Nobody is going to hurt her—not on his watch

A DEA stealth mission has brought coast guard Lt. Commander Eli Pelletier home. But when he ends up aiding rescue swimmer Aubrey Wynn during her own harrowing mission, powerful emotions reignite between them. Except Aubrey doesn’t want Eli’s protection. She wants answers.

Twelve years ago, Eli broke up with Aubrey without telling her the real reason he was leaving Pacific Cove. How can he try for a second chance if he’s forced to deceive her again? Amid suspected drug trafficking and a sabotaged Christmas contest, Eli must find a way to regain Aubrey’s trust without compromising his career or endangering the woman he loves.

“Eli, I’ve been in the coast guard for ten years. This is a difficult and demanding profession we’re in.”

Aubrey leaned back and stretched her long, shapely legs in front of her.

He could so easily entangle his feet with hers.

“Rewarding, too, of course,” she added. “But hard.”

“That it is.”

He reached out and slowly removed the paper from her hands. His sole purpose in doing so was to feel her soft, warm skin against his. He had to touch her even as he knew he needed to quit stealing these moments. He needed to find a place where they could peacefully coexist, one that didn’t include touching her and wanting to kiss her.

She watched him, her green eyes all soft and bright and full of questions, and...and he knew he wasn’t imagining the desire swimming in their mossy green depths. Twelve years may have passed, but that was a look a man could never forget.

Dear Reader,

Before writing this book, I had a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the United States Coast Guard and the brave men and women who serve. As my research progressed, all of that changed.

Now I am more of a fanatic. I share stories I’ve read with family and friends about the incredible courage, dedication, loyalty and strength these people possess. I talk about how grateful I am for their service, and how lucky we are here in the USA to have the coast guard patrolling our waterways and executing some of the most dangerous and difficult search-and-rescue missions in the world.

Creating characters who embody these traits, the ones that appear to be inherent in the real-life heroes, without making them “too good” was a bit of a challenge. There was also the delicate matter of trying to soften the edges of the strong, competitive, type A personalities I knew they had to have. They fought me on both of these points and several others. In fact, whenever I tried to mold them into something convenient for me, they would protest (as type A personalities are wont to do).

Finally, I just let Aubrey and Eli tell me their story. I was so happy when I discovered there was room in this little book for both their big personalities. And thrilled when I saw how it made their love that much bigger, too.

Please check out my website, carolrossauthor.com, for social media contacts, updates and links to some excellent and informative books about the coast guard and some of their heroic rescues.

All my best,

Carol

Christmas in the Cove

Carol Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CAROL ROSS lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs. She is a graduate of Washington State University. When not writing, or thinking about writing, she enjoys reading, running, hiking, skiing, traveling and making plans for the next adventure to subject her sometimes reluctant but always fun-loving family to.

I happily dedicate this book to Alec Cadan Benson.

For many reasons—not the least of which is because he has the coolest name in the world (you’re welcome).

And to Ethan Benson, who is always up for a brainstorming session. Thank you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

AUBREY TAPPED A rhythm with her foot as the song “Respect” played inside her head. The words sounded as clear and pure as if Aretha herself was strapped in the helicopter’s seat beside her.

The copilot, Lieutenant Jensen, interrupted her mid-verse. “Three minutes.”

Signaling that she heard, she resumed her internal checklist. Not the equipment list every Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer is always prepared with—mask, fins, knife, radio, beacon and assorted supplies. She’d already done that one about fifty times. No, Aubrey was executing her “mental prep.” Breathing deeply, she imagined blood flowing to the furthest reaches of her body from her heart to her liver and all the way to the tips of her toes, while she silently sang Aretha Franklin’s classic tune over and over again. Was this weird? Maybe. She had no idea. But she knew other rescue swimmers who had their rituals, too. So, in that regard, she assumed it was normal. She didn’t really care one way or the other. It was her normal.

“Almost there.” Jensen spoke into her ear again.

She had noted the change in airspeed as they’d approached the coordinates. They were now moving slowly, searching. She embraced the surge of adrenaline that kicked in as she prepared for the task at hand. There could be literally anywhere, she mused as she looked out at the vast grayness beyond the rain-splattered windshield of the Jayhawk helicopter.

The emergency call had reported that the Respite, a forty-foot fishing boat with a crew of three, was in immediate distress. The captain of the vessel had relayed that the engine was dead, they were taking on water in the high seas and the bilge pumps could not keep up. The latest communication had confirmed they were abandoning ship. Time was of the essence. She shot an impatient glance at Oliver.

