Safe in His Arms

Running away from her troubled city life, Lauren Foster never thought she’d find herself in small-town Maine. But Holiday Harbor is everything she’s looking for. The townspeople are welcoming, her job at her friend’s toy store is going well and, most important, she’s safe. Meeting contractor Ben Thomas soon changes all that. With his good looks, easygoing nature and kind heart, he’s turning her peaceful new life upside down. She’s quickly falling for the local hero, but when her past catches up to her present, is she willing to face her fears for the future she’s always dreamed of?

Holiday Harbor: Where love is just around the bend

“Don’t take this wrong, but you’re

a lot smarter than I gave you credit for.”

Equal parts furious and flattered, she glared at him for all she was worth. “How could I possibly take that wrong?”

Men misjudged her all the time, to the point where she’d actually resigned herself to it. To most of them, she was nothing more than a pretty accessory on their arm, something they wore like a designer watch to make them look good. That Ben had seen past her appearance to her intelligence pleased her immensely. If she hadn’t been so mad at him, she’d have complimented him for his perceptiveness.

Giving her a sheepish look, he took a step forward. Then another. He was getting close to violating her comfort zone, but she planted her feet and met his gaze without flinching. Cocking his head, he gave her a slow, approving grin. “I don’t scare you anymore, do I?”

“You never did.”

“Who was he?”

The blunt question caught her off guard, and she blinked in surprise. “Who was who?”

“The guy who made you afraid,” he clarified in an understanding voice. “The one who made you run away.”

MIA ROSS

loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can’t imagine trading her life for anyone else’s—and she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at www.miaross.com.

Seaside Romance

Mia Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

And the light shineth in darkness.

—John 1:5

For my friends

who found the courage to leave the past behind.

Acknowledgments

To the very talented folks who help me make my books everything they can be: Elaine Spencer, Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff

at Love Inspired.

More thanks to the gang at Seekerville

(www.seekerville.net). It’s a great place to hang out with readers—and writers!

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful network

of supportive, encouraging family and friends.

You inspire me every day!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

“Oh, no.” Kneeling in front of the box she’d just opened full of stuffed animals, Lauren Foster groaned. “All these Easter bunnies are green.”

“That’s okay,” her friend Julia Stanton assured her without looking over. “I ordered lots of green ones.”

“This kind of green?” Lauren held up a little hopper that was completely adorable—except for the fact that he was the color of a lime highlighter.

Julia glanced down and shuddered. “Definitely not. There must be some kind of mix-up with the supplier. What does the shipping label say?”

Angling her head, Lauren read, “Toylane, 64 Main Street, Oakbridge, Maine.”

“That’s happened before. I guess I should have researched other toy stores in the area before picking the name Toyland,” she added with a light laugh.

“Since I’m watching the store while you and Nick are on your honeymoon, I should probably learn how to handle things like this. What do you want me to do?”

In reply, Julia extended a graceful hand sporting the most gorgeous diamond setting Lauren had ever seen. She’d been in Holiday Harbor with her old friend all weekend, and seeing that ring on her left hand still astounded Lauren. Just last month, she’d been trying on jewelry like that, living in a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park and shopping her way from one upscale boutique to another.

What a difference a week makes, she thought bitterly.

When she realized Julia was still waiting for the invoice, Lauren slid it from its clear sleeve and handed it over. “Sorry. Blanked out there for a minute.”

Julia gave her an understanding smile. “Running a toy store isn’t as easy as it looks, so you’re forgiven.”

Lauren congratulated herself on evading the real reason she was so distracted. She hadn’t told anyone why she left New York in such a hurry, and she wanted to keep it that way as long as humanly possible. Maybe forever.

When her text alert chimed, she glanced down to find a message from her mother.

Have a great day, sweetie—xo.

After texting back u 2, Lauren swiveled to look over at Julia. “I love my parents, but I wish they could remember I’m twenty-eight years old.”

Julia laughed. “My parents used to be like that, too.”

“How’d you get them to stop?”

“I came here and started my own business. Then I met Nick, and you know the rest.”

Her dreamy smile clearly said she’d found someone to love for the rest of her life, and Lauren was ashamed to admit she was envious. Not that she begrudged Julia her happiness, but she wanted some of it for herself. Sadly, she was further from it now than she’d ever been. Personally and professionally, her life was in pieces, and she had no idea how to put it back together.

Shoving her negative attitude aside, she focused on Julia. They’d known each other since college, and she was the kind of friend who didn’t ask Lauren why she needed to run away. Instead, she’d opened up her home and offered Lauren a job for as long as she wanted it.

“When you first sent me pictures of this place last summer,” she said while she opened a box holding a fleet of cars and trucks, “I thought you were nuts to move up here so far from civilization. Now I see why you like it so much.”

“It’s out of the way, that’s for sure, but that’s what I like most about it.” Looking away from the computer screen, she added a warm smile. “It’s been so much fun having you here. How long has it been?”

After a moment, Lauren replied, “Five years ago, Mom and I met you and your mother in Paris for Fashion Week.”

“Oh, I remember that. I still have the clothes I bought on that trip. They’re a little outdated, but they’re so beautiful I don’t have the heart to get rid of them.”

“If you just wait a few years, they’ll come back in style.”

They both laughed, and Julia said, “I should get in touch with this supplier to make sure the bunnies I actually ordered are on their way. I have the number in my office, so I’ll call from there. Can you handle customers alone for a few minutes?”

“Sure,” Lauren responded with more confidence than she felt. Then again, she thought, as she carried the box over to restock the vehicles section, these days she pretty much did everything with more bravado than she felt. When the rug got yanked out from under your life, you kept going as best you could.

The bells along the top of the entry door jingled, and she called out, “Be with you in a minute!”

“Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

The words weren’t the least bit threatening, but the unfamiliar male voice froze her midstep. Although her brain knew perfectly well she was protected behind the tall shelves, her heart thudded to a stop, and icy fear slithered up her spine. Pulling in a ragged breath, she reminded herself that no one but her parents knew she was in Northern Maine with Julia.

You’re safe now, a tiny voice in her mind whispered. Closing her eyes, she took another, calmer breath and braced herself to face her very first customer. She plastered a smile on her face and walked out from behind the shelves. “May I help you?”

He flashed her a bright grin that made her feel as if he’d been waiting all morning to meet her. “You must be Julia’s friend Lauren, from New York City. Last time I was in, she told me you were coming to help out with the shop.” Offering his hand, he added, “I’m Ben Thomas. Welcome to Holiday Harbor.”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Dressed in washed-out jeans and work boots, he stood a full head taller than her, and Lauren had to tilt her head up to get a full view of him. With windblown blond hair and a ruddy complexion, he looked like he’d just stepped off one of the fishing boats docked down at the wharf. Then it occurred to her where she knew that name from, and she looked down at the top of the antique glass-front case Julia used as a checkout stand. Like the rest of the wood in the shop, from display racks to molding, it was a rich, dark walnut, obviously hand-carved with care a long time ago.

A shiny brass nameplate mounted near the front of the cabinet read “Restored with pride by Ben Thomas,” and she tapped it with her fingertip. “Is this you?”

“Yeah. When Julia was gutting this place, we found it upstairs in a corner, in a dozen pieces and covered with—well, you get the picture.”

He smiled again, and she couldn’t help noticing that the faded blue T-shirt he wore paled in comparison to his eyes. The color of a flawless summer sky, they made her think of sunshine. There hadn’t been much of that for her recently, and even though she’d just met him, she sensed herself being drawn to the warmth he projected. As the pause continued, she realized he was expecting some kind of response from her.

Nodding, she said, “I think so.”

“Anyway, she had a vision for this place, wanted to restore it to the way it used to be. It was built as a general store, and I dug up old blueprints and photos to make sure we got it right. I thought using the original counter would be a nice way to keep the old character in her new shop. It took a while, and when I was done, she insisted I get credit for it. Thanks to her, I’ve gotten some jobs restoring antiques for other folks in town.”

A man who saw value in old, broken-down things and enjoyed resurrecting them, she thought with a little smile. It was quite a departure from the bulldoze-the-past mentality so many people had these days. “So you’re not just a contractor. You’re a craftsman.”

