As the Bella Island ferry grew smaller and smaller on the horizon, Nikki knew she couldn’t put off the confrontation with her parents forever. Then again, now that they’d all had some time to cool off, maybe she could reason with Mom and Dad. Maybe she could get them to change their minds again and to let her catch the next boat out of there. Okay, so it was doubtful, but hey, the least she could do was give it a shot.

Nikki strode back up the pier toward the Pelican Island Bridge and passed a group of retired fishermen chatting as they cast crabbing cages off the side rail. Just as she came upon the Bella Island ticket booth, she heard a burst of female laughter.

“Oh my God. Tommy is so hot!” a girl cried out.

Nikki slowed her pace, immediately recognizing the voice of her former best friend, Hannah McVeigh. She stole a glance into the booth for confirmation. Uh-huh. Hannah’s dark hair was cut into a funky bob – a lot shorter than Nikki remembered it being – but it was definitely Hannah. She was leaning on a counter, cooing over a picture (of Tommy, Nikki assumed) as her newish pals from P.I. High, Stephanie Saunders and Margaret something-or-other, looked on, Nikki guessed that they’d all gotten summer jobs at the ticket booth and it seemed as if they were having a blast together.