IZABEL
Just before sunrise, Izabel moved into the kitchen on feet quieter than Lucas’s.
Hands shaking, she hastily scrawled a note for Buck: Gone for fresh air. Back soon.
Her movements were slow and deliberate, like those of an ill person recently back
on her feet. She winced and clutched her chest as she pressed the green button to
start brewing coffee for Buck. It felt like the cottage walls were closing in on
her, and fresh air was all she could think of as she slipped out the door into the
morning glow.
Pulling Rosie out of the small storage shed, she swung her leg over the seat and
steered toward the road leading to the beach. Izabel loved the healing properties
of Orcas Island. Each day, she had the opportunity to experience mountains, forests,
and the ocean, all in one c