“I’d like to be. There’s tons of old places along the East Coast that need to be saved. Bringing them back to life would be the best job ever.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

Annoyance clouded his expression, but blew away as quickly as it had surfaced. “Thomas and Sons is just me and my dad these days. Kitchens and roofs aren’t my idea of exciting, but they pay the bills. Without me—”

He shrugged, but she got the drift. He was staying here, forgoing his own dreams to help his father. It was a sweet, considerate thing to do, and she smiled in spite of herself. “That’s really great of you, staying to make sure his business keeps running well.”

“That’s what family’s all about, but thanks.”

His gaze warmed with the kind of male admiration she used to crave, but now it sent her skittering back from the counter. Lauren had learned the hard way that people weren’t always what they seem. Sometimes their true natures were buried beneath layers of deception, and by the time you dug deep enough to discover the truth, it was almost impossible to claw your way back out.

Determined not to repeat her mistakes, Lauren resolved to be pleasant to Ben but keep a respectable distance. “So, what can I help you with?”

Either he didn’t notice her sudden backpedaling routine, or he didn’t care. Whatever the reason, he sailed along without skipping a beat. “Julia called to say the puzzles I ordered for my niece’s birthday are here. I came to add a card so she can ship them to Detroit for me.”

“Ben!” Hurrying out front, Julia set the phone on the counter near the register and embraced him with enthusiasm. “I haven’t seen you in ages. How are things?”

“Fine. How ’bout you?”

“Crazy, with Easter next week and the wedding a month away.” Laughing as if chaos was her normal mode, she added, “Your gift is in the back, wrapped and ready to go. You two chat while I get it.”

“I can—” Lauren’s protest was lost in a graceful pirouette that sent her friend toward the storeroom. Stranded with Ben, she did her best to shrug it off. “She’s the boss.”

“Yeah, that’s what her fiancé says, too.” He chuckled. “Never figured he’d let someone take over his life that way, but he seems really happy.”

“So does Julia,” Lauren said. Not long ago, she’d been adept at mingling and making small talk with people she’d just met. Now, though, it terrified her to even try. Just one more thing she had to overcome, she groused silently.

Apparently, her discomfort was pretty obvious, because Ben leaned across the counter with a sympathetic expression. “This map-dot town’s not exactly what you’re used to, huh?”

Thankful that he hadn’t guessed the true source of her shyness, she shook her head. “It’s nice, though. It was so pretty driving in past the lighthouse and seeing the village spread out over the coast that way. With all these old buildings and houses, it feels like it’s been here forever.”

“Founded on Christmas Day, 1820,” he confirmed. “That’s where the name came from, and some of the original families are still here. I imagine they’ll still be around a hundred years from now.”

She caught a hint of disapproval in his tone, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

“When you stay in one place too long, you stagnate, like a pond. Life needs to move from one place to another like the tide, to keep things interesting.”

Just then, Julia returned with Ben’s package, wrapped in festive birthday paper and topped with a poufy pink bow.

“Looks great. Thanks.”

Taking it from her, he handed over his credit card and easily shifted to a conversation about her upcoming wedding. He politely included Lauren, but she was only half listening. Instead, her mind was churning around his very down-to-earth philosophy on how to avoid a stagnant life. Maybe that was what she needed, Lauren mused while she rang up his purchase. A fresh start, with a few waves for variety.

The problem was, while it sounded appealing, she knew she wasn’t ready for anything quite that ambitious yet. Right now, she needed a safe harbor. Eventually, once she regained all the parts of her she’d lost over the past year, she could think about venturing a little farther from shore.

A voice came from the phone, and Julia cradled it against her shoulder. “T-o-y-l-a-n-d,” she spelled in the perfect diction Lauren had always admired. “The label says, T-o-y-l-a-n-e. Yes, I’ll hold.”

Rolling her eyes, she smiled at him. “I hope your niece likes them.”

“Yeah, me, too.” He winked at Lauren as she returned his card. “You know how girls are. They say they want one thing when they really want something else.”

She knew he was joking, but the comment struck her the wrong way, and she glared up at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Her scolding had no effect on him whatsoever, and he gave her a maddening grin. “My mistake.”

The other line rang, and Lauren picked up the handset. “Toyland, this is Lauren. May I help you?” After a moment, she said, “Okay. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Still on hold, Julia gave her a questioning look.

“The sandwich and cookie trays you ordered for the Easter egg coloring party are ready at the bakery. They’re taking up a lot of space in the cooler, so they’d like us to get them ASAP.”

“Oh, no! I forgot all about them. The first set of kids and their parents will be here in half an hour.” Julia cast a pleading look at Ben. “The platters aren’t heavy, but there’s three of them, and they’re huge. Could you possibly help us out?”

Us? Considering the inexplicable reaction she’d had to him earlier, Lauren knew she shouldn’t spend any more time with the friendly contractor than absolutely necessary. “I can manage, Julia. It’s not that far, so I’ll just make an extra trip.”

“No need for that,” he assured her with a you-can-count-on-me grin. “I’m always glad to lend a pretty lady a hand.”

His open admiration of her was both flattering and terrifying, and Lauren swallowed hard to get control of both emotions before she blurted out something inappropriate. “All right, thanks.”

Lame but safe, she decided as they headed for the door. Outside on the sidewalk, he paused between the two large display windows she’d rearranged that morning. “Very nice,” he approved with a nod. “If I was a kid, they’d make me want to go inside and see what else is in there.”

“That was the idea.”

Clearly surprised, he turned to look at her. “Wait, you did this?”

“The Stantons are in London,” she explained, “and they called early this morning to talk to Julia about the wedding. She likes to redo the windows every Monday but wasn’t going to have time. Since she was busy, I thought I’d take a shot at decorating.”

“Great job.”

His unexpected praise settled nicely over Lauren’s badly bruised ego, and she took a minute to admire her handiwork. One window held all manner of Easter things: baskets, stuffed animals and a sampling of the unique toys the shop kept in stock. The other window framed a miniature version of Holiday Harbor, complete with early nineteenth-century buildings and gardens. In the model town square, tiny children held even tinier baskets filled with packing pellets that resembled eggs.

Even in still life, it was so charming, Lauren easily understood why Julia had chosen to settle here. Maybe someday, she thought wistfully, she’d find a place like this where she could restart her life.

“You okay?” Ben asked, hauling her back to reality.

“Sure.” To prove it, she met his concerned gaze with a steady one of her own. With his solid frame and weathered appearance, he made her think of a tree sturdy enough to weather a good old-fashioned hurricane. Pushing the fanciful impression aside, she asked, “Why?”

“You sighed.” As if he’d just caught on, he gave her a wry grin. “You want to handle this errand yourself, don’t you? So Julia will know you can manage running the shop while she’s gone?”

That wasn’t quite it, but she’d just met him and confessing that he made her irrationally nervous didn’t seem like the right way to go. “No, it’s fine. Really,” she added with a smile to smooth out the creases in his forehead.

“If you’re sure.” When she nodded, he motioned her ahead of him. “Then ladies first.”

More than once, he’d referred to her as a lady. Not only that, she mused as she started walking, he actually made her feel like one. She couldn’t recall the last time someone had done that for her, and despite her lingering misgivings, she had to admit she liked it.

* * *

Lauren Foster was like a Thoroughbred, Ben quickly realized. Beautiful to look at but skittish as anything.

Dressed in conservative gray trousers and a navy blouse, she appeared to be ready for work in an office somewhere. When she turned her head to look across the street, he noticed the way her ponytail caught the sunlight in a cascade of honey-gold curls. It was an intriguing contradiction to the all-business outfit, more suited to a picnic than a job indoors.

Women usually took to him right away, so her standoffish manner baffled him. Then again, he amended as they strolled along, maybe it wasn’t him. The idea that someone in her past had done something to make her so timid riled his protective nature, and he had to remind himself it was none of his business. She was Julia’s friend, nothing more. Still, he wouldn’t mind getting to know her better, figure out what was going on behind those amazing blue eyes.

“Isn’t that the church in Julia’s model village?” Lauren asked, pointing to the old-fashioned white chapel tucked into the town square.

