“No. It was years ago, and she wouldn’t want him to know he hurt her that badly.”

“She hasn’t been serious about a man since.”

“I know. Apparently ten days of marriage to him cured her of commitment forever.” Skylar stared at the man standing on the tarmac. Even from this distance there was no missing the power of his physique. He stood, legs spread, eyes hidden behind shades as he talked to an official. “It’s wrong that he should look so attractive. It distracts from the fact he’s a bastard. I hope he’s as good a pilot as that arrogant smile suggests, given that he’s going to be responsible for my life. How do I play this? Do I pretend I don’t know he broke Brittany’s heart?”

“That’s probably best as he’s in charge of the aircraft. I don’t want him to dump you in the ocean.”

“Good point. Instead of wanting to kill him, I’ll be grateful. After all, if he hadn’t acted the way he did, we never would have bonded that first night at college. Do you remember?”

“Of course. I remember all of it.”

“I remember Brittany sticking a photo of him on the wall so that we could draw on it. I gave him a nose ring and pink hair.” Skylar walked back to the car and hugged Lizzy. “See you soon, Tinker Bell. Make me a necklace. And make Emily throw out everything she owns that is black.”

Emily watched her friend leave and then slid back into the car.

She wondered briefly why Zach would be flying for Island Air, and then decided that as Brittany wasn’t here anyway, it didn’t matter. Neither of them stayed in the same place for long. He’d be gone long before Brittany returned.

Keen to get home as fast as possible, she drove back along the coast road to Castaway Cottage. Today there was no blue sky, and the wind whipped the sea into a foaming, boiling cauldron, toying with boats and keeping swimmers out of the water. Surf crashed over the rocks, exploding in a burst of white froth.

Emily kept her eyes on the road.

If she worked really hard at it, she could just about pretend the sea wasn’t there.

Two decades had passed, but she could still remember the moment when the water had closed over her head and dragged her down, hungry for an innocent victim.

Sweat formed on her brow.

Pulling up outside the cottage, she saw that Lizzy had fallen asleep.

Absolved of responsibility for a brief, blissful moment, she closed her eyes.

Only when the child slept did she manage to shake off the tension.

* * *

Out in the bay, Ryan made use of that wind as he hauled the sail and turned the boat. “So, your charm with women is something I aspire to emulate.”