“Slowly.” He stood in front of her and took both of her hands, then started walking backward. Each time the water rose enough to notice, he stopped and talked to her, usually about something unrelated to the water.

He asked what had happened to Muffin (her hamster), and she told him about Teddy and how one day she planned to dog-nap him simply on principle. After all, she was the one who’d wanted the dog in the first place.

Another step. “So you and that guy from the auction . . .”

Her eyes darted to his, then back down to the water. “Eric.”

“Was it serious?”

“I guess. Kind of.”

“Why aren’t you together?” Another step.

“He didn’t believe in me,” she said matter-of-factly. There were many reasons she and Eric weren’t together, but at the heart of it, this was the one that mattered most.

She could practically feel Cody’s frown.

“I told him I wanted to start my own business. He gave me a list of reasons why I shouldn’t. I guess I got tired of believing people who don’t believe in me.”

Another step.

“That’s funny.”

She frowned. “Funny?”

“No, I mean, because to me, you’ve always seemed kind of invincible. Confident, you know, like a person who could do anything.”

Her cheeks grew hot. “Really?”

“Even end up waist-deep in the water.”

She followed his gaze, and only then did she notice how far they’d traveled. “Well, look at that.”

They stood still for a long moment; then he broke the silence. “You’re still really close with Maggie.”

He said it as a statement, not a question.

She glanced down. “You know I always wanted to live here year-round. Everyone said it was crazy, but Maggie said I should go for it. She said the island was beautiful in the summer, but it was magic in the winter. She was right.”

“You spend a lot of time with her?”

Another nod. “She’s like the mother I never had.” She looked up, certain her expression had turned sad, which was unintentional.

“And she’s really dying?”

“She’s really dying.”

His eyes were on the water occupying the space between them.

“That’s why I want to have this party for her,” she said. “She needs to know that everyone loves her, that we’re all okay.”

“You don’t think she knows that?”

She moved her gaze to his. “I think it makes her sad that none of us talk anymore.”

The water lapped around her waist, but she didn’t feel scared or nervous at all. Her hands were still locked inside his, and she thought she could stay like that forever.

“You and I are talking right now,” he said.

“Only because we have to,” Louisa said.

He frowned. “Or maybe because we want to.”