“And you’re a teacher for the time off?”

“And the high pay,” he said, smiling.

“Iris says you’re the most dedicated teacher she knows,” Grace said.

“Iris should raise her standards.”

“Okay, so you’re still a little pissy.”

“I said I’d need a week or two,” he reminded her. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips. “What’s your favorite thing to do with time off?”

She didn’t answer right away. “I need more balance in my life,” she finally said. “That shop gets too much of my time. But it’s a good workout.”

“Flower arranging?” he asked doubtfully.

“I beg your pardon! I stand all day, haul heavy buckets full of fresh-cut flowers in water, deliver hundreds of pounds of arrangements to weddings and other events, get in and out of the back of that van all day, lift heavy pots and props and that’s before I have to clean up and do the books. It’s not for sissies.”

“And for fun?”

“I like to dance,” she said. “I don’t very often, but it’s fun.”

“I bet you were a cheerleader,” he said.

“I was never a cheerleader. I think I could’ve been. But I wasn’t interested.”

“You are the first girl in the history of the world, then.”

“I’m sure I’m not,” she said. “When I was that age I was into ballet, sort of. They are not the same moves at all. That, like flower arranging, takes strength. Plus, I have a bike.”

He raised his eyebrows. “A Harley?”

“A mountain bike. Retired for the winter due to ice, rain, cold and slick roads.” She drank the rest of her beer and put her money on the bar. “I’d love to stay and keep you company but I have a date.” She started for the door and turned back to him. “I’m glad you’re doing well, Troy. I’d like to see what that Jeep can do off-road. Maybe when the weather warms up. And dries up.”

“It’s a date,” he said.

But Grace knew it wasn’t a date. She went back to the shop but didn’t go inside. She went upstairs to her apartment, put some leftover lasagna from Carrie’s deli into the microwave, changed into her soft pajamas and turned on the TV. While her lasagna cooled on the plate she went through the channel guide and settled on some reruns until her favorite shows came on. With her dinner on a tray and her e-reader in her hand, she opened an old and beloved book—The Wolf and the Dove—and settled in with Wulfgar, her medieval knight.

She loved him. And she trusted him.

Two

When Cooper asked Troy about his plans for New Year’s Eve, Troy agreed to work. He hadn’t gone skiing and was getting a little bored—might as well make money. Even though the night was clear and cold, it was a party night and Cooper’s wasn’t where the party was. Cliff was packing a full house at his restaurant and would stay open past midnight to accommodate his revelers, but Cooper’s on the beach didn’t have patrons past eight o’clock.

At a little after eight Troy locked up and walked next door to Cooper’s house and brought him the contents of the till. Cooper and his wife, Sarah, were bundled up and had been sitting on the deck where an outdoor hearth blazed under a star-studded black sky. “I hear Cliff is going to shoot off some fireworks over the bay if the wind stays down,” Cooper said. “If we’re awake, we’ll have the best seats in town. The problem with having a house like this—you never want to leave it.”

“You look pretty comfortable. The fireworks might wake you up,” Troy said.

“We had invitations for New Year’s Eve,” he said.

“I’m sure,” Troy said, grinning. “Getting old, Cooper?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess so. But look at you—working tonight and all washed up before nine...”

Troy was ready to move on. “I’m going to stop at the store, grab a six-pack and drop in on a friend.”

“Let me save you a trip,” Cooper said. He got up, went to the refrigerator and pulled out a six of Heineken bottles. “Will this cut it?”

“I wasn’t going to spend that much,” Troy said with a laugh. “What do I owe you?”

“Gimme a break,” Cooper said, waving him off. “Just get outta here and happy New Year. I hope the friend is female.”

“She’s female, but just a friend. I hope she’s home or I’ll end up at my apartment alone with a six-pack like a loser,” Troy replied.

“I guess calling ahead didn’t cross your mind?”

“I didn’t think about it,” Troy said. “Like I said, nothing special. Just a friend.”

But Troy had thought about it. He was completely prepared to find Grace not at home and he didn’t really care. Or she could be entertaining, which he’d kind of like to interrupt. Since Grace never brought out these boyfriends, he figured the only way he was likely to get a glimpse of one was to surprise her. What he’d really like to know was if Grace was as lonely as he was. Because two lonely people could negotiate a deal that would get them through. Why not?

He’d been thinking about her for the past couple of days, ever since she stopped by Cooper’s while he was working. Grace had been in Thunder Point a little longer than he had, but he was just discovering her. He’d run across her a few times with Iris; she made him laugh. She was cute. Pretty, actually, but not the kind of gorgeous or sexy that slapped him upside the head. If he was honest with himself, women like that made him nervous. Grace had a wholesome look about her, kind of freshly scrubbed and glowing. She was very small, like a woman in a girl’s body. But when she started talking, all traces of the girl vanished—she was clever and had a sassy, cynical wit. There was a sharp edge to her, like she’d lived a lot. She was full of the devil.

He privately acknowledged he was looking for a woman to spend some time with. The truth was, he hadn’t often been without one. This might be one of his longest stretches; he’d been too damn focused on a woman he couldn’t have. He wasn’t above brief liaisons but he preferred something a little steadier. For that, he had pretty rigid standards. First of all, appearance was important. Not the only criteria, but someone who made an effort, put her best foot forward, kept up her looks. Next, she had to like to play. Troy loved extreme sports and it was not required that a woman he was dating be into the extreme, but it was important she liked trying new things, liked being outside, enjoyed physical activity. Iris had fit those requirements. She appreciated the outdoors, liked hiking, biking, paddle boarding. And she’d liked watching his videos of his own more adventurous experiences. She’d covered her eyes sometimes, but she’d watched his white-water challenges, rock climbing, diving with sharks, whales, squid.