“Ho there,” John says low as we turn out of the narrow village.

Hugh’s standing in the lane. He isn’t walking toward us, just waiting, hands on hips. Jo and Emma are nowhere in sight.

John stops the truck, and I squeeze past Charlie to get out.

“You stay here for a sec,” I tell Charlie, sensing an edge to my husband’s expression that I don’t like much. Not even an edge—the lack of one. His face is a flat surface, no notches, no nicks, no entry point whatsoever.

“He left,” Hugh says, the instant I’m within earshot. “Where was Charlie?”

He asks the question like he’s reading a roadside sign.

“He was…” I peer past Hugh and see a boat drawing a white line in the sea—away from Lute, fast. “He was in the grove. What do you mean he left? What happened?”

“Didn’t want to risk leaving it this late.”

“It was high tide an hour ago! We had plenty of time! And the sun won’t set for…”

My voice dwindles, sensing no one’s listening to it. Hugh stares past me at the village, his brown eyes utterly dulled. Then he starts walking, off the road, into the heath, away from home.

Hugh? I think his name but don’t call it out. Let him take a nice long walk if he’s going to be like this.

Charlie scrambles to open the truck door and get out, but Hugh keeps going, not even looking at him, hands in his pockets, away.

Squinting south, I can make out a line of colorful rectangles. He left the goddamned bags in the middle of the road.

“Need me to haul them back?” John Ashford steps one foot out of the truck, ready to help.

“No,” I say quickly. “No, we’ll manage. You’ve done so much for us today. Thank you so much. I won’t take up any more of your time.”

“I just have to peek in at the north station,” he says, nodding. “If they’re too much for you, leave ’em. I’ll round back this evening.”

“No, no, no. Please, John, you’ve already—”

“I’m headed to the pub tonight!” He laughs. “This’ll make me feel I’ve earned another pint.”

I manage a smile as he drives away, while Charlie digs for pebbles in the road, throwing them and catching them and losing them as we make our way down to the dock.

“Okay.”

I put my hands on my hips, staring down at the ridiculous amount of luggage we were planning to take on a weeklong excursion. I used to travel light. Wherever I was, I used to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“You take your Trunkie. I’ll get this one. Then we’ll find Daddy and get him to help. Plan?”

Charlie nods solemnly and starts away with his load.