She started the car and pulled across the street to the other pawnshop. Now wasn’t the time for delving too deep into her psyche. And Lord knew, she wasn’t going to figure out in the next couple minutes something that had escaped her for forty-eight years. She just needed to focus on finding the ring. That was something tangible and not emotional.

It was something she could handle.

Six hours later, Marina stumbled into her cabin with Halcyon close behind. They’d been to the two pawnshops and walked at least ten miles. And they’d come up with absolutely nothing. They both flopped onto the couch and Halcyon closed her eyes and let out a whining sort of gasp.

“Are you all right?” Marina asked.

“I’m on hour twenty-four of an eighteen-hour bra.”

Marina stared.

“After my shower last night, I got dressed to go to the gas station and get a hot dog but I fell asleep on the couch before I made it out the door.”

“Well, you won’t need it tonight with the plans you’ve got. Do you want me to do your hair?”

“No. I got a text earlier. They were held up leaving the rig so he’s still out in the Gulf.”

“Maybe tomorrow then. I owe you.”

“The drummer doesn’t have a gig tomorrow night. And he’d still be on the hook if I shaved my head, so I don’t see the point.”

Marina nodded. All day, she’d tried to focus on the search for the ring, but Halcyon’s words and the way her sister lived kept creeping back into her thoughts. She’d always wondered how her sister made it work but had never wanted to ask. She’d been afraid Halcyon would tell her that everything about Marina’s life was wrong, which was something she didn’t want to hear. Especially as she hadn’t been willing to change anything. Ultimately, she figured the conversation would have only served to make her feel worse, so she’d never gone there.

But given everything that had happened in the last couple days, maybe it was time to open up that dialogue, especially now that Marina was going to have to figure out how to negotiate the single life. Halcyon never seemed upset about things. Angry, sure, but not upset. Anger didn’t last. And her attitude couldn’t exist only because she’d stopped caring what people thought.

Or could it? Was peace of mind really that simple?

And if that was the case, then why wouldn’t her sister settle on one man? Was not caring keeping her from forming lasting relationships? Was surface-level okay with Halcyon? Did it make her happy? Marina couldn’t wrap her mind around being involved, especially sexually, with someone she didn’t have deeper feelings for. Was she old-fashioned for thinking that way? Would she be better off to avoid romantic relationships forever, as Halcyon seemed to do? At the moment, she couldn’t imagine trekking down that path, but one day she might feel differently. Would she be too scared to try it? Would everything she’d gone through close her heart off to anything in the future?