They talked a few more minutes, and Annie tried to sound upbeat. She was, however, grateful that John hadn’t asked what boat Donna was coming in on. The noon boat would arrive in Vineyard Haven at twelve forty-five. Which meant there would be plenty of time for Annie to see John before she had to leave to get her. Maybe Kevin wasn’t the only one who needed time to breathe.

* * *

Saturday morning it was raining. Not just a few drops, not even a steady shower, but a relentless downpour. Annie’s short trip on the On Time from one side of the harbor to the other was like being stuck in a car wash. Visibility was awful, and the wind was picking up, so she hoped the big boats would be running. High wind was typically the first thing that caused ferry service to be canceled on the eight-mile voyage between Woods Hole and the island.

Craving more time alone before picking up Donna, Annie took the beach road instead of the shorter, faster, less scenic route that cut across the island, east to west. But as soon as she went right at the infamous Edgartown Triangle and crawled toward State Beach, she knew it had been a mistake; mixed with all the rain, the high-tide surf had blown onto the road, leaving puddles the size of salt-water ponds.

For the umpteenth time, she was grateful that she’d traded her Lexus for a Jeep. She hoped Donna didn’t mind the less luxurious ride.

Crawling past the jumping bridge—the site of a million photos of kids jumping into the channel that connected the ocean with Sengekontacket Pond, which had provided a scene in Jaws that even today induced audience gasps—Annie tried to stay focused on her driving while thinking about Donna. Though Annie had stayed on the Vineyard over Christmas instead of going to Boston with Kevin, she hadn’t regretted it.

The truth was, Annie had preferred staying on the island to spending the holiday with Donna. Lucy had gone to Plymouth to be with her mother and sister, so John—and Earl and Claire—would have been alone. Besides, Annie knew all of them better.

Life is like that sometimes, Murphy suddenly whispered from the empty passenger seat. If you recall, I once knew you better than I knew my own husband.