A note waited beneath her door. Sunset sailing tour, two guests. She stared at it, then at the second name. Grant Walker. No. She carried the paper downstairs as if presenting evidence at trial.
The front desk checked the reservation. I'm sorry, Miz. Bennett. It was booked months ago under the original package. Can you remove one of us?
The boat is full. Excellent. She turned and nearly walked into Mason. He looked at the paper. Problem?
I have been assigned recreational intimacy with my ex- fiance. Mason read the heading. It's a boat at sunset. Still a boat. Clare folded the paper.
I'm cancelling. Mason handed it back. Why? She stared at him. You know why?
I know you came all the way to Maine because you didn't want the canceled wedding deciding what you were allowed to do. That sounded annoyingly reasonable. I practiced. If I go, I spend 2 hours trapped beside Grant. If you don't, you spend 2 hours arranging your day around avoiding him.
At 5:40, she boarded the boat. What changed your mind? My neighbor gave me unwanted personal growth. Grant nodded. The quiet one?
He's becoming less quiet. Grant helped a crew member move a line out of the walkway. Clare held the rail and watched Bar Harbor grow smaller behind them. Finally, Grant spoke. There wasn't anyone else.
Clare looked at him and neither of them moved. I know you never accused me of that, but I think part of you wondered. She had. Grant looked down at his hands. I panicked.
You mentioned that. I mean before the wedding, months before we talked about photographers, flowers, seating charts, mortgage rates, whether my uncle could sit near your mother without starting something. Clare almost smiled. He absolutely could not. I know.
The smile disappeared, Grant continued. We had plans for everything except what happened after we were getting married. That's not what I mean. The boat tilted gently beneath them. Clare held the rail tighter.
Grant looked toward the water. I didn't know if I wanted kids right away. You assumed we'd start trying in a year. You never corrected me. I know.
You said you liked the house in Newton. I liked the kitchen. There was no defense in his voice. That made anger harder. He had been wrong.
But he was not trying to escape being wrong. Grant rubbed his palms together against the cold. Every time I got nervous, "You made another list." Clare went still. "That's unfair.
It is a little, a lot, maybe." She turned away. The sun had begun lowering behind the clouds, spreading orange across the water. Grant spoke carefully. "I should have told you I was scared."
"Yes, I should not have waited until 10 days before the wedding. Yes. I should not have left you to cancel everything. Yes. He glanced at her.
You can stop agreeing whenever you want. I'm considering it. He smiled faintly. Then Clare's eyes burned. She hated that, too.