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“I certainly hope so.” She turned to Jack, who hadn’t said more than a few words since they’d arrived.
“Jack, I hate to bring up a painful subject, but...I hear you’re going through a divorce.”
He swallowed. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry to hear it. Love is such a two-edged sword, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “I never dreamed...” he started to say but fell silent.
Bo could tell that an upwelling of emotion had tied his tongue and felt for the guy. He was liking him more all the time and felt terrible for what he was going through.
Honey must’ve heard the same thickness in his voice. Wearing a compassionate expression, she studied him for a moment. “You know, it might be hard to hear this now, but I’ve lived quite a few years longer than you have and would like to give you the benefit of my experience—if you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” he managed to say but his gaze lowered to his plate again.
“I went through an early divorce, too,” she said.
Jack dragged his gaze back up to her face. “You did?”
“Oh, yes. I had my oldest child and no help. I could barely eke out a living. On top of that, I thought I’d never love again. I had to take it one day at a time, but eventually those days started getting just a bit easier—and then I met my late husband. So have faith.”
“One day at a time,” he said.
She gave him a kind smile. “Yes. That divorce turned out to be the best thing for me. Maybe it’ll turn out to be the same with you. You’re clear across the country on an island you’ve never visited before. Who can say what possibilities will open to you?”
“True,” Jack responded. “But I feel like a burden, like I shouldn’t have come.”
Bo would’ve assured him, but Ismay beat him to it. “You’re not a burden!” she exclaimed.
“Your sister’s right,” Honey said. “You’ll be doing me a big favor. I wouldn’t have left the island this summer if you hadn’t come, but sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone.”
“So you’re going to go to Pennsylvania?” Bo asked.
“I am,” she said decisively. “I figure the universe is telling me I’d be a fool to miss this opportunity to be with my family while I can still travel.” She took a sip of her tea. “I’ll leave in two weeks. That’ll give me time to make all the arrangements. And I’ll be gone at least a month, maybe two.”
“Sounds as if this summer will hold something different for all three of you,” Bo said.
Honey put down her fork and knife. “Maybe even you, Bo.”
He thought the same thing. Just having someone like Ismay around created a big change. He’d never met anyone like her. But he didn’t care to explain that, which was why he hadn’t included himself in the comment.
“Did you ever find out if the girl in that picture you showed me was the one who lost her life in that tragic fire?” Honey asked.
Suddenly uncomfortable, Bo shifted. He hadn’t had a chance to tell Ismay about the information he’d found or how he’d found it. He’d been hoping to learn more first. Not wanting the subject to become the focus of their lunch, especially given its sensitive nature, he shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Well, I don’t know how to use a computer,” she said. “I don’t even have one. But I went over to the library this morning while I was out getting the whipping cream for our dessert and found this. I thought it might help.”
Bo could see Ismay tense as Honey got up and took her purse off the counter. She knew exactly what Honey was referring to, and he could tell it made her nervous. She’d trusted him, clearly indicated she didn’t want anyone else to know about what she’d found. But hehaddrawn someone else into the situation, which wouldn’t be interpreted as a good thing.
Fortunately, she remained silent. For that, he was grateful.
When Honey sat back down, she pulled a photocopy of an article out of her purse, unfolded it, and handed it to him.
At first, he thought it contained all the information he’d already found online. Who Lyssa Helberg was. What had happened to her. How hard her death had hit the entire island. But as he finished reading and looked more carefully at the picture that’d been published with it, he caught his breath. Lyssa’s casket sat in the foreground with a huge spray of flowers on top and a semicircle of funeral attendees gathered around.
And right there, in the front row, stood Bastian, Remy, and their parents.
Remy had known the girl. But in what capacity? And had he been at the party that night?