“The Safe Harbor Church. Pastor McHenry is Julia’s future father-in-law, and he’ll be doing the ceremony.”

“I couldn’t believe it when she told me Nick’s the son of a preacher. I’ve read his Kaleidoscope magazine online, and in his picture he looks more like the dark, dangerous type.”

“Oh, he is,” Ben assured her with a laugh. “Except with Julia. She doesn’t let him brood too much, which is why she’s perfect for him.”

“That’s nice.”

Ben sensed she was less than impressed by his buddy’s religious background, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to nudge her a little. “Our pastor’s really great, and not intimidating at all. If you wanted to come to Sunday service with Julia, we’d be glad to have you.”

Lauren gave him a suspicious once-over. “You go to church?”

“I met Nick in Sunday school.” Recalling the early days of their friendship made him grin. They were both twenty-eight now, and they still rarely agreed on anything. “When we were kids, we got in a fight over the best way to build the walls of Jericho.”

“Weren’t those the ones that came down?” she teased.

That he’d finally gotten this very somber woman to lighten up a little made Ben feel like he’d scored a touchdown. “To be fair, God had a hand in that. It wasn’t the masons’ fault.”

“I guess.” Her brief moment of humor evaporated into a frown. “I appreciate the invitation, but religion’s really not my thing. We used to go when I was a kid, but now I’m more the sleep-till-noon-go-have-brunch kind of girl.”

Ben suspected she could use some of the warmth he always found in the old chapel, but he’d learned long ago that it’s impossible to convince someone of something they don’t half believe already. You could try, but in the end, you were just wasting your breath.

“That’s fine,” he said as he pulled open the door to the bakery. “If you change your mind, you know how to get there.”

Once inside, Lauren paused and took a deep breath. “Mmm...something smells delicious. What is it?”

“Carolina’s snickerdoodles, runner-up at the state fair last summer.”

“Carolina? Are they named for the state, or is that someone’s name?”

“Carolina and her sister Georgia are from Alabama, but they’ve been here ever since I can remember.” Affectionately known around town as the Bakery Sisters, they were two of Holiday Harbor’s favorite residents. “They came up for a vacation with their husbands and never left. Kinda like Julia.”

Lauren gave him an odd look. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Great minds and all that.” Her eyes narrowed, and he tried not to take her reaction personally. Judging by her rapidly shifting moods, something was going on with her, and he opted to cut her some slack. For better or worse, he’d had a lot of practice with that kind of thing. “If you wanna try the snickerdoodles, we should get ’em now. They won’t last long.”

“That would be great. If they were second place, I can’t imagine what came in first.”

“Mavis Freeman’s gingerbread. She’s our lighthouse keeper, and she wins every year.”

“I thought all those beacons were automated these days,” his guest commented as they joined the line.

“Not the Last Chance Lighthouse,” he informed her. “Mavis would strap herself to the tower if we tried to change anything out there.”

“Let me guess. It got its name because it’s the last chance a boat has to change course before it crashes on the rocks.”

Grinning, he pointed at her. “You got it.”

“There seems to be a story for everything in this town. It’s interesting.”

That was a nice way of putting it, he thought. Growing up, he’d enjoyed living in his quirky hometown, with its salty character and down-to-earth people. Now that he was getting older and still right where he’d started, the age-old traditions were starting to wear on him. Nothing ever changed here, and he knew the villagers inside and out. Maybe that was why Lauren had snared his attention so quickly. Tired of the same old, same old, he was dying to experience something new.

That was it, he decided, relieved to discover the reason for his fascination with her. She was pleasant company, but nothing more than that.

When they arrived at the counter, Georgia Bynes greeted them with a bright, grandmotherly smile. “There’s our favorite fix-it man. And you must be Lauren.” She reached across the counter to shake hands. “We’ve heard so much about you. It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person. Carolina—” she called out “—Julia’s friend is here!”

A slightly younger version of Georgia bustled through the swinging doors, wiping her hands on her flour-dusted apron before echoing her sister’s greeting. “Good to see you both. Your trays are ready, so I’ll just go get them.”

“Don’t bother,” Ben said, strolling over to the antique cooler that occupied half of the back wall. “I got ’em.”

While Lauren signed the delivery receipt, he slid the three trays free and closed the door with his boot. When she appeared behind him with her hands out, he was confused. “What?”

“I can carry at least one.”

“They’re all balanced and everything. If you just get the door, I’ll be fine.” She didn’t respond, but she didn’t drop her hands, either. After a brief standoff, he relented and let her take the top tray from him. “Stubborn, aren’t you?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Not always.” Chuckling, he backed into the entry door to open it for her. “Guess it depends on the situation.”

She slanted him a curious look. “What kind of situation makes it bad?”

“Like if you insisted on going into a burning building to save your clothes, I’d have to stop you.”

That got him a derisive snort. “Do I look like a moron?”

“Not a bit,” he assured her, and was surprised to find he meant it. Normally, he took his time sizing up new people, but this enigmatic woman with the tentative smile had impressed him from the moment he met her. It wasn’t just her looks, either. Gorgeous as she was, he sensed there was a lot going on behind those forget-me-not eyes. Not all of it good, either. “I was just giving you an example of when being stubborn is bad. Which you asked me for, by the way.”

“Fair enough.” A few moments later, she said, “For the record, I’d only go into a burning building to save people or puppies.”

“How ’bout kittens?” he teased, getting a laugh for his trouble.

“Okay, anything breathing. Does that cover it for you?”

“Sure.”

Their trip back to Toyland went a lot quicker than the walk out, and he was sorry to see it end. Now that she’d opened up a little, he wished he could have a few more minutes to talk to her. Then again, he cautioned himself as they offloaded their goodies, that could only lead to trouble. He wasn’t a superficial guy, but experience had taught him to be extremely cautious about relationships. Getting too attached set you up for a lot of heartache when things didn’t work out. It was safer to keep some distance in case things went south.

Because, from what he’d seen so far, they always did. It was just a question of how long it took and how much it hurt when you hit bottom.

Chapter Two

The cookies were no problem, but Lauren quickly realized the sandwich platter would never fit in the small fridge Julia kept in her office for cold drinks.

“Come on.” Angling her helper toward the door marked Private, she headed up to Julia’s apartment. “We’ll put them in the kitchen upstairs.”

When she was about halfway up, a high-brow English accent called out, “Brevity is the soul of wit!”

Giggling, she looked back at Ben. “You probably know Shakespeare.”

“Oh, yeah,” he replied with a chuckle. “The Bard and me, we go way back. I thought Julia was just bird-sitting, though. Is she keeping him for good?”

“His owner, Liam, will be at the wedding,” Lauren explained as they continued up. “He’s an interpreter, and his last assignment will be over then. After that, they’re on their way back to Wales.”

When they reached the top, a huge blue-and-yellow macaw nodded at them with what struck Lauren as a regal bow. “Greetings, fair maiden.” Eyeing Ben, he skidded to the side of his perch and adopted a more modern pose. “Wassup, dude?”

Ben laughed, and she shook her head at him. “You taught him that, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. You can only take so much classic literature.”

“Between that and the kids teaching him nursery rhymes, it’ll take Liam months to retrain him.”

“Who knows,” Ben said as they went into the galley kitchen at the back of Julia’s apartment. “Maybe he’ll appreciate some variety.”

“I’d imagine he’ll be glad to be home for a while,” she said while she opened the fridge and moved things around to make room for the platter. “He’s been going from one post to another for most of the last year.”

“Kinda cool, being able to travel around like that,” Ben commented with more than a hint of envy. “You get sick of one place, you just pack up and check out somewhere else.”

Lauren had done that, leaving a quiet Philadelphia neighborhood for the sparkling Big Apple she’d always longed to explore. In the end, she’d discovered it wasn’t where you were that mattered. It was who you were with. “It’s not as fun as it sounds. If you’re not with the right person, you could be living in a castle, and it’s still awful.”

As he handed over the sandwiches, Ben frowned. “You sound like someone who has some personal experience with castles.”

And princes, Lauren added silently. The problem was, the ones she kissed kept turning into frogs, instead of the other way around. She used to believe there was someone for everyone, but lately she couldn’t help wondering if that philosophy needed some fine-tuning. “Let’s just say I’ve done my time in the tower and I’m not in a hurry to go back.”

