New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns to Blackberry Island with the poignant tale of two sisters on the verge of claiming their dreams.

Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of being a caretaker. More “Mom” than their mother ever was, she sacrificed medical school—and her first love—so her sister could break free. Which is why she isn’t exactly thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially when Nina’s life has suddenly become…complicated.

Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men—her high school sweetheart and a younger maverick pilot who also wants to claim her heart. But as fun as all this romance is, Nina has real life to deal with. Averil doesn’t seem to want the great guy she’s married to, and doesn’t seem to be making headway writing her first book; their mom is living life just as recklessly as she always has; and Nina’s starting to realize that the control she once had is slipping out of her fingers. Her hopes of getting off the island seem to be stretching further away…until her mother makes a discovery that could change everything forever.

But before Nina and Averil can reach for the stars, they have to decide what they want. Will Averil stay? Will Nina leave? And what about the men who claim to love them? Does love heal, or will finding their happy ending mean giving up all they’ve ever wanted?

Praise for the novels of Susan Mallery

“In her second ‘Blackberry Island’ novel, Mallery has again created an engrossing tale of emotional growth and the healing power of friendship as these three ‘sisters’ meet life’s challenges.”

—Library Journal on Three Sisters

“Susan Mallery gives us a candid, honest look into the turmoil of family life when tragedies and personal crises occur…Mallery never disappoints her readers and Three Sisters is no exception. It’s a winner and should be on everyone’s short list of must reads.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Barefoot Season is a well-written story of healing, letting go, and making room in your heart for hope.”

—USA TODAY

“Gritty and magical, angst-ridden and sweet.”

—Publishers Weekly on Barefoot Season

“Susan Mallery weaves a tale of broken friendship with enough twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned reader of commercial women’s fiction guessing about where the story will lead.”

—Book Reporter on Barefoot Season

“Mallery skillfully reveals insights into each woman’s life to create a poignant tale of forgiveness, friendship renewed, and family.”

—Library Journal on Barefoot Season

“Mallery has set the bar high….The characters…come to life in their small-town setting and will touch readers’ hearts and funny bones.”

—RT Book Reviews on Barefoot Season

“This poignant tale of family dynamics, the jarring impact of change, and eventual acceptance and healing is sure to please Mallery’s many, devoted fans.”

—Booklist on Already Home

Evening Stars

A Blackberry Island Novel

Susan Mallery

www.mirabooks.co.uk

To the women in my life.

Thank you for becoming my ‘sisters of the heart.’

Thank you for the love and support, for the friendship, the laughs,

the advice, the caring. Thank you for being there, for believing in me

and for telling me straight, when I’m heading in the wrong direction.

This is for you. With all my love.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Reader’s Guide

Suggested Menu

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Chapter One

IN A BATTLE between Betty Boop and multicolored hearts, Nina Wentworth decided it was going to be a Betty Boop kind of day. She pulled the short-sleeved scrub shirt over her head and was already moving toward the bathroom before the fabric settled over her hips.

“Don’t be snug, don’t be snug,” she chanted as she came to a stop in front of the mirror and reached for her brush.

The shirt settled as it should, with a couple of inches to spare. Nina breathed a sigh of relief. Last night’s incident with three brownies and a rather large glass of red wine hadn’t made a lasting impression on her hips. She was grateful, and she would repent later on an elliptical. Or at least vow to eat her brownies one at a time.

Ten seconds of brushing, one minute of braiding and her blond hair was neat and tidy. She dashed out into the hall, toward the kitchen where she grabbed her car keys and nearly made it to the back door. Just as she was reaching for the knob, the house phone rang.

Nina glanced from the clock to the phone. Everyone in her world—friends, family, work—had her cell. Very few calls came on the antiquated landline, and none of them were good news. Nina retraced her steps and braced herself for disaster.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Nina. It’s Jerry down at Too Good To Be True. I just opened, and there’s a lady here trying to sell a box of crap, ah, stuff. I think it’s from the store.”

Nina closed her eyes as she held in a groan. “Let me guess. Early twenties, red hair with purple streaks and a tattoo of a weird bird on her neck?”

“That’s her. She’s glaring at me something fierce. You think she’s armed?”

“I hope not.”

“Me, too.” Jerry didn’t sound especially concerned. “What’s her name?”

“Tanya.”

If Nina had more time, she would have collapsed right there on the floor. But she had a real job to get to. A job unrelated to the disaster that was the family’s antique store.

“You let your mom hire her, huh?” Jerry asked.

“Yes.”

“You know better.”

“That I do. I’ll call the police and ask them to pick up Tanya. Can you keep her there until they get there?”

“Sure thing, kid.”

“Great. And I’ll be by after work to pick up the stuff.”

“I’ll hold it for you,” Jerry promised.

“Thanks.”

Nina hung up and hurried to her car. After her cell connected to the Bluetooth, she called the local sheriff’s department and explained what happened.

“Again?” Deputy Sam Payton asked, his voice thick with amusement. “Did you let your mom hire this employee?”

Nina carefully backed out of the driveway. Jerry’s humor she could handle. He’d lived here all his life—he was allowed to tease her. But Sam was relatively new. He hadn’t earned mocking rights.

“Hey, tax-paying citizen here, reporting a crime,” she said.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m writing it down. What’d she take?”

“I didn’t ask. She’s at the pawn shop. Too Good To Be True.”

“I know it,” Deputy Sam told her. “I’ll head out and see what’s what.”

“Thanks.”

She hung up before he could offer advice on hiring policies and turned up the hill. The morning was clear—odd for early spring in the Pacific Northwest. Normally the good weather didn’t kick in until closer to summer. To the west, blue water sparkled. To the east was western Washington.

As she climbed higher and higher, the view got better, but when she parked across from the three Queen Anne houses at the very top of the hill, pausing to enjoy the spectacular combination of sky and ocean was the last thing on her mind.

She hurried up the steps to the front porch that was both her boss’s home and her office. Dr. Andi, as she was known, was a popular pediatrician on the island. Make that the only pediatrician. She’d moved here a year ago, opened her practice in September and had been thriving ever since. She was also a newlywed and, as of two months ago, pregnant.

Nina unlocked the front door and stepped inside. She flipped on lights as she went, confirmed the temperature on the thermostat and then started the three computers in the front office.

After storing her purse in her locker, she logged in to the scheduling program and saw that the first appointment of the day had canceled. Andi would appreciate the extra time to get herself moving. She was still battling morning sickness.

Nina did a quick check of her email, forwarded several items to the bookkeeper/office manager, then walked to the break room for coffee. Fewer than five minutes after she’d arrived, she was climbing the stairs to her boss’s private quarters.

Nina knocked once before entering. She found Andi, a tall, pretty brunette with curly hair, sitting at the table in the kitchen. Her arms cradled her head.

“Still bad?” Nina asked, walking to the cupboard.

“Hi and yes. It’s not that I throw up, it’s that I feel like I’m going to every single second.” She raised her head and drew in a breath. “Are you drinking coffee?”

“Yes.”

“I miss coffee. I’m a wreck. I need to talk to my parents about my ancestors. Obviously I don’t come from hardy stock.”

Nina took down a mug, filled it with water and put it in the microwave. Then she collected a tea bag from the pantry.

“Not ginger tea,” Andi said with a moan. “Please. I hate it.”

“But it helps.”

“I’d rather feel sick.”

Nina raised her eyebrows.

Andi slumped in her seat. “I’m such a failure. Look at me. I’m carrying around a child the size of a lima bean and I’m throwing a hissy fit. It’s embarrassing.”

“And yet the need to act mature doesn’t seem to be kicking in.”

Andi smiled. “Funny how that works.”

The microwaved dinged. Nina dropped the tea bag into the steaming water and crossed to the table.

The eat-in kitchen was open, with painted cabinets and lots of granite. The big window by the table took advantage of the east-facing views in the old house. The mainland shimmered only a few miles away.

Andi had bought the house—one of three up on the hill—when she’d moved to Blackberry Island. Undeterred by the broken windows and outdated plumbing, she’d had the house restored from the framework out. During the process, she’d fallen in love with her contractor. Which had led to her current tummy problems.

“Your first appointment canceled,” Nina told her.

“Thank God.” Andi sniffed the tea, then wrinkled her nose and took a sip. “It’s the ginger. If I could have tea without ginger I think I could get it down.”

“The thing is, the ginger is the part that settles your stomach.”

“Life is perverse like that.” Andi took another sip, then smiled. “I like the shirt.”

Nina glanced down at the pattern. “Betty and I go way back.”

One of the advantages of working for a pediatrician was that cheerful attire was encouraged. She had a collection of brightly colored fun shirts in her closet. It wasn’t high fashion, but it helped the kids smile and that was what mattered.

“I need to get back downstairs,” she said. “Your first appointment is now at eight-thirty.”

“Okay.”

Nina rose and started toward the stairs.

“Are you busy after work?” Andi asked.

Nina thought about the fact that she was going to have to go by the pawn shop and pick up what Tanya had tried to sell, then spend several hours at Blackberry Preserves, her family’s antique store, figuring out what had been stolen, then tell her mother what had happened and possibly lecture her on the importance of actually following up on a potential employee’s references. Only she’d been lecturing her mother for as long as she could remember, and the lessons never seemed to stick. No matter how many times Bonnie promised to do better, she never did. Which left Nina picking up the pieces.

“I kind of am. Why?”

“I haven’t been to Pilates in a week,” Andi said. “It’s important I keep exercising. Would you go with me? It’s more fun when you’re along.”

“I can’t tonight, but Monday’s good.”

Andi smiled. “Thanks, Nina. You’re the best.”

“Give me a plaque and I’ll believe it.”

“I’ll order one today.”

* * *

Nina counted out the number of happy fruit and vegetable stickers she had. Just enough, but she would have to order more.

Since opening her practice, Andi had started a program of inviting local elementary school classes into her office as a field trip. Kids learned about a basic exam, were able to use the stethoscope and check their weight and height in a nonthreatening atmosphere. Andi’s goal was to make a visit to the doctor less stressful.

Nina handled the scheduling and conducted the tour. Each student left with a small goodie bag filled with the stickers, a small coloring book on different ways to exercise and a box of crayons.

Normally the gift bags were filled by their receptionist before the event, but she had forgotten the stickers last time, so Nina had taken over the task.

She was in the middle of lining up the open goodie bags for quick filling when her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and checked the name, then pushed speaker and set it on the break-room table.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Sweetheart! How are you? We’re fine, but you were right, as you usually are.”

Nina grabbed crayons from the big bag of them on the chair. “Right about what?”

“The tires. That we should have replaced them before we left. We had snow last night.”

Nina glanced out the window at the sunny skies. She could see a few clouds pilling up against the horizon. Rain later that afternoon, she thought.

“Where are you?”

“Montana. It was coming down like you wouldn’t believe. We had about four inches, and the tires just couldn’t handle it. We skidded off the road. We’re fine now. Bertie found a Les Schwab store and the man there was just as nice as the one back home.”

Nina sank onto the only free chair in the break room. “You were in a car accident?”

“No. We skidded. Not to worry. We’re fine. The new tires are very nice. We went to several estate sales and more antique stores than I can count. We’re filling the van with so many beautiful things. You’re going to love what we’ve found.”

She kept talking. Nina closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, telling herself that her commitment to eat her brownies one at a time had not made any reference to wine, and when she got home that night, she was taking a bath and having a glass. Then she’d have her breakdown.

Bonnie Wentworth had given birth to her oldest at sixteen. She hadn’t settled down when she’d become a mother, and she sure wasn’t settled now. Bonnie and her partner, Bertie, traveled the country on “buying trips” for their antique store. Antique being defined very loosely in this case. Junk was probably more accurate, but even Nina avoided the “j” word as much as possible.

She drew in a breath as her mother talked about a handmade doll Bertie had found.

“Mom, Tanya was caught trying to sell inventory to Jerry this morning.”

Bonnie paused. “No,” she said, sounding stunned. “I don’t believe it.”

Nina resisted the need to point out that Bonnie never believing it was the main problem.

“This is why I want to do the interviewing. Or, if not me, then at least let Bertie do it.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t selling something of her own?” Bonnie asked. “She seemed like such a nice girl. I hate to think of her doing something like that.”

“Me, too. You know this means the store’s closed.” Again.

There was silence. “Do you want us to come back? We could be there in a couple of days.”

“No. I’ll find someone.”

Nina knew that if she asked, her mother would come home and run the store while they found someone. But then Nina would feel guilty, like she did now. And for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why.

“Sweetheart, you take on too much.”

Nina opened her mouth and closed it. Right. Mostly because no one else was here to do it. “Mom, it’s fine. But we need someone in the store who’s responsible and can work without stealing.”

“You’re right. There must be someone, and I’m sure you’ll find her.”

“I will. Did you call on the roof? Is the guy coming out to fix it?”

“I did call.” Her mother sounded triumphant. “It’s taken care of.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

“I’ll call in a few days. By then we should know when we’ll be home. Bye.”

Nina heard the click and knew her mother had hung up. Before she returned to the goodie bags, she called the local paper.

“Hi, Ellen, it’s Nina Wentworth.”

The old woman cackled. “Let me guess. You need someone to work at Blackberry Preserves. I have the information from the last ad, which is the same as the one before and the one before that. Want me to run it?”

Nina glanced out the window again. The storm clouds were closer. She could see a bit of the Sound and wondered if she got on a boat right now, where she would end up.

“That would be great,” she said instead. “Thanks, Ellen.”

