He’s so glad he’s not in Houston! He’s so glad he’s no longer with Anna!

Life in the Virgin Islands will be different. After school, Baker and Floyd will go on tropical adventures—to Salt Pond to snorkel with the turtles, to Scoops for ice cream, to the Reef Bay Trail to hike and see the petroglyphs. Even when they simply go home to the villa, they can swim in the dual-level pool or at their private beach. They can play shuffleboard. Baker will invest in field glasses and they’ll bird-watch on the hillside. Irene and Cash are both finished with work in the midafternoon, so one or the other can take care of Floyd while Baker coaches at the school. One or the other will be home at night when Baker wants to take Ayers to Dé Coal Pot or visit her at La Tapa or when they just hang out in Ayers’s studio apartment.

Here in St. John, he has a support system. Here in St. John, he has everything he needs.

The Olive Branch pulls up to the National Park Service dock in fifteen minutes flat. While they tie up, Baker texts his mother and Cash to see if either of them can come get him and Floyd; if they can’t, he’ll have to take a cab to the villa.

“Where do you live?” Baker asks. “We own a villa in Little Cinnamon.”

“I have a villa in the East End,” Dunk says. “I like the quiet.”

Baker nods, though he hasn’t been to the East End. Has he heard of the East End? He’s not sure. It must be special if Dunk lives there.

Dunk points at an island behind them. “That’s Lovango Cay,” he says. “My next project. I bought the island, and now I’m looking for partners to fund a resort, a beach club, and some world-class dining. In case you’re interested?”

Baker laughs. He’s drawn to Dunk, no doubt, but he can’t wait to get away from him. He shakes Dunk’s hand. “Thanks for the ride, man. It was a real treat to meet you. Right, Floyd?”

Floyd shrugs. “You talk funny.”

“Floyd!” Baker says, but Dunk just laughs.

“No worries, mate. You have my card, call anytime, we’ll shoot over to Foxy’s and have a painkiller.”

“All right,” Baker says. “I’ll take you up on that!” He picks up the biggest suitcase and tries to roll it down the dock while holding Floyd’s hand. He needs to check his phone to see if his mother or Cash responded.

“You gonna be okay here?” Dunk asks. “Someone is coming to get you?”

“Yep, all set, all set,” Baker says. It won’t be a G-wagon with a driver but someone will come, he hopes, or if everyone is busy, he’ll schlep every gosh-darn thing they own to the dock in the scorching heat and flag down one of the open-air taxis, the driver of which will probably balk when Baker tells him he lives on a hilltop in Little Cinnamon.