Page 22

Tara’s stomach was already lurching when she stepped onto the dock. The salt air was thick, the sound of water slapping against the hull oddly menacing, and the sight of the shabby vessel didn’t fill her with confidence.

She glanced at the boat’s captain, getting a better look at him today. He was a wiry man in his fifties with weather-beaten skin and a hat that looked older than him.

The man’s eyes narrowed as he spotted her. ‘Who’s this?’ he asked bluntly, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Amelia stepped forward, her tone light. ‘Tom, this is Tara. She’s... helping me with a few things. Tara, this is Tom Hargreaves.’

Tom froze, the line he’d been coiling slipping from his fingers. ‘You’re bringing someone back to Solhaven?’ His gaze flicked between them, his incredulity plain.

‘It’s fine,’ Amelia said firmly, though a faint edge crept into her voice. ‘She’s a… necessity. Like the medicine you bring us.’

Tom gave Tara a hard once-over, his lips pressed into a thin line. ‘You sure about that?’

Tara’s eyes widened, but she forced a polite smile. ‘Hello, Tom. Nice to meet you.’

‘Yup,’ he said, and turned back to Amelia. ‘You know what Mabel would’ve said.’

Amelia’s jaw tightened. ‘Mabel isn’t here anymore.’

That silenced Tom, though his expression remained grim. Without another word, he turned back to the boat, muttering something under his breath as he finished preparing to cast off.

Tara shifted uncomfortably, unsure if she should say more. But she wasn’t one to sing for her supper. And anyway, this wasn’t his call. It was Amelia’s. So she kept quiet, following Amelia onto the boat and settling into a seat near the edge.

Once they were on board, Tom untied the boat and pushed off from the dock. The little craft bobbed violently as they moved into open water, and Tara’s stomach gave another lurch. She gripped the edge of the seat.

‘You OK?’ Amelia asked, frowning.

‘Fine,’ Tara lied through gritted teeth.

Amelia tilted her head, unconvinced. ‘You look a bit green.’

‘I’m fine,’ Tara repeated, but her voice lacked conviction.

Amelia moved closer, sitting beside her. ‘Give me your wrist,’ she said. ‘There’s a pressure point here that can help with nausea.’

Tara stared at her, dubious. ‘Is this a Solhaven remedy?’

Amelia smiled faintly. ‘You tell me. What do you usually do when you get seasick?’

‘I, err… I’ve never really been on a boat before,’ Tara admitted.

‘Oh!’ Amelia cried, as though Tara had said something truly shocking.

‘Yeah, I just didn’t get around to it,’ Tara said with a shrug.

‘But you live next to the ocean,’ Amelia said, starting to grin.

‘True. I’m a landlubber, I suppose.’

Amelia laughed. ‘How on earth have you never been on a boat? Your parents never took you out?’

‘I don’t have any,’ Tara told her casually.

Amelia stopped smiling. ‘What?’

‘I did have a mum at one point, but she died when I was young,’ Tara explained.

Amelia’s wide eyes became abruptly wet.

‘Jesus, Amelia. Chill. It’s fine,’ Tara assured her.

Amelia emitted an actual sob.

Tara grimaced, awkward in the face of Amelia’s sudden emotion. ‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to ruin the boat ride.’

Amelia wiped her eyes quickly. ‘No, I’m sorry. That’s just... such a terrible thing.’

Tara forced a smile. ‘So, about that pressure point?’

Amelia nodded, visibly collecting herself. She reached out again; her fingers cool against Tara’s wrist as she pressed gently. The boat rocked beneath them, but Tara focused on Amelia instead—on her steady touch and the faint furrow in her brow as she worked.

‘I haven’t exactly spent a lot of time on boats,’ Amelia said suddenly, still focusing on Tara’s wrist. ‘Though I used to go fishing with Dane sometimes,’ she added, a little quieter.

A reference to the husband. There hadn’t been too many of those. Tara wondered what he’d been like, if he’d been nice to Amelia. Tara really hoped so. Amelia deserved that.

‘Better?’ Amelia asked after a minute.

Tara took a cautious breath. The nausea hadn’t disappeared entirely, but it had dulled enough for her to unclench her jaw. ‘Actually, yeah. Thanks.’

The rest of the journey passed in a mix of awkward silences and brief exchanges. Tara kept her gaze fixed on the horizon.

When Solhaven finally came into view, Tara’s breath caught.

The island rose out of the water like something from a storybook, its cliffs crowned with greenery and dotted with simple, weathered buildings. It was beautiful, undeniably so.

‘There it is,’ Amelia said softly, her expression a mixture of pride and apprehension. ‘Home.’

Tara nodded, saying nothing. There weren’t words for the moment.

As the boat approached the dock, Tom gave Amelia a sharp look. ‘You’re going to explain this to everyone, right?’

‘It will be fine,’ Amelia replied firmly. ‘But could you hang on for a while? Just in case…’

He nodded.

Tara didn’t need that sentence to be completed. Amelia thought there was a good chance Tara wasn’t getting further than the dock.

Tom brought the boat into the tiny, battered dock with practised ease, hopping out to tie it off. ‘Off you get,’ he said gruffly.

Tara stepped onto the dock, relieved to be on terra firma again, even this one. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, following Amelia, who was already striding ahead with a tense determination.

Nearby, people had begun to gather, drawn by the sound of the boat’s arrival. Women wore long skirts or dresses with muted patterns, their hems brushing their sturdy, well-worn boots. Men’s trousers were high-waisted, some held up by braces over shirts that looked like they had seen countless patch repairs.

Even the children looked like they’d stepped out of a time warp. They were also, Tara couldn’t help but notice, a very Caucasian group. Though she’d sort of expected that.

Expressions of curiosity and wariness met Tara as the crowd grew. Their eyes flicked over her sleek, long black coat and jeans.

Amelia paused ahead, glancing over her shoulder as if to check Tara was still following. ‘Come on,’ she said quietly, her voice low enough not to carry.

Tara squared her shoulders and forced herself forward, acutely aware of every step that brought her closer to their scrutiny.