“You know, Nina, you’ve got to stop letting your mama hire people for that store.”

Nina tightened her grip on the phone. “Yes, I know.”

* * *

Nina stared at the items in the box. The candlesticks were silver and actually worth something. There were also several pieces of jewelry, a few with gems. The painting was a cheap reproduction and worth less than the frame, but still...

Jerry nodded as she inventoried the haul. “I was thinking the same thing,” he told her. “How could a girl smart enough to know what to steal be dumb enough to come to me? Why didn’t she just drive over the bridge and head toward Seattle? Another forty minutes in the car and she could have had the cash and been on her way.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” she admitted. “But I’m glad she was impatient. Was Sam Payton by?”

“Yup. He took pictures. He said he needs to know what the candlesticks are worth.” Jerry, a chubby, balding man in his sixties, nodded knowingly. “If it’s over five grand, then Miss Tanya has committed a Class B felony. If she gets the maximum, it’s a ten year prison sentence with a twenty thousand dollar fine.”

“You’re very knowledgeable about felonies and the law.”

“In my business, it pays to know that sort of thing.”

Nina picked up the box of items from the store. “I’m going to have to call Sam, aren’t I? He’s going to tell me I can’t sell these until the case against Tanya is settled, right?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Jerry told her.

Great. So the only items of value in the store were now going to be held hostage. She started for the door. “Thanks, Jerry.”

“You’re welcome. Hire better people.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He buzzed the door so she could get out.

Nina crossed the small parking lot and opened her trunk. As she walked around to the driver’s side, she felt the first drops of rain.

Although the house was only a few blocks away, she was going to have to go by the store and put up a sign explaining it would be closed for the next few days. She should also see what else might have been stolen. This may not have been Tanya’s first attempt. Tomorrow she would talk to Sam and find out what charges were being brought against the former employee.

Nina started her car and headed for the bay. Blackberry Preserves might not be classy, but it had a killer location, right across from the small beach. In the summer, there was lots of tourist traffic, which was what helped the business survive the slower winter months. But this time of year—

Two things happened at once. The rain went from light to pounding, and her car engine died. Completely.

Not sure what to do, Nina steered to the side of the road and pulled onto the shoulder before she lost all momentum. After putting the car in gear, she started it again, or tried to. The engine turned over, but wouldn’t catch. She checked the fuel, and her tank was just over half-full. What on earth?

Beyond how to put in gas and where to take it for service, what she knew about cars and their systems could fill a shot glass and still leave room for the shot. She was stuck.

She glanced down at her shirt. “You’ve failed me, Betty.”

The cartoon didn’t answer.

Nina got out her cell phone only to see she was in one of the dead spots on the island. Between the somewhat-isolated location and the hilly terrain, there were cell phone wastelands, with no signal to be had.

So much for phoning a friend or Mike’s Auto Repair. Because while Mike would come get her and give her a lift home, he wasn’t psychic.

She leaned her head back and tried to tell herself that a walk in cold rain wouldn’t kill her. She only needed to get to a part of the island with a signal. Later, when she got home, she would have that bath and glass of wine. But being rational didn’t take away her desire to scream or cry. Or just once want to hand this problem over to someone else. But there wasn’t anyone else, there was her.

She couldn’t remember a time when it hadn’t been her. She’d been taking care of her mother since she’d been old enough to ask, “Mommy, are you okay?” She’d taken care of her baby sister and the family business, and now she was still doing it all. Worrying about the store, picking up crap stolen by employees her mother had hired and...

She gripped the steering wheel with both hands and tried to shake it. “Drive, you stupid car! Drive!”

She stopped when her hands started to hurt, then separated her car key from the house keys on the chain and tucked the car key under the driver’s seat. Then she put her purse over her shoulder and stepped out into the rain. She was soaked in a matter of seconds.

The good news was, if anyone she knew drove by, he or she would stop and give her a lift home. The bad news was, it was dinnertime on a very small island and the odds of rescue were slim.

Nina started the long walk toward some kind of signal. With each step she told herself this was good. Forced exercise. Plus shivering burned calories. It wasn’t cold enough that she had to worry about hypothermia. But her clothes clung to her in a way that wasn’t flattering, and her pants were rubbing on her thighs. She was pretty sure she was going to get a rash. That would be attractive. Too bad she wasn’t a blogger, because this would make for a great blog. She could title it Nina Wentworth’s Very Bad Day.

Fifteen minutes later, Nina had started working through the five stages of grief. She’d quickly moved from denial to anger and thought that might be a good place to stay. Her entire body was chilled except for the friction where her thighs rubbed together. She was shaking, dripping and more miserable than she’d ever been in her life. She checked her cell, but there still wasn’t a signal. At this rate, she would be home before she picked up reception.

She heard a car coming up behind her and turned quickly. She didn’t care who it was—she would happily get in with a stranger, if necessary. Not that there were many on the island this time of year.

She squinted against the rain, trying to figure out if she recognized the vehicle. It was blue and shiny. A new BMW, she thought, as the car slowed. No one she knew drove one of those. The driver pulled up next to her and rolled down the passenger window.

“Hey, are you—” The man stared at her for a second. “Nina?”

Although she’d been reaching for the door handle, now she pulled back. The unfairness of the situation made her want to raise her hands to the sky and ask what she could possibly have done to deserve this.

“Nina?” he asked again. “You’re soaked. Get in. I’ll take you home.”

But she couldn’t, she thought, staring into those green eyes, remembering how they’d softened when he’d promised he would love her forever. Only he hadn’t. Dylan Harrington instead had abandoned her and their forever love his third year of college. He’d left the island and never come back. Well, he’d visited his family occasionally. But he’d never bothered with her again. Not once. Worse, he’d said she was the reason he’d ended the relationship. Yet another person in her life who had been unwilling to take responsibility for his actions.

“Nina, get in. It’s freezing.”

“I’d rather walk,” she said and turned away.

Lifting her head proudly, ignoring the rain stinging her eyes and the burning of her chafed thighs, she proceeded to do just that.

Chapter Two

“NINA, GET IN the car.”

She wanted to ignore him. Really she did. But his tone was insistent, and the Dylan she remembered had a way of taking matters into his own hands.

She closed her eyes and wished him away. But the steady hum of the car creeping alongside proved that plan didn’t have much chance of working.

“Do you know how ridiculous this is?” he asked loudly.

Unfortunately, she did. She also knew that in the end she would get in the car because she couldn’t stand to be this wet and cold any longer. But why did it have to be him? Why not some well-dressed, quiet serial killer? Other people got strangled, but not her. Nooooo. She got the ex-love of her life.

“Fine,” she said, turning and walking over to the passenger side. The door opened smoothly, and she plopped her wet self on the leather seat.

For a second she was engulfed in the scent of new-car smell and the warmth blasting from heating vents. Bliss, she thought, pushing her dripping hair out of her face. Then she turned and once again met Dylan’s green eyes.

His expression was an uncomfortable combination of concern and amusement. Damn him, she thought. Whenever he had crossed her mind over the past decade, she’d envisioned their first meeting would be something she could plan for. That she would be perfectly dressed and answer questions with smooth but subtle one-liners that would leave him impressed by her wit and chagrined about letting her go. She hadn’t thought she would be dripping wet and fighting thigh-burn.

“What happened?” he asked.

To them? To her?

“To your car,” he clarified when she didn’t speak.

“I have no idea. It stopped running. I’ll call the garage when I get home.”

“Then, let’s get you there.”

He didn’t bother asking where she lived. No doubt his parents would have kept him informed on the small island’s permanent population. Had he asked he would have been informed that, yes, she was still living with her mother. Not that she couldn’t afford her own place. She could. It was just that when it came to her mother and taking care of the store and everything else that fell on her shoulders, somehow it had seemed easier to stay put.

They drove in silence for about two minutes. She shifted uncomfortably, aware of her wetness on his pristine leather seats.

“So, you’re back,” she murmured into the awkward silence. At least it was awkward on her part. She had no idea what he was thinking.

“Uh-huh. I finished my fellowship a few weeks ago. Went to Europe for a vacation, then came here.”

A European vacation? She thought about how she’d spent the past month—as she’d spent the past seven or eight years. Working, dealing with whatever disaster her mother created, checking on the store. She had friends she hung out with, and she’d recently joined a book club, but now that she thought about it, her life lacked any level of excitement.

Not that she cared about impressing Dylan Harrington, she told herself. She didn’t.

“You’re still going to join your dad’s practice?” she asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

“Yes.”

“I thought you might change your mind.”

“Me, too.” He flashed her a smile. “But I didn’t want to break his heart.”

Because Dylan’s dad had spent the past decade waiting to say, “My son, the doctor.” Once he could, it was something he repeated endlessly. He’d told everyone who would listen that Dylan would be joining his practice. She supposed most fathers wanted their sons to go into the family business. Doctor and Son, she thought, imagining the sign outside the front door.

“You stopped working for him,” he said.

She glanced at him, then away. “Yes.”

Until last fall, she’d been one of Dr. Harrington’s nurses. Mostly because he was the only doctor in town and she’d hadn’t wanted to commute to the mainland. But with Dylan potentially returning, she’d wondered about job security. Fortunately, Andi had moved to town and decided to open her pediatric practice, giving Nina the perfect job.

“Like working with kids?” he asked, obviously aware of where she’d landed.

“Yes. There are enough families on the island to keep us busy, but not so many that we’re swamped. Andi’s great to work with.”

“Did you leave because of me?” he asked, stopping at the corner and checking before making the turn.

A blunt question she hadn’t expected. “I was excited about the opportunity with Andi,” she said, sidestepping the issue. In truth, she would have left regardless. There was no way she could spend day after day with Dylan. Talk about weird. He’d been her first boyfriend, her first time, her first broken heart. He was a good-looking guy, a doctor, and it was just a matter of time until he fell in love and got married. Not that she wanted him for herself, but she sure didn’t want anyone thinking she was hanging around, pining.

She leaned back in the seat and sighed. Why hadn’t she planned better? This would be so much less awkward if she’d married some rich guy, preferably with a yacht. Or moved to Tibet to open an orphanage. Something remarkable and important. She could at least be studying to be a neurosurgeon. Instead, she was a nurse in a pediatrician’s office, and her romantic past had little to recommend it. She had been married once. For five days. Not exactly her proudest moment.

She and Dylan were supposed to have been doctors together, she thought grimly. That’s what they had talked about. Going to medical school and opening a practice. She hadn’t decided on her specialty, and he’d thought he would go into emergency medicine.

But then they’d broken up, and somehow finding the money to follow her dreams had become impossible. Between dealing with her mom and her baby sister, the store and everything else, she’d lost her way. Nursing school had been so much more practical. She’d only needed two years away at a four-year university. She couldn’t remember making the decision—somehow life had happened.

Dylan pulled into the driveway of her house. Rain still pounded on the windshield, and she wasn’t looking forward to the dash into the house. Not with her scrubs clinging to every bulge and him watching. Just as unfortunate, she could see the general shabbiness of the house from where she sat. It hadn’t changed at all in the past ten years. It needed paint and a new roof. She’d had plans for both, but a plumbing disaster last October had pretty much sucked up her savings.

“Thanks for the ride,” she said, turning to him and offering a smile she hoped looked pleasant and confident. “Great timing. It would have been a long, ugly walk home. I’m sorry for dripping on your seats.”

“They’ll be fine. Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

Before she could respond, he was getting out of the driver’s side and walking around the car. What? He was coming with her?

She quickly scrambled out and met him on the walkway. “I’m fine. You don’t need to come in. Seriously. Go on with what you were doing. You saved me from the long walk home. That should be enough for one day.”

He gave her an easy smile and put his hand on the small of her back. “For someone soaking wet and cold, you’re sure arguing a lot.”

Then they were moving toward the front door, and she was opening it. As she stepped inside, she kicked off her soggy shoes. Dylan moved past her. She tugged off her socks and dropped her purse on the tiles of the foyer before walking barefoot into the living room.

She was aware of several things at once. First, there was a suspicious dampness in the stained ceiling in the corner. As she watched, a single drop fell onto the carpet below. Which meant her mother hadn’t called about the roof. Tim, their general handyman, was always timely about taking care of whatever crisis they had. So if the roof was still leaking, he hadn’t been told he was needed.

Second, she realized she couldn’t remember the last time a man had walked into their house. Well, a man-man, not a service guy. Dylan looked tall and masculine. Very out of place in a room crowded with too much furniture and “treasures” from the store. Every corner, every shelf and all surfaces were littered with figurines, wooden or glass boxes, picture frames and vases that her mother couldn’t stand to sell. In Bonnie’s mind, some objects were meant to be shared with the world and others were meant to be saved for family.

Last, and maybe most unsettling, was how having Dylan standing in the living room made her see just how scruffy everything had become.

The sofa was old and worn, with permanent dents in the cushions where they sat night after night. Nicks and dings marred the coffee table. The lampshades had faded from cream to a dingy yellow.

Nina stared at the room as if she’d never seen it before, shocked by how she’d ceased to see what was all around her. For a second, she had the realization that her hopes and dreams had suffered the same kind of neglect, becoming invisible due to inattention. Sadness swept through—the loss nearly painful enough to make her gasp.

“I’ll wait while you get changed,” Dylan said, walking over to one of the chairs and sitting down, as if he planned to stay a while.

She blinked at him. Why? Then she felt the damp chill of her clothes and water dripping down her back from her hair.

“Sure,” she told him, then hurried toward the hall, feeling the burn of wet cotton rubbing against her skin.

