“And yet she had a revenge plot over fifty thousand,” I mumble to myself.

“A what?” Ezra asks.

I end up telling him everything Leslie told me the other day at her cottage—about my mother wanting her mother to lie to the police and borrowing money that she never paid back.

“Seems like small infractions in comparison with wanting to burn down your cottage,” Ezra says, making me feel better about the whole thing. “But like I said before, Leslie is a crackpot, and her mother probably was too. You need to stay away from her, June.”

“I know.” I give him the answer he wants, but in truth I want to drive over to her cottage right now and tell her what I think of her.

“Seriously, June, she knows a lot of people in this area, and she’s unpredictable.”

“I understand, Ezra. I certainly don’t want any trouble. No more than I’ve already brought on myself by coming back here.”

“Good,” he says sternly. “Do you regret coming back?” His voice has softened.

“No, not at all. I would never regret coming back here. Coming back to you. It’s just brought a lot of stuff up, that’s all. But it’s worth it, I promise.”

Ezra pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me, making all the bad stuff disappear. Even if it’s just for a few seconds, I’ll take it. I’ll take any reprieve I can get at the moment.

MAY

He’s here again. Ezra. They’re on the verandah in the middle of the night, hugging. June steps out of the embrace when I arrive and looks over her shoulder in my direction, a flash of confusion running through her expression.

June? I call out, but she turns back to face Ezra.

Ezra holds up his empty beer bottle. “I think I’d better go. I have to get up in a couple of hours for work. I have a dock repair that’s going to take all day. Maybe more.” He rubs June’s arm. “You’re okay?”

“Of course,” June says with a forced smile. “Thanks for coming to check on me. Even though you scared the shit out of me and I almost knocked you out with a lamp.” He laughs and pulls her in for another hug.

She stands on the verandah and watches him go. The moon has come out from behind the clouds, illuminating his departure. Watching his tall, thin frame recede brings forward a random sliver of memory that doesn’t seem to be attached to any specific event, but it’s right there, so clear.