never really believed the whole happy-ever-after fairy tale, but Ryan and Emily seem so in love with each other.”
“You don’t believe they are?”
“I want to believe it.” She picked at her lobster, wondering how much to say. “When relationships go wrong, do you think it’s because they were always wrong or because the people changed?”
“You’re asking me if people can be in love and then not be in love? Yes, I think that can happen. Life can put pressure on any relationship, but a strong relationship can survive it. My parents were under a lot of pressure when Paige was ill. They had some tough times, but they supported each other. I guess what I learned from watching them is that if you’re honest in a relationship, if you’re not afraid to say how you’re feeling and listen to how the person you love is feeling, then you can work it through. You can find a way.” He paused. “You’re thinking about your parents?”
“I remember picking up their wedding photo once and thinking that they looked happy. I had so many questions about that photo. They were smiling at each other, as people do in wedding photos, and I wanted to know if it was real. Did my dad love her when they got married and then fall out of love? Or did he never love her?”
“Your mom never talked about it?”
Frankie shook her head. “At the beginning she was so upset and angry she couldn’t say a good word about him, and afterward she didn’t want to talk about him at all.”
And Frankie had had questions. So many questions.
“You’re not in touch with him, are you?”
“He sent me a birthday card when I was fifteen and I’ve heard nothing since.”
There was more, of course, so much more, but at that moment Ryan rounded everyone up and the party moved up to the sleek surroundings of the Ocean Club, where cocktails and champagne were served along with delicious seafood.
Frankie noticed Alec Hunter again, but this time he was dancing with a beautiful woman with blond hair that poured over her shoulders like liquid gold. They were laughing together, and Frankie saw the flash of diamond on one of her fingers.
Everyone seemed to be in love, she thought.
People took that risk, time and time again. They jumped, even knowing that they could fall. She felt like a child shivering on the edge of a swimming pool, watching everyone else in the water, afraid to jump in herself in case she drowned.
Everyone was so much braver than she was.
“You’re doing too much thinking and not enough dancing.” Matt pulled her onto the dance floor, ignoring her protests.
“I’m not great at dancing—”
“That’s what you said about sex and look how wrong you were.”
She laughed. “Do you want to say that a bit louder? I’m not sure Hilda heard you.”
“Oh, she heard me, and if she didn’t she’ll hear it from someone else. That’s how things work on Puffin Island.” Grinning, unrepentant, he twirled her skillfully and she landed breathless against his chest.
“I suppose you think that was smooth.” She gasped as he dipped her and then pulled her close. “Okay, that was smooth. Show-off.”
“There are other things I could show you. Bigger things.”
“That really would shock Hilda. You’re a good dancer.”
“So are you.” He buried his face in her neck and she felt the warmth of his breath against her skin and closed her eyes. She’d never felt this way before, ever.
“I didn’t think I could dance.”
“I’m making it my mission in life to show you all the things you have wrong about yourself.” His mouth moved to her ear. “Shall we get out of here?”
“I don’t want to offend the bride and groom.”
“The bride and groom left half an hour ago but no one noticed. The secret is to leave without a fuss.” He took her hand and they weaved their way through the high-spirited crowd, through the door of the Ocean Club, but this time instead of taking the path to the beach as they’d done the night before, he headed back to the car.
He drove back to Seagull’s Nest and opened the door to the cabin. “It’s still warm out. Do you want to sit on the deck for a while?”
The deck was bathed by moonlight and the only sound was the soft crash of the sea hitting the rocks beneath them.
“I’d like that.”
Despite the fact that she was tired, Frankie was in no hurry to go to sleep.
She’d been