Ten minutes later she was in jeans and a sweatshirt. She’d done the best she could with her hair, towel drying it before combing it. She wasn’t going to take the time to blow-dry it. That would imply... She wasn’t sure what, but either way, she wasn’t going there. She shoved her feet into flats and went back to the living room.

Dylan sat where she’d left him. He stood as she came into the room. “Better?”

“Much.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “You didn’t have to stay.”

“I thought we could catch up. I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

Simple words that genuinely confounded her. The obvious question was why? Why would he want to catch up? They hadn’t seen each other in forever, and aside from living on the island, they had nothing in common. Not anymore. Maybe not ever.

If only he wasn’t so tall, she thought, gesturing to the kitchen. Back in high school, Dylan had been what her mother had called dreamy. Now he was successful, polite, employed and still good-looking. The green eyes and strong jaw, not to mention broad shoulders, probably ensured he had a flock of available women at the ready. She wondered why he hadn’t married one of them.

She paused in the middle of the kitchen. No way she was going to bother feeling ashamed of the worn linoleum or ancient cabinets. There had been enough humiliation for one day.

“Wine?” she asked, heading for the small rack on the counter. She pulled out a bottle of red before he could reply. “Or I could make you coffee.”

“Wine sounds good.”

She collected the opener, but before she could do more than reach for the bottle, he was at her side.

“Allow me.”

Such a gentleman, she thought, not sure if she was impressed or annoyed. His mother must be so proud.

He pulled out the cork with a lot less effort than she usually needed, then poured them each a glass. Nina had a brief thought that she should keep some kind of snacky thing around to offer guests. She had kept the leftover brownies, but she wasn’t about to share those. The wine would have to be enough.

She led the way back to the living room and claimed a corner of the sofa. She kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet under her. Dylan took the chair opposite and raised his glass.

“To old friends.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I assume you mean that in the spirit of friends you haven’t seen in a while and not ‘old’ friends.”

He grinned. “Exactly.” He took a sip of the wine. “Nice.”

“Thanks.”

“So how are things?”

She thought briefly of Tanya and the inventory theft, of the leak in the roof and how she still had to call about getting her car towed. “Great.”

“I heard your sister moved out of state.”

“Averil lives in Mischief Bay. That’s in California, south of Santa Monica.”

“Right. Is she in college?”

Nina smiled. “She graduated a long time ago, Dylan. Averil’s married. She’s a writer for California Girl magazine.”

One brow rose. “Married? Little Averil? I can’t believe it.”

“I know, but it happened.”

“Any kids?”

“Not yet.” She gazed at him over her glass. “You’re not married.”

“Was that a question or a statement?”

“A statement.” She gave him a genuine smile. “Are you forgetting where we are? This island is the definition of a small town. Of course I know everything about you.”

His expression turned wry. “I hope not everything.”

Probably not, she admitted to herself. But there had been a time when she had been the keeper of his secrets and, in theory, his heart.

She’d been fifteen when she’d fallen in love with Dylan. A sophomore in high school. He’d been a senior. She’d tried to conceal her crush, but she’d been unable to look away whenever he was near. One day, at lunch, he’d walked up to her.

When’s your birthday? he’d asked.

In three weeks.

His green eyes had crinkled with laughter. You’ll be sixteen?

Uh-huh.

I’ll wait.

Because fifteen is too young? she’d asked. You do realize that nothing about me will change in the next three weeks. I’ll be exactly who I am.

He shrugged. I’ll wait.

He had, and on her sixteenth birthday he’d asked her out. And he’d kissed her, like no one else had.

There’d been a couple of other kisses before him. Fumbling, stupid kisses at parties where games were used to hide the awkwardness of adolescence. Those kisses had been insignificant. Kissing Dylan had rocked her world.

From that date, they’d been a couple. He’d graduated and gone to college and they’d stayed together. It was when she’d been a few months from graduating high school herself that the trouble had started.

“When do you start work?” she asked as her mind returned to the present. Polite questions for a safer topic.

“Monday.”

“Are you excited?”

His eyebrows rose. “I’m not sure I would describe myself as excited.”

“Your dad is.”

Because there was nothing the senior Dr. Harrington wanted more than his son to join his practice. He’d talked about it from before Dylan was born. Or so the Harrington family lore went.

“I know. He’s been telling me over and over.” Dylan sipped his wine. “He’s already designed new business cards.”

There was something in the way he said the words. “Didn’t you want to come back?”

“Sure.”

She studied him, not sure she believed what he was saying. “You had an obligation. There’s a difference.”

Dylan glanced around the living room. “Where’s your mom?”

“In Montana, on a buying trip.”

His mouth curved up at the corners. “I remember those and her love for the treasures she found.”

“She does like going through other people’s stuff.”

“She runs an antique store.”

An exalted name for Blackberry Preserves, but her mother would enjoy it.

“She’s bringing back less junk these days,” she admitted. “Bertie helps with that. She has a good eye for a bargain.”

“Who’s Bertie?”

Nina raised her chin. “My mom’s lover.”

Dylan’s expression didn’t change. “I thought I heard something about that from my parents. I’m impressed. When did she come out?”

Nina had been hoping for a little more reaction. Something that could make her dislike him. His acceptance was disappointing. “Just over ten years ago. Bertie started coming over. Averil and I thought they were friends. Then Bertie stayed the night a few times. One day Bertie took me aside and said she wanted to move in. She asked if that was okay.”

She smiled at the memory. “I like Bertie a lot. She’s very stable.”

“Meaning you don’t have to be the only grown-up in the room?”

She nodded. Dylan would know all about that. He’d seen what she’d gone through. Sometimes she wondered if knowing about how difficult her family had been was one of the reasons he’d broken up with her.

“It helps.” She shifted on the sofa. “Enough about what’s going on in my family. What about you? Are you staying with your folks?”

He shook his head. “I came to the island a couple of months ago and bought a condo by the marina. I closed on it last week. I’ll be moving in over the next few days.”

He continued talking about the move, but she wasn’t listening. A condo at the marina? No doubt one of those new, fancy ones. With granite counters and a full-time concierge.

Ridiculous, she thought, her gaze dropping to the brown shag carpet that had to be at least fifteen years old. This was Blackberry Island. The UPS guy just left the packages on the porch.

She was aware that he was clean and smelled good. He looked better. Dylan had left and followed his dreams and now he was a successful, happy doctor. She was stuck in a rut, and for the life of her, she couldn’t say exactly how that had happened. How had ten years passed? How had she never made her break? Was it circumstances, or was she responsible? She had a bad feeling it was the latter.

“It’s late,” she said abruptly, coming to her feet.

Dylan looked startled for a second, then put down his wine and rose. “Sure. It was good to see you, Nina.”

“You, too. Thanks for the ride home. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

She walked him to the door, murmured the appropriate polite goodbye, then shut the door behind him. When she was alone, she returned to the sofa and sank onto the cushions. Her life was a disaster, she thought grimly. Or if not a disaster, then at least pitiful, which might be worse.

Chapter Three

THE ART OF The Perfect First Kiss. Averil Stanton paused to reflect on the headline, then shook her head. No way. California Girl magazine catered to girls, ages thirteen to nineteen. Talking about a first kiss was too limiting.

She continued to stare at the screen, then tried again. Every First Kiss is Different. Better, she thought. Because there was always a new first kiss. At least for them. Once you got married, the odds of a new first kiss were slim. So was the chance of a new first anything. Though she wouldn’t share that with her readers. They were young and hopeful and why depress them?

She paused to sip her tea. Not that she wasn’t happily married, she thought. Kevin was great, and she loved their life. She lived six minutes from the Pacific Ocean, in Mischief Bay—an eclectic Southern California beach town. She had her work and her friends and—

“Stop it,” Averil said aloud, then slammed her laptop shut and stood. She crossed to the window and stared out at the view of the side yard. It consisted of little more than the neighbor’s fence and the recycling bin, but was apparently more fascinating than her work.

She couldn’t focus, she thought grimly. Couldn’t write. Whatever was causing this was happening more and more. In the past few months, she’d turned in every article closer to deadline. Her boss hadn’t said anything, but Averil knew she would eventually. Digital content had to be produced regularly, and if Averil didn’t step it up, there were a hundred younger hopefuls ready to take her place. The print version of the magazine only came out once a month, but the online presence needed daily updates.

She walked to the battered armchair in the corner and dropped onto the mashed cushion. Maybe she should go see her doctor. Vitamins might help. Or hypnosis. Lately nothing had felt right. She was restless and couldn’t say why. Uneasy without a cause.

She glanced outside again. Maybe a run would bring her out of her funk. She’d already exercised that morning, but a run on the beach might clear her head. Or she could go to the mall and—

“Averil?”

She looked up and saw Kevin standing in the doorway to her small office. After dinner she’d excused herself, saying she had to work. Something she was doing more and more, she thought. Disappearing to her private space, only to realize she still couldn’t focus, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything.

Now she saw there was a tightness to his face. She came to her feet. “Are you okay?”

“I decided to sharpen the knives in the kitchen.”

Her gaze dropped to his hand where a fresh bandage covered his middle finger. “Is it deep?”

“No. It’s fine. But while I was looking for a bandage, I found something else.” He stepped more fully into her office and held up a small, round, plastic container. “We’d agreed to start trying for a baby, Averil. Why are you still taking birth control pills?”

Averil felt instant heat on her cheeks as she instinctively looked for a place to hide. Or a way to escape. As Kevin stood between her and the door and she wasn’t willing to try leaping out the window, she was trapped.

“It’s not what you think,” she said loudly, even as she knew it was. “Having a baby is a big decision. You can’t expect me to get pregnant just like that. It’s not fair or reasonable.”

She tried to stop the words, knowing they could come back to bite her in the butt later. Because Kevin was nothing if not fair. They had talked...endlessly. For weeks and weeks. They’d made lists of the pros and cons and had mutually agreed it was time to start their family. Only she couldn’t seem to stop taking the pills. Every morning she told herself she was ready, and every morning, she carefully swallowed the next tiny pill.

“You’re still on birth control.”

He made the words a statement, but she nodded anyway. She braced herself for the fight, but instead of saying anything, he turned and left.

Averil stood in her office, trying to steady her breathing, wondering what would happen now. Finally she went down the short hallway and into the other spare bedroom. The one he used as his office.

He sat at his desk, the disk of pills next to his keyboard. He wasn’t typing, but he didn’t look up at her, either.

She’d met Kevin six years ago. She’d been in her senior year of college. A journalism major, sent to report on a street fair in Mischief Bay. Not her usual assignment. Averil had been the go-to reporter for her college newspaper, accustomed to hard-hitting stories on criminals or cover-ups. But one of the junior reporters had flaked out, and she’d agreed to fill in.

She was just pretty enough to be used to a lot of male attention. Tall and blonde, which made her practically an indigenous species on a California beach. She’d been taking notes and shooting pictures, when a guy had approached her.

He’d been kind of cute, about her height, skinny, with the intense look of someone with more intelligence than the average man-on-the-street. He’d held out her camera bag and said, You left this on the bench back there.

She’d smiled and thanked him, then had playfully asked, Are you going to hit on me now?

He’d shaken his head. No, but I will tell you that you shouldn’t use autofocus in this setting. It’s letting in too much light, and you’ll lose contrast in the scene.

An unusual response. She’d studied him more closely, taking in the gold flecks in his brown eyes and shape of his mouth. He’d lacked the deep tan of a surfer—no surprise there. Engineer, she thought. Or computer science major.

You do like girls, right? she’d asked.

He’d smiled at her, then. A slow, sexy smile that had made her toes curl in her Keds and caused the noise around them to fade into the background.

I’ll take the pictures, he’d said, reaching for the camera. You make your notes.

I’m writing an article for The Daily Bruin. She paused. That’s the paper at UCLA.

I know what it is.

You’re out of college?

Yup. Just got a job at a software company here in Mischief Bay. He’d slipped the strap around his neck and started making adjustments on the camera. I went to MIT.

Smart, great smile and he had a job. Things were looking up. I’m Averil, she’d said.

Kevin.

He hadn’t hit on her, but he had asked her out. It had been three dates before he’d kissed her and nearly four months before they’d had sex. The day after she’d graduated, he’d proposed. She’d said yes to him and a full-time job at California Girl magazine.

“About the pills,” she said, stepping into his office.

“You said you were ready. You said you wanted to have kids. Have you changed your mind?”

“No. It’s just...” She took a step forward. “There’s a lot going on.”

“What’s going on now that isn’t going on all the time? We’re settled in the house, we have money in the bank. You have your job and your novel. What are you waiting for?”

She wished he hadn’t mentioned the novel. The one she was supposed to be writing. The one that was little more than a few notes and a hundred and forty-seven false starts. Saying you were going to write a novel was easy. Actually writing it—not so much.

“I’m feeling pressured,” she said, hearing the defensiveness in her voice and not liking it. “It’s so soon.”

“Our fifth anniversary is in a few months. It wasn’t exactly a shotgun wedding.”

“No, but...”

He looked at her then, his brown eyes filled with what could only be betrayal. He looked as if she’d cut out his heart.

“Kevin, no,” she breathed as she started toward him. “I’m—”

He waited. “You’re what?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nina told you to wait, didn’t she?”

Averil had to hold back the overpowering need to stomp her foot. “You always bring up Nina. Why do you hate my sister?”

“You know I like Nina a lot. I bring her up because she’s always with us.”

“That’s ridiculous. She’s a thousand miles away.”

