Toby jumped onto the deck, water dripping from his skinny frame. “She never stands up for you. I don’t know why you’re always sticking up for her.”

Because that’s the kind of man he was, Lucy thought. He forgave the kid who rear-ended him, pardoned his alcoholic parents, and now was defending Bree for not returning the feelings he seemed to still hold for her.

Mike ripped open a bag of potato chips. “You’d better grab your sandwich before I eat it.”

Toby and Mike traded jokes as they devoured the chips and sandwiches, along with the cookies Lucy had brought. Toby was a different kid around Mike—funny and communicative, with no traces of his customary sullenness. When they were done, Toby hunkered down on the rear bench and, as the sun began to set, dozed off.

Mike took the wheel, and they headed back. Lucy sat next to him, sipping her third glass of wine and enjoying the shimmer of the fading sun on the water. Out of nowhere, he said, “I did a crummy thing to Bree when I was seventeen.” He spoke just loudly enough so that Lucy could hear him over the noise of the engine but Toby couldn’t. “She was in love with David, Toby’s father, and I was so jealous I started hating them both.” He backed off on the throttle. “One night I spied on them, then spilled the beans to her mother about what they were doing, or at least what I knew they’d be doing if I’d stuck around to watch. The next day, Bree was gone. She never came back, not until a little over two months ago. So it isn’t hard to see why she can’t stand the sight of me.”

Lucy curled her fingers around the plastic cup. “Are you still in love with her?”

He considered the question. “I think real love has to work two ways, and that’s sure not how it is with her. But I don’t like seeing her struggle.” He gave Lucy an apologetic smile. “All I’ve done is go on about myself. Usually, I’m not like this, but you’re easy to talk to.”

“I don’t mind.” In one afternoon, Mike had told her more about himself than Panda had ever revealed.

As they approached the harbor, Mike gave a sigh of satisfaction. “I’ve traveled lots of places, but I never get tired of that view. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

“You’ve got to have second thoughts about that in the winter.”

“I spend a couple of weeks in Miami every year, but I’m always anxious to get back. Cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiles. In other parts of the country, people hibernate in the winter. Up here in Michigan, that’s when we come out to play.”

She laughed. “You could sell sand in the middle of the desert.”