The flight mechanic and hoist operator, Petty Officer Terrence “Osprey” Oliver, opened the helicopter door. Looking out, she assessed the situation as well as the conditions permitted. She could make out the floundering vessel and the spreading debris field, but couldn’t see anything in the water that looked remotely like a human. As they circled the scene, her eyes scanned, the fog thinned...and there! Splashes of orange. Survivors in life jackets waving their arms. She looked at Oliver. She could tell he’d seen them, too, which was no surprise as Osprey had earned his nickname for a reason. She’d seen him spot survivors at distances that would make a real bird jealous.

She was anxious to get into the water now.

He signaled for her to get ready.

She quickly unbuckled from her flight seat and began to add the rest of her water deployment ensemble. Already outfitted in her dry suit, she removed the onboard communications, or ICS, and adjusted her swim helmet. For the duration of the rescue she would rely mostly on hand signals to communicate with her crew.

She waited some more. It was only a minute, but still, slower than usual and she felt a surge of anxiety as the seconds ticked by. This delay was not typical. What was going on?

Oliver signaled for her to slip her ICS back on.

Lieutenant Jensen spoke. “We’re experiencing mechanical difficulties. Returning to base.”

“Wait, no!”

“We don’t have any choice, Wynn.”

“Yes, we do. Let me drop.”

“Negative. We’re not leaving you without an exit.”

“The forty-seven is at least thirty minutes out.” Aubrey was referring to the forty-seven-foot motorboat that would have to be deployed from Station Cape Disappointment and the time it would take for it to arrive on scene. She didn’t have to add that the survivors might not last that long.

“Another helo will have to—Hold on.”

A delay could mean the difference between life or death. The least she could do is get them into a life raft and provide some comfort during the wait.

She knew the pilot, Lieutenant Commander Vincent, was going to give her an order. She needed to make a last-ditch argument in an effort to save three lives. She could get to the survivors, at least, do what she could to give them comfort and keep them alive until help arrived. She would risk the censure. So Others May Live was the Coast Guard’s Rescue Swimmers’ motto, and that’s what she did. That’s what she would do. Always.

“Sir, I can—”

“Stop talking, Wynn. We’ve got another chopper en route. It’s on a recon mission and is only minutes out. If you’re willing, you’ve got the go-ahead to deploy. They will execute the recovery.”

“Yes, of course I’m willing.”

“Lieutenant Commander Holmes is piloting the aircraft. Petty Officer Johnston is the flight mechanic,” Oliver added. “The two new guys are also on board. You’re all set. Go save some lives.”

She hadn’t met the new guys yet, but she had a ton of respect for Lt. Cdr. Holmes. And Jay Johnston was a friend, someone she flew with regularly and trusted. He was also an excellent hoist operator and Aubrey was glad to hear he was part of the crew.

She secured her equipment bag, put the mask and snorkel on her forehead, and pulled on her fins. Still wearing the requisite gunner’s belt, she moved forward and seated herself in the doorway of the chopper, gripping the handholds situated on either side. From this vantage point she could now see that the boat was lying very low and listing heavily to starboard. Swamped. She could hear nothing but the scream of the helicopter combined with the roar of the wind and the ocean. The sound fueled her determination. Ready, she signaled. Oliver gave her a firm tap on the chest to indicate she could proceed.

The helo moved right and dipped as Lieutenant Vincent lowered it into position. She released the gunner’s belt, positioned the mask on her face and, after one last equipment check, gave him a thumbs-up. Three more taps to her shoulder indicated she was good to go on his end.

She could never deploy without thoughts of her childhood “Coastie friends” Eli and Alex flashing through her mind. Their dads had served together and were the best of friends. That connection had brought their kids together, too, but a mutual love of adventure, the beach and water in any form had sealed the bond into their own solid, unwavering friendship.

The three of them would practice rescue jumping for hours on end: slight bend in the knees, fins pointing up, one hand on the mask and the other across the chest. Just like she did now. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath, timed her free fall to catch the top of a big swell, and dropped into the ocean.

She surfaced, her mind now fully in rescue mode. Raising her arm high into the air, she positioned her palm up and out in the “I am all right” signal, and swam to the first survivor.

* * *

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER, COAST GUARD pilot and rescue swimmer, Eli Pelletier wasn’t technically doing either of those jobs today. Rather, he was enjoying his ride as a passenger touring the Pacific Northwest’s coastline. His friend and fellow pilot, Lieutenant Commander Gale Kohen, was in the helicopter seat beside him, also taking in the view.

He and Gale had only arrived in Pacific Cove the day before and reported for duty at Air Station Astoria in Warrenton, Oregon, early that morning. They’d been transferred to District 13, also known as Sector Columbia River, under the auspices of performing an evaluation of the base’s search-and-rescue operations. Commander Pence had recommended a flyover in order to familiarize themselves with the area and conditions the SAR teams regularly worked in. Eli thought the reason for the ride sounded a little thin, but no one was going to second guess the commander. The real reason for their sudden transfer here didn’t have anything to do with SAR procedures, although they were both highly trained in the field.

