The night sky was littered with stars that stood out in the complete darkness that covered Erin’s little corner of Gansett Island. Like she’d told Slim, when she’d first lived here, she’d been scared of the dark. But now, after more than a month of dark nights, she’d gotten used to it and had learned to embrace the peace and quiet.

She had her sore foot propped up on a cooler and a glass of wine in hand as she stared up at the heavens with tears streaming down her face—tears she deeply resented. How could she be anything other than thrilled for Jenny, the woman who would’ve been her sister-in-law but had instead become one of her closest friends?

They were bound by the tragedy that had marked their lives by taking the most important person to both of them away forever. It had taken years for them to recover their equilibrium after they lost Toby, and Erin was truly happy for Jenny that she’d found her second chance with Alex.

But… Seeing the love of her late brother’s life marry someone else had hurt worse than anything had in a very long time. It had hurt much more than she’d expected it to. As one of Jenny’s bridesmaids, Erin had been mentally preparing herself for Jenny’s wedding for months now. She wasn’t quite there yet, which was why today’s surprise wedding had left her reeling.

She brushed away the stupid goddamned tears that should’ve stopped a long time ago but still came despite her relentless desire to stop crying about things that couldn’t be changed. Toby would be so pissed with her if he knew she was still crying over him all these years later. Though she thought of him every day, it had been a long time since she’d cried over him. Hopefully that would count for something with him.

Erin was jostled out of her pity party by the roar of an engine coming up the long dirt driveway to the lighthouse. The motorcycle headlight found her in the darkness, giving her a whole new appreciation for how it felt to be a deer.

The engine died. “Just me,” a now-familiar male voice said.

She frantically wiped her cheeks so he wouldn’t know that she’d been sitting alone in the dark, crying for her dead brother. “You sort of scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry about that. What’re you doing out here alone in the dark? Thought you were scared of it.”

“I was scared. I’m not anymore.”

He took a seat on the grass next to her. “What changed?”

“I got used to it, I guess.”

“How’s the hoof?”

“Better today. The crutches are worse than the ankle.”

“I remember that from when I was on them once after I messed up my knee. Couldn’t wait to be rid of them.”