“No, she’s not. She’s the voice in your head. You talk to her every day for weeks until you two have a fight, and then you complain about her every day until you two make up. She’s the opinion you care about most.” He returned his attention to his computer screen. “It’s never you and me making a decision. It’s always the three of us.”

She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but he wasn’t. Her and Nina’s last blowup had been about three weeks before, and they hadn’t spoken since. Funny—Averil couldn’t even remember what they’d been fighting about.

She looked at Kevin. She could feel his pain. He wanted more, and as much as she wanted to give it to him, she couldn’t. The problem with Kevin was that he saw her as more capable than she could ever be. But how was she supposed to tell the man in her life to expect less of her?

“I need more time,” she told him. “Please, stop pressuring me.”

She waited, expecting him to say that asking her to keep her word wasn’t exactly applying brute force, but he only nodded.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He looked at her then. “Sometimes I’m not so sure.”

* * *

The next morning, Nina woke without the alarm. One of the perks of a Saturday morning. She’d had a restless night. While she’d avoided the brownies calling her name, she’d given in to the wine. Worse, she’d dreamed of Dylan on and off. Probably the result of seeing him and then watching The Day After Tomorrow.

She would guess that most women remembering a breakup went for a more classic romantic comedy or a movie that would make them cry. She would have, as well, but it was right after seeing The Day After Tomorrow that Dylan had broken up with her. She’d been making a point on global warming, and he’d announced he wasn’t going to be coming back to the island on weekends anymore.

Now the shots of ice and snow were firmly linked in her brain with the pain of losing the only man she’d ever loved. In her pathos, she’d noticed that the sheer size of the storm had matched the vastness of the emptiness filling her heart. Dylan had filled so much of her world, and now he was going to be gone.

All this time later, he was back. Not that it was going to be an issue for her, she told herself as she sat up and stretched. It wasn’t as if he’d sought her out. Their meeting had been completely random. Even on an island this small, she was unlikely to run into him very much.

For the best, she thought, standing by the bed. She would simply—

“Crap. My car!”

She’d never called Mike about it. Never asked him to tow it to his shop and start work on it. All because she’d been distracted by a handsome man from her past. Dylan had a lot to answer for.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly eight-thirty. Which meant Mike’s repair shop had been open for an hour. Saturdays were busy for him, and she was pretty sure someone else would have gotten the beat-up truck that was his loaner car.

She walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. Mike’s business card was one of a dozen held to the refrigerator by a tacky magnet designed for the tourist trade. No surprise to anyone, Nina’s mother collected them.

Mike answered on the third ring. “What?”

“It’s Nina Wentworth.”

“Hey, listen, I’m good but I’m not that good. I’ll get to it later today. I’m guessing the fuel injector, but I mean it. That’s a guess.”

Nina blinked several times. “Excuse me?”

“Your car. That’s why you’re calling, right? You’re not going to try to sell me any damn magazine subscriptions, are you?”

“What? No.” She walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. “My car is there?”

“Sure. I got a call yesterday just before closing to go pick it up. I had Benny drop off the loaner last night. You telling me you don’t know about this?”

She stood and walked into the living room. As she looked out the front window, she saw a battered pickup in the driveway.

Dylan, she thought, unable to believe he would have bothered. But there wasn’t another explanation.

“I, ah... Thanks, Mike,” she said. “I’m sorry to bother you. Let me know when it’s ready and I’ll be in.”

“Sure thing. Probably Monday. You can come on your lunch break.”

“Sounds great.”

She hung up, more than a little confused by what had happened. She checked the window again. Yup, there it was. The loaner.

She put down the phone and walked into her bedroom. She had a mile-long list of things to get done today, and none of them had involved mulling over an old boyfriend. Dylan had been nice. That spoke well of his character. The fact that she didn’t want him to be nice was her own issue.

* * *

By nine-thirty, Nina had arrived at Blackberry Preserves. As it was a Saturday, she changed the sign to read Open—not that she was expecting many customers. It was too early in the season for a lot of tourists, and locals tended not to browse on the weekends. She flipped on the light switch by the door, then walked through narrow pathways to the office in the back. After tucking her purse into a desk drawer, she turned up the heat and started a pot of coffee.

In theory, the shop’s inventory was supposed to be computerized. In reality, more than half the stock moved in and out without ever being accounted for. Bonnie’s buying trips were done with cash and accounted for with mostly handwritten receipts. Nina had known that one day she was going to have to tackle the problem, but she’d been putting it off as long as possible. And that was going to continue, she thought, returning to the front of the store.

To the left, old wooden shelves held an impressive collection of vintage lunch boxes. Everything from Hopalong Cassidy to early Batman to My Little Pony. Some were battered and worn, but others looked as if they’d never been used at all. A couple still contained their thermoses.

Bonnie loved lunch boxes because children were generally happy. That was her actual logic. She bought the lunch boxes to share her joy in that fact with others. The knowledge that they collected more than they sold didn’t seem to bother her.

Three large display cabinets held figurines of all kinds. Lladro and Hummel, along with those from more obscure artists. Even as a kid, Nina hadn’t liked the tiny statues. She’d always thought they were watching her with evil intent. The same with the antique dolls. But the vintage clothes were fun. They were dusty and smelled funny, but she and Averil had enjoyed playing dress-up.

She walked to a rack of ball gowns from the 1940s. She’d loved dancing around, a rusty tiara on her head.

You be the queen and I’ll be the princess, Averil had told her.

Nina had resisted, saying there could be two princesses. Even at nine, she’d understood that being the queen meant taking responsibility. All she wanted was to escape for a few minutes. But Averil had been stubborn.

You’re my queen, Neenie. You’ll always be the queen.

She touched another dress, remembering her sister claiming she could tell whether or not the wearer had been happy simply by the scent of the fabric. As everything smelled dusty to Nina, she couldn’t decide if her sister had been telling the truth. But Averil would only wear castoffs from happy people and carefully inspected all new inventory.

Nina supposed that everyone had strange memories from his or her childhood. Hers were about pockets of chaos followed by blissful periods of calm. Bonnie had been big on love, but not so much on structure. If there was no one to watch the girls, she thought nothing of taking them out of school for weeks at a time when she went on her buying trips.

When Nina turned twelve, she informed her mom that she was old enough to be left alone. She’d been armed with a list of reasons why she should be trusted by herself, but Bonnie had simply agreed with her. The following year, Bonnie had deposited Averil in her care, as well. She’d made sure the house was stocked with food before she headed off. There was money in the drawer and the checkbook. Nina had been faking her mom’s signature on checks for years, so paying the bills wasn’t a problem.

Nina paused by a desk lamp that Bonnie swore was genuine Tiffany and touched the smooth, colored glass. Memories lurked in this store, she thought. Hiding in corners like dust bunnies. As she couldn’t figure out how to get rid of them, she avoided them and this place. Which probably explained why Tanya had stolen. There was no one watching her.

The front door opened. Nina tensed, wondering if Dylan would be stopping by. She’d phoned to thank him for his help, but her call had gone directly to voice mail. She still wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved.

But he wasn’t the one who walked in. Instead, it was a well-dressed woman with short, dark hair. She was about five-five, with dark blue eyes and a wide smile.

“Are you Nina?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Great. I’m Cindy Yoo. I’m here about the job. I saw it online last night, and I’m very interested.”

In reality, shutting down the store made the most sense. Unfortunately, that wasn’t Nina’s decision to make. She didn’t feel prepared for an interview, but they had to hire someone.

“Thanks for coming by,” she said. “There are application forms in the back.”

Cindy withdrew a folder from her large leather bag. “I brought a copy of my resume, along with several letters of recommendation.”

Nina took the papers. “That’s very professional of you,” she said slowly. As far as she knew, no applicant had ever come in with a resume before.

“I’ve got coffee going in the back,” she said, motioning to the open doorway. “Want some?”

“Sure.”

Cindy followed her into the office. Nina cleared a stack of invoices off the spare chair, then poured them each a cup.

“Black is fine,” Cindy told her, then reached for the mug.

Nina poured her own and settled behind the desk. “I didn’t know the ad had gone up already.”

“I was online checking when it popped up.” Cindy smiled at her. “I’ll just say it. I don’t have retail experience, but I’m open to learning.”

“It’s not a complicated business,” Nina murmured, studying the other woman. She didn’t know all that much about fashion, but she would guess Cindy’s clothes were expensive. Her bag seemed to be real leather, and her wedding band was a row of sparkling diamonds.

Cindy pointed to the folder. “I can get more recommendations if you need them. I’m very excited about this opportunity.”

Maybe a little too excited? Nina opened the folder and studied her resume.

Cindy had graduated with a degree in history from a university in the San Francisco area. From there she’d become a secretary in a law firm. Four years later, she had been a paralegal in the same firm. That had been followed by a move to Seattle, where she’d done more of the same.

Behind the resume were a half dozen letters of recommendation. All glowing. Each had a phone number and a vow that he or she would hire Cindy back in a second if she was interested.

“Impressive,” Nina said, then looked at her. “I’m looking for someone to run the store. It involves managing inventory and selling to customers. I can’t help but think you’re overqualified.”

Cindy clutched her mug in both hands. “To be completely honest, I really need this job. My husband is a few years older than me. I’m his second wife. Our children just left for college. One is at MIT, the other is at Stanford.”

So it was a money thing, Nina thought, able to relate to that.

“My husband is Korean. My mother-in-law, while a lovely woman, has a very traditional interest in the life of her only son. Apparently his first wife was also traditional. Perfect, according to my mother-in-law, chosen by the family. She died and he fell in love with me.” Cindy paused. “Have you heard about the Tiger Moms?”

Nina frowned. “I think I read a couple of articles. They’re focused on their children succeeding.”

“Multiply that by a thousand and you’ll understand what I’m dealing with. I’m never good enough, and while she doesn’t come out and say it, I’m certain her daily prayers include me being dead.” Cindy flashed a smile. “Or at the very least, having her son come to his senses and kick me out.”

“That could be uncomfortable.”

“Yes, it is, and she’s coming to live with us.” Cindy swallowed. “This week. He’s helping her pack right now. I want to be nice to her. But to keep myself sane, I need a job. A place where I can go and think about something else. A place to pour my energy. I swear, I’m highly motivated to learn everything I need to know.”

Nina felt her concerns melting away. “You don’t have a criminal record, do you?”

Cindy’s eyes widened. “I assume that’s not a prerequisite?”

“No. Our last employee stole from us. We wouldn’t have known except she went to a local pawn shop to fence our property.”

“The pawn shop on the island?”

“That’s the one.”

Cindy leaned back in her chair. “Seriously, that’s just dumb. But lucky for you. As to the question, no. I’ve had two speeding tickets and that’s it. I’m a good person. Ask anyone.”

Nina grinned. “Except your mother-in-law.”

“Right.”

Nina handed Cindy the application. “I’m going to check inventory while you fill this out.”

She left Cindy in the office. She would ask Sam at the sheriff’s office to run a background check on Cindy, then call a couple of references. If that worked out, she was going to hire the woman and consider herself lucky to have found her.

Chapter Four

AVERIL HAD GROWN UP in the Pacific Northwest where the ocean temperature rarely climbed past sixty and that was in the summer. California wasn’t all that different. Right on the beach the water warmed up a little in July and August, but only a few hundred yards from shore, the ocean floor plunged and the water was chilly. She’d visited a friend in Florida over a summer break from college and had been shocked by the shallow, warm gulf lapping at the sand. Somehow it just seemed wrong.

Now, as the wind picked up, she tightened the sail, then secured the line. The sun was high in the sky, the brilliant blue reflected in the endless ocean. Once they were on course again, she glanced at Kevin. His sunglasses hid his eyes, and if she couldn’t see them, she didn’t know what he was thinking.

He’d been quiet lately. If it were anyone but him, she would say pensive.

“Kevin,” she began. “Are you mad at me?”

He turned to her, his sunglasses hiding the direct line of his vision. “No. Not mad.”

“Then what?”

“Disappointed.”

The word was like a slap. She’d always been the object of desire in their relationship. The one who was chased and caught. She loved her husband and did her best to be good to him, but he was the one who came to her. Now she felt the foundation of her world shifting under her.

“About the baby?” she asked, her voice small.

“Some.”

The wind whipped her hair around her face. She’d pulled it back in a braid, but a few strands had worked loose. She pushed them out of her eyes and stared at him.

“Are you disappointed in me?”

“Yes.”

She felt the air rush out of her lungs—as if she’d been kicked in the gut. Panic seized her, making her want to say whatever was necessary for him to take the words back. She couldn’t stand for him to reject her.

“I know you’re not happy,” he continued. “I wonder if I’m the reason.”

Relief made it easier to breathe. This wasn’t her fault. Okay, she could deal. “You’re not,” she assured him. “I’m not sure what’s wrong.”

“Do you still love me?”

“Of course. Don’t be silly. We’re married.”

“What does being married have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know. It just does. We’re together.”

He looked away, then, and the panic returned. This time joined by fear.

“I don’t know what you want,” he admitted.

“I don’t, either. It’s not about you, it’s about me being uncomfortable and...” She paused as the truth settled over her. A truth she’d been avoiding for a long time now.

“I want to go home.”

She said the words without thinking about how they would sound. How he would read them. His expression didn’t change, but his hand reached for the line, and seconds later the jib collapsed. He pulled in the large sail, keeping it from sinking into the ocean.

“Kevin, no,” she said, grabbing his free arm. “Don’t do this. I didn’t mean right this second.”

