“I’ve been so scared about what was going to happen,” she said after a long period of silence.

“You gotta have some faith in me, baby. That I want the same things you do.”

She looked up at him with a tearstained face that broke his heart. “I do have faith in you, but I also have faith in your amazing talent. I don’t want to be responsible for holding you back from where you should be.”

“You’re not doing that. I promise you I’d stopped wanting the big dream long before I met you.”

“So if you’d never met me, you’d still be saying no to Buddy?”

Evan mulled that over just long enough that she looked away.

“You wouldn’t have said no.”

“Only because I wouldn’t have had a good reason to say no—the best possible reason.”

“I don’t think you ought to do anything rash that you might regret later. Buddy has a wife and kids and a family life. If he can make it work, you can, too.”

“Buddy makes it work because his wife is as big of a star as he is and they tour together—with their kids. You have your own life and your own business that’s every bit as important as mine is. Our situation is very different from theirs, and we can’t compare the two.”

“We’re going to be late to meet your parents,” Grace said as she found a tissue in her purse to wipe her face and blow her nose. She pulled down the visor to check the damage. “Great, I’m a wreck.”

“You are not. You’re as gorgeous as ever.”

“You have to say that. You love me.”

“You bet I do, and don’t you forget it.” He pulled the car back onto the road and turned into the long driveway that led to Gansett Boat Works. The Oar Bar was situated off to the side of the main dock and boasted about ten thousand oars painted by people who’d come through the island on boats, for Race Week, bachelor and bachelorette parties, for weddings and other major events. They hung from the roof, on the walls and on every available space in the cluttered bar. Evan loved the place and never got tired of reading all the messages on the oars, some of them dating back more than forty years.

His parents were already seated at a table inside when he escorted Grace into the bar. He kept a tight grip on her hand, hoping to reassure her after their emotional conversation.

“Hi, honey,” Linda said, embracing Grace and then Evan.

Big Mac stood to greet Grace with a kiss to the cheek.

“Um, excuse me for one second,” Grace said.

Evan released her hand and watched her scurry toward the stairs that led to the bathroom.