Her attempt at humor had the effect she was after, and he grinned. “Rapunzel. Ever since she saw the movie, my niece Allie is crazy about that story. She always says if that was her, she’d never have let them put her up there in the first place.”

“Good for her,” Lauren approved. “I wish I’d thought of that.”

He gave her an encouraging smile. “We all make mistakes, Lauren. It’s what we do afterward that really counts.”

The simple wisdom in his words touched her deeply. In the brief time she’d known him, she’d gotten more warmth and understanding from him than she had in a year with Jeremy. If only she’d known more guys like Ben, she might have caught on to Jeremy’s scheme in time to save herself a lot of heartache.

Shoving the past into the back of her mind for now, she closed the fridge and smiled up at Ben. “Thanks for your help. I should get back down there to help Julia set up for the party.”

He cocked his head like he’d just heard something unusual. “You don’t sound thrilled with that.”

“Well,” she hedged then decided she might as well come clean. “I’m not used to kids, so I’m not sure what to expect.”

“You’ll do fine,” he assured her with a confidence she wished she could tap into. “Kids love making Easter eggs and eating snacks, so there’s not much for you to do except make sure they don’t dye their friend’s hair purple or something.”

“You almost make it sound like fun,” she said as they went back through the apartment.

“It is if you let it be. Like most things, if you let it feel like a chore, then it’s no fun at all.” Pausing beside Julia’s enormous dollhouse, he made a face. “Like this beast. Nick wanted it to be a Christmas Eve surprise, so he shanghaied me to put it together and bring it up here while Julia was gone. Not my favorite kinda job, but since it was for her, I went along.”

“She absolutely adores it,” Lauren told him sincerely. “It was really nice of you to help out.”

“Well, I couldn’t leave Nick to do it himself. He doesn’t know a screwdriver from an impact wrench.”

Neither did Lauren, but she kept that to herself as they went back downstairs. Closing the door behind them, she looked up into those bright blue eyes as they crinkled in a smile. For her, she realized. He was trying to build up her confidence, to drive away some of the uncertainty that had dogged her every step since leaving New York. Who did that for a stranger? she wondered. She’d given him no encouragement whatsoever, and yet he’d still been so kind to her, she couldn’t help wanting to spend more time with him.

Bad idea. Very, very bad.

“Thanks for the advice about the kids,” she said politely. “Have a good day.”

“You, too, princess.”

With that, he sent Julia a quick wave and headed for the door. Lauren tried not to stare after him, really she did. But she couldn’t help herself, and was mortified to realize she was still watching him when Julia glided up next to her and bumped her shoulder.

“Earth to Lauren.”

“Hmm?” Her old friend laughed, and Lauren realized she’d been set up by a pro. Glaring over, she asked, “What were you thinking, tossing us together that way?”

“That you need to meet a nice guy who would treat you the way you deserve.” Nodding at the view outside the front window, she added, “I think Ben fits the bill nicely, don’t you?”

She wanted to deny it, but that would be transparently stupid, so she shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Oh, come on! There’s not a single woman within a hundred miles who wouldn’t kill for the kind of attention you’ve gotten from him today.”

“I’m sure,” Lauren replied primly. “He looks like the cheerleader type.”

“You were a cheerleader,” Julia pointed out, blue eyes twinkling merrily. “I think you two look fabulous together, but there’s more to it than that. He’s a real sweetheart, and you could use some of that in your life. You don’t have to marry him or anything. I was just hoping you two might hit it off and enjoy spending some time together while you’re here.”

“But when you get back from your honeymoon, I’m leaving,” Lauren reminded her.

Julia responded with a cryptic smile. “We’ll see. I came for a two-week vacation and realized this is where I was meant to be. Maybe you’ll do the same.”

“I’m not sure where I belong, but it’s certainly not here.”

“We’ll see,” her friend repeated, going to the door when the bells above it announced the first of their egg-coloring guests.

Lauren was a little baffled by her debate with Julia, but one thing was certain. She had no intention of getting attached to this tiny fishing village or the very appealing Ben Thomas. She’d left behind the life she’d once been convinced she wanted, and she simply didn’t have the heart to open herself up for any more disappointment.

As she crossed into the crafts section of Toyland, she saw there were about ten kids of various ages scattered around while a handful of parents clustered near the coffee and Danishes Julia had set up for them. The boss was her usual brilliant self, chatting up parents and kids with equal enthusiasm. At a loss for what to do, Lauren took a few minutes to assess the situation before jumping in.

To her surprise, a little girl in a pink T-shirt and denim capris approached her. Giving Lauren a quick once-over, she offered up an adorable gap-toothed grin. “You look like you need a friend.”

If this had been an adult, the forthright manner would have startled Lauren. Since she towered over her greeter, though, it was just cute. Hunkering down, she offered her hand. “You can never have too many friends. My name’s Lauren.”

With a firm shake, the girl said, “I’m Hannah Martin. Julia’s going to be my aunt soon.”

Julia gushed about the Martin family, so Lauren felt as if she knew them already. “I hear you’re going to be the flower girl at their wedding. Are you excited?”

“Very. It’s an important job, and I have to do it right. Mommy and Julia took me shopping in Portland to buy me a special dress and fancy white shoes. They’re beautiful,” she added with a dreamy sigh.

Lauren smiled as her memory flipped back to her own childhood, playing princesses with her sisters. What little girl didn’t like dressing up for make-believe? “Are you carrying a basket or a bouquet?”

“Both,” Hannah informed her proudly. “I have to toss rose petals out of the basket, but I get to hold on to my flowers. I’m gonna keep them for-ever.”

“Forever, huh? How long is that?”

Hannah squinted her eyes, scrunching her nose in concentration. “Well, I’m five now, but some people live to be a hundred. Maybe when I’m in kindergarten I can figure it out.”

“No doubt,” Lauren agreed with a laugh. “When you do, let me know.”

“Okay.”

Another girl at the front door squealed her name, and Hannah skipped off to meet her. When Julia had first suggested she help out at Toyland, Lauren hadn’t been sure about the idea. It wasn’t that she disliked children, she mused while she circled the table arranging chairs and supplies for Easter eggs and the coloring contest. She just didn’t have any experience with anything other than rocking her infant nephew.

Apparently, Hannah noticed her apprehension and went out of her way to make Lauren feel welcome. Their lighthearted exchange was a success, and she was warming up to the idea of working here, at least for a while. Hopefully, this was the beginning of good things to come.

“All right, everyone!” Julia announced. “Welcome to Toyland’s very first Easter Egg-stravaganza.”

The parents laughed, but most of the kids looked blankly at each other. Hannah caught on first, and she burst out laughing. “I get it—eggs. That’s funny.”

Julia rewarded her with a bright smile and a slight bow. “We’ve got eggs to color and an art contest to judge. Are you ready to get started?”

They all cheered, and Lauren wisely stepped back while they raced toward the paper-covered tables.

After that, the day flew by in a blur of boiled eggs, crayons, trips to the bathroom and tons of cookies. By her estimate, the kids ranged in age from three to nine, and their artistic ability varied widely. Some preferred pastels, others left their eggs in the dye to take on rich, jewel tones.

Crouching down beside one very intent boy later that afternoon, Lauren caught his name from the tag on his shirt. “How’s it going, Adam?”

“Fine.” Shoving wire-rimmed glasses up on his pug nose, he dipped his egg into a fresh color. “Black is all the colors mixed together, so I’m trying to make a black egg.”

Lauren was stunned by the scientific spin to what she’d always considered a childish task. “Really? I didn’t know that.”

He nodded earnestly. “It was on the science show yesterday. I thought it was cool.”

“So do I.” Smiling, she stood to move around the table. “Let me know how it turns out.”

“Will do.”

He sounded so grown-up, she had to ask, “How old are you?”

“Seven, but Mom says I’m going on thirty. I’m not sure why, but that’s what she says.”

Glancing back, Lauren noticed one of the moms watching them with curiosity. Grinning at her, Lauren said, “Moms are pretty smart, so she must be right.”