Because by “home” she’d meant Blackberry Island. They’d both understood that.

He secured the sail, then turned to her. “It’s always been home. I’ve known that. You need to see Nina. What I don’t get is you two can’t be in the same house for more than a day without fighting. It happens whether she comes to see us or you go to see her. Yet, you can’t seem to make a decision without her. Why?”

She didn’t have an answer. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, only he wasn’t. Nina was... She swallowed. He was right. Nina was the voice in her head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s not about an apology. I’ve given you all I have, Averil. All I am. If it’s not enough, I’ve got nothing left. Maybe I’m not supposed to make you happy. Maybe you’re supposed to figure that out on your own.”

She wanted to tell him she didn’t know how. Didn’t understand what being happy meant. Contentment was relatively easy, but happy? Who could say that?

“I don’t want you mad at me,” she murmured.

“I’m not. I’ve loved you from the first day I met you, but I can’t live in this half life any longer. I need you to be in this with me, or I need you to leave.”

The fear returned, but she held on to it, enduring the sense of having her heart ripped into pieces.

“Go see your sister,” he continued. “Figure out what you want. I’ll wait.”

“For how long?”

He removed his sunglasses then. She gazed into his eyes, seeing a combination of sadness and determination. “I don’t know. I’ll let you know when I’m done wanting you to come home.”

Which was fair, but terrifying. What if she waited too long? What if...

And with the questions came the realization that she’d already made up her mind. That whatever the price, she needed to go back home, to find answers. She felt as if everyone else had grown up and moved on, while she’d been stuck.

“I’ll be back,” she promised. “Please, don’t give up on me.”

* * *

Nina confirmed the charts had been pulled for that day’s appointments while she waited for the coffee to fill her cup. She’d had a restless night, no doubt brought on by the phone call from her sister. Averil was coming home for a visit. By herself.

Nina placed the files back on the shelf, then walked toward the break room. Kevin was such a great guy. She could only hope her sister wasn’t being an idiot over something inconsequential. Averil could be flighty—a characteristic she had inherited from their mother. Or maybe their father, who had walked away shortly after Averil had been born.

At the time, Nina had been too young to know much more than he was gone. Later, she’d blamed her mother for driving him away. Now, as an adult, she wondered if he had somehow sensed that in her heart, Bonnie preferred to play for the other team. Not that the news excused him for abandoning his daughters.

“Wow—where did all that come from?” she asked aloud. Obviously she’d been spending too much time on her own, she thought, shaking her head.

She poured a cup of coffee and took a restorative sip. The door at the top of the stairs opened, and Andi appeared.

“Morning,” Nina called. “You’re looking like you feel better.”

“I do! I ate breakfast without having to throw up. I call that progress.” Andi reached the main floor and grabbed Nina’s mug. She inhaled deeply. “God, I miss coffee. More than wine. I would have thought the wine would be the hardest to give up, but it’s not.”

She returned the mug and glanced at the stack of files. “Looks like a busy day.”

“We had a fairly light schedule, but there were a few last-minute calls.”

“There always are on Monday.”

They talked about who had phoned for an emergency visit, then Andi led the way to the break room.

“Guess who we had dinner with last night?” Andi asked as she filled a mug with water, then set it in the microwave. Her green eyes danced with amusement.

Nina took a step back. “No way. I don’t want to know.”

“But I want to tell you and you have to listen.” She grinned. “Dr. and Mrs. Harrington and their son, Dylan.” Andi clapped her hands together. “I can’t believe I’ve been on the island nearly a year and this is the first time I’m meeting the infamous ‘my son, the doctor.’”

Nina groaned. “Seriously? They had you over?”

“Uh-huh. It was great. He’s handsome. I wasn’t expecting him to be so ruggedly good-looking.”

“He’s okay.”

Andi hesitated. “Is this hard for you? Should I not fill you in on the details and tease you?”

Nina wanted to say yes, but that was ridiculous. She squared her shoulders and instead said, “Of course it’s fine. Dylan and I were over years and years ago. I never think about him.” Or she hadn’t until this past weekend. Which was his fault. If he hadn’t stopped to help her, she would have been completely fine. And happy not to have him on the brain.

Because he’d never called back. Not that she wanted him to. She didn’t. She wasn’t interested. But she would have enjoyed having him call so she could have told him that to his face. Or at least his ear.

“He’s single,” Andi announced. “I asked if he was seeing anyone.”

Nina leaned against the counter and clutched her coffee. “You didn’t.”

“Why not? I’ve never met him before. Asking questions is a part of polite conversation. He didn’t have a date, so I asked if he’d left someone special behind, and he said no. It was a natural bridge to ‘Are you seeing anyone?’ He said he wasn’t.” Her smile was smug. “So it’s a clear field.”

Nina held in a groan. “I don’t want a clear field. I’m not interested. What part of ‘it’s been decades’ doesn’t make sense to you?”

“It’s been only one decade and you were both young.” Andi pulled the mug out of the microwave and dropped in her tea bag. “Oh, and his parents mentioned that they’d been instrumental in your breakup. They feel bad about that.”

Nina felt a tic starting under her right eye. “You talked about me?”

“Not a lot. But I think it’s interesting, don’t you?”

“That my boyfriend let his parents dictate his love life? No. That’s not interesting.” Not that she was surprised by the admission. Dylan’s parents hadn’t worried at first. Nina would guess they’d assumed, once he got to college, the relationship would naturally end. But it hadn’t. He’d come home on weekends, and they’d spent breaks together. By the summer after his second year of college, the elder Harringtons had been pressuring them both. Nina hadn’t been about to give in, but Dylan had finally ended things with her.

Which she supposed she could accept. What had really hurt was he’d tried to make it her fault. He’d said... She reminded herself it didn’t matter what he’d said.

Andi pulled out the tea bag and set it in the sink. “He was a kid.”

“He was twenty.”

“Still, he wasn’t completely mature or he wouldn’t have let you go.” She smiled. “I liked him. He seems intelligent without being annoying about it.”

Nina knew that was a reference to Andi’s parents, who were both brilliant. “I’m not going to be dating Dylan.”

“Why not? You’re single. He’s single. What if the flame still burns?”

“There’s no flame. There’s not even ash. I’m sure Dylan is a great guy.” After all, he’d stopped to help her long before he knew who she was. Which meant he’d been willing to have a stranger drip on his expensive leather seats. “But I’m not looking to get involved with him.”

“You never date,” Andi started. “It would be fun for you to go out. I’m not trying to be pushy, but why not—”

“You are being pushy. I can find my own guy.”

Her boss shook her head. “I’m just trying to help.”

“I appreciate that, but you can let this one go. Dylan and I are long over.”

In the end, it wouldn’t matter, Nina told herself. Dylan hadn’t called, wasn’t going to call and she didn’t want him to call. Problem solved.

Andi’s smile faded. “You’re my friend and I want you to be happy. Your whole life is work. Either here or dealing with the store. You take care of everyone all the time. It’s exhausting, and I’m just watching. I thought maybe a good-looking guy might be a nice break.”

“I agree with the theory, but not with the guy.”

Andi’s smile returned. “You’re saying if a handsome stranger swept you off your feet, you’d be open to it?”

Nina thought about how long it had been since someone had shown interest in her girl parts. “I’d be begging.” A safe statement considering how few single men there were on the island. It was a family place. Most visitors came as part of a couple.

“Then I’m on the lookout for a handsome stranger,” Andi told her.

There was a loud bang as the upstairs door slammed. Andi sighed.

“That’s Carrie’s bedroom door. She’s running late again.”

Nina couldn’t remember a morning when the teen hadn’t been running late.

Sure enough, there was the sound of someone rapidly descending the stairs, followed by a loud, “Mom? Where are you?”

“Back here,” Andi called.

Carrie, fourteen and still gangly, burst into the break room. She flung herself at Nina and hung on tight.

“Morning,” Nina said, putting down her coffee and hugging her back. “I heard you’re late.”

Carrie grinned at her, then turned to Andi and hugged her. “I know, I know,” the teen said cheerfully. “I need to get up earlier. See you guys later.”

With that, she was flying toward the front door.

When Andi had moved to the island, she’d bought the large Queen Anne that now housed her practice. She and her contractor, Wade, had fallen in love. Carrie had been a bonus, settling into her new life as a stepdaughter.

The front door slammed. Andi sighed. “I need to have Wade check the hinges. One day she’s going to pull that door out of the frame.”

“I think it’s a little sturdier than that.”

Andi glanced at the clock. “Nearly showtime. Are we still on for Pilates after work?”

“I have my stuff in the car.”

“Great.”

With that they went into the hall. Andi turned toward her office, while Nina went up front to make sure the computers had booted up correctly. Out the window she saw Carrie climbing into the SUV next door. Deanna, Andi’s neighbor, took her girls to school every morning, and Carrie joined them.

Shared responsibilities, Nina thought. Balance. She understood the concept, even if she didn’t get to practice it much. Maybe in her next life she wouldn’t be the one who had to hold it all together.

* * *

“Point your toes, Andi. A little higher, Nina. Now slowly roll back down and breathe.”

Nina collapsed back on the mat. The way her stomach muscles were protesting, a slow roll to the starting position wasn’t an option. She was hot and sweaty and knew she was going to be sore in the morning. Had it really been that long since her last Pilates class?

She placed her hand on her rib cage and told herself that layer between her skin and the bones was necessary padding. Or maybe she should start walking on her lunch hour. The weather was going to get nice in the next few weeks. She could take advantage of that. Become fit over the summer.

She rolled to her side and struggled to her feet. Andi was already up and smiling, as if the class hadn’t been difficult at all. Nina gasped for breath as she finally gained her balance.

The workout room had an entire wall of mirrors. She made the mistake of turning sideways, taking in both her butt and her stomach. It seemed that extra ten pounds she’d been carrying since puberty had morphed into fifteen. She thought of the last of the brownies she’d consumed the previous night and vowed not to replace them. And she would start coming to mat class twice a week for sure.

Too weak and sore to change back into street clothes, she shoved her bare feet into her sensible, white athletic shoes and shuffled to the parking lot. Andi walked with her, practically bouncing with extra energy.

“I’m feeling so much better,” her friend said. “I’m glad that trimester is over. Now I have my energy back, and I’m eating. I love being pregnant.”

“You look great,” Nina murmured, trying not to sound surly. It wasn’t Andi’s fault that she was tall and thin and beautiful. Even with a baby on the way, her stomach was still flatter than Nina’s. Talk about unfair.

“And I’m sorry I guilted you into coming to Pilates with me today.”

“No, you’re not.”

Andi grinned as she paused by her SUV. “No, I’m not. Thursday?”

“I’ll be here.”

Nina got into her car, grateful to have it back from the auto repair shop. One fuel injector doodad later, her wheels were running and her checkbook was lighter. Not her favorite kind of compromise, but stuff happened and Mike had to earn a living, too.

She started the engine and thought longingly of heading home. Only she’d just hired Cindy and she needed to check on her progress.

She drove down to the main road that circled the island, then turned left. As she sped north, she saw a familiar BMW coming in the other direction. Dylan.

She thought of how she looked—hot and sweaty and not in a sexy kind of way. Her workout clothes weren’t the least bit flattering, and she was pretty sure she smelled. But it turned out not to be an issue. Dylan simply gave her a wave and kept on going. The truth was clear. Whether or not he was single, he sure wasn’t interested in her.

Something she could live with, she told herself. It wasn’t that she desperately wanted to spend time with him. She supposed the deep-in-her-heart fantasy was that he would come crawling back, so she could dump him as heartlessly as he’d dumped her. Not mature, but at least somewhat honest.

She turned into the parking lot by Blackberry Preserves. Cindy’s was the only car there. Nina walked over the gravel and went into the store.

The first thing she noticed was the light. There was a lot more of it. Also, the air was fresher, without that heavy stuffiness that seemed to cover everything like mold. Prince’s “Kiss” blasted from an iPod plugged into portable speakers. Cindy was up on a ladder, a microfiber duster in one hand. As Nina watched, she expertly swirled the cloth around the crystals dangling from the chandelier.

Rather than call out and startle her new employee, Nina walked to the speakers and slowly turned down the music. Cindy glanced over and grinned.

“Yes, I love Prince. I admit it.” She scrambled down the ladder. “How’s it going?”

“Good. This is impressive,” Nina said as she looked around. “The store looks great.”

“I took down the drapes,” Cindy admitted. “They were blocking the light and more than a little dusty. There were some very suspicious holes in them. I folded them up into a box, in case you want to keep them, but I think they should be tossed.”

“Not a problem. Toss away.”

Cindy had pulled her dark hair back with a headband, and she wore jeans and a sweater rather than her stylish interview clothes. Still, she managed to look put together and elegant. Nina thought maybe years of wearing scrubs had squashed her fashion gene, assuming she’d ever had one in the first place. Her appearance had never much mattered to her. If she was clean, she was happy. Growing up, she’d never had time to pore over fashion magazines or worry about what was in style. Now she wondered if she’d missed her chance.

Cindy pointed to the chandelier overhead. “I’ve been doing research. From what I can tell, that bad boy is Italian and maybe three hundred years old. If I’m right, it’s worth about ten thousand dollars.”

Nina felt her mouth drop open. “I’m sorry, did you just say—”

Cindy grinned. “Yup. Ten thousand. I could be wrong, of course. I was thinking of making a list of what could be high-end pieces, then talking to you about having a professional come up from Seattle and appraise them.”

