“One of the things I’m most proud of,” Big Mac said, “is how close the five of you are to each other. I’m going to tell you right now that I won’t stand for you doing anything to risk a falling-out with your brother. Especially now when things with him are so unsettled. You’ll find me right smack in the middle of that.”

“So I’m supposed to put my life on hold while he works out his shit? He won’t tell anyone what’s bothering him. How are we supposed to help him if we don’t know what’s wrong?”

“We wait and we remain patient and we don’t do anything to make it worse,” Big Mac said.

“There’re a lot of single women on this island,” Linda said. “Take Chelsea, for example. You’ve always been friends. And then there’s our friend Jenny, the lighthouse keeper. She lived in New York for years. You two probably have a lot in common. And then—”

“Mom! Stop. Don’t even think about playing matchmaker for me. I’m enjoying the time I’m spending with Abby. Being with her makes me feel better after what happened with Sasha. I’m not giving that up just because it might give Grant a few minutes of disquiet. He had his chance with her, and he totally blew it. He’s said as much himself.”

“Is this where you were last night when you didn’t come home? With her?”

“We were talking and fell asleep. Nothing to get wound up about.”

“You’re playing with fire, son,” Big Mac said, his expression grave.

“I’m thirty-five years old, Dad. You know I love you both, and I love Grant, too. But this really has nothing at all to do with him—or with you. I’m sorry if that sounds disrespectful, because I don’t mean it that way. I’m asking you not to make it into something it isn’t. We’re hanging out together. That’s all it is so far. She’s not looking for anything serious, and neither am I.”

“If that’s the case, you’d be a fool to let it come between you and your brother,” Linda said. “I can see risking your relationship with him if it were serious between the two of you, but to just ‘hang out,’ it doesn’t seem worth the risk.”

“Let me decide that. I’m asking you to stay out of it and let me figure this out for myself. And please, give me a little credit where Grant is concerned. I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt him, and I’d never let anything come between us. Ever.”