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he has to come."
    "He has to
run it. Besides, technically it's his boat for the next two months, and he's
been nice enough to let us stay on it. He doesn't have to do that, you
know," Nellie said, struggling to hold her patience. But of course Mike
was upset. He'd been uprooted again, he'd left his friends behind, he'd be starting
a new school, and on a small scale, his life was in as much turmoil as hers.
But once he was back in school he'd make new friends, and she'd get him
involved with scouts, and the Isadora would be brought back to its former glory, and life would be good again. At
least as good as it could be without Richard. But a job would help keep her
mind off things...
    "Why don't
we go back to Medford until he's done with it?" Mike asked.
    Nellie sighed.
"Because we have no apartment to go to and we can stay here free."
When Mike started to turn, Nellie grabbed his arm and said, in a firm voice,
"It’s time for you to get ready for bed. I don't want you wandering around
here after dark."
    "But
Mom!"
    "Do as I
say!" Nellie snapped. "I'm in no mood to argue." She hated their
confrontations, which seemed to come more frequently of late. Much of it was
Mike's reaction to her edginess over their situation, the seemingly
insurmountable financial burdens coupled with the fact that someone might have
followed them to Port Townsend, for whatever reason. But maybe it was time to
set aside that notion since there was no plausible reason why someone should.
    While Mike was
getting ready for bed, Nellie looked out the window and saw a light on in
Will's apartment. She wondered what he did evenings. She also wondered if there
was a woman in his life. She'd seen no signs in his apartment. Just Will and
his cat, and a boathouse apartment that was bare of anything but necessities.
Actually, she wondered if there was anyone in his life. She'd seen no sign of
visitors, and she got the impression he was a loner. Even going out to sea to
study whales was a solitary undertaking.
    Deciding it was
counterproductive to spend the evening speculating about a man who'd be out of
her life in a few weeks, she decided to go out on the wharf and get some fresh
air, and watch the sunset. But on a whim, before leaving, she removed the band
that caught her hair at her nape and ran her fingers through her hair to fluff
it around her face, then stepped onto the deck and ventured through the side
door of the boathouse.
    While standing
on the wharf, she looked toward the row of stalwart buildings that lined the
waterfront. The fiery-red sky from the setting sun reflected as copper in the
wavy windows of the century-old structures. She looked at the quaint Victorian
cottages and stately mansions lining the high bluff overlooking Port Townsend
Bay, then scanned the panorama seaward, where jewel-like islands rose from the
waters of Admiralty Inlet against a backdrop of mountains. She felt an odd
sense of belonging. This place, with its natural beauty and strong sense of
history, would provide an environment in which she could build a new life for
herself and Mike....
    "One of
the benefits of living on the water—" a deep voice interrupted her musings
"—an unobstructed view of sunset."
    Nellie turned
and looked at Will. Ocher light of dusk flooded his face and shone as tiny
lights in his eyes. Her gaze slid down to fix on a pair of masculine lips that
curved in a crooked but very appealing smile. Since he didn't smile much, his
smile seemed special. She also decided he had a very sensual mouth, a thought
she found both tantalizing... and unsettling...
    Will propped
his forearm against the boathouse and appeared to be studying her. She said
nothing, just stood waiting for him to speak. When he finally did, he said,
"I like the color of your hair at sunset. It looks like fireweed
honey."
    Nellie blinked
several times. Whatever else she might have expected from Will Edenshaw, it was
not admiration. But maybe she'd been wanting it when she impulsively