Nina stared up at the crystals and shook her head. “I doubt my mom paid more than twenty bucks for that. She’s not a big spender when it comes to inventory.”

“She has a good eye.”

“She got lucky. Let’s remember what else we have in here. It’s good Tanya didn’t know or she would have carted it away. Any other finds?”

“A couple of sets of Depression glass. One is in amethyst. It’s beautiful and rare. I’m still working up a price. I also found a wonderful collection of cameos. Some of them look really old. Like I said, I’ll have a list put together for you.”

Nina couldn’t believe there was a chance the store could actually be a moneymaker. Talk about an unexpected turn of events. Of course, it hadn’t happened yet.

“I’m going to need some more cleaning supplies,” Cindy told her. “And the vacuum broke. I think I killed it with dust.”

“Can you buy what you need and give me the receipts?” Nina asked. “I’ll write you a check the same day.”

“Sure. I’ll stop by the store tomorrow on my way in.” She smiled. “So, you’re not going to secretly go behind my back and reclean what I’ve already cleaned?”

“No.” Nina tilted her head. “Let me guess. Your mother-in-law does that.”

“Yes, but with her, there’s no attempt to hide what she’s doing. And she loves to bring a cleaning rag out to my husband and show him the speck of dust or dirt she found.” Cindy sighed. “She really loves her son, but she doesn’t make it easy. I tell myself she can’t help it.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Nina knew that in-laws could be difficult, but there was a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

“It’s fine.” Cindy shrugged. “I tell myself she secretly adores me. It may not be true, but it helps.”

Chapter Five

“I’LL STILL WRITE ARTICLES,” Averil said, wondering if she looked as guilty as she felt.

Maya, her boss, waved her hand. “Of course I want to keep getting articles from you, Averil. You’re one of my best, but we’re talking about your novel! I’m so excited.” Maya, a petite brunette with brown eyes and an easy smile, leaned forward. “OMG, I can’t believe it. You’re going to go away and write. I’m so envious. You’re from Blackberry Island, right?”

Averil did her best not to squirm. She had asked for an indefinite leave of absence on the pretext that she needed time to finish her novel. Not a total lie, if one ignored the fact that before she finished, she needed to actually start it.

“I grew up there.”

Maya sighed. “Returning to the family home. You’ll be able to take long walks on the beach and write and just be in your head. I envy you. Not that I have any plans to write a book. Dear God, do you know how long they are? I have trouble with a three-part essay.” She smiled. “We’ll keep in touch via email, of course. And when you’re famous, I can say I knew you when.”

Averil tried to smile, but she was feeling too much like a fraud. Still, she needed the time away to figure out what was wrong with her. Kevin was a great guy, she loved her job, so why wasn’t she happy? And why didn’t she want to start a family?

Questions to explore over the next few weeks, she told herself as she rose.

“I appreciate this,” she said. “You’ve been so good to me.”

Maya dismissed the compliment with a shake of her head. “You’re talented, Averil. This is a great opportunity. I know you’ll use it to the fullest. We can always use your freelance articles. You know that.”

Averil nodded. “And when I come back?”

Maya hesitated only a second. “You’ll be a famous novelist.”

“Right,” Averil said, ignoring the sinking sensation in her stomach. Because while her articles would always be welcome, her job was less secure. In this business, there was always someone talented waiting in the wings. Something she worried about, but knew in the end she didn’t have a choice.

Averil thanked her again and left. As she walked to her small office to pack up a few things, she thought how Nina would have rolled her eyes to hear that kind of praise. Her sister knew the truth. That any opportunity handed to Averil had a fifty-fifty chance of being tossed aside and wasted and that what others saw as determination was merely a smoke screen to hide the truth. That Averil was simply one bad decision away from disaster.

What she couldn’t help but wonder was if the decision to go home was going to make things better or worse.

* * *

Nina sat in the car in her driveway. After a very long day at work she was tired and cranky. Steady rain danced on the windshield. It wasn’t the best time to be on the phone with Deputy Sam Payton.

“Seriously?” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “She was wanted?”

“Uh-huh. In Spokane, mostly. An assault, passing bad checks and, of course, stealing. We’re looking at four or five felonies. She was being held on half a million in bail, and then was released due to a clerical error. Now that we’ve got her back in custody, we’re sending her over to Spokane, assuming you don’t want to press charges.”

“She’s going away for a long time?”

“My guess is close to ten years.”

“I can put the stuff she tried to sell back in inventory?”

“You can.”

“Sold.” Nina opened her eyes. “Please, don’t let her escape again.”

“I didn’t let her escape the first time. She’ll be driven to Spokane tonight, in custody.” Amusement crept into his voice. “You might want to run a background check on your next new hire. You can do it online for a few bucks.”

Nina thought about Cindy, happily pricing and cleaning. There was no way she would believe the woman was other than what she said, but still...

“Any sites you recommend?”

“Sure.” He gave her a couple of names.

Nina wrote down the info, thanked him and hung up. As soon as she got inside and changed, she was going to check Cindy Yoo and confirm she wasn’t a secret serial killer. Or wanted by any law-enforcement agency.

She grabbed her bag and then dashed toward the porch. She was congratulating herself on not getting too wet when she stepped into the living room, only to be confronted by a steady drip in the corner.

“No!”

Nina dropped her bag on the floor and kicked out of her shoes. She crossed the carpet in sock-covered feet, stopping only when she felt the dampness seeping across the floor.

The roof leak. The one her mother had sworn she’d had fixed. The one Nina had forgotten about because of the shock of seeing Dylan. First, her car and now, the roof. This was not her week.

She detoured into the kitchen and pulled a card off the refrigerator. She used the landline to dial.

“Buffet.”

“Hey, Tim, it’s Nina Wentworth. I have a roof leak. Did my mom call you about it a couple of weeks ago?”

“Lemme look here.” Paper rustled. Tim was old-school and had not embraced the electronic age. He kept all the info on his customers in a ratty notebook that fit into his shirt pocket. “She called and left a message, but didn’t say what it was. I called her back and never heard from her again.”

Nina leaned against the wall and sighed. “Right. I’m not even surprised. We have a leak. It’s pretty serious. A steady dripping that looks like it’s getting worse.”

“I’m in Seattle, Nina. I can be there in the morning, but not before. Any way you can get somebody to cover it?”

This was when the concept of female equality and independence really sucked, she thought. “Sure. I’ll get a tarp on it. The back door will be open, if you need to get inside.”

“Sure thing. Then I’ll leave the invoice on the kitchen table.”

“Thanks, Tim. You’re the best.”

Ten minutes later, Nina had changed into jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. She pulled on a waterproof jacket, then went to the garage where she collected a tarp and four bricks. She’d done this drill before.

After dropping her supplies into a bucket for easy carrying, she leaned a ladder up against the house, close to the leak. She held the bucket in one hand and used the other as she climbed.

The rain was steady and damned cold. It got in her eyes and trickled down the back of her neck. As she reached the roof, her left foot slipped, and for a second, she nearly lost her balance.

She hung on and regained her footing. She pushed the bucket onto the roof, then scrambled up next to it.

The second she sat, water seeped into her jeans. Pine needles poked her fingers and covered much of the roof. They were going to have to be removed, Nina thought, thinking it was a job for another day. The shingles themselves were wet and slick. Nothing about this was very much fun.

It was also desperately unfair, she thought grimly. Bonnie had sworn she’d arranged to get the roof fixed, but hadn’t. Nina knew that when she complained to her mother about that, Bonnie would have a good excuse, or get so wounded that Nina would end up feeling like the biggest, baddest bitch in the West. If she didn’t complain, then once again her mother got away with being irresponsible while Nina took care of business. There seemed to be no win and in the end, the roof was still leaking.

Rain continued to pour onto her. She shifted to her hands and knees and moved slowly to the leaking corner. She pushed the bucket in front of her as she went. As she got closer, she tested the boards below her, not wanting to plunge through to the living room. About three feet from the actual leak, she pulled the tarp from the bucket and threw it over the shingles. She settled bricks into place and hoped it would hold until Tim arrived. Then she turned to make her way back to the ladder.

Later, she would try to figure out what had gone wrong. Maybe there was an extra coating of needles. Maybe patches of moss made the surface even more slick than usual. Maybe it was simply bad luck. But as she turned to crawl back to the ladder, her hand slipped, then her knee. Before she knew what was happening, she was sliding toward the edge of the roof, with nothing between her and hard ground but about ten or twelve feet.

Not enough to kill her, she thought as she screamed, but enough to—

“Got you.”

She landed hard but not on the ground. Instead she was caught by a man she’d never seen before. He held her in his arms and smiled down at her with an expression that made no sense. If she had to guess, she would say he was thinking he’d just won some kind of prize. And not just any prize. He looked as if he’d won a PGA tournament, NASCAR race and Quarter Finals all in one.

He was tall and strong enough to save her ass. His eyes were blue, and he looked good when wet.

“Hey, Nina.”

The voice was low and sexy, but not the least bit familiar. “Who are you?”

“You don’t remember?”

No, she didn’t, and he was still holding her.

She struggled a bit, and he quickly set her on her feet. She swayed as she found her balance and was about to take a step back when he put his hands on her waist, drew her against him and kissed her. Just like that.

She was so shocked, she didn’t move. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. His lips were warm and gentle, the kiss was brief and then he released her and moved back. She stood there, in the rain, unable to feel anything. Not the kiss, not the dripping, not the cold.

“You kissed me!”

His grin was unrepentant. “I know. I couldn’t help myself.” He studied her for a second, still way happier than the situation warranted. “You still don’t know who I am, do you?”

“No. That’s why I asked the question.” She had asked the question, hadn’t she? Maybe she really had fallen. Like on her head and now she was in a coma, imagining all this.

“I’m Kyle Eastland. The last time I saw you, I was twelve years old. It was August. A Tuesday. You were so beautiful.”

Kyle Eastland? “I used to babysit for the Eastland family,” she said slowly, as the memories returned. “There was a little girl and a son from a previous marriage—” She stared harder, suddenly remembering that preteen son. The one who had followed her around like a puppy, telling everyone who would listen that he was madly in love with her.

Her mother had said his devotion was sweet and that she should be flattered. Nina remembered being completely humiliated by the attentions of a very determined kid.

“You’re Kyle?”

“I knew you’d remember me.”

“That was years ago.”

“You’re more beautiful than I remember.”

Maybe he was the one who’d hit his head, she thought, aware of her wet hair plastered to her face and the dripping clothes. Or he was insane. A crazy stalker who had, until recently, been locked away.

He flashed her an amused smile. “Don’t be scared. I’m a normal guy.”

“I’m sure all serial killers say that.”

He chuckled. “I have proof.” He pulled out his wallet and showed her his military ID. Kyle was in the Navy and he was an officer. She was pretty sure the Navy would do a mental evaluation.

“Okay, then,” she murmured. “We’re getting soaked. Come inside.”

As he followed her into the house, she had the strangest sensation of déjà vu. In the past couple of weeks, she’d gotten drenched twice and been rescued by two men she hadn’t seen in forever. Was this a horoscope thing? Cosmic humor?

She checked the ceiling as she entered the living room and was pleased to see the dripping had stopped.

“Stay there,” she said, pointing to the small tiled foyer. “I’ll be right back.”

He gave her the kind of slow, sexy grin that had, for centuries, caused women to make very bad choices. “Now that I’ve found you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You think statements like that are comforting?” she asked.

“I’m telling the truth.”

“Yeah, not good news.”

She hurried to her bedroom where she locked her door before changing for the second time in fewer than thirty minutes. She left her hair wet, which was exactly what had happened with Dylan. Was it the rain? Should she move to Phoenix?

Still perplexed by the bizarreness that was her life, she returned to the living room and found Kyle exactly where she’d left him. Only he’d removed his jacket and hung it on the coatrack. Which meant he was wearing a thin sweater that illustrated the man enjoyed working out.

Even damp he was pretty, she thought, taking in the square jaw, dark blond hair and blue eyes. He was about six feet, maybe six one, lean, but strong. She knew the latter because he’d caught her without gasping for air.

“Why are you here?” she asked pointing to the sofa. “Everything okay with your family?”

He looked up, scanning her face. “I’m not here for help, Nina. I’m here for you.”

“Yeah. Okay, then. Have a seat.”

When they were sitting across from each other, she drew in a breath. First things, first, she thought. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I doubt the fall would have actually killed me, but I would have been hurt.”

“That’s true.”

He was staring at her as if trying to memorize her features. The intensity wasn’t scary, it was just strange.

“So, what brings you to Blackberry Island?” she asked.

“You.”

“You keep saying stuff like that. What does it mean? I haven’t seen you in forever. Kyle, you did get over your crush, didn’t you?”

“If I say yes, will that make you feel better?”

“A little.”

He leaned back against the sofa and stretched his arm along the back cushions. The relaxed, open posture of a man who was supremely confident.

“I got over you, but I never forgot you,” he told her. “I remember everything about you, Nina. You were my dream girl.”

“You were twelve.” He’d also been persistent, she thought, remembering him re-creating the scene from Say Anything, and standing outside of her house with a boom box. Only it had been about six in the morning, on a Sunday. The neighbors hadn’t been amused.

“Making you the older woman.” The grin returned. “You were so hot. You used to wear these really short shorts and when you bent over to pick up my sister—”

She held up her hand. “You were twelve,” she repeated, wondering if anything about this conversation was illegal.

