“Since you’re new to swearing, you might consider adding a ‘god’ in there.” She seemed to have no idea what he meant, so he elaborated. “Goddamned is a lot more hard-core than plain old damned.”

Her eyes were big and brown and shiny with unshed tears. “Are you making fun of me?” she asked, incredulous. “Feel free. My day can’t get any worse. My life can’t get any worse, so do your worst.”

“What’re you even doing here? Don’t you live in Texas now?”

“Not anymore.” Her chin trembled violently, and tears spilled from her eyes as if someone had turned on a faucet.

Adam was instantly sorry he’d asked. Mascara ran down her blotchy face as she sniffed and sobbed. Because he was too much of a gentleman not to, he patted her shoulder and muttered a soothing word or two, all the while wishing the deck would open up and swallow him.

He’d had a hellish few days of his own and didn’t need to take on anyone else’s problems. In the midst of a professional implosion the likes of which he’d never imagined possible, he’d received word from home that his brothers were missing in a boating accident. Thankfully, they’d all been found safe, but Adam wouldn’t be completely at ease until he saw them with his own eyes.

As for Abby, the last he’d heard, she was engaged to the island’s former doctor, Cal Maitland, and living with him in his home state of Texas. Adam took a surreptitious glance at her left hand and didn’t see a ring. Uh-oh. Even as he wondered what’d happened between her and her fiancé, he didn’t dare risk more tears by asking.

“I’m homeless at the moment,” she said after a long period of silence as the boat bobbed and weaved through the surf.

Retching noises from the deck above had Adam pulling Abby back from the rail, just in time to avoid a direct hit.

The momentum propelled her into his arms. She pressed her face into his shirt and broke down into sobs.

Oh, for God’s sake! Why had he turned around back in the cabin? Why had he allowed himself to get sucked into this situation? None of that mattered now that he was firmly in the situation. Because he’d known her all his life, because she’d very nearly married his brother, he put his arms around her and patted her back. “It’ll be okay.”

“No, it won’t.” She sniffed and seemed to be using his shirt as a tissue. Lovely. “It’s never going to be okay again.”

“That’s not true,” Adam said, though he tended to agree with her. He’d had the same feeling repeatedly in the forty-eight hours since his world blew up in his face.