Nancy rubbed her hands together. “Oh, Charlie and I could come up with a good one, don’t you think, Charlie?”

“We could always say you were off getting a tattoo,” he offered.

“Wouldn’t I then need a tattoo to show for it?” Lindsey asked.

“You’re right.” He smacked his forehead. “Hey, maybe you should go get one so you have it in advance.”

Lindsey shook her head. Charlie had been pestering her to get a tattoo since she moved in.

“I’m not getting a tattoo,” she said.

“Why not? Naners has one,” he said.

9

Lindsey turned wide eyes to her landlady.

Nancy’s blue eyes twinkled at her. “It’s true. It’s a tramp stamp right on my . . .”

“It is not!” Charlie protested with a laugh.

Nancy grinned. “Well, that would be something, wouldn’t it? And I think your uncle Jake would have approved.”

“Your tattoo is much more romantic than that,” Charlie said with a soft smile.

Nancy’s husband, Jake Peyton, was a ferry boat captain who had gone down with his ship. Nancy had never really gotten over it and during really bad storms she frequently had nightmares. Charlie lived in the middle apartment in her three-family captain house, to keep watch over his beloved aunt.

“My tattoo is a small lighthouse, just an inch tall,” Nancy said. “It’s on my right hip, where Jake always kept his hand when he slept. I had it put there to lead him home.”

Lindsey felt her eyes get wet and her throat tighten up. She looked at Charlie and saw he had a suspicious sheen to his eyes as well.

“Aw, Naners,” he said on a sigh. He opened his arms and pulled her into a solid hug.

Nancy patted his back. “Don’t fret, Charlie, I’m okay.”

“I’m not.” Charlie let out a sniff, which made both of them laugh, breaking the sadness that had begun to envelope them. Then he looked at Lindsey and said, “See? Tattoos can give you an insight into the most significant moments or relationships of a person’s life.”

“Tell that to all the guys who got Celtic armband tattoos in the eighties,” Lindsey said.

“Tattoo art was just developing then,” Charlie protested.

“Fine, but I still don’t see me getting one,” Lindsey said. “I can’t even commit to a shade of eyeliner, never mind a permanent-ink pictorial. And don’t even get me started on where I’d have it put. Too many decisions.”

“We’ll see,” Charlie said.

“And on that note, I have to get ready for work,” Lindsey said.

“Come on, buddy,” Nancy said. “We’re baking coconut bars today.”

Heathcliff hopped up and wagged. He did love spending his days with Nancy. Since Heathcliff’s arrival the previous winter, he had chosen Lindsey as his primary caretaker, but Nancy and Charlie had quickly become a part of his pack as well. It made Lindsey feel much less guilty when she had to be at work all day.

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