they’d all said goodbye, Kate took a walk down one of the ramps that led to the boat slips. The vessels ranged from vast iron-sided fishing tenders to one-person wooden skiffs, with a few speedboats and sailboats mixed in. There were even a number of houseboats releasing puffs of smoke from their smokestacks.
The float rose and fell with the ocean, as if it was breathing deep and slow. She found its motion highly soothing. It lulled all the thoughts that had been swarming her brain since she’d gotten the call from her law firm. None of that mattered right now.
All that mattered was the scent of salt and tar that rose from the harbor. The overhead caw of a seabird. The excited laugh of a child wrapped tight in an orange life preserver onboard a water taxi. The breath of the wind against her cheek, with that edge of cold from passing across the glaciers of Lost Souls Wilderness.
A seagull lighted on a post up ahead and settled its wings into place. It gazed down at her with a tilt of its head.
“Sorry, I have no food.” She spread her hands apart. “I’m just passing through.”
It cocked his head the other direction, still looking at her.
“But if you need legal advice, I’m here for you,” she added.
With a noisy flap of its wings, it launched into the air, wheeled around and headed across the harbor.
“I really know how to clear a room,” she murmured under her breath. The seagull joined a flock of other gulls who were circling a fishing boat just gliding into the harbor. Funny how they had their own community up there in the sky. A society of seagulls, mostly oblivious to the society of people down below in Lost Harbor—unless they could provide food, of course.
Speaking of community, in some ways, Lost Harbor was the only one she had. With her chaotic childhood, she’d never felt connected to any place except this one. When her life had gotten turned upside down, she’d fled back here, because where else would she go? Lost Harbor had always been a haven for her.
But now that she had a job waiting for her in LA, she wasn’t sure she wanted to leave. Even if she could guarantee her own safety, there was something else she kept thinking about—Dylan and S.G., and how she could use her legal skills here to advocate for kids like them, kids who didn’t have adults looking out for them.
She would really love that kind of work. And she could do it here. She could study her ass off for yet another bar exam. Once she’d passed the Alaska bar, she could set up a law office here in Lost Harbor. What’s-his-name was retiring, after all. There was always a need for lawyers, even in a little town like this.
The best part was, she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to Darius before she was ready. When she’d told him about the job offer, he hadn’t reacted. He hadn’t asked her to stay. Why would he? They’d never talked about the nature of their relationship.
If she stayed here, they wouldn’t have to. She wouldn’t even have to tell him she’d rejected the job offer. She wouldn’t have to make a big deal out of it. They could just…keep going. Keep spending nights together. Keep having amazing sex. Keep getting closer. Keep avoiding any mention of deeper emotions. Nothing would have to change.
Perfect for a Team Sex non-romantic like her.
She laughed out loud and danced down the float. Maybe it was the influence of Toni’s weird shots, or maybe it was the relief of making a decision. She wasn’t ready to go back to LA and that was the end of that.
Even if she took Darius out of the equation, she wasn’t ready. Emma needed her. As much as her feisty grandmother didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t handle the entire harvest by herself, even with her helpers. Summer was almost here and Kate didn’t want to miss a minute of it.
She pulled out her phone to communicate her decision to her law firm before she could spend any more time agonizing about it.
Chapter Thirty-One
“This is a hockey stick. That’s a puck. The net’s thataway. You hit the puck with the stick into the net, no matter who tries to stop you, and that’s all you need to know about hockey.” Darius handed the stick to Dylan. The boy was gingerly testing the ice with the new