Back then she’d done her best to ignore him, while taking care of his baby sister. Kyle had been a friendly kid. When he wasn’t trying to convince her to run off with him, he’d been busy hanging out in his room or having friends over. Normal stuff.

“How long ago was that? How old are you now?”

“Twenty-six.”

“So, fourteen years ago. I was sixteen. I was saving money for college.”

“I know. I kept telling you to wait for me, but you didn’t listen.”

“Do you blame me?”

“No. Back then the age difference was too big. I figured that out eventually. After we moved away, I really missed you. But then I got to high school and discovered girls my own age.” Humor brightened his eyes.

“Uh-huh. So much for me being ‘the one.’”

“You were, but I thought it best to practice so that I would be—” he coughed “—ready for you.”

“How generous.”

“I’m that kind of guy.”

A player, she thought. Not that it mattered to her. He was still too young. “I know you’re not really here on Blackberry Island because of me. Is your family still in the area?”

“No. We moved years ago, and they’ve never been back. I’m stationed in Everett.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. “I’m a fighter pilot.”

She felt her eyes widen. “What?”

That grin was back. “F18s. I’m doing training. Part of a joint task force. I’m good at what I do. I’m on track to join the Blue Angels.”

With five simple sentences, he’d started her head spinning. She knew about the Blue Angels. They were stars at air shows all over the country, maybe around the world. Their precision flying was practically the stuff of legends. “You’re a fighter pilot?”

“Yes. I was offered a couple of different assignments. I picked Everett because of the location. I thought it would be fun to check out the island and see if you were still here.”

She ignored that. “You fly multimillion-dollar planes?”

“That’s me. And if the government is willing to trust me with that kind of equipment, you can trust me, too.”

She chuckled. “Right. Does that line usually work?”

“All the time.”

“I apologize for women everywhere.”

“No need. So, what about you? What do you do?”

“I’m a nurse.”

He raised his eyebrows. “So, if I’m hurt, you can take care of me.”

Which was just like a guy, she thought humorously. “Not everything is about you.”

“Sure it is. Have dinner with me.”

“What? No. You’re too young.”

“It’s only four years and you know you’re curious. We’ll catch up.”

“We were never friends, Kyle. There’s nothing to catch up on.”

“Then we’ll get to know each other. I meant what I said. You’re the girl I fantasized about, Nina.” There was that smile. “You’re even better than I remember.”

She thought about the extra twenty pounds, the wet hair, the lack of makeup. “Are you sure they’re checking your vision regularly?”

He stood up and crossed to her, then pulled her to her feet. His large hands held hers. His skin was warm, and although she didn’t want to admit it, there was a distinct tingle low in her belly.

“Nina Wentworth, I have wanted you and been waiting for you for fourteen years. The least you can do is have dinner with me.”

Her breath actually caught in her throat. She could say with certainty that had never happened before. Not even once. She’d been nervous and interested and aroused, but never...fluttery.

Suddenly Kyle seemed like a man, in the best possible sense of the word. Gone was the preteen who had stalked her. This new and improved version got her attention in a big way. His gaze never left her face as he dropped her hands, cupped her cheeks and kissed her again.

This time she was warm and dry and had the wherewithal to notice the gentle warmth of his mouth on hers. He didn’t push, didn’t move, but he lingered, as if he wanted this moment to last forever.

Or maybe that was her.

He raised his head. “Dinner,” he murmured. “Say yes.”

“Yes.”

“Day after tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

He put his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll be here at six. We’ll have dinner. You’ll have a good time.”

“You know that for sure?”

That sexy smile returned. “I do.”

“You’re a player.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Your tone says you don’t mean that as a compliment.”

“I don’t. You enjoy women, and for some reason, now you want to enjoy me.” She winced, wishing she’d chosen another phrase.

“I do,” he said easily. “Very much. All of you.”

Because he’d had a crush on her years ago.

“Reality never lives up to the fantasy,” she said.

“You’re right. Sometimes it’s better.”

Oh, he was good. Way out of her league. He hadn’t denied her charge. Given the chance, he would seduce her before she’d had a chance to catch her breath.

Instead of being dismayed by the thought, she had to admit to a little tingle of anticipation. She hadn’t ever been with anyone like Kyle. He was easy to look at, funny and charming. So what if she would be one among no doubt many notches on his bed post? If she knew what she was getting from the outset, then she wouldn’t get emotionally involved and she wouldn’t get hurt. Didn’t she deserve a little “me” time?

“Dinner,” she said firmly. “At six.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he told her as he crossed to the door.

“I am, too.”

He paused to study her. “For real?”

“Yes, Kyle. For real.”

The smile turned boyish. For a second, she could see the kid he’d been. Then the man returned and winked at her.

“Good,” he said, before he disappeared into the rain.

She shut the door behind him, then leaned against it. “What have I done?” she asked aloud.

Fortunately, there was no answer.

She wandered toward the kitchen thinking that dinner would be nice. She could use a man adoring her. It would perk up her spirits and brighten her complexion.

Her cell phone rang. She answered it without checking who it was.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Nina, it’s Dylan.”

Dylan? Her nose wrinkled. Hearing his voice was a bit like taking a bite of broccoli after tasting a hot fudge sundae. Because that’s what Kyle was, she thought humorously. A forbidden dessert.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“What? No. Sorry. I just got home from work and I’m still figuring out my evening. How are you? How are you settling back into island life?”

Guilt, she thought with disgust. She always babbled when she felt guilty. Not that she owed Dylan anything, but here she was, talk, talk, talking.

“It’s smaller than I remember,” he admitted. “My parents are closer.”

“And you’re the favorite son.”

“The only son. It’s intense.”

“I bet.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I have to go to Seattle this weekend,” he said. “But I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner next week, after I’m back.”

Nina knew for a fact she hadn’t been on a date in nearly eighteen months. Now she’d been asked out twice in one day. Why couldn’t this have been better coordinated? One date last year, one date this year?

Dinner with Dylan. Although she hadn’t recognized Kyle, she knew everything about Dylan. While she was over him, she was still the tiniest bit bitter about the way things had ended. Which brought the guilt back again, which annoyed her.

“It wasn’t supposed to be a hard question,” he said quietly.

Ack! “Sorry, sorry. Sure. Dinner would be great.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. Give me a call when you’re back and we’ll set up a night. I’ll bring you up to date on all you’ve missed since you’ve been gone. That will take at least fifteen minutes.”

He chuckled. “I look forward to it. Talk to you soon.”

“Sure. Have fun in Seattle.”

She hung up and tossed her phone on the counter.

If ever there was a time to have wine with dinner, tonight was the night, she thought, heading for the open bottle on the counter. But she would pass on the cookies she’d bought. And go to Pilates at least one more time a week.

Not that Kyle was ever going to see her naked. But still. A girl could dream.

Chapter Six

THE DRIVE FROM Mischief Bay to Blackberry Island was direct. North on I-5 for about 1100 miles, then a left at the arrow pointing to the bridge. Easy enough.

Now, after spending the night just this side of Sacramento, Averil carefully pulled into a rest stop south of Medford, Oregon. At the rate she was going, she was going to get to the island before dinner, which seemed both good and bad. On the one hand, she was happy to be escaping her life. On the other, she knew she was running away, and that was hardly a situation to make anyone proud.

She parked her car and got out. The rest area was quiet. There were only a couple of big rigs parked on the other side. Hers was the only passenger vehicle. After using the restroom, she washed her hands and walked outside.

The morning was crisp and clear. The rain would start farther north. She could see her breath and was grateful for her jacket. Deciding to stretch her legs for a few minutes, she started to circle the building.

She really needed to use her time away to get her life in order, she thought. She was too old to be running away, and yet here she was. Escaping from unpleasant reality. She missed Kevin already, and at the same time, she was glad to be away from him. As if that made sense. She had no direction, no novel, no anything. She was lost, plain and simple. Which was probably why she balked at having a baby. If she wasn’t sure she could save herself, how could she be responsible for someone else?

Just past the men’s room, she saw something move by the trash can on her left. She paused and watched. She saw the movement again. Her stomach clenched when she realized a small dog was huddled by the can.

The animal looked to be maybe twenty or thirty pounds, with matted gray-and-brown fur and big eyes. She could see it was shaking and, as she approached, the dog cowered.

She glanced around, but there were no other cars. The animal looked terrified, torn between running and wanting to be rescued.

“I know the feeling,” she murmured in a low voice as she slowly approached. “It’s okay, little dog. I won’t hurt you.” She crouched down and held out the back of her hand. The animal flinched but didn’t move. She gently touched its shoulder.

The animal shuddered, then seemed to collapse on itself. Averil shifted closer and patted its side. She could feel bones everywhere.

“Oh, honey, you’re starving,” she said, realizing some jackass had simply abandoned the animal. There was no collar, and with the dog sticking close to the rest area, it should have been easy for an owner to find.

She continued to pet the animal, trying to gain its trust. After a few minutes, she stood. “Okay,” she said, patting her leg. “You want to come with me?”

The dog rose and stared at her. It continued to tremble.

“I think we’re close to Medford. I’ll take you to a vet and have you checked out. If you have a chip, we can find your owner. If not, at least you’ll be warm and fed.”

The dog stared at her.

“It’s all right,” she said. “I’m a good person. I’m confused and emotionally stunted, but I won’t hurt you.”

The dog seemed to accept that and walked along with her.

It turned out the animal was too weak to jump into the backseat, so Averil lifted her. She was shocked at how little the dog weighed. She poured water into her hand and the animal drank greedily. She had part of a scone from the Starbucks where she’d stopped earlier, and the dog gulped that down.

When Averil slid behind the wheel, she started the engine and turned up the heat. It only took her a couple of minutes to use her phone to find a vet in Medford. She called and got directions, then drove back onto the highway.

* * *

“She’s about three years old,” the vet—an old guy with a kind expression—told Averil. “I would guess she’s been on her own for a month. She has a few bruises and she’s malnourished. I doubt she’s had a decent meal in that time.”

The technician looked up from the computer. “There aren’t any reports of missing dogs in the area,” she said with a shrug. “Without a chip, there’s no way to find her owners.”

“She was dumped,” the vet said. “Unfortunately, it happens.” He left the room.

Averil stroked the dog huddled on the examination table. The animal had been examined and bathed. She’d also been given a small meal.

“There’s a no-kill shelter in town,” the technician said. “She’s pretty cute and it shouldn’t be long until she’s adopted. You did a good thing, bringing her here. She’ll be fine.”

Averil stared into the dog’s brown eyes. She was white with brown spots after all. Part King Charles Spaniel, the vet had said. Part who-knows-what. She’d endured the exam and the bath without protest and seemed resigned to whatever fate had to offer. Averil knew the most sensible solution was to leave her at the shelter.

She fingered the dog’s soft fur. “I’ll take her,” she said. “Can I do that?”

“Sure.” The other woman smiled. “She seems like a sweetie. Do you know what you’re going to name her?”

“Penny.” Averil touched the dog’s head. “Hey, Penny. Want to come live with me?”

Brown eyes regarded her solemnly.

“You’ll need some food,” the tech said. “We have a brand that’s good for sensitive stomachs. That will help her ease into having regular meals. Feed her about half a cup, four times a day for the first few days. Then you can go to a cup twice a day. Maybe mix in a little canned food. If you want to change brands, do it over time or she could get sick.”

The woman wrote down a few instructions. “Once you get where you’re going, she’ll need to be vaccinated. She’s already been spayed. I think there’s an old collar and leash in the lost and found box. Let me go grab them.”

She left the room. Averil continued to pet Penny. “It’s okay. You’re going to live with me now. I’m pretty sure I can handle a dog.”

Penny stared at her, her expression still fearful, but at least she’d stopped shaking. Soft brown eyes seemed to ask if that was the best Averil could offer.

“You’re right,” she said quietly. “I need to make a commitment. I will take care of you. I promise.”

The tech returned with a leash and cloth collar, along with a couple of old towels. Averil thanked her, paid the bill and walked to her car. Penny had accepted the collar and leash without complaint and now walked beside her. When they reached the car, Averil opened the back door.

Penny looked from her to the seat.

“Come on, Penny. Can you jump?”

Penny did as requested.

Averil laughed. “Good girl,” she said. “You’re smart, you know that? All right. Let’s make you a bed.”

She folded the towels into squares and placed them on the seat. Then she unfastened the leash. She patted the soft fabric.

“Come on, Penny. This is for you.”

Penny placed one paw on the towel.

“Good girl. Yes, you get comfy for the rest of the drive, okay?”

Penny turned twice on the towels, then laid down with a sigh. Averil stroked her a couple more times before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. By the time she pulled onto the freeway, the dog was asleep.

* * *

The afternoon had started to wane by the time Averil made her way over the bridge leading to Blackberry Island. Penny had slept for most of the drive north. They’d stopped at a couple of rest stops so they could both use the bathroom, and Averil had given the dog light meals. It turned out that Penny was also a big fan of burgers, so they’d shared lunch at a McDonald’s just south of Portland.

Now they were nearly done with their drive.

Averil was both relieved and oddly tense as she took in the familiar sights on the island where she’d grown up. As a kid she’d ridden her bike over nearly every foot of road here and had explored vineyards and coasts. She’d swum in the ocean, eaten at most of the restaurants and stands and knew at least one kid from all the local families.

Blackberry Island had always been home. It was the place that made the most sense to her. It was where she always knew who she was.

She supposed that was part of the problem. In Mischief Bay she had many roles. She was a reporter, a writer, a wife. In Mischief Bay, she was a grown-up. Here she was Nina’s little sister. Bonnie’s youngest. There weren’t expectations.

