“Well, yes, I know that someone has to be me, but I can’t come up with any ideas to fix things. There’s no fairy dust to sprinkle on Chelsea that will ease the pain of winters that last forever.” I glanced up at the low gray clouds that didn’t show so much as a hint of blue and averted my eyes. “And there’s no magic wand to wave and suddenly make Ash eager to leave his career, family, and all the friends he’s ever known.”

“Mrr,” Eddie said.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Let me know if you have any ideas, okay?”

By this time we were at the house and I was opening the back door. Rafe looked up from the bags of groceries on the kitchen island. “You need ideas?” he asked. “I have lots, especially if you’re looking for suggestions on how to unstick bubble gum from the underside of desks.”

“Chewing gum is still a thing?” I set Eddie’s carrier down gently and opened the door. Instead of zipping out, like a normal cat, he flopped on his side and looked up at me, opening his mouth in a silent “Mrr.”

“You are so weird,” I told him. “What I need ideas for,” I said, straightening and moving to give Rafe a hug, “is how to resolve the Ash and Chelsea conundrum.”

Rafe squeezed me and kissed my forehead. “Big college word.”

“Well, it’s a big problem.” I related what I’d learned, and, after a moment, he folded me into his arms for a long and comforting embrace.

“Sometimes,” he said, “there isn’t any way to fix things. Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away.”

I knew that, of course I knew that, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. Or, in this particular case, even accept it. At least not yet. “There has to be a way,” I said, and even to my ears I sounded like a stubborn toddler.

Rafe laughed and kissed me again. “If there is, you’ll figure it out. But promise me one thing? Keep me out of it.”

“Some friend you are,” I said, breaking out of the warmth of his arms.

“On the contrary.” He grinned. “I’m trying to keep the friends I have, and the best way to do that is stay out of their love lives.”

He had a good point, and in most cases I wholeheartedly agreed with him. But this was different, although I kept trying, and failing, to come up with reasons why the entire time I packed up a box for Ryan and drove out to the seasonal road near Breece Farms, and all through the hike back to the cabin.