The devastating irony was that, in so many ways, Jess had left her white trash life far behind, qualifying as an accountant and securing a well-paying job. She only dropped into the old crowd and the parties when she visited the bay so she could see Nick. But if Jess wanted him, she needed to show him she’d left that life far behind too and that she belonged in his world. But how? Linda’s legacy of being thrown out of almost every venue in town meant Jess never received a warm welcome unless she attended with Libby.

Her gut churned at the idea of involving Libby and her WASP respectability to get close to Nick. Every survival instinct told her not to introduce them. No, there had to be another way to ooze into Nick’s world.

When Will called in later that morning to see how she was feeling, his visit and solicitude took her completely by surprise. She’d only met him a couple of times—he’d moved to the bay since she’d left—but if his actions were anything to go by he was a decent enough bloke. Embarrassed that he’d seen her heave her stomach contents into the toilet, she offered to buy him a burger and a beer as a thank you. He accepted the burger but declined the beer, drinking sparkling mineral water instead. They sat by the estuary, each with a Kurnai Bay burger with the lot, watching pelicans and cormorants diving for their lunch.

“Do you sail?” Will asked.

“I’d love the opportunity.” It was a phrase she used to show her interest and mask a childhood that had prevented her from taking advantage of activities many took for granted.

“Can you follow instructions and wind a winch?”

“Possibly to the first and yes to the second.”

He grinned, his smile endearingly crooked. “Great. We’re short-handed for tonight’s twilight race, if you’re up for it.”

“Who’s we?”

“Nick Pirelli and me.”

“I’d love to come.”

For the first time in her life, Jess truly believed the universe was smiling on her.

Now Jess pulled the blanket more tightly around her, trying to ward off not only the chill, but the loneliness that had been walking alongside her for months. She considered eating dinner, but she wasn’t hungry. That was probably a good thing. Lately, no matter if she ate healthy food or binged on junk, everything seemed to go straight to her belly. Was that part of being thirty-four? She must get back to regular exercise, but the thought of walking and running reminded her of Libby and the loneliness intensified. No, she needed to do some exercise that didn’t remind her of Libby. Yoga? A strong core helped, so maybe she should start with some sit-ups right now.