In her head she knew that running back home wasn’t exactly a testament to her maturity, but she could live with that. The truth was, somewhere along the way, she’d gotten lost, and now she didn’t know what she wanted.

About a mile from the house, she pulled off the main road and parked by the beach. She collected Penny’s leash and walked around to the passenger-side back door. Penny sat up, waiting for her. Her long tail thumped steadily.

“So you like me now, do you?” Averil asked with a grin. “It was the burger, wasn’t it?”

She clipped on the leash, then stepped back. Penny jumped to the ground and started to sniff.

“There’s a doggie area over there,” Averil said as she pointed to the square of gravel just off the beach.

Penny used the facilities, then the two of them went for a walk along the rocky sand. The air was warm, the sun bright in the sky. Due west was the Strait of Juan de Fuca. That body of water separated Washington’s northwest peninsula from Vancouver Island. Somewhere in the middle of the strait was the line between the United States and Canada. About sixty miles due west was open ocean.

Averil remembered her friends staring out at the strait and talking about getting on a boat and sailing away. To see what was out there. She’d been less interested in leaving and found little appeal in the thought of days or weeks at sea. Nor had she wanted to go to UCLA. That had been Nina’s dream for her. But she’d made it sound so wonderful that Averil had agreed.

Now she was home—whatever that meant.

“I’m not making much sense, am I?” she asked Penny.

The dog glanced at her and gave a tentative tail wag.

“Come on, Penny. Let’s go face the music.”

They walked back to the car. Penny settled on her bed, and Averil started down the familiar road.

When she saw the house, her eyes began to burn. Nothing had changed, she thought with relief. Not the street or the neighborhood. Everything was as she remembered.

Emotions tore through her. She fought against them, not sure if she was happy, sad or desperately confused. By the time she’d parked the car, she was crying.

Nina opened the front door and walked out. Averil stumbled to her feet and rushed toward her.

“Hey, it’s okay,” her big sister told her. “You don’t have to cry.”

But it was too late. Averil hung on tight, sobs tearing through her. She cried without knowing why, but now that she was home, that was okay, too.

* * *

Nina stood in the center of the bedroom. Averil had been home all of thirty minutes. She’d carried her suitcase into her old room, changed into PJs and climbed into bed. From the looks of things, she didn’t plan on getting out any time soon. Nina had brought her water and a sandwich. Averil had consumed both, then stretched out with her eyes closed.

“Thanks Nina,” she said, her voice sleepy. “You’ve been great. I feel a lot better.”

Nina sat on the edge of the bed, still not sure why her sister was home and what would happen now that she was. Nina stroked Averil’s hair and felt a rush of affection. They were sisters. They loved each other. Despite how they fought like cats and dogs, that wouldn’t change. And speaking of which...

“Tell me about the dog,” she murmured.

Averil opened her eyes and smiled. “Her name is Penny and she’s sweet.” She explained about finding her. “I’ve fed her and she went to the bathroom before we got here. I’ll set my phone to wake me up so I can take her out in a couple of hours.”

“What about bowls and a bed?”

Averil yawned. “She’s been on her own for at least a month. She isn’t expecting much. I’ve got food and I’ll get the rest tomorrow. I love you, Neenie.”

Nina smiled. She hadn’t been called that in years. “I love you, too, kid.”

With that, she rose and walked out of the room.

Once in the hall, she hesitated. Should she shut the door? Penny followed her, watching with her big, brown eyes.

“You’re unexpected,” Nina told the dog.

Penny’s tail wagged, and she followed Nina into the kitchen.

Averil had left her luggage in a pile in the living room. One suitcase was open, with half the contents spilling out over the floor. In the kitchen was a bag of food and some instructions.

“You’ll need to eat soon,” Nina said as she read over the notes. “Small meals several times a day. Canned would be good.” She looked through the luggage Averil hadn’t dragged to her room. There were a couple of ratty towels and a jacket, but no dog food beyond the small bag that was about a third gone. No bed, either.

“My sister isn’t much of a planner,” Nina told the dog. Penny thumped her tail.

Nina grabbed her purse and headed for her car. While there wasn’t a pet store on the island and she didn’t have time to make the drive across the bridge, there was a large general store with a decent pet section.

She bought canned food, a bed and another bag of the dog food. While she was heading toward the checkout line, she grabbed a couple of chew toys and a ball.

A sizeable credit card purchase later, she was on her way home. The usual evening traffic jam caused her to watch the clock in the car nervously. Her date with Kyle was in an hour. She’d already showered, and her makeup wouldn’t take long, but she would need some time to obsess about what to wear. She needed to look good without being overly dressy. It was cool enough that she would need long sleeves, or a jacket, or both.

Ten minutes later, she parked and grabbed her purchases. Penny met her at the door.

“Hey, you,” Nina said, giving the dog a pat. “You now have possessions.”

She put the bed in the living room and the dog dishes in the kitchen. After filling a bowl with water, she measured out a little canned food and the permitted amount of dry. Penny waited patiently until she was served, then gobbled down her dinner. She followed Nina into the back bedroom and watched as she went through her various clothing options.

“I was thinking blue,” she said, holding up a cobalt-blue dress. “I know it’s plain, but I have these great shoes that go with it.”

Penny stared at the dress. Nina did, as well. The neckline was slightly scooped but didn’t flash any cleavage at all. Still, the tailored lines were flattering and it was long-sleeved, which meant she could avoid the whole ugly coat issue.

The shoes—black and cobalt-blue suede—were three-inch heels and had cost more than the dress. Even at Nordstrom Rack, where they’d been marked down 70 percent.

She put the dress back in her closet. “There’s also basic black.”

She pulled out a sleeveless classic LBD. The hemline was a tad shorter than she thought her thighs could handle, but if she put on black tights, they would look firmer.

Penny stretched out on the carpet and yawned.

“Too predictable?” Nina asked. “I’m not really a dress person. But I doubt Kyle wants to see me in cartoon scrubs.”

She looked at her two best options. “What if I wear the suede pumps with the LBD?”

She dug out the tights and shimmied into them. They had a control top which would cut into her ability to eat dinner, but made the dress look great. She shrugged on a robe and went into the bathroom to touch up her makeup. When she came out, Penny was standing in the hallway, staring intently.

“What?” Nina asked. “He can’t be here yet.”

Penny started for the kitchen, then looked back at Nina, as if inviting her along. Nina trailed after her. At the back door, Penny scratched the small rug.

Understanding dawned. Nina opened the back door and let the dog out. The backyard was fenced. Even so, she waited until Penny had done her business and hurried back in. Together, they retreated to the rear of the house.

“You’re impressive,” Nina told the animal as she brushed out her straight hair. “Maybe you can teach Averil responsibility.”

When her hair was smooth, she slipped on the dress and pulled up the zipper. She added gold hoop earrings, lip gloss and a ten-year-old cropped leather jacket. Fortunately, it was plain enough that it didn’t look too out of date.

She’d barely had time to smooth her skirt when the doorbell rang.

Nina was surprised to feel her stomach lurch. The slightly tingly feeling of anticipation was sadly unfamiliar, she thought as she crossed the worn carpet and opened the front door.

Kyle, all six feet of blond godlikeness of him, swore under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You’re not supposed to look that good. I thought I’d prepared myself. I wasn’t close.”

This guy was too much, she thought to herself. She reached for the small clutch she’d left by the door. At this point, she didn’t even care if he was lying. He was exactly what she and her battered ego needed. For one night she was going to forget about all the responsibilities in her life. She was going to go on a date with a hot, younger guy and toy with the idea of letting him sleep with her. If there were consequences—and there always were—she would face them in the morning. She’d been doing the right thing for a very long time, and she deserved a reward. Kyle was just the man to make sure she got one.

Chapter Seven

NINA CHECKED TO make sure the door was locked, then started down the two stairs to the walkway. As she moved, Kyle stepped next to her and put his hand on the small of her back. The light pressure was unfamiliar, reminding her that it had been months and months since her last date. Nerves kicked up in her belly, as she realized this night might not be as easy as she’d first thought. Inappropriate guy or not, little Kyle had grown up into a handsome man.

She spotted his car and laughed out loud at the low-slung two-seater convertible.

“Seriously?” she asked with a chuckle. “That’s what you drive?”

“A land jet,” he told her. “Chicks love it.”

“I doubt you need the car to get the girls.”

He stepped in front of her to open the passenger door. “Every little bit helps. Especially with you. I need to keep my edge.”

“Very smooth,” she told him. “You’ve had a lot of practice.”

She’d thought he might protest, but instead he grinned. “All the better for you,” he said easily. “You get to take advantage of all I’ve learned.”

“A man who loves women. And whom women love back.”

He shrugged. “It’s a flaw, but one I can live with.” He moved a little closer. “Tonight is all about you, though.”

She could see the blue of his eyes and his thick, blond lashes. He’s shaved, she thought, studying his tanned skin. He smelled good, too. As if he’d showered. She liked thinking he’d taken his time getting ready. That he’d made an effort for her. In truth, he’d probably done the same thing a thousand times, but that was okay. Tonight she would rather be one of the many than all alone.

She lowered herself into the seat, aware it was going to take every muscle she had to climb out gracefully. A problem for later, she told herself.

He settled next to her. Their seats were close enough together that his shoulder brushed hers. There was something intimate about the way the dashboard seemed to wrap around them. He rested his hand on the gearshift as he turned toward her.

“About dinner,” he began, his voice low and teasing.

For a second she thought he was going to suggest they pass on the food. And for that same second, she considered saying yes. She’d never been one to have sex with a stranger, but while she didn’t know much about Kyle, she knew some things. Like his parents’ names and that he had a baby sister. So they weren’t exactly unknown to each other.

“I thought we’d go to Marianna’s.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Is that okay? I made reservations, but I can cancel them.”

“Marianna’s would be lovely.”

She wanted to add, if he was sure he could afford it. Because while Marianna’s was known for exquisite food, the prices weren’t exactly bargain. She’d only been there a couple of times, most recently with Bonnie and Bertie to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Bertie moving in and Bonnie coming out.

But instead of checking on Kyle’s financial viability, she decided that if he’d had it together enough to make a reservation, he’d probably checked on the menu. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was going to order the most expensive item on the menu. She knew how to be a thoughtful date.

He started the car, then turned back to her and smiled. “This is nice. Having you so close.”

He leaned toward her and lightly kissed her. Just a quick brush of mouth on mouth, but it was enough to leave her flustered.

When he straightened, she turned to face front, then nervously smoothed her skirt.

“You’re good,” she told him as he shifted into gear and backed out of the driveway. “You sure you’re only twenty-six?”

“It’s not the years, Nina. It’s the miles.”

“There have been a lot of miles?”

He chuckled as he drove down the street. “Enough, but they weren’t you.”

She laughed. “Who were they, then?”

He looked startled for a second, as if he hadn’t expected the direct question. “I’d rather talk about you.”

“My brilliance and beauty? Will there be poetry later?”

“You’re mocking me.”

“A little. Come on. You haven’t thought of me once in the past ten years.”

He glanced at her, his expression serious. “You’re wrong.”

“You were just a kid.”

“Some things never change.”

“It’s a great line.”

“Maybe, but it’s also the truth.” He flashed her a smile. “You’re going to have to trust me on that.”

“I don’t trust so easily.”

She spoke without thinking, then wished she could have called back the words. Not exactly first-date conversation, she told herself.

He took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth. After kissing her knuckles, he placed her fingers back on her lap. “Not to worry. We’ll go as slow as you need us to.”

Something she was a lot less sure about than he was, she thought. She got that this was a game to him, but there were also flashes of sincerity. So, which Kyle was real? Or was he like everyone else on the planet—not any one thing, but a combination of traits that were both good and bad?

He drove around the island and across the bridge. Once they were on the mainland, he headed south. A few miles later was the turnoff to the restaurant.

He drove up to the valet. Nina made sure both feet were on the ground before throwing herself up and out of the low car. Kyle circled around and guided her into the building.

The sun was still relatively high in the sky, and from the foyer, they had a view through the restaurant, out onto the water. The setting was perfect, she thought, once again aware of Kyle’s hand at the small of her back. Soft music, white tablecloths on tables, quiet conversation.

The hostess, a petite twentysomething, walked toward them.

“Hello,” she said, her gaze on Kyle. “Welcome to Marianna’s.”

Kyle winked at her. “We have a reservation,” he said and gave his name. He leaned toward Nina and pressed his lips to her ear. “I asked for a table by the water.”

She shivered at the erotic sensation of both his mouth touching her and the warmth of his breath. The hostess shot her a death stare, but Nina was too busy thinking Kyle was out of her league to much care.

With the age difference, she should be the one taking charge, sexually. But obviously that wasn’t going to happen. She could only hope he was making an effort to seduce her, because if this was all unintentional, she was in trouble.

The hostess led them to a table by the window. She flashed Kyle a smile, then lightly touched his arm, but he didn’t bother with another wink, and she left with a sigh.

Kyle moved the menus to the side of the table and leaned toward Nina.

“Thanks for coming out with me,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “You know, I’ve been planning this night since I was twelve.”

A line that made her want to roll her eyes. “You’re not serious.”

He smiled. “I loved the shirt you wore all the time, the one with little white starfish on it. When you bent over to pick up my sister, I could see down the front of it. You painted your toenails red. The color was called Cherries in the Snow. Your favorite song that summer was Cher’s ‘Believe.’”

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