelf. “This is called Frog in a Bog. It’s a jumping game.”
“Nowthatsounds like fun.”
“Yeah, and it’s good for all ages. Even my stepdad, Jake, likes to play it,” he said. “’Cept it’s probably too big to send in the mail.”
“Well, then, I guess I’ll just have to bring it to them in my suitcase, instead,” she said. “Thanks for your help.”
“You’re welcome. You want me to carry it for you? It won’t fit in that basket.”
Caitlin chuckled. “That would be awesome.”
A burly blond man with a ready smile was standing at the cash register. He took the box from the boy, who darted away as quickly as he’d appeared. “Ah, I see Ryan gave you the hard sell on Frog in a Bog,” he said to Caitlin.
“He was very convincing,” she answered, handing him the recipe book and cranberries, as well. “He told me even grown-ups like to play it.”
“Guilty,” Jake acknowledged with a laugh. “Although fair warning, the game can get rambunctious. My wife doesn’t allow Ryan and me to play it indoors.”
Caitlin smiled; she could see why Lily had fallen hard for this good-natured, good-looking man, who clearly loved her son. “Speaking of your wife, is Lily here today?”
“She’s in the kitchen, teaching a class. I think she’ll be done in about ten or fifteen minutes, if you want to wait to talk to her,” he said. “Or maybe I can help you?”
“No, thanks, I’m all set. I just wanted to say hello to her.” She extended her hand. “My name’s Caitlin Hines, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Caitlin. I’m Jake Benson,” he replied. “I’ll be sure to pass along your greetings to Lily.”
A few moments later, as she tramped back to the bus stop carrying her purchases, Caitlin reflected on how much had changed over the course of a few weeks.The first time I visited the farm, I was dressed incognito because I was so worried someone would recognize me and bring up Nicole’s drowning. The second time I came here, that’s exactly what happened—and I practically passed out when I was confronted by Claire. But just now, I made a point of telling Jake my firstandmy last name.
To her, that was a sign of huge progress. Granted, she was favorably biased toward Jake because she liked his wife, Lily, so much, but Caitlin had still surprised herself by proactively introducing herself to him.It’s not as if I’ll be giving windmill tours and dinner parties at the cottage any time soon,she thought, tongue-in-cheek.But it’s a relief to feel a little more comfortable about going out in public on Dune Island again.
On the Monday morning before Thanksgiving, Caitlin tried again to reach Tobias, but the call went straight to voice mail. Unsure whether his assistant still had access to his cell phone, she hesitated to leave a specific message. So she expressed concern about his mother, wished him a happy Thanksgiving, and said, “I look forward to talking when it’s convenient for you.”
It’s not December yet, she tried to console herself after hanging up.Even if the hospital intends to start the feasibility study at the beginning of the New Year, there’s still plenty of time for them to interview consultants before the holidays.
She popped out for a walk, just as Shane was coming around the corner. “Good morning.” he said, his smile causing her to forget her worries. “Nice weather for a walk.”
“Yeah, it’s a little warmer than last week.”
“Enjoy it while you can. Supposedly, we’re in for a harsh winter, with record-breaking cold temperatures this December,” he reported. “Although I don’t think we’ll get any snow until after the new year, so you’ll be gone by then.”
To Caitlin’s surprise, she felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of leaving. “Unless it’s so cold before Christmas that the ocean freezes and I’m stranded here till spring.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” He looked her in the eyes so intently she felt as if he seriously wanted to know what she thought about that possibility.
“No, it wouldn’t be so bad,” she said. “Although it’s not very realistic.”