They were bombing up the coast, chatting with the crew about past rescues, when the call came in that another helicopter at a rescue scene was experiencing mechanical problems. They’d been asked to take over, which was no problem. Regulations ensured that each helicopter was interchangeable as far as equipment went and he could see that this crew knew their bird.

“Pelletier, Kohen, you guys ready to go?”

“Affirmative,” they both agreed. The question was rhetorical. Like every Coastie, both were always willing to put their knowledge and skills to use whenever and wherever needed. That fast and Eli went from passenger to RS at the ready.

Eli knew the pilot, Lieutenant Commander Holmes. They’d flown together right after Eli had graduated flight school at Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where they’d both been assigned at the time. He’d only met the other crewmen, Petty Officers Johnston and Reeves, that morning. He was impressed with how quickly they now shifted from practice mission to life-and-death emergency. This was undoubtedly due to the fact that there had been no shift—they’d been ready. Semper paratus. Always Ready, as the Coast Guard motto stated.

D13 included one of the most dangerous stretches of ocean in the world—the Columbia River bar, where the formidable Columbia River emptied into the Pacific Ocean. Having spent the happiest years of his childhood here, Eli knew it well. His dad had been a Coast Guard officer before him and he knew training here in the Columbia River Sector was top-notch. Flexibility was the hallmark of a Coastie and just being stationed here had given these men plenty of experience.

Lt. Cdr. Holmes maneuvered the helo closer so they could get a better view, hovering next to the scene to avoid exposing the swimmer and survivor to the powerful blast of the helicopter’s rotor wash. Eli could see the swimmer and three survivors in the water below, two were in close proximity to each other, with the third a short distance away. Should be a simple, straightforward rescue, he thought.

Flight mechanic and hoist operator, Petty Officer Johnston, was evaluating the scene. “Swimmer is with two survivors. Swimmer is signaling for basket. Thirteen minutes since survivors have been in the water.”

With instructions from Johnston, Holmes flew the helicopter into position. Upon seeing the signal from the RS already in the water, Johnston dispatched the basket. A few short minutes later he added those sweet words every member of a rescue crew longs for. “Survivor One in basket. Survivor on the way up. Survivor halfway up...”

In less than three minutes they were hauling the first drenched fisherman on board the chopper. Gale, who was also an EMT, went to work evaluating and warming the cold, shivering man.

Soon, Johnston safely pulled up another survivor and said, “Swimmer is okay. Swimmer is away, headed for the third survivor.”

With direction from his crew, Holmes moved the helicopter into place again and the third survivor was soon on board. The young man appeared to be hysterical, shivering, crying and jabbering excitedly.

Gale attempted to calm him. He had a way with people and Eli wasn’t surprised when the kid immediately settled down. He reported, “Survivor is telling me there’s someone else in the water—”

Johnston broke in. “Swimmer has radioed and confirmed. She’s headed toward the wreckage. Can anyone see another person in the water?”

She? Eli felt a jolt of fear shoot through him. Eli knew that D13 had exactly one female RS at this point in time. There were only a few women currently certified in the entire Coast Guard. That meant Aubrey was down there doing the rescuing. Anxiety knotted his gut, creating a personal problem for him, he realized. Because, apparently, even after all these years, Aubrey in danger meant that the knight in him wanted to take over. That’s what she used to call it when he would try to help her or to do things for her. “Stop being such a knight, Pelletier. I can do it myself.” And usually she could, but that wasn’t the point.

They were all scanning the ocean below, looking for the fourth person.

“Swimmer is near the bow of vessel,” Johnston reported.

His tension lessened slightly. Aubrey was an excellent swimmer, like a fish in the water. Or a mermaid. That’s what he used to call her. And, for a while there, she had been his mermaid. That had been the best time of his life.

“Swimmer circling the bow, approaching the stern. Survivor Four spotted. Survivor in the water. Survivor appears entangled in debris. Twenty-five minutes.”

Time crawled by as Johnston relayed Aubrey’s efforts to free the final survivor.

Finally, Johnston said, “Survivor is seriously stuck in that net.” He muttered something unintelligible as a huge wave engulfed the boat.

They all watched as Aubrey briefly disappeared from sight. Eli held his breath, expelling it when she finally surfaced several feet away.

“Did that piece of debris hit her?” Johnston wondered aloud. “Did you guys see that?”

