She turned in a little dance of her own. Then she tugged the bread from her pocket and tore it into small pieces, tossing it high to watch the gulls circle and dive.

Alone, she thought, lifting her face to the sky. But not lonely. She doubted she would ever be lonely again.

At the sound of church bells she turned to look back at the village, at the pretty white steeple. She glanced down at her shorts with the frayed hem, her sandy sneakers. Hardly dressed for services, she decided. But she could worship in her own way, and offer a prayer of thanksgiving.

While the bells rang and echoed, she sat near the edge of the water. Here was peace, she thought, and joy. She would never, never take either for granted. She would remember to give something back every day. Even if it was just a heel of bread for the gulls. She would tend what she planted. She would remember to be kind, and never forget to offer a helping hand.

She would keep her promises and expect nothing more than the chance to lead a good life that hurt no one.

She would earn what she’d been given, and treasure it.

She would take pleasure in the simple things, she decided. Starting right now.

Rising, she began to collect shells, tucking them in her pockets at first. When the pockets were full, she tugged off her shoes and used them. She reached the far end of the beach, where rocks jutted out of the sand and began to tumble toward the sea. Here there were palm-size stones worn cobble smooth. She picked one, then another, wondering if she could fashion an edging for her little herb bed.

A movement to her left had her wrapping her fingers tight around the stone and turning quickly. Her heart continued to beat in hard jerks as she watched Zack coming down a zigzag of wooden steps.

“Morning.”

“Good morning.” In automatic defense, she glanced back, uneasy to realize how far from the village proper she’d wandered. The beach was no longer empty, but the scattered people were some distance away.

“Nice day for a long walk on the beach,” he commented, leaning against the handrail to study her. “You’ve sure had one.”

He’d watched her, from her dance with the gulls. It was a shame, he thought, how quickly her face could go from radiant to guarded.

“I didn’t realize how far I’d come.”

“Nothing’s really that far on an island this size. It’s going to be a hot one,” he said easily. “Beach’ll be crowded before noon. It’s nice to get a little time on it before it’s full of towels and bodies.”

“Yes, well . . .”

“Come on up.”

“What?”

“Come on up. To the house. I’ll give you a bag for those shells and stones.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I don’t really need—”