Paul rolled his eyes at the double meaning he detected in his brother’s comment. “You know about her fiancé and what happened to him?”

Nodding, Alex said, “How do you know?”

“The council hired her. Hang on a minute.” Paul went into the bedroom they used as an office and returned a couple of minutes later holding papers folded in thirds. He handed them to Alex. “We asked applicants to write us a letter telling us why they wanted to be the lighthouse keeper. This was her letter. It was one of the most powerful and haunting things I’ve ever read. I’ve never forgotten it.”

With a sinking feeling in his belly, Alex took the letter from his brother. “Are you allowed to show it to me?”

“She’s a town employee, so technically it’s public record.”

“And it’s not wrong of me to read this when she didn’t show it to me herself?”

“Did she tell you what happened?”

“Earlier today. Not all the details, but the gist.”

“Then she doesn’t mind if you know, right?”

“I guess not.”

“I’m going to hit the hay. I’m tapped out after this incredibly long and frustrating day.”

“I’m sorry I caused you a ton of shit by firing Sharon.”

“You didn’t. She did, and clearly you did the right thing if she’s capable of this kind of maliciousness. Don’t sweat it.”

Though Paul gave him a pass, Alex still felt bad for his role in the entire mess. But he didn’t regret firing Sharon.

“See you in the morning,” Paul said.

“Night.”

For a long time after his brother left the room, Alex stared at the folded pages Paul had given him, trying to decide if it was the right thing to read them. He’d understood after their discussion tonight that she was willing to talk about her loss—to a point. It had been clear to him that it was difficult for her, even after all this time, and that it had been a relief to her to change the subject.

It would be better, he decided, to get the details this way than to force her to share things she’d rather forget. Since he found himself thinking about her pretty much all the time, he couldn’t help being curious to know more about her and what she’d been through. And, he reasoned, if she’d been willing to share such personal memories with people she didn’t know, surely she wouldn’t mind if he read the letter. At least he hoped she wouldn’t mind.

Alex’s fingers trembled ever so slightly as he unfolded the pages and began to read.

My name is Jenny Wilks, and I’m applying for the lighthouse keeper’s position on Gansett Island. I currently reside in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the reason for my interest in the position dates back almost eleven years.