The woman responded with an approving smile of her own, and Adam nodded. “She usually is. Except when it comes to broccoli. I really hate broccoli.”

Lauren laughed for about the tenth time in an hour, and it felt amazing. Her life had lurched down a dark, somber road, and it was wonderful to feel some of the clouds lifting from over her head.

No doubt about it—this was the best day she’d had in a long, long time.

* * *

Tuesday morning, Ben stood at the kitchen counter wolfing down a bowl of cereal. He had a packed schedule of jobs today, and he checked the microwave clock to see it was almost seven. Slurping down the last of his milk, he quickly rinsed his dishes and put them in the dishwasher. His coffee wasn’t quite done dripping, but he interrupted the cycle and grabbed the stainless-steel travel mug on his way out the door.

Outside, he jumped in his truck and headed to the other side of town. When he pulled in at his father’s place, it was quiet as a tomb. It was time to be up getting ready for work, so he interpreted the lack of movement as a bad sign. Ben used his key to let himself in, bracing himself for what he knew he’d find.

Sprawled out on the living room sofa, his father was sound asleep, cradling an old wedding picture in his arms. Empty whiskey bottles were toppled on the coffee table, where Ben found a very official-looking gray envelope and duplicate sets of legal papers stapled into covers. A quick glance showed him they were final divorce papers, and a flash of anger shot through him.

Mom had been gone nearly a year now, but he still couldn’t understand how thirty-five years of marriage ended up printed out in triplicate and neatly bound for filing. It was enough to make even the most optimistic soul doubt the possibility of happily ever after.

His stomach turned at the realization that his disconnected family would never be whole again. He could only imagine what yesterday’s mail delivery had done to his brokenhearted father. How could his own wife hurt him this way? Like any family, they had their problems, but Ben couldn’t recall anything truly awful. When had things gotten so bad that his mother had decided her only option was to run away?

He’d asked himself those questions a million times. Since he was no closer to an answer now than before, he focused on what he could do something about. Tucking the papers in their envelope, he shoved them in a nearby drawer to get them out of sight. Then he cleared a spot on the table and sat facing his father.

“Dad?” When he got no response, he repeated it a little louder. There was a shudder, followed by a general ripple of movement. “Dad, it’s Ben. Wake up.”

Squinting against the weak sunlight, he focused bleary eyes on Ben. “Morning.”

It was a start. The lecture he’d been set to give went straight out of his head, and he went with sympathy. “I see you had a bad night. Why didn’t you call me?”

“I—” He seemed to realize he was still holding the picture, and he set it on the table before pulling himself into a sitting position. “I wanted some time alone.”

“With your old friends.” Ben nodded at the collection of empties and was pleased to see his father grimace.

“I bought ’em in Oakbridge and came straight back here. I passed half a dozen bars on my way, but I didn’t stop. I was sober when I was driving, and that’s the truth.”

The vow got Ben’s attention, and he changed tracks. “I believe you, but this has been going on long enough, and I’m thinking maybe it’s time you talk to someone about it. You’re not doing so well on your own.”

He chewed on that for a minute then frowned. “You’re probably right, but shrinks cost money I don’t have.”

“Pastor McHenry is real easy to talk to. You could go see him.” When that got him nowhere, Ben made one more desperate attempt. “You’ve always enjoyed going to church, but you haven’t been there since Christmas Eve. Why don’t we go together on Sunday? I’ll even take you to brunch at the Albatross afterward.”

“I’ll think about it.” Standing, he added, “Meantime, I’ll go get ready for work.”

He was more than a little unsteady, and Ben almost told him to take the day off. The trouble was, he feared that with nothing to occupy his time, Dad would stare at that old picture and drink himself back into oblivion.

So, despite his misgivings, he got to his feet and forced optimism into his tone. “Sounds good. I’ll see you at the lighthouse.”

“Yes, you will.” The fog lifted from his eyes, and he gave Ben the bright, genuine smile he hadn’t seen in far too long. “I haven’t been much of a father lately, but I’m real proud of you, how responsible you are. You know that, don’t you?”

Ben’s heart swelled with pride, and he swallowed around the lump that had unexpectedly appeared in his throat. This was his father, the honest small-town boy who’d married his high school sweetheart and built a business with equal parts sweat and integrity. He’d been stumbling a lot lately, but with some help, Ben believed he could recover. “Yeah, Dad. I know.”

“Good.” Patting Ben’s arm, he shuffled back through the hallway that led to the bathroom.

Taking a few moments to get his emotions back under wraps, Ben dialed the lighthouse’s number. Mavis wasn’t as spry as she used to be, so he waited patiently for her to answer. “If you’re gonna be late, I don’t wanna hear it. I got four buckets overflowing in my sitting room.”

“Just wanted to let you know we’re running a little late this morning. I’ll come out and prep and Dad’ll join up with me later.”

“That don’t sound good.” Suddenly, the gruffness was gone, and in a gentler tone she said, “I saw him yesterday afternoon, and he looked like he got run over by a backhoe. Is he all right?”

Out of respect for his father’s dignity, Ben hesitated. Then again, Mavis had been a close friend of the Thomases for more than forty years. If anyone would understand what was going on, it would be her. “More or less. The divorce papers came from Mom’s lawyer yesterday, and he didn’t take it well.”

“That poor man,” she clucked in sympathy. “Are you sure he should be working?”

“I think it’s the best thing for him. I’ll give him some easy stuff to do to keep him busy, and anything tricky I’ll handle myself. You have my word your ceiling will be good as new when we’re done.”

“Never doubted that. I’ll have the coffee ready when you get here.”

With that, she hung up, and he shut off his phone. He could hear the shower running, so he figured it was okay for him to go. On his way out, he made a detour to take care of whatever had started smelling up the house since he was here last. He grabbed a large bag from under the sink and did a quick circuit of the living room and kitchen, dropping in things that should have been tossed out a while ago.

He was officially behind schedule, but he took a couple of minutes to get the coffeemaker going. Taking out a loaf of bread and the butter, he left them next to the toaster as a not-so-subtle reminder for Dad to have something to eat before leaving. A glance around showed him he hadn’t missed anything, and he left the trash in the outside bin on his way back to his truck. Any psychiatrist worth their salt would probably tell him he was making a huge mistake, cleaning up after a grown man who was perfectly capable of doing it himself.

The problem was, Ben couldn’t bring himself to leave things the way he’d found them. It was too depressing.

* * *

Early-morning sunshine woke Lauren the following day even before her alarm went off. After a long, fun day, she’d conked out around eight-thirty and hadn’t moved until just now. Julia’s guest room was in the front of the apartment, with a wide window that looked east, out toward the harbor. When she got up to take a peek outside, she saw the glass was a little frosty, but the sun was rapidly turning Jack Frost’s work into streams of water that glinted as they trickled down the window.

Edging the window open, she clearly heard some very optimistic birds in the trees out front, and noticed two that kept flying back and forth to the eaves under the sloping roof. Farther afield, she registered the sounds of people starting their days in the shops along Main Street. One voice called out a cheerful greeting and was met with a grumpier response as a truck started up and drove away.

Suddenly, Lauren wasn’t satisfied with observing. She wanted to be out in that crisp New England morning, drinking in the sights and sounds of this place that had offered her a safe haven from the demons haunting her former life. Pulling on jeans and the hand-knit fisherman’s sweater she’d bought her first day in town, she jammed on her sneakers and crept down the short hallway to avoid waking Julia. Fortunately, the usually talkative Shakespeare was in his little canvas tent, and she made it downstairs with just a quiet squeak on the old steps.

Outside, she paused on the sidewalk in front of Toyland and took in a deep breath. Chilly and clear as a bell, the air was scented with coffee and spices wafting up from the bakery. It wasn’t even seven yet, so she had plenty of time for a walking breakfast. Drawn in by the delicious smell, she headed over to find out what was on the menu at Holiday Harbor Sweets this morning.

Within a few minutes, she was holding a large cup of hazelnut coffee and a bear claw still warm from the oven, dripping with the yummiest icing she’d ever tasted. Deciding she’d already seen all there was of the small downtown, she set out in the other direction, toward the harbor, to check out what was going on down there.

