Chapter 7

That evening, Carter felt antsy. He considered going to a bar, maybe finding a willing woman to return to the bed-and-breakfast with him. There had to be bachelorettes on this godforsaken island, right? Ones who were as cynical about life as he was right now.

The thought of taking some stranger back didn’t appeal to him, strangely enough. Normally it would have. Feeling out of sorts, Carter decided he’d wander around the island and see what he found.

Hazel Island was only about ten square miles, its one town was named Hazel Town, but nobody called it that. Outside of the town’s center, there were houses scattered throughout the island. Some overlooked the cliffs for which the island was famous.

Carter wandered down a street that ran parallel to a large park. It was a few hours before sunset, and families and singles walked up and down the sidewalk. Some turned into the entrance for the park, while others were most likely on their way home.

Nobody stopped Carter for an autograph or