Tilly stepped backward, her hand tight on the railing as the ferry slowed. “I think I should go back to the van,” she said, her voice a warning.

Kate’s gaze pleaded with her.

Tilly touched her fingers to her lips. “Can I have the keys? Please.”

Kate fished in her pocket and handed over the set. In a blink, Tilly was gone.

Kate slid onto the wooden bench and rested her head in her hands. So I’m not going crazy… She’d spent months forbidding herself from thinking that Tilly could possibly feel anything for her. She’d spent months trying to convince herself that she’d imagined the sexual tension. But Tilly had kissed her, had held Kate to her and welcomed the intimacy.

The ferry horn blew loudly as they pulled up to the slipway. Heart racing, Kate made her way down into the damp garage, around the cars and trucks that would disembark at East Island.

Through the lightly tinted windows of the van, Kate could see Tilly, elbow propped up in the windowsill, her hand supporting her head. Her eyes were closed. Kate swallowed over the tightness in her throat and pulled open the driver’s door.

In the passenger seat, Tilly’s eyes snapped open. Kate closed the door. The clip of her seat belt was loud in the silence. They watched as the ramp lowered in preparation for disembarkation. “Are you okay?” Kate asked, her tongue leaden.

Dropping her gaze to her lap, Tilly nodded.

The look on Tilly’s face? The shame? It turned Kate’s stomach. “We can just forget that happened,” she said softly. “You were upset, I was upset…”

Briefly, Tilly’s gaze flickered to her.

“We have a lot of history,” Kate said, choked. “I think maybe this little…outburst, I think it’s been building for a while. It’s been a lot,” she continued, “being here together again after all these years. You’re a different person, I’m a different person. Relearning who we are to each other…I think it’s been…emotional.”

Tilly’s voice was a whisper. “Right…”

“I mean, we had an intense friendship. We were very close.” She wet her lips. “And I think you know I’ve always been attracted to you.”

Silence.

“But it was just a kiss, Til. That’s all. We can just forget it.”

“Okay,” Tilly whispered.

“Okay.” Kate turned the key in the ignition.

The second Kate drew to a stop outside the cottage, Tilly was out of the van, the angel costume fluttering in its plastic garment bag over her arm. From the van, Kate watched her unlock the cottage door and disappear. She was in such a rush to get inside—away from Kate—that she didn’t notice she’d dropped the halo by the door.

Kate locked the van, the lights blinking once, twice, turning the white roses lining the path to red in a fleeting flash. In a stupor, Kate followed Tilly inside and locked the door behind her. A soft glow emanated from Tilly’s room but her door was pushed to, shutting Kate out.