Anchor was still a bit sleepy this morning, but fishermen and a couple of charter tour companies made the dock feel busier than the rest of town. I sidestepped a man hauling a cooler onto his boat. “Morning,” he called.

“Good morning,” I echoed. It had taken me some time to get used to the innate friendliness of the people here. Having grown up in a city, it had made me wary when everyone I passed greeted me. Even worse when someone helped to load my groceries onto my boat. Even now, it was a careful dance. If I protested too much, people became curious. If I let them in too often, they could become overly familiar.

I’d stuck to warm greetings but refused offers of help. I imagined the guys on the dock had decided that I was just a hell of an independent woman. And it was true. I’d worked incredibly hard to build this life for myself, thinking of every possible pitfall and danger. Disappearing without changing one’s name or ID was a challenge, to say the least. But when you had no other options, you got creative.

I headed down the dock and towards The General Store. The island had one of those big grocery stores away from the quaint downtown area, but I preferred the heart of the little brown-shingled market and used it whenever I could. It helped that half my paycheck each month was deposited into my account there. No one could track my spending that way.

I pulled open the door, the warmth of the air soothing the chill that had settled into my skin on the ride over. “Shay!” a voice called from the back.

A smile stretched across my face as I made my way to the small kitchen at the back of the store. “I wasn’t sure you’d be in today.”

Caelyn made a face as she rounded the counter. She looked as if she might hug me but settled for a shoulder squeeze. I tried to let myself relax, but I still wasn’t used to people touching me. It felt awkward and unpracticed.

“I’m still here in the mornings, Monday through Friday.”

“Glad you’re not disappearing on me altogether.”

Caelyn had become my point of human contact—other than the Dowds. We’d formed a friendship of sorts over the past few years. I wasn’t sure that she thought of me as a friend exactly, but casual acquaintanceship for her, was a lifeline to me.

She grinned. “Never. How about a breakfast sandwich? I’ve got your order in the back, too.”

“A breakfast sandwich sounds great.” I slid onto the closest stool.

Caelyn poured an egg mixture into a pan on the stove. “How are things on Harbor?”

“Good. Weather’s taking a turn again, so my days are a little chillier.”