Tito used a contraption to pull up one of the “cages,” a wire box filled with oysters. It was half covered in seaweed. The air smelled intensely briny and it was much cooler than it had felt in town. She could just make out the Pilgrim Monument in the far distance. An incredible feeling of calm washed over her. Sitting in the middle of the bay with the man she loved, she realized there was no other place in the world she’d rather be. And yes, she was starting to believe she was in love.

“This is also where Marco farms his seaweed,” he said, pulling off a fistful of stringy, wet plant and handing it to her. She smiled at him like he’d given her a bouquet of roses.

“So you’re going to be working with him more?” she said.

Tito nodded. “They’re expanding and they need people they can count on year-round. It sounds like fun to work on an oyster farm, but then when their employees experience how labor-intensive it is . . . Well, they lose a lot of folks. My cousin tried to warn him it was a very difficult business, but he had his heart set on it.”

“And his wife works with him?”

Tito nodded, sitting on the second crate next to her. “She was a city gal like you once upon a time.” He leaned over and sprung open her cage.

“Speaking of the city: I have to go back soon to pick up a wedding gift for my sister. I was wondering if you might come with me.”

He unzipped the knapsack and handed her a pair of thick work gloves.

“New York?” he said.

“Yes. You can see my apartment; we can have dinner at—”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve never been to New York City and I don’t intend to start now.”

Had Elodie heard him right? “You’ve never been to Manhattan?”

“No. Why is that surprising? Before now you’d never been here.”

“I know. But it’s Manhattan.” A creeping dread made her heart start to beat faster. “It will be fun.”

He started up the engine and they sped off toward Wellfleet, her heart pounding.

“So that’s it?” she shouted over the hum of the motor. “You won’t even consider coming with me?”

“Elodie, I care about you. But I’m not a city person. I don’t want to go to New York with you because if this becomes a situation where you’re in the city and I’m visiting you, it’ll never work.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Are you seriously telling me that the only way we can spend time together is here in Provincetown? I mean, I’m sorry, Tito—that’s incredibly narrow-minded.”