Present day…
Tigerlily sank to her knees on the cold soil, feeling her world crumbling around her. James couldn't be gone. He couldn't! But no matter how long she stared at the dock where his ship used to rest, the clearer his absence became. It was like a hole that grew larger and larger inside her, starting in her heart and growing until it consumed every part of her. The pain was unbearable. All she could do was throw back her head and howl.
She didn't know how long she stayed there, but eventually her voice gave out and her tears dried up. She sucked in a shaky breath, pulling herself up the ground. She wiped a hand across her mouth and smoothed down her dress, automatic movements that hid the thousands of thoughts roiling in her mind. A thousand emotions ripped across her—despair, f
