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“But you wondered where he got the money for his new truck. The whale watching business is good, but it’s notthatgood,” Zach said.

“He probably got a loan.”

“Then why has his second mate been MIA? The whole thing is weird if you ask me,” Zach said.

“My cousin’s wife said his co-captain, Brandon, reached out not long after Jordan’s accident with condolences. He’s been in Bellingham taking care of his mom. Apparently, he’s been off-island since before the accident. He didn’t hear about it until the memorial post on WNFH.”

“We’re straying from the point,” Drew chided. “Anya’s ex is hanging around, stirring up trouble.”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Let me guess: you’d like him on the next ferry out of town. Ideally, with a passenger seat full of manure as a souvenir of his trip.”

“That or feeding the fish at the bottom of North Bay,” Zach offered.

Drew grinned at his siblings. “You know me well. But I’d settle for off the island and away from Anya forever.”

Vi’s gaze met mine across the room. “How can we help?”

I melted against Drew, drooping like overcooked spaghetti. As easy as that. No recriminations. No blame. Just “how can we help?” If I didn’t love my friends before, I was ride or die now.

“Thank you.” I sniffed, tearful. Drew ran his hands along my forearms, his touch gentle. “I never imagined you’d accept this so easily. Accept me.”

Lucy snorted, shaking her head. “If we judged each other based on our exes, Zach would be banished to Turn Island to live with the other trash pandas.”

“Hey,” Zach protested, rubbing his chest. “I thought you were more feminist than that.”

Lucy reached across Rae, patting his cheek. “Oh, honey, I am. I’m not judging them. I’m judgingyou. Sex is fine. Sex with you is probably fine. I have no interest in finding out. But the way you hit it and quit it is gross. You have the staying power of a popsicle under a heat lamp.”

Clay looked at her as if seeing Lucy for the first time. “You’re mean, and Ilikeit.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “I don’t need another man in my life with a shame kink.”

“We’ve veered offtrack,” Drew said.

“It’s not always about you, pretty boy,” Lucy said with gentle scorn.

Clay clutched his heart, turning fully to face Lucy. “Marry me.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. Vi shook her head. “You’ll never get her that way, Clay. Drew’s right. Focus, people.”

“We need a plan,” Lee pronounced.

“What the quiet one said,” Lucy agreed.

Slowly, all gazes turned toward me.

“What are you guys thinking?” Zach asked. “Can’t you file a restraining order?”

“I wish. No, I think Owen will take more convincing than that,” I said. “He’s threatened to implicate me to the sheriff if I don’t cooperate.” I bit my lip. “Once upon a time, I trusted him. He’s smart enough to have prepared for this, kept something from my former life as insurance. A restraining order isn’t good enough.”

“I’m happy to introduce him to ‘convincing’ and ‘argument,’” Drew offered, clenching each of his fists in turn.

His offer was tempting. In a fair fight, Drew would win. But Owen didn’t play fair. And I wouldn’t risk Drew for anything.

“She wants less drama, not more,” Lucy chided.

“Has she met us?” Zach joked, glancing around our assembled group.

Each of my friends had a big heart and a big mouth. Even Lee, once you got him going. Three out of eight were related to Grandma Fenwick, which should be indictment enough all on its own. The woman was a local legend for a reason.