Emily paused, understanding the child’s need for security in a world that had crumbled around her. “We’d stay here until we found somewhere perfect for us.” She sent mental thanks to her friend and the pact they’d made all those years before.

“Will we stay on Puffin Island?”

It was something she hadn’t considered until the past few days. “That’s something we’ll have to talk about.”

“I want to live here. I don’t want to leave Cocoa. Or the puffins. I like swimming. Rachel says if I’m still here when school starts after the summer, she’d be my teacher.”

Emily leaned across and wiped the flour from her mouth. “You’d have to call her Miss Cooper.”

Lizzy grinned. “I’d be with Summer and Harry.”

“That sounds like fun. Are you done making pastry? I’ll finish off and then we can clean up and read a book while our pie is cooking.”

She heard the front door open and then the sound of paws on the floor as Cocoa sprinted into the kitchen.

“Cocoa!” Abandoning her duties as pastry maker, Lizzy jumped off the chair and hugged the dog, spreading flour and goodwill in equal measure.

Emily’s heart lifted as Ryan walked into the room, wiping droplets of rain from his face. “She’s learned sit, but stay is still giving us a problem.”

His gaze connected with hers briefly, and the look he gave her sent heat rushing to her cheeks.

“Would you like to stay for dinner? It’s Lizzy’s favorite gourmet treat. Mac and cheese followed by blueberry pie.”

“That sounds like the best invitation I’ve had in a long time.” He hunkered down next to Lizzy. “I saw a boat on the beach. A boat that is even better than mine. No idea how something that spectacular could have just shown up on the sand like that. Any ideas?”

Lizzy was giggling, her hands full of Cocoa. “Emily and I made it. We copied yours.”

“It’s a better-looking boat than mine. Any time you want to build me a proper boat, go right ahead.” He rose to his feet. “So, you played in the sand.”

“And the sea. I swam.”

His eyebrows rose. “With Rachel?”

“With Emily.”

“Emily swam in the sea?” There was a strange note to his voice, and Emily slid the pie into the oven.

“I remembered everything you taught me.”

“You should have told me you wanted to do that. I would have come with you.”

“It wasn’t something I planned. And I needed to do it by myself.”

He nodded slowly. “And how did it feel?”