Mike had been watching Anna closely during dinner. She seemed happier, but she was often good at pretending. Maybe it was his guilt, but he planned to watch for signs he made the wrong decision sending her away.

He followed Anna out of the house and into the garage. There was a set of stairs leading to a large room above. He looked around at the photography equipment and computer. He knew that Alison was a photographer but hadn't taken the time to realize what that meant. He just imagined that she snapped pictures and printed them out. She covered the walls with photographs of babies and families and sports teams. He saw a picture of her two children when they were much younger. He wished he had a professional picture of young Anna instead of the ones they had taken at the place in the mall.

Anna was clinging to him and crying. She had held his hand as she led him into the studio. Once up the stairs, her arms went around his waist. He ran his hand along her hair and thought about the hours he spent soothing her when she was a baby. He wished he could go back there now and start all over again. He wasn't sure why he thought he would get it right the second time.

He kissed the top of her head and the pain he felt in his heart for her replaced the selfish feelings he had in the kitchen. He was feeling sorry for himself because he had been isolated from anyone who cared. He wished he could rely on Shelby, but she had shut him out.

He and Shelby had their ups and downs through the years. They were definitely on a down, but he still called her at least once a week. No matter how she was treating Anna, she still loved her. They understood what each other was going through more than anyone, but she refused to let them help each other.

"Baby girl, I don't know how but somehow it will be okay."

"But I've ruined your life."

"No! You are my life. Without you I would be a cranky, lonely, old man."

"But I heard you say that you are lonely."

"Mostly because I miss my girl. I don't have anyone to listen to me sing."

Anna rolled her eyes although he knew she loved listening as much as he loved singing. He wanted to take all her pain from her. He was strong enough, but he didn't know how.

"Have you made any friends?"

"Not really. It doesn't matter because soon I won't be able to hide it." He noted that she didn't say 'it' with any affection. "Then everyone here will think I'm a slut too."

"You aren't a slut," he answered harsher than he should have.

By the time, he walked out into the cold, Anna felt better. He wished he could say the same, but the worries kept layering on top of one another like a huge stack of pancakes.

He let himself into the house and after brushing his teeth and changing into pajama pants and a t-shirt, he climbed in bed. It was as comfortable as it looked, but after tossing and turning he eventually got out of bed. He hadn't been sleeping well. His shifts resulted in an erratic sleep schedule. He often slept during the day and he had slept during his entire flight. Once he arrived the adrenaline had taken over and now the worry kept his brain active.

He knew there was no sense trying to shut it down. He got up and stood at the glass sliding door looking out. The house was right on the water and it was hard to see, but he could hear the surf. Eventually he sat down on a sofa in the dark room.

His mind wandered to the woman who greeted them when they arrived. He wasn't sure why she left an impression on him. It was more than just her unique eye color. She seemed mysterious. He scolded himself, now he was inventing drama, as if his life didn't have enough to occupy his mind.

One thing that Bryan raved about was that everyone knew everyone on The Point. Mike suspected that if people didn't know Maribelle then she wanted it that way. The why was intriguing but after his personal life had been exposed to the whole town, he had no intention of invading anyone's privacy.

Maribelle heard him when he came back. He wasn't noisy but her ears were attuned to noises. The house was old and the plumbing kept no secrets. She typically knew when her guests were showering or brushing their teeth based on the sound of the water flowing through the pipes. Just as she heard each flush they certainly could hear hers.

She was tired and fell asleep quickly but woke from her recurring nightmare. She pulled her hoodie on and tiptoed downstairs. She quietly slid open the door and breathed the salty air. It was cold, so she only stood there for a minute or two. When she turned around she noticed him sitting in the dark watching her.

He broke the silence and said, "Can't sleep either?"

She didn't answer as she rushed past him and up the stairs. Her heart was pounding when she reached her room. Why had she invited strangers into her house? She didn't run because she thought he was dangerous. He startled her and his pained faced looked as troubled as she felt and that scared her. She could handle indifference but he didn't seem like that kind of a man.

The last thing Mike wanted to do was scare her but that was exactly what he had done. He didn't know how to warn her of his presence. He felt the cold air rush into the room as she stood in the open door. It chilled him but he was too intrigued to care. When she turned just before she saw him and ran, he saw pain on her face. Even in the dark and with most of her face covered by the hood it was hard to miss. The rescuer in him wanted to save her but he was having enough trouble being the hero in his own life.

Eventually his brain was exhausted from spinning in circles and his tired body won the battle. He returned to his room and climbed under the covers. He refused to think about those haunting sad eyes but knew he would never forget them.

Mike slept much later than he had intended and actually felt rested when he woke. He had missed some texts from Bryan who wanted to take his out for what he called, the world's best coffee. He quickly fired off a text to let him know that he needed thirty minutes.

The air was cool compared to under the warm covers but he got up and turned on the shower. Once he stepped in he realized that it was built for two. It was sad but he and Shelby had never shared a shower. It was just not something they did. He was probably the only man on earth who had never showered with a woman.

Dressed for the day he left his bedroom and was drawn to the glass door that she had looked out the night before. The sun was shining brighter than it had been the day before when he and Anna had stopped at the beach. The water seemed calmer and not as dark. He hoped that was a sign for his day ahead. He sighed as he took one last look before turning towards the door and stepping out into the cold air.

Maribelle hid on the stairs and watched as he looked outside. He was tall and big but not in a scary way. He looked like he worked out or did manual labor. It was hard to tell because like the day before, he was wearing his coat. He hadn't had a coat on the night before but it was too dark to see him.

His sigh told her that he had his own worries. She had already suspected that he was visiting his daughter who must live in Maine with her mother. She had looked last night and saw he was from Ohio. She would have hated living away from her father after the divorce. The two of them were like her and her father. She really should call him later, Mari reminded herself.

Once the door shut she descended the stairs. He had left behind his male scent. This was the first time she ever had a man staying alone. On occasion she'd had two males but typically her guests were a man and a woman.

She was drawn to the room he was staying in. He had left the door open and at cursory glance it looked neat. The bed was made and his belongings were all in one spot. There were no dirty socks or boxers on the floor.

She thought of Charlie, who always strewn his dirty clothes about but he had grown up with a housekeeper. She peeked in the bathroom it was still steamy from his shower and the smell of soap and shampoo was stronger. Why was she thinking of the tall stranger naked in the shower?

She knew she needed to leave the house but knowing and doing were two different things. Maybe she could go for a walk like she used to. Before she could talk herself into it she heard a knock on the door.

She jumped maybe he had come back and she was in his room. Rushing out she approached the door as she always did from the side so she could peek out without being seen. Sighing, she opened the door. Smiling and looking more beautiful than ever was her old friend Lana.