She would miss Henry when she left. And for a split second she imagined what it would be like if she remained on the Outer Banks and made a life here. She all but ran the Maisy Adams, so it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to manage a hotel like the Seaside Resort. But as she painted herself into this version of her life, she saw herself growing restless and yearning to move to the next town.

“Thanks, Edna.”

Edna turned partway, revealing a profile struggling with an unnamed emotion. “Of course.”

Henry arrived at Carlotta’s cottage as she was applying makeup for the evening performances. To her relief, the extra coat of makeup hid most of the bruising, and a scarf around her neck covered the marks. Not perfect but presentable.

A knock on the door had her turning, and she saw Henry standing by her back door. Her hand went to the scarf as she adjusted the knot. “Henry.”

“Can I come in?”

She hesitated only a moment. Seeing him made her happy. “Of course.”

“I wanted to see you before I left. Edna found work for me on a fishing vessel for the next week. The pay’s too good to pass up.”

Disappointment nudged her. “I’ll miss you.”

As he moved toward her, his gaze dropped from hers to her forearm. “You have a bruise.”

“It’s nothing,” she said.

Frowning, he gently ran his finger over the purples and blues. “What happened?”

“I’m fine.”

His gaze roamed over her, searching for more marks. He zeroed in on her scarf. Very carefully, he untied the soft silk and pulled it away from her skin. “Who did this to you?”

She captured his calloused hand in hers and kissed his fingertips. The anger ringing under the words was oddly touching. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does, Carlotta. I need a name.”

“I don’t want trouble.”

“It was Manchester, wasn’t it? I’ve seen the way he’s been watching you. And he doesn’t treat his wife well.”

“He was drunk.”

“I don’t care. Did he hurt you in other ways?”

She understood the meaning. “No.”

Henry shook his head. “I wish I’d been here. I should have been here.”

“It’s not your job to take care of me,” she said. “Normally, I can see trouble coming, but he caught me off guard.” She kissed him on the lips. “I have an hour before my show. And I can think of something I’d much rather do than talk about Manchester.”

When she kissed him, she could feel the anger holding him rigid. She ran her hand down his chest, already familiar enough with his body to know what he liked.

He groaned. “That’s not fair.”

“I know.”

“You drive me crazy.”

“Good.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN IVY

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

IVY

Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 8:00 a.m.