Garrett glanced at her when she didn’t respond and again noticed how lovely she was. In the darkness her pale skin looked ethereal, and he found himself picturing what it would feel like to lightly trace the outline of her cheek. He shook his head then, trying to push the thought away.

But he couldn’t. The breeze was blowing through her hair, and the sight of it made something tighten in his stomach. How long had it been since he’d felt this way? Too long, for sure. But there wasn’t anything he could, or would, do about it. He knew that too as he watched her. It was neither the right time nor the right pace . . . nor was it the right person. Deep down, he wondered if anything would ever be right again.

“I hope I’m not boring you,” he said finally, with forced calmness. “I’ve always been interested in those types of stories.”

She faced him and smiled. “No, it’s not that. Not at all. I liked the story. I was just imagining what those men must have gone through. It’s not easy to head into something completely foreign.”

“No, it’s not,” he said, feeling as if she’d somehow read his mind.

The lights from the buildings along the shore seemed to flicker in the slowly thickening fog. Happenstance rocked slightly in the rising swells as it approached the inlet, and Theresa looked over her shoulder for the things she had brought with her. her jacket had blown into the corner near the cabin. she made a note not to forget it when she got back to the marina.

Even though Garrett had said he usually sailed alone, she wondered if he had brought anyone out besides Catherine and herself. And if he never had, what did that mean? She knew he had watched her carefully this evening, though he’d never been obvious. But even if he was curious about her, he’d kept his feelings well hidden. He hadn’t pressed her for information she wasn’t willing to give, he hadn’t questioned her about whether she was involved with someone else. He hadn’t done anything this evening that could be interpreted as being more than casually interested.

Garrett turned a switch, and a series of small lights came on around the boat. Not enough to see each other well, but enough so that other boats would see them approaching. He pointed toward the blackness of the coast—“The inlet is right over there, between the lights”—and turned the wheel in that direction. The sails rippled and the beam shifted for a moment before returning to its original position.

“So,” he finally asked, “did you enjoy your first time sailing?”

“I did. It was wonderful.”

“I’m glad. It wasn’t a trip to the southern hemisphere, but it’s about all I could do.”

They stood beside each other, both seemingly lost in thought. Another sailboat appeared in the darkness a quarter mile away, making its way back to the marina as well. Giving it a wide berth, Garrett looked from side to side, making sure nothing else would appear. Theresa noticed that the fog had made the horizon invisible.

Turning toward him, she saw that his hair had been blown back by the wind. The coat he was wearing hung to midthigh, unzipped. Worn and weathered, it looked as though he’d used it for years. It made him seem larger than he really was, and it would be this image of him that she could imagine remembering forever. This, and the first time she had seen him.

As they moved closer to shore, Theresa suddenly doubted that they would see each other again. In a few minutes they’d be back at the docks and they would say good-bye. She doubted he would ask her to join him again, and she wasn’t going to ask him herself. For some reason it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

They made their way through the inlet, turning toward the marina. Again he kept the boat in the center of the waterway, and Theresa saw a series of triangular signs marking the channel. He kept the sails up until approximately the same spot he’d first raised them, then lowered them with the same intensity he had used to guide the boat all evening. The engine kicked to life, and within a few minutes they had made their way past the boats that had been moored all evening. When they reached his dock, she stood on the deck while Garrett jumped off and secured Happenstance with the lines.

Theresa walked to the stern to get the basket and her jacket, then stopped. Thinking for a moment, she picked up the basket, but instead of grabbing her jacket, she pushed it partway under the seat cushion with her free hand. When Garrett asked if everything was okay, she cleared her throat and said, “I’m just getting my things.” She walked to the side of the boat, and he offered his hand. Again she felt the strength in it as she took it, and she stepped down from Happenstance onto the dock.

They stared at each other for just a moment, as if wondering what would come next, before Garrett finally motioned toward the boat. “i’ve got to close her up for the night, and it’s going to take a little while.”

She nodded. “I thought you might say that.”

“Can I walk you to your car first?”

“Sure,” she said, and he started down the dock with Theresa beside him. When they reached her rental car, Garrett watched as she fished through the basket for her keys. After finding them, she unlocked the car door and opened it.

“Like I said earlier, I had a wonderful time tonight,” she said.

“So did I.”

“You should take more people out. I’m sure they would enjoy it.”

Grinning, he answered, “I’ll think about it.”

For a moment their eyes met, and for a moment he saw Catherine in the darkness.

“I’d better get back,” he said quickly, slightly uncomfortable. “I’ve got an early morning tomorrow.” She nodded, and not knowing what else to do, Garrett held out his hand. “It was nice to have met you, Theresa. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

Shaking his hand felt a little strange after the evening they’d just spent, but she would have been surprised if he’d done anything different.

“Thanks for everything, Garrett. It was nice meeting you, too.”

She took her seat behind the steering wheel and turned the ignition. Garrett shut the door for her and listened as she put the car into gear. Smiling at him one last time, she glanced in the rearview mirror and slowly backed the car out. Garrett waved as she began to pull away and watched as her car finally left the marina. when she was safely on her way, he turned and walked back up the docks, wondering why he felt so unsettled.

Twenty minutes later, just as Garrett was finishing up with Happenstance , Theresa unlocked the door to her hotel room and stepped inside. She tossed her things on the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth before undressing. Then, lying in bed with only the bedside lamp on, she closed her eyes, thinking about Garrett.

David would have done everything so differently had he been the one who had taken her sailing. He would have tailored the evening to suit the charming image he wanted to project—“I just happen to have some wine, would you care for a glass?”—and he definitely would have talked a little more about himself. But it would have been subtle—David was good at anticipating when confidence crossed the line to arrogance—and he’d have made sure not to cross that line right away. Until you knew him better, you didn’t know it was a carefully orchestrated plan designed to make the best impression. With Garrett, though, she knew right away that he wasn’t acting—there was something sincere about him—and she found herself intrigued by his manner. Yet had she done the right thing? She still wasn’t sure about that yet. Her actions seemed almost manipulative, and she didn’t like to think of herself that way.

But it was already done. She’d made her decision, and there wasn’t any turning back now. She turned off the lamp, and once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked toward the space between the loosely drawn curtains. The crescent moon had finally risen, and a little moonlight spilled onto the bed. Staring at it, she found herself unable to turn away until her body finally relaxed and her eyes closed for the night.