Accustomed to the hectic pace of a large city, she thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to wander around at a more leisurely clip. She didn’t want to get in the way of the crews prepping their boats, but she stood at the top of the large gangway, watching and listening. While the men hollered back and forth, rigging squeaked and clanged, all of it underscored by the calls of circling gulls overhead. It was as if they were staking out their territory, reminding the fishermen they’d be waiting for their share when the boats returned later in the day.

Here, the air was heavier, dosed with salt and the smell of diesel engines. A steady line of boats headed out to sea, in an orderly floating parade that suggested they did it this way every single day. A metallic clang caught her attention, and Lauren looked out to find the source of the noise. Buoys bobbed in the water, marking the path into the busy wharf. Beyond them, rising up out of the mist, was Last Chance Lighthouse, its slowly rotating beacon cutting a path through the fog.

It didn’t look too far away, Lauren decided, backtracking up the ramp to continue her stroll. After hearing Ben’s nutshell version of its history, she wouldn’t mind seeing it up close. The two-lane blacktop road leading out there needed some work, but it was in prime condition compared to the dirt lane that wound in toward the tower and the small house attached to it.

From here, the activity of the wharf was drowned out by the sound of waves crashing on the rocks that formed the rugged coastline. Drawn in by the awesome power of the ocean, Lauren carefully picked her way down a footpath of sorts that led to the narrow beach. Once she was back on solid ground, she stared out at the water, amazed by the sheer force driving the morning tide toward the shore.

While she finished her breakfast, the salty wind continually blew through her hair, and more than once she almost lost her balance when a strong gust hit her full on. Closing her eyes, she felt the natural currents of wind and water swirling around her and could almost imagine them blowing her past away.

“Not a good idea being down here this time of day.” At the sound of Ben’s voice, she opened her eyes to find him standing beside her. “Low tide’s better for exploring the shoreline.”

A little rattled by her instinctive response to the sea, Lauren did her best to laugh it off. “You’re right. It’s so beautiful, I guess I got carried away.”

His laugh was lost in a sudden gush of noise, but his wide grin came through loud and clear. “Didn’t really take you for a nature lover. You have any other surprises you’re hiding?”

Through harsh experience, she’d learned to be wary of handsome men with disarming grins. Somehow, this one was different. The instincts she’d kept under wraps for the past few months began rustling, assuring her Ben was someone to be trusted. If not with her heart, then at least with her friendship. Offering him a genuine smile, she teased, “A lady never tells.”

“Right.”

As the rising sun glinted off the incoming water, for the first time she noticed it swirling into depressions along the rocky cliffs. “Are those caves down there?”

“Yeah, but most of ’em flood at high tide, so it’s best to steer clear unless you’re with someone who knows which ones are safe.”

He added a knowing look, and she had to laugh. “So you’re a mind reader, too?”

“Something like that. I’m headed inside to chat with Mavis about her sitting-room ceiling. Wanna meet her?”

Lauren nearly declined, then changed her mind. It was still early, and she had plenty of time before Toyland opened at ten. What harm could it do? “The woman who makes the killer gingerbread? Absolutely.”

Ben held out one of those very capable hands for her, and Lauren’s heart beat as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. She recognized he was only being considerate, offering to steady her on the uneven ground, but being within arm’s reach of him went completely against the polite-but-distant policy she’d adopted for men in general. Reaching for a nice way to refuse the gentlemanly gesture, she wiped her hands on her jeans. “I’m all sticky, but thanks.”

Confusion flashed in his eyes but quickly evaporated as he shrugged and trudged up the hill beside her. When they reached the tower’s gravelly yard, the bright red front door opened. An older woman dressed in baggy slacks and a moth-eaten sweater stepped out holding a leash in her hand. The animal at the other end of it made Lauren stop dead in her tracks. “What in the world is that?”

“That’s Reggie,” Ben explained as they continued up the pathway. “He’s a pot-bellied pig.”

The woman lived alone in a lighthouse on the edge of the sea, made gingerbread and kept a pig for a pet. Lauren had seen some odd things since arriving in Holiday Harbor, but this one definitely took the cake.

“Mavis Freeman,” Ben began, “this is Lauren Foster. She’s gonna be helping Julia out at Toyland.”

Squinting at Lauren, Mavis studied her intently while Reggie snuffled around her sneakers. It was a strange way to greet someone, but Lauren did her best to look and sound friendly. “Good morning, Ms. Freeman. You have a beautiful home.”

That got her a furious glare. “It’s Mrs. Freeman. I don’t truck with all that modern feminist nonsense.”

“Mavis is the keeper’s widow,” Ben said almost reverently. Lauren would have found that description slightly insulting, but Mavis beamed at him as if he’d proclaimed her queen.

“That’s right. I don’t know where you’re from, missy, but there’s still folks around who do things the old-fashioned way.”

“Actually, I’m from Philadelphia,” Lauren replied as pleasantly as she could manage. Instinct warned her that her stint in New York was best left out of this conversation. “With all that history around us, we like doing things the old-fashioned way, too.”

Some of the disapproval left their hostess’s expression, and she gave a short nod. “All right, then.”

Uncertain if she’d passed muster with the brusque keeper or not, Lauren opted to shift her attention to Reggie. After circling her a few times, he politely sat in front of her. Looking up at Lauren with what could only be described as a smile, he wagged his bristly tail for all he was worth. Grateful for the distraction, she knelt down and scratched behind his floppy ears. “You’re a real cutie. How’d you end up here?”

Apparently, to get on Mavis’s good side, all you had to do was be kind to her unusual pet. Her lined face cracking into a smile, she explained, “We’re a pair, me and Reggie. A little tough on the eyes, but for the right kinda folks, we got good hearts. Don’t we, boy?”

He grunted his agreement, and Lauren couldn’t help laughing as she stood. “That’s awesome. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Mavis took the hand she offered, and Lauren felt as if she’d made a huge leap toward fitting into her temporary home. Glancing over at Ben, she registered the concern on his face and frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“Nope, but my dad’ll be here soon, so I’d best get to work inside.”

He turned to go, but Mavis called him back. “Where’s your manners gone to? The girl needs a ride back to town.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Lauren assured her. “I walked out here, and it’s not any farther going back.”

Crossing her arms in obvious disapproval, the woman didn’t say anything but pinned Ben with a stern, unyielding look. Shaking his head, he grinned at Lauren. “Okay, then. Guess I’m driving you back to Toyland.”

“It’s really not—”

“Just be quiet and go along,” he murmured, motioning her toward his truck. “It’s not a big deal.”

Figuring he knew best, she said goodbye to Mavis and Reggie and climbed into the passenger seat. As they started back, she said, “What was that all about?”

“Nothing. It’s just easier to go along when she gets stubborn like that.”

A few seconds later, she caught on and started laughing. “Let me guess. When you were a kid, she scared you half to death.”

The sideways glance he slid her told her she’d hit that one dead-on. “Fine, she did. But to be fair, she scared everyone under the age of ten. Then when her husband died a few years ago—” he shrugged “—I think she got lonely, so she started being a little nicer. She and Dad are old friends, so we help out with the lighthouse and the residence when she needs something repaired. Or someone to have coffee with.”

“You’re good to her, so she’s good to you.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Touched by the sweet, simple story, Lauren sighed. “That’s how it’s supposed to be. If everyone did that, the world would be a much better place.”

As they pulled onto Main Street, Ben added, “That’s why they call it the Golden Rule.”

“I guess.”

To Lauren, it sounded too good to be true, but she recognized that was her ingrained skepticism talking. She didn’t used to be that way, she lamented. What had happened to the girl who’d believed there was good in everyone? Sadly, she knew the answer, but she didn’t want to spoil such a beautiful, sunny morning with dark thoughts.

Outside Toyland, Ben pulled to a stop and got out to open her door. Climbing down, she stood inside the open door, much closer to him than she’d intended. Oddly enough, the anxiety she’d felt on the beach earlier was much less intense, and the smile she gave him was only slightly forced. Maybe she was finally getting a little of her old confidence back. She wasn’t rock solid yet, but being within Ben’s reach was a good first step.

Squinting against the rising sun, she said, “Thanks for the ride. Be sure to tell Mavis you delivered me in one piece.”

