“Yes, he is. Doesn’t mean he’s the one for you. Who’s next?”

“I’m having dinner with Linc tomorrow night.”

“Ohh, he’s so cute. I bet you’ll feel sparks with him.”

“I guess we’ll see.” Sparks… Was that what she’d felt with Alex? No, that had been a full-fledged flame. She wanted so badly to tell Sydney about what’d happened with him but decided not to. It felt intensely private, and not only because her behavior had been so far out of character. The minute she told someone else about it, it wouldn’t belong just to them anymore. And for now, she wanted to keep it between them.

That led to another, far more startling thought: What if he told people? He wouldn’t do that, would he? How could she be certain he wouldn’t? She didn’t know him at all. With those worries churning in her belly, she made a cup of tea for Sydney and chatted with her about a wide variety of island gossip.

“So Daisy actually turned down the house she was offered?” Jenny asked.

“That’s what I heard. David wants her to move in with him, and they’re talking about that.”

“Good for her—and for him. I’ve always thought he was a nice guy, despite what happened with Janey.”

“I’ve thought so, too. He was certainly good to us when we were weighing our options before I had the surgery. He referred me to the surgeon in Boston, someone he knew from his residency.”

“No one is all good or all bad, right?”

“That’s been my experience. Daisy surely seems happy with him.”

“What’s up with her ex-boyfriend?”

“He’s back in jail for violating the restraining order. Even though Daisy wasn’t home, the neighbors saw him kick in her door, so that counts as a violation. His bail was revoked.”

“Thank goodness he’s back in jail where he belongs.”

“No kidding. Poor Daisy. Imagine a man of his size beating up a woman her size—or any woman, for that matter.”

“I can’t imagine it. I refuse to.”

A knock on the door preceded Maddie coming into the house. She carried Hailey in her car seat and set her down on the floor by Jenny. “Be right back with the food I brought.”

“Let’s get you out of there,” Jenny said to Hailey, who beamed up at her with a smile full of baby teeth. Relying on her years of aunt experience, Jenny unclipped the straps and lifted Hailey out of the seat. At ten months, Hailey was sturdy and chubby and showed no signs of the trauma she’d experienced at birth. Like her older brother, Thomas, she had light blonde hair and big blue eyes.

“You’re a natural,” Syd said.