Jack walked back to the larger bedroom, opened the windows and lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes. It was after all barely six o’clock and the shop wouldn’t open for another four hours.

He fell asleep in seconds, the thin curtains wafting in the wind, bringing in the sweet smell of spring.

***

Ninni looked down into the water. It was so clear she could see all the way to the bottom where the line from the otter board was visible only because of the colourful fishhooks.

‘No fish today, Frikk. Have we scared them away?’

The dog peered down into the water, just like her. He barked a couple of times.

‘That’s not helping,’ Ninni said.

She pulled up the line and started the engine. ‘I think we’ll try further out.’

The boat dipped and jumped on the water and the seawater hit her face. Ninni laughed. It felt so good.

Frikk stood in the front of the boat. His tail wagged like mad.

Ninni turned the boat into the next cove and slowed down, finally stopping a few lengths from land.

She dropped the line again. Once in a while she pulled at the otter board, hoping to get a fish to bite. She couldn’t help it, she started to think about Jack Greene. Alma was right. There was something about him.

What was he doing here? It was so utterly weird that a stranger should just show up out of the blue like that, without explaining anything. As if he had fallen from the sky. Britt had been adamant that he wasn’t staying with them. So where was he? Sleeping in someone’s barn? In one of the boathouses?

She pulled at the line again and this time something nibbled at the hooks. Frikk barked.

‘Okay, okay. I can hear you. Don’t scare the fish, please.’ Ninni wound up the line and looked into the water at the same time.

‘There’s two of them. A pair of fine cods for dinner.’ She managed to get the fish into the boat and discovered there were a couple more at the end. Ninni took them off the line and dropped them in the bucket. ‘Alma will love these.’

She sat back down in the boat and opened the thermos. The coffee was delicious. ‘Later this week we’ll put out some crab pots. That would be tasty.’

Ninni sighed. ‘Karl loved crabs. The more, the better. He ate the whole thing. But mussels are his favourite.’

She looked at the dog. Frikk lifted his ears as if he understood every word.

The sun was heating up. She leaned back and closed her eyes. It was hard to remember a May that was this warm. It would rain again soon, of course, but that only meant this fine day had to be enjoyed to the fullest.

Another swim, she thought. Then more coffee and perhaps breakfast was a good idea.

She turned the boat towards land and headed back. The best place to swim was in the bay.