“Will do. Have a good day.”

“You, too.”

That got her another, even brighter grin than she’d yet seen from him. He seemed to have an endless collection of them, each one more endearing than the last. As he got back in and drove away, he waved through the back window, and like a sentimental damsel in an old movie, she caught herself waving back. All she was missing was the lacy handkerchief, she groused as she unlocked the door to Toyland.

But as she made her way upstairs, she allowed herself a little smile. For the first time in ages, she’d had a couple of uninterrupted hours to herself, and they were wonderful. What was so special about them? she wondered while she started the coffeemaker in the kitchen. On her way into the bathroom, she came to the conclusion that nothing extraordinary had happened except that she’d enjoyed doing absolutely nothing but breathe.

Maybe, she thought with a little grin at her reflection, that was the whole point.

Chapter Three

“I think this should do it, Mavis,” Ben announced, tapping the supply list he’d made. “That section of roof needs to be replaced, then we can fix the ceiling. I’ll get everything we need, and we’ll be back tomorrow to get started.”

She accepted his comment with her characteristic nod. “There’s rain coming this weekend, you know.”

“We won’t be totally done by then, but we’ll make sure it’s buttoned up against the weather, don’t you worry. Right, Dad?”

“Right.”

Ben had made several clumsy attempts to include his father in the discussion with their client, as much to keep him engaged as to be polite. Quiet but steady, Dad was obviously doing his best to stay focused, but Ben had a sneaking suspicion if he left him alone for five minutes, he’d be asleep on his feet.

“I really should get into Landry’s Books and finish installing that cabinet,” Ben commented, uneasy about leaving his father alone.

As if sensing his discomfort, Mavis patted his shoulder in an unexpectedly motherly gesture and nudged him toward the door. “You go on. Me and Craig’ll have some lunch and a nice long chat.”

The prospect of food perked Dad up considerably, and he gave her a fond smile. “I’d like that very much. Thank you.”

Pleased by the upturn his worrisome morning had taken, Ben teased, “You sure I can leave you two kids alone out here?”

“Oh, you,” Mavis clucked, the faint blush on her cheeks telling him he’d managed to flatter the crustiest woman in town. “Get outta here before I put you to work in my vegetable garden.”

Ben made a show of bolting for the exit, letting the outer door slam behind him. As he strolled out to his truck, he heard laughter inside and congratulated himself on successfully navigating what could have been an awkward situation. His father needed someone to talk to, a friend who’d listen to his problems without judging. Since Ben hadn’t gotten anywhere with him, he was grateful for any help Mavis could give.

On his way into town, he finally had a chance to mull over his odd discussion with Lauren that morning. Her baffling comments made it painfully obvious that she’d been through something awful recently, and his gut was almost certain that was why she’d unexpectedly landed in his hometown. What was she hiding? he wondered.

They’d just met, so it had nothing to do with him, which meant it was strictly none of his business. Even if by some stretch of the imagination he could do something about it, he wasn’t keen on adding Julia’s troubled friend to his already lengthy list of responsibilities. Still, he couldn’t help wishing there was something he could do to help her.

When Ben got to Landry’s Books, the owner Amelia Landry, met him at the door with a worried frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just had to finish up something out at the lighthouse before I came here.”

Eyes narrowing, she gave him the Mom look. “If you don’t want to tell me, fine, but I know something’s up with you. Cooper gets that same look on his face when he’s chewing on something.”

As a single mother, she’d more or less adopted her son’s friends as her own. Even though they were all adults now, she still watched over them. With his own mother completely out of the picture, Ben appreciated Amelia now more than ever.

But he’d never share his suspicions about Lauren with anyone, so he just grinned. “It’s really nothing, but thanks. Now, the sooner I get back to work on those cabinets, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair.”

While he opened his toolbox, Amelia made a good show of fussing over a display of Easter figurines and doodads set out for the holiday. The original formation looked fine to him, so he guessed that she was stalling, trying to frame whatever it was she had to say.

“I saw you in town with Julia’s friend yesterday,” she began. “She’s quite an eyeful.”

Setting a hinge in place, he chuckled. “Yup, she’s real pretty.” Actually, she was a stunner straight out of some old Hollywood movie, but admitting that would open him up for all kinds of probing questions, so he kept that detail to himself.

“What’s her name?”

Ben knew perfectly well the local gossip mill had churned out that bit of information long before Lauren even arrived in town. Because he liked Amelia, he played along. “Lauren Foster.”

“What a lovely name. Is she nice?”

That wasn’t the right term, but Ben was surprised to find he couldn’t come up with a one-word description of her. She was clearly bright and talented, but she had a darkness about her that struck him as completely out of place. That contradiction intrigued him more than it should, and to get back on track, he simply said, “Yeah, she’s nice.”

“I hear Julia adores her,” Amelia went on, using a feather duster on a collection of pint-size forest gnomes. “She’s been worried about her, though. It seems Lauren’s gotten herself tangled up with someone who’s not very good for her.”

“I’m pretty sure they broke up,” Ben blurted without thinking. Embarrassed to be gossiping, he focused on the hinge to conceal his sudden discomfort.

“Really? Well, that’s a whole new ball game then, isn’t it?”

Glancing up, Ben caught Amelia eyeing him, then laughed when she abruptly turned her attention to a nearby shelf that was already perfectly arranged. “And you think I should step up to the plate, is that it?”

“I’m just saying there’s more to this life than work and more work. When’s the last time you had a date?”

“Church social last month.”

“You sat with the pastor and his family then ended up washing dishes till midnight. That’s not the kind of socializing a young man needs, and you know it.” Setting the duster aside, she hunkered down beside him. “Ben, your mom and I were friends all through school, but what she’s done to all of you is just plain wrong. When things get tough, you don’t turn your back on the people who need you.”

Ben had never discussed the breakup of his family with anyone, and it still made him sick to think about it. After an honorable discharge from the military, his older brother, Eric, was roaming around New England, working odd jobs and still trying to find his place. Three years ago, his sister, Casey had moved to Detroit with her husband and young children. That left Ben alone to manage their father’s troubling downhill slide.

Amelia’s honest sympathy had nudged a crack into his characteristic self-control, and he heard himself say, “The divorce is final now. Dad’s taking it pretty hard.”

“Of course he is. Divorces are awful, even when you both agree it’s the best thing for everyone.”

Ben didn’t have a response for that, so he just nodded. Having gone through it herself when Cooper was young, he figured she knew what she was talking about.

Standing, she folded her arms and looked down at him. “What you need is to have some fun. This girl won’t be in town forever, so you should ask her out sooner rather than later.”

“What makes you think I even want to?” She tipped her head in a chiding gesture, and he laughed. “Okay, maybe I was tempted for about five seconds, but she’s one of those uptown girls who needs a room-sized closet to hold all her shoes. Not exactly my type.”

“I’m not saying marry her,” she argued, “I’m saying go to a movie or something. You only live once, and you should make sure you grab a little fun along the way.”

Maybe she was right, he thought. Lauren had snared his attention the moment he met her, and he was more than a little curious about what made her tick. She’d left her ex behind in New York, so there was no reason for Ben to keep his distance. Amelia’s suggestion was worth thinking about, anyway. Since Lauren was new in town, she didn’t know anyone but Julia, who was busy with her wedding. He could invite Lauren over for a good meal and some friendly conversation, no strings attached. Where was the harm in that?

Of course, if he shared his train of thought with Amelia, he’d never hear the end of it. Instead, he fended off her repeated attempts at a fix-up until he finished with her cabinets. The day had gotten away from him, so by the time Ben filled his supply list and checked in with Thomas and Sons other ongoing jobs, it was eight o’clock when he got home.

Too tired for anything beyond a glass of water, he kicked off his boots and fell into bed. Out of habit, he checked his voice mail and saw he had a message from an old buddy of his who now lived in Boston. Wondering what might be up, he played the recording.

“Hey, man, it’s Davy. Just took on a restoration job in Concord and could really use a top-notch guy like you. The project starts June 1, so you can crash with me till you find a place down here. Call me and I’ll give you the deets. Later.”

