“Maybe she’s on drugs, or maybe she’s following in her mother’s footsteps, or maybe she’s just reached that state of not giving a damn that I was born with. Regardless of the reason, she’s going to that party and I’ll bet money there will be trouble.”

“And you think by being there you’ll prevent it?”

“Not a chance. But if things go south, Marina will need help.”

Dottie blew out a breath. “Okay. Because this is a real emergency, I’m going to do something I never do and not only go to that party but bring you as my date. But I expect you to wear something appropriate. And you’re not bringing that shovel. I’m also patting you down beforehand.”

“There’s so much trust in this room, it’s overwhelming.”

“What’s overwhelming you is all the reality.”

Dottie rose from her chair and motioned to Adelaide. “You need to go. I have things to do to get ready.”

“Like what? It’s not even midmorning.”

“For starters, I’m going to church to pray.”

With half of the morning and most of the afternoon stretching in front of her, Marina decided to try a different tactic and search for the ring by computer. Halcyon had some appointments that would eat up most of her day, so Marina was on her own. With Stalker Boy probably lurking somewhere nearby, she didn’t feel like sticking to her cabin, so she grabbed her laptop and headed into town. The café had free Wi-Fi and excellent breakfast, so she figured she’d spend a couple hours there, then decide what to do next.

The early breakfast crowd had cleared out and gone to work and the seniors were usually long gone by midmorning as well, so only one other table was occupied. Marina headed to a booth in the corner that sat in front of the big picture windows that faced Main Street. That way, if Stalker Boy was lurking somewhere, she might be able to get a good look at him.

A girl Avery had gone to high school with popped over, chewing gum and smiling at the same time. “Morning, Mrs. Trahan. What can I get you?”

“Coffee and the breakfast special, please.”

“Do you want pancakes or waffles? Oh, and chef made some vanilla croissants this morning. You can have that instead.”

“That sounds great.”

She nodded. “I had one myself. How’s Avery doing at school?”

“She’s getting settled in and likes it so far. Classes start next week.”

“I heard about her problem with Chastity. That girl is nothing but trouble. Chastity, I mean. Not Avery. I’m really sorry she had to deal with that. You too.”

A wave of embarrassment rushed through Marina and she struggled to shove it down. Would she ever be able to accept these expressions of sympathy without feeling awful all over again?

“Thank you,” Marina said. “What are you planning to do now that you’re done with high school?”

“Oh, I start nursing school in January. I’m working here until then, putting together some spending money, you know?”