Things never did, though. Now here she was again, blind to the truth before her. Emilia would sell her house and leave. Alone, she would stare at the mooring where the Emilia Rosa had lain at anchor while the boat’s owner moved on with her life. Morgan had been a distraction, maybe even a friend, but she was not the sort of person women stayed with. It fit, didn’t it, that Kate would be the one to remind her of this. Maybe it was even a kindness.

Emilia needed to figure out her life.

What Morgan needed didn’t matter.

“Morgan,” Emilia said again, this time more urgently.

She met those brown eyes. Emilia looked frightened. Her face had lost its flush, and Morgan wondered what her own face looked like. “I think I should go.”

“What? No!” Emilia grabbed her hand.

She stood. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“What am I thinking then?” She couldn’t keep the hurt out of her voice any more than she could prevent it from rising in anger. Emilia’s throat worked as she swallowed, but she didn’t answer. “You’re leaving.”

“No, I—”

“It’s not your fault. I knew this was coming. I’m happy for you, really.”

“Morgan, I’m not—”

She cut off Emilia’s protest. “Do you know who this is?”

Emilia paled further.

“You know what, it doesn’t matter. She’s a good agent.” It was bad enough she saw Kate’s name and face on signs in yards on her rounds. But here? She couldn’t take it in the room where she’d just exposed her heart so thoroughly. She began pulling on her clothes.

“Wait. Please.”

The pleading in Emilia’s voice halted her.

“I’m staying,” Emilia said. “I’m staying in Seal Cove.”

Disbelief coated Morgan’s tongue. “Then why are you listing the house?”

Emilia tucked her knees to her chest. “I’m not.”

Morgan held up the card in a counter.

“I wasn’t sure. I called her a few weeks ago to set up an appointment. I thought I should consider all my options. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Me staying. Us.”

She wanted to believe Emilia. She wanted to let those words soothe the agony shredding her insides. Emilia, though, had made it clear from the start that she had come here searching for clarity. Morgan had been a wrench in that machinery from the beginning.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I love you.” Emilia’s voice broke on the words.

Morgan stood with her shirt in her hands and her jeans half zipped, a cold ringing in her ears. Emilia’s vulnerability was a scalpel in her gut. This was everything she wanted, but hearing it, hearing Emilia echo the words that had been knocking around inside of her, bruising her, changing her, she felt fear close around her like the winter ocean.