“So much for not being obvious.” Maddie got up from the sofa. “I’ll be right back.” On the way by, she made sure to rub up against him.

He was never going to survive her.

After she disappeared into the bathroom, he got busy pulling out the sofa bed. “We’re getting a bigger place and a real bed,” he muttered. “Immediately.” Going to his pile on the floor, he dug out the gift he’d bought her at the mall and left it on the bed. When she came out a few minutes later, he took his turn in the bathroom, giving her the chance to discover the bag on the bed.

Janey took her time walking home. The mild evening had brought out the crowds, and Main Street was busy and loud. Since it was still early, she decided to stop at the Beachcomber for a beer before going home. No doubt she’d find someone she knew at her favorite bar. Unlike her brothers, she’d never been confined by island life and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. But she missed David so much that she wondered how she’d ever survive another year apart.

They were so close to having everything they’d ever dreamed of. All their plans were in place for a wedding next summer, after which he’d move home to Gansett to take over the practice of the retiring Doc Robach. Janey had graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in animal science. She’d had the grades for veterinary school, but David had convinced her that only one of them should go to medical school, or they’d be repaying student loans for the rest of their lives. She knew he was right. Island practices wouldn’t generate the kind of income they’d need to live and pay off massive loans, too. Sometimes, however, she wished they both could’ve pursued their dreams.

Janey’s parents had offered to pay for her to go to veterinary school, but she and David had decided they didn’t want to be that deeply indebted to them. Her parents had vehemently disagreed with that decision and hadn’t hesitated to tell her so. But it was her life—and David’s—and they were going to do things their way. Her parents had been a little chilly to David since then, and Janey hoped they’d get over it before the wedding.