Chapter 12

Soft jazz flowed around Lucy as she gazed out onto the sunset over the water. It was gorgeous, the spill of colors fanning across the sky. Sipping her wine, she felt a sense of calm fill her for the first time in three days.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” said Hayden. He raised his own wineglass in a toast.

“I think you said it at least twice, but it’s nice to hear again anyway.”

Tonight she wore one of her favorite dresses: a short little black dress with slim straps that set off the milkiness of her skin. She wore pearl earrings, her hair in a loose braid around her head. She felt a bit like Audrey Hepburn; all she needed was a cigarette and a guitar and she’d play a perfect Holly Golightly.

Hayden had taken Lucy to one of the nicest restaurants on Hazel Island: situated on the tip of the northern part of the island, it overlooked the water. Since it was summer, most of the restaurant-goers sat outside, tall heaters keeping the patio warm as the sun set and the