I looked at the straps on my cases, and tightened them one more time, then stared up the road. Hurry up, Jack Collis. Get here with your taxi, and get me out of here.

Someone once said that insomnia was like having the volume turned down on everything; what a pity they hadn’t thought to extend it to this situation. I couldn’t hardly hear the wind, even though it was blowing enough to move the thick green leaves in the red-flowered trees along the beach-front. I ran my fingers over the rough hessian of my cases, and couldn’t feel a thing.

I’d heard what Cat said, and I saw the look in her eyes when she said it. She knew what she was saying, and she knew what it meant. As much as I wanted to pretend it meant something different, to pretend it hadn’t happened like that, it had.

Just for a moment, I’d dreamed about her coming with me, about waking up to her every day, and having her fall asleep in my arms every night. About making new memories with her.

Now, that dream was gone, and all she wanted was to forget we’d ever met.

If I’d been able to tell her that she might, just might, be able to keep the bar—would that have made a difference?

Now, I’ll never know.

“Ryan! Are you leaving already, mate?” I looked up, and saw Bob, bartender’s apron slung over one shoulder, one weathered hand shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun. Of course, he’s here to start work.

“Hey, Bob.” I tried my best to keep my voice cheerful. “Yep, heading back to the city now. Lots to do.”

He nodded. “I bet. Is Cat inside?” Gesturing at the door, he looked at me quizzically. “I thought she’d be out here seeing you off.”

“Cat…had to go out for a bit.” I didn’t know what to say. “I’m sure she’ll be back soon, though.”

“Okay, no problem.” He fumbled in a pocket of his apron. “I’ve got my own keys, anyway. I’ll just head on in and start getting set up, then.”

“Sure, Bob. You do that.” I forced myself to smile, and put out a hand. “Look, if I don’t see you again, it’s been great to know you.”

He took my hand and shook it. “You too, mate, you too. You’ll be back, though, surely? What with,” he waved a hand in a carefully nonspecific way, “one thing and another?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, Bob. I don’t know. If I am back,” I turned and looked away, “I don’t think I’ll be staying long.”

He looked at me carefully, gray eyes underneath white-haired brows. “I see.” He climbed a couple of steps toward the bar, and then turned to look back at me.

“What’s that, Bob?” I let him talk out of courtesy, although I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what he had to say.

“These past six months, I’ve gotten to know Cat pretty well. She’s quite a woman.”

“She is that, Bob. She is that.”

“And in that time,” he put a hand up to scratch his chin, “I’ve never seen her as happy as I have since you’ve been here. Like…like she was missing something, and you found it for her.”

Down the road, I saw the taxi approaching, slowly. “Thanks, Bob. It’s,” I looked toward the sun, lowering in the sky, “it’s a shame Cat and I didn’t meet under different circumstances.”

“Could be, mate. Could be.” He put his hand on the doorknob, and I picked up my cases as Jack’s taxi rolled to a stop. Inside, I could see Jack waving cheerfully at me. “Ryan, look. I’m not much of an expert on women.”

“Neither am I, Bob. Neither am I.”

He carried on, undaunted. “But from where I’m standing, you and Cat have had something pretty special going on. Maybe the thing to do is to tell Cat how you’re feeling, and let her tell you how she feels. Maybe that’s all you can do.”

I stood, cases in hand, and looked at him. “Bob, I already know how she feels.”

Turning away, I walked on toward my work.

* * *

I gripped the armrests of my seat, and wondered again why I didn’t just drive on these trips. This time, though, the plane was empty except for me. My phone beeped, and I started guiltily, again.

Ant: Hey, you still in Cable Bay?

Ryan: Leaving now.

Ant: How did it go? What about the girl?

Ryan: Excavation went well. Girl did not.

Ant: What? What happened?

I turned off my phone; even to Ant, I didn’t want to talk about losing Cat right now. The memory of what she’d said, and the look in her eyes before she turned and walked out stabbed me again, so real and sharp that I drew in a breath as if I’d been jabbed with a needle. Shaking my head, I tried to think about my work.

Come on, man. This is a major find, and one that benefits everyone. You have a chance to give everyone what they want.

It didn’t work.

I went over my notes for the meeting, and rehearsed my arguments, again and again, until I could remember every word by heart.

If anyone can make this happen, I can.

The cold feeling in my chest wouldn’t shift, no matter how much I tried to forget about it. Every mile the plane flew took me further away from Cable Bay. Further away from Cat, and further away from the silly dream I’d had of her being mine.

Maybe if I’d tried to explain more. If I’d only—

“Coffee or tea, sir?”

“Nothing for me, thanks.” I didn’t even look up this time.

Either this works, or it doesn’t. If it works, then I can give her back what she thought I was going to take away from her. If it doesn’t, then at least I tried my best for her.