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The Jewell Cove Cemetery wasn’t actually in the cove at all, but on the outskirts, up a long dirt drive that looked like little ates marked the entrance into a field It seemed an odd place for a cemetery until Tom explained that there’d once been a church just to the south of it that had burned down sometime in the sixties The church had been rebuilt closer to town, but the cemetery had stayed

Abby hopped out of the truck, her hands full of fragrant rosebuds froraveyard was definitely out of the way, but it was one of the ine Cushioned by the crest of the hill, the cemetery was free of traffic sounds There was just the wind through the leaves and grass and the sound of birds in the trees Anearby If Abby had to pick a place to rest, this would be it

“Most of the town has relatives in here,” Torandparents are over there, as well as their parents and brothers and sisters” He pointed at headstones bearing the Arseneault name “Over here is the Collins family Josh’s dad, Frank—my uncle He was a fisherman, lost at sea”

Abby paused There was a spot for Meggie beside hiraved A love that deep and abiding seeht all the same

“The Foster plot is over here,” Tolanced at headstones along the way—so was hard to h it was off the beaten path, the whole place ell tended, with freshly cut grass trimmed uniformly around the e and Elizabeth Jedediah and Martha Robert and Richard, the two sons killed overseas Abby wondered if there were even bodies there or if the markers had been placed simply in memory Burton Foster—had he been a cousin? Louisa, died an infant Elijah Edith Marian

All the bloodline and spouses except Iris, who hadn’t been a Foster at all, and her son The line had died with Marian

Abby stepped forward and arranged the roses around the base of Edith’s headstone “She was there that night,” shethe carved words on the headstone “Marian was there the night Edith died Do you think she remembered it? I hope not I just hope Marian kne much her mother loved her”

Tom came forward too, squatted down beside her and picked up a stehed “I think Marian knew Edith ht, she didn’t deserve this You can’t help who you love At least Edith had the guts to follow her heart I used to wish Erin had been willing to risk everything for love And when she finally was, I would have given everything for her to take it back”

Abby paused at the tight thread of pain in his voice “What do you mean? When she chose Josh?”

He shook his head, pushing his hands against his knees They cracked as he stood up “She was going to leave him That’s what no one knows Not even Josh”

“She was going to leave him for you?”

Abby stood up now and looked at hirass of the nearby field “Did Sarah and Jess tell you about the night Erin and Josh got engaged? About what I said?” At her silent nod, Toht at the Rusty Fern is that even though I was drunk, I was right She shouldn’t have married Josh Later Erin confessed to h for her family”

“That’s ridiculous” Abby dismissed the idea “You’re wonderful You have a successful business and you’re honest and loyal and hardwork

ing”

He s that, but I was a lot younger, trying to get the business off the ground, a e, and Josh was a doctor with better es cousin”