as the sunlight caught the waves. She drew in a deep relaxed breath, almost tasting the salty air on her tongue as the hot summer breeze tugged at her long dark hair. There was a tremble of excitement in her belly, a quiet whisper somewhere in the back of her mind as she got her first good look at Midnight Island.
‘So, this was where my mom was born,’ she murmured as she rested her hand on Bailey’s head, her sharp gaze taking in every detail as the island grew larger across the small expanse of water.
The smooth rocking of the waves was soon replaced with the thunderous boom and crash of the waves against the base of the cliffs. Her eyes were drawn up and she caught her first glimpse of a huge gray stone building staring out forlornly across the water.
Her stomach clenched against the sudden and renewed fluttering, a strange mix of nerves and curiosity. She’d never owned anything in her life other than her truck and now she technically owned what looked like a rambling Victorian mansion on a cliff top.
Her hand released her dog and gripped the rusted white railing as she unconsciously leaned closer. She couldn’t see much from her vantage point now that they were heading in closer to the dock, but for a second… she shook her head, she wasn’t a whimsical person at all, but if the house had been a person, she would say that it had almost felt like it had locked its gaze on her and was watching.
Shaking off the strange feeling she pushed away from the railing and turned. Heading down the battered metal steps to the lower deck, she stopped abruptly.
A pair of amused blue eyes watched her, dropped to her dog who stood pressed against her legs, then lifted back to lock onto Ava’s wary gaze.
His lips twitched.
Jack, she’d heard him called when she’d first boarded the ferry. The captain of the rusted, but seaworthy, ‘Sea Witch’ had barked orders down at the younger man standing in front of her now.
Despite the fact the captain was much older, with a heavily lined, weather beaten face, and the guy in front of her was gorgeous in a kind of rugged fisherman kind of way, there was enough of a resemblance for her to assume some kind of familial relationship between the two.
‘You should head back to your vehicle miss,’ the corner of his mouth curved. ‘We’ll be heading in to dock soon and my uncle is real strict about animals on leashes.’
She nodded, her cheeks flushing as he threw her a disarming smile. Jesus, the guy was really good looking. She moved past him with Bailey following in her wake as he stepped aside. Even Bailey looked back and wagged her tail.
‘Flirt,’ Ava whispered, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked down at her dog and they walked companionably back to her truck. Ava ran her hand over the smooth shiny paintwork, then opening the door, she stepped back and allowed Bailey to jump up as she climbed in after her. Breathing deeply, she inhaled the scent of brand-new leather.
It was extravagant, she knew it, but she’d also never had anything brand new in her life. When she’d learned just how many zeros were in her bank account, thanks to her inheritance, she could admit, she’d gone a little crazy. She’d bought herself a brand-new truck, driven it straight off the forecourt of the nearest dealership. She’d thrown away all her worn tatty clothes and bought herself new ones. Nothing fancy, just jeans, t-shirts and sweaters. She’d even thrown away her battered old sneakers and now wore bright red converse.
In retrospect she really hadn’t spent that much, in fact she’d barely made a dent, a scratch even, but to someone who was used to counting every nickel and dime it still felt a little frivolous.
There was a slight bump as the ferry slid into the dock, which shook her from her thoughts and before she knew it, she was driving down the ramp and onto Midnight Island.
The dock bustled with unfamiliar sights and sounds. There were stacks and stacks of lobster traps, fishing boats returning and unloading huge crates of fish, and a flourishing market with people everywhere calling out loudly.
Usually Ava would have been fascinated, drinking in every new sound and smell ravenously but today she couldn’t focus, couldn’t think of anything but the house on the cliff. It was almost as if