Intrigued, Ben started to call, but paused with his thumb hovering over the return button. He and Davy both loved old houses, and had spent summers helping to refurbish many of the eighteenth-and nineteenth-century homes in and around Holiday Harbor. While he accepted the general contracting work he was doing now, nothing made Ben happier than to restore an old building to its former glory. That was why he’d taken on the challenging job at Toyland. It had required a ton of research and painstaking work, but every time he walked in there, he felt proud to be part of bringing the neglected old storefront back to life.

But right now, Thomas and Sons needed him more than Davy did. Eric might be home next week, or he might never come back. Ben had no way of knowing, but he couldn’t bring himself to abandon his father. Even if it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Sighing, he saved the message and plugged his phone in to charge. All he had to do was close his eyes and he was sound asleep.

It didn’t last. When his phone lit up and started ringing, he groaned in protest, then rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head. Whoever it was could get a life and leave him a message. If he didn’t get some sleep, he wouldn’t make it through tomorrow, much less the rest of the week. The phone went silent, but not for long. When it started up again, he realized it must be important and flopped onto his back to check the caller ID.

Eric. His big brother was a night owl, but he knew good and well Ben wasn’t. Something was wrong, and he thumbed the answer function. “Yeah?”

“Tell me Dad’s with you.”

The blood in Ben’s veins froze in place, and he cautioned himself not to overreact. Taking a deep breath, he said, “He’s not. Why?”

“We were supposed to meet here in Rockland for dinner, but he never showed. I called his cell, but it went right to voice mail. Same with the house phone.”

“He and Mavis had lunch today,” Ben suggested. “Maybe he’s still out at the lighthouse.”

“That’s the first place I called.”

Rubbing his gritty eyes with one hand, he asked, “Did you try the bars in Oakbridge?”

“Yeah, but nobody remembers seeing him. I’m getting worried.”

That was an understatement, Ben knew. Having served ten years as an Army Ranger, not much rattled his big brother. If Eric admitted to being concerned about something, the average person would be downright hysterical. “It’s not like him to disappear like this. Where could he be?”

“You don’t think—”

He stopped abruptly, and a feeling of dread crept up Ben’s spine. “Think what?”

“That he did something, y’know, desperate?”

Ben’s heart thudded to a stop. It wasn’t unheard of for people to go up to Schooner Point and fling themselves from the high rocky cliff into the ocean. He should have gone by the lighthouse that afternoon as he’d planned, to check on Dad as much as the job. But he’d gotten so preoccupied with Lauren and the baffling effect she had on him, it had completely slipped his mind. After their heart-to-heart that morning, Dad might have interpreted Ben’s inadvertent absence the wrong way. Ben had to find him and make sure he was safe.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Ben said while he retied his boots. “I’ll call you when I find him.”

“You mean if,” Eric retorted gloomily.

“I mean when,” he insisted, refusing to even consider any other possibility. His family might be in pieces, but everyone was safe and sound. Ben was determined to do everything in his power to keep it that way.

“I hope you’re right. I’ll be up late, so call anytime.”

On that slightly more optimistic note, he hung up. Sighing, Ben tilted his head back and sent up a heartfelt prayer. “I know You’ve got a lot to do, but I could really use Your help down here.”

Figuring that sentiment pretty much covered it, he grabbed a spare jacket and jumped into his truck. The fuel gauge hovered just above E, and he bit back an exasperated scream while he backtracked to the garage for the gas can he used on job sites. It was half-empty, but he drained it into his tank while he mentally added “stop at gas station” to his list for tomorrow morning.

“Long stinkin’ list,” he growled as he finally pulled out. “I need an assistant or something.”

While it did nothing to solve the problem, complaining to himself vented some of his frustration, so he kept going with it as he made a circuit of all the places in town his father might go. It didn’t take long to discover the other Thomas and Sons truck was nowhere to be found. That left him with Schooner Point, which had always been one of Dad’s favorite spots. It was where he’d proposed to Ben’s mother so many years ago, and that he’d head up there now made a twisted kind of sense to Ben.

The sky was clear as a bell, but the sliver of a moon suspended in the darkness didn’t provide much in the way of help. As he approached the isolated ridge north of town, he squinted into the distance, searching for something that would tell him someone was up here.

There. A faint dot of light, out near the edge of the cliff. Ignoring the rough-cut road that wound along the tree line, he headed straight for that pinpoint of light, following it like a beacon on the water. When he finally located it, he was relieved to find it was connected to his father’s truck.

Glancing up into the star-filled sky, he smiled. “Thank you.”

Was it his imagination, or did a star up there shine a little brighter for just a second? Figuring it was his exhausted brain playing tricks on him, Ben shook off the ridiculous idea and climbed out of his seat. Heading toward the ridge, he put his hands in the front pockets of his jeans to give the appearance of a guy out for a casual nighttime stroll.

When he reached the truck, he saw his dad inside, staring out at miles of starlit ocean. He’d often mentioned bringing Ben’s mother here when they were dating, and how they’d stay for hours, admiring the view and talking about their dreams for the future. Tonight, he looked like he was lost in memories of what used to be.

To avoid startling him, Ben tapped lightly on the driver’s window. After another tap, his father blinked and looked out at him in surprise. When he rolled down the window, the strains of “Fly Me to the Moon” floated from the cab, and Ben swallowed hard. It was his mother’s favorite song.

Keeping things light, he forced a grin. “Hey, there.”

Apparently, he was a terrible actor, because he got a frown for his trouble. “Is something wrong?”

“Eric’s been waiting in Rockland half the night for you.” Leaning his arms on the window frame, he added, “You were supposed to have dinner with him.”

Dad leaned his head back against the seat with a groan. “I forgot.”

“Mind if I join you?”

He motioned Ben inside, and once he was settled, Ben called his brother. “I found him up at the point. He’s fine.”

“Good. Give him a good shake for me, wouldya?”

Ben didn’t think that would help much, so he suggested, “Why don’t you come up this weekend? You can do it yourself.”

Despite his gruff demeanor, Ben knew Eric would never lay a hand on anyone in anger. After a moment, his brother chuckled. “I’m already over it. Tell him good-night for me.”

Ben hung up then took a breath before facing his dad. “We were worried sick about you. What were you thinking, disappearing like that?”

“I was home, getting cleaned up after work, and when I got out of the shower, I stood there for a minute.” Meeting Ben’s gaze, his face contorted with pain. “Do you know how quiet an empty house is?”

Lately, Ben hadn’t been home enough to experience it for himself, but it didn’t take much to imagine how it felt to be alone all the time. “Maybe you should leave the radio or TV on, so there’s some noise.”

“Noise isn’t the same as someone being there,” Dad explained sadly. “I lived with my parents till I started fixing up that place for your mother and me to live in when we were married. I’ve never been alone this long in my life. I’m not good at it.”

The optimist in Ben wanted to point out he had two sons and plenty of friends to ease that loneliness, but something stopped him. Nearly sixty, his father wasn’t talking about simply having company. He needed a companion to spend his off-hours with. Someone to take out to dinner and a movie, someone who argued with him about what color to paint the living room. Since Ben hadn’t managed to find that special person for himself, he didn’t think he was in a position to give anyone advice on their personal life.

Still, he was a problem solver by nature, and he couldn’t just let his father struggle if there was a way to make him feel better while his heart recovered from the tumble it had taken. “Okay, I get that, but you can’t just vanish like you did tonight. If one of us calls, you have to answer your phone.”

“I will from now on. I’m sorry.”

His apology rang with honest remorse, and Ben decided it was time to shove him back into the life he’d once enjoyed so much. “And we’re going to church on Sunday.”

“I don’t—”

“Then on Monday you’re gonna make an appointment with either a therapist or Pastor McHenry. I don’t care which, but it’s long past time you got some help dealing with all this. And don’t try to welsh on it,” he added sternly, “’cause I’ll be checking up on you.”

A hint of his father’s old spirit flared in his eyes. “You can’t do that. I’m an adult.”

“When you start acting like one, I’ll quit treating you like a four-year-old.”

Dad opened his mouth to retort, then slowly closed it and shook his head. “I guess I deserved that one. This must be tough on you, and I apologize for making things so difficult. A father’s supposed to take care of his son, not the other way around.”

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