Eli kept his eyes glued on her form, waiting for her to give the distress signal. What if it had hit her and she was disoriented and couldn’t signal? Eli felt the knot constrict as the danger of the situation sank in.

* * *

THE FIRST TWO rescues went smoothly. As smoothly as they could in high winds and rough seas, anyway. Aubrey approached the survivors one at a time, letting them know who she was and that she was there to help. She assisted each one into the basket and then the crew on board the helo successfully aided them into the aircraft. The third is where the situation evolved.

The young man was highly stressed with hypothermia rapidly encroaching. After approaching him, she quickly signaled for the basket as he informed her through bouts of violent shivering that there was “one more.”

“Person?” she asked. “One more person? On board?”

“Yes, yes,” he cried.

“Where?” she shouted.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know. But Danny was with us, too. In the cabin and I... I couldn’t find... Please...” She couldn’t make out the rest of what he was saying as his sobs mingled with the roar of the ocean.

“Calm down and tell me.”

“By the boat. Look near the boat.”

“Got it.”

“You’ll go look?”

The basket lowered and she worked quickly to get him inside.

“Yes, but sir, you have to calm down and stay inside the basket, so we can get you on board. You’ll be fine. You’re almost there.”

“But—” He reached for her again and Aubrey batted his hands away.

“Keep your hands inside the basket at all times. If someone else is in the water, we’ll find him. I promise.”

He nodded, crying pitifully now. She signaled to the helo to bring him up.

She didn’t add that she was worried about the state that person might be in at this point. With high winds and water temperatures hovering around fifty degrees, hypothermia was almost a given at thirty minutes. It had been at least twenty since the captain had reported they were abandoning ship. Exhaustion, panic and waning consciousness tended to facilitate drowning beyond this time frame.

As the basket ascended, she retrieved her emergency radio and informed Johnston of the situation. After the basket was safely inside the helo, she kicked hard with her fins, propelling herself toward the half-submerged vessel. She circled the bow and slowed, not seeing anything that looked remotely human. A large wave crashed over the vessel and that’s when she saw a flash of something... What was that? She watched, waited for it to show again.

There it was. It wasn’t orange. But it was white—a common color for life preservers. She swam closer. As she neared the spot she realized it was, indeed, a person. Not a man, though, as she’d been expecting. A girl. Maybe a teenager? What was she doing out here? And without a life jacket?

She heard a weak shout as she neared the girl who had her arms gripped tightly around the small, circular life preserver. Aubrey realized why no one had immediately spotted her from above. She was completely entangled in a mass of netting, so much so that from the air she was sure they couldn’t make out the form of a person. She would likely appear to be a blob of debris.

What a mess, Aubrey thought, removing the knife from her equipment bag. She swam closer, taking care not to become entangled herself. A bolt of concern went through her as she noted the bluish color of the girl’s lips. But she was shivering and holding on, which meant the final stages of hypothermia weren’t setting in yet. She must have managed to stay out of the water until the boat began to submerge. She speculated that as the girl abandoned ship and the vessel tipped, the loose pile of netting had slipped overboard along with her, essentially trapping her right there with the wreckage.

Aubrey called loudly when she reached the girl, “I’m a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and I’m here to help you.”

The girl’s response was incomprehensible.

“What’s your name?”

It was difficult to hear her over the ocean’s angry roar. She repeated what she thought she’d heard. “Danielle?” Something occurred to her and she asked, “Danny?”

“Yes.” The answer came out along with a choked sob and Aubrey sent up a silent thank-you. She’d worry about what the girl was doing out here without a life jacket later. Much later. After they’d survived this ordeal. Both the wind and rain had let up somewhat, but the fog was regrouping and settling in again like gobs of grayish-tinted cotton candy.

“I’m Aubrey. It’s kind of cold for a swim today, huh? What do you say we get out of here?”

All of this was said as she evaluated the situation. There was too much net for her to lift it off. With her swim knife, she began cutting away the netting. She tamped down her despair as she realized the extent of her entanglement. If she didn’t get her out soon, the sinking boat would pull her under.

“I... I...can’t swim.”

“Don’t worry, Danny. You won’t need to. I’m here now and luckily I swim pretty well. Are you injured?”

“My leg,” she said. “I hurt my leg when I slipped off the boat, but I can’t feel it now...”

“We’ll get it fixed up as soon as we get in the helicopter.”

She glanced at the helicopter, her airborne sentry serving to keep her calm. Just a couple more minutes, she thought as she continued clearing the net, thankful that sharpening her knife was a part of her personal equipment check ritual.

She kept talking to the girl as she worked. “Hold on, Danny. I’m almost finished. We’ll be out of here soon.”

As if in argument, a giant wave rolled over the boat, swamping everything in its path. It brought with it a piece