How could she let herself fall in love with him? It made no sense, and Antonia prided herself on being sensible when it came to matters of her own heart.

Maybe there was no “let” about it. She remembered the moment she’d walked into Carine’s cabin last November and saw him standing there, felt the instant attraction, the sparks flying—all of it, every cliché there was.

Hank moved closer to her, until they were almost touching. He’d grown up on Cape Cod and had been around the ocean all his life—yet he’d chosen to become a pilot. A rescue helicopter pilot.

He eyed her again, studying her. She’d always suspected he had a keen ability to read people. He touched a finger to her hair and caught the last of the cobweb. “Tyler said I should bring you a toe tag in case you refuse to leave.”

“He thinks he’s funny, doesn’t he?”

“He was serious. He said if you dug in your heels—”

“Why would he think I’d dig in my heels?”

“I wonder.”

She didn’t pursue that one. “Well, I don’t intend to stay out here if a hurricane watch goes up, never mind a warning.”

“But you’re tempted, aren’t you?” His expression lost all its humor and gentleness. “What’s in Boston that would tempt you to ride out a hurricane on a barrier island instead of going back?”

It was a close call, she realized. Crazy, because a barrier island was no place to be during a hurricane. “We’re not under a watch yet. I still have time.”

As if to disprove her point, a strong gust of wind rolled over the top of the cottage and rattled the windows. “You don’t do brinksmanship with a hurricane,” he said.

“Hank, I trust myself to make good decisions. You should trust me, too.” But Antonia curbed her sudden feeling of defensiveness. “Did Carine tell you I don’t know anything about hurricanes?”

“More or less.”

“More than less, I’ll bet. Look, Hank, I can see you’re concerned about me, but don’t be. I’ve been a little preoccupied lately—I just wanted to come down and clear some things off my deck.”

“You don’t have a phone, do you?”

He wasn’t backing off. She could see now that she’d miscalculated when she hadn’t told him what she was up to. She shook her head. “No phone. There’s no cellular service, either.” She smiled suddenly. “I have emergency flares.”

“Flares.” He smiled back at her, his grim mood easing somewhat. “You’re something, Dr. Winter. Most people would stay at an inn to clear their decks, not sit in an old cottage out here all alone.”