“Krista? What about Krista?” Erin asked, her voice full of concern.

“Oh, nothing other than the fact that she worships the ground you walk on.”

“Be serious!”

“I am—I’ve never seen the likes of it! Oh, at first, I’ll grant you she was determined to hate you. But can you blame the child—losing a mother the way she did? All she had left was her father, and she didn’t want to share him. But now—” Mrs. Cavenaugh moved her head thoughtfully “—that poor girl can talk of nothing but you—except for the kitten of course.”

The lump in Erin’s throat began to swell, and some of her firm resolve began to be chipped at. Mrs. Cavenaugh was working on her; Erin knew it, but she couldn’t help but hope that there was just a sliver of truth in the sweet old woman’s words.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Cavenaugh,” Erin managed, looking hastily at her watch, “but I’ve really got to run. Now, promise me that under no circumstances will you tell Kane where I am!”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” the older woman replied honestly.

“You have to! I need time to myself.”

“Well, if you’re so dead set against it, I’ll give you my word,” Mrs. Cavenaugh unwillingly agreed.

“Thanks,” Erin sighed, kissing her friend lightly on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Dear,” Mrs. Cavenaugh said, placing a bony hand on Erin’s sleeve. “Do be careful.”

“I will,” Erin promised, and turned to leave the apartment building. She could feel Mrs. Cavenaugh’s kind eyes boring into her back as she walked to her car, but she didn’t have the heart to turn and wave. It took all her strength to hoist her suitcase into the car, start the engine and race down the hill toward the city and the waterfront.

Once back in Deer Harbor on Orcas Island in the San Juans, Erin realized what a disastrous mistake she had made in returning to the island where she had had such a carefree and loving existence with Kane only a few weeks earlier. Although she was far removed from the rustic cabin that they had shared together, memories of the small town still burned in her brain, and it seemed that she couldn’t walk anywhere without coming face-to-face with memories of Kane. The pain in her heart didn’t disappear.

The seasons had changed in the past weeks, and each day was as gray and cold as the Pacific Ocean. Wind and rain deluged the coastal town, and although Erin tried several kinds of outdoor amusements, she found that most of her days were spent inside her tiny hotel room staring vacantly at the television or brooding about the turn of events in her life. Knowing that her attitude was as discouraging as the somber, gray rain-washed days, she attempted to pull herself out of her depression, but found it impossible. Nothing seemed to work. And thoughts of Krista and the fact that she hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye to the lonely girl only made Erin more miserable and guilt-ridden. While the island had once been a haven, now it seemed like a prison, but Erin elected to continue her confinement until she could no longer afford it. How could she possibly go home to an empty house and no job?