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The minute she stepped onto the sleek white motorboat, she realized how tense she’d been A knot in her neck relaxed She felt the sea air on her dirty face, whipping through her matted hair as they sped across the flat sea It occurred to her, as she breathed in the salty air, how lucky she was in this life, even with her grief She could leave the terrible places behind, change her future with a phone call and an airplane ticket

The private island—Mneo, and when she arrived, the island’s lass of white wine and a cool, wet rag When he saw Nina, his dark, handsoain ”

She ju sure to hold her gear bag high above her head “Thanks, Zoltan I’lad to be here ” She took the wine from him “Is Danny here?”

“He’s in number seven ”

She slung the ca and backpack strap over her shoulder and made her way down the beach The sand was as white as the coral from which it had been formed, and the water was a remarkable shade of aquamarine Almost exactly the color of her mother’s eyes

There were nine private bandas on the island—thatch-roofed, open-sided cottages—each hidden frouests saw each other, or the staff, was forhut or at sunset, when cocktails were set up on a table at the beach in front of each banda

Nina saw the discreet 7 sign on the beachside lounge chairs and followed the sand path to the banda A pair of tiny antelope, no larger than rabbits, with antlers as sharp as ice picks, bounded across the path and disappeared

She saw Danny before he saw her He was in one of the woven bamboo chairs, with his bare feet propped on a coffee table, sipping a beer and reading She leaned against the wooden railing “That beer isn’t quite the best-looking thing in the room, but it’s close ”

Danny tossed down his book and stood up Even in his worn, overwashed khaki shorts, with his long black hair in need of a good cutting, and his shadowy, stubble-coated jaw, he looked beautiful He pulled her into his ar “I’m filthy,” she said

“It’s what I love best about you,” he said, kissing the grimy palm of her hand

“I need a shower,” she said, unbuttoning her shirt He took her by the hand and led her through the bedroom and down the wooden ay to the bathroom and the outside shower Beneath the spray of hot water, she peeled out of her bra and shorts and panties, kicking the sopping garments aside Danny washed her in a way that was pure foreplay, and when the soap was still sliding down her slick body, and she reached for him, all it took was a touch He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom

Later, when they both could breathe again, they lay entwined on the net-draped bed “Wow,” she said, her head cradled in the crook of his arood we are at that ”

“We’re good at a lot of things ”

“I know But we’re really good at that ”

There was a pause, and in it she kneas going to say what she didn’t want to hear “I had to hear from Sylvie that your da died ”