“There will be plenty of time to talk later. I need to get to work. We’re fully booked and short-staffed. I need to talk to Joel about maintenance, and then I’m rolling up my sleeves and cleaning a few cabins.” Not a few. Just the one currently inhabited by Brendan Scott, but Nicole didn’t need the detail. “You should probably stay here, out of sight. Is there anything you need before I go?”

“A new identity? A do-over of my whole life?” Nicole gave a tired smile. “Just kidding. No, there’s nothing I need. And I’ll be fine. I’ll have a quiet day. Thank you.”

Milly thought of Nicole having an entire day to herself and felt a twinge of envy. She would have given a lot for a quiet day.

Chapter 6Nicole

The last thing she wanted was a quiet day.

Nicole watched as Milly hurried away from the boathouse. She wanted to stop her. She wanted to grab her and say I’m so sorry for everything, but she didn’t recognize this version of Milly. The Milly she knew was open and friendly and held nothing back, but this Milly was reserved and contained as if she’d retreated somewhere that Nicole couldn’t reach.

It was Nicole’s fault, and she badly wanted to fix it. She’d never needed Milly’s listening ear and wise advice more than she did now, but how could she expect her friend to give her the support she craved when Nicole hadn’t done the same for her?

She didn’t know how to make things right between them, and anyway Milly was now out of sight, her mind on her own challenges.

Her life had changed irrevocably, and there was no going back.

Nicole felt a twinge of envy. Things were obviously difficult for Milly, but she had a job she loved and was surrounded by people she trusted. She had her mother, grandmother and Zoe, and she was part of a community that cared about her. She had a normal life, and she lived in this gorgeous boathouse with no intruder alarm and no need for security cameras, and she didn’t have to wake up and read lies about herself in the media. She could go where she liked when she liked without worrying about who might be watching. She liked her life and knew exactly what she wanted to do. She had a direction.

Nicole had no direction. She had major decisions to make, but she was too overwhelmed by everything to make them. She was terrified. For years she’d planned every move she’d made, every part she’d taken, but she hadn’t planned for this to happen.