"Please promise me that you both will be careful." Emma wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertips, and brushed back a stray curled strand of her short brown hair, then gave Phyl a hug as they stood at the open front door. She leaned back, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked at Phyl, then over at Thad. "Something just doesn't seem right to me, traveling to such a beautiful destination for such an awful reason. I'm going to worry about you two every minute until you're back safely, I hope you know that."
"We promise." Phyl smiled at her sweet friend. "Thank you so much, Emma, for watching Bear for us." She returned Emma's hug. She was so fond of this older couple, one of the first she had met when she'd moved to Lake Saint Catherine. Owning thirty acres of land, they were part of the organic and 'eat local' movements in Vermont, and had been an invaluable source of knowledge for her as she had begun her own five-acre organic herb farm. Phyl had lost count of the number of dinner parties and get-togethers Emma had hosted since she'd moved to the lake, and it was Emma who had produced the scrumptious buffet and cake for their intimate wedding on the lake. Phyl cherished their friendship. She reached up on tiptoe and hugged Pete, the exact opposite in personality from his wife Emma, who liked nothing better than a good long chat. She saw Thad shake Pete's hand, and they helped the couple get Bear and his belongings into their massive log home. Phyl waved as she and Thad got back in the Jeep and they headed down the driveway, an hour and a half drive ahead of them to Burlington, then an over six hour flight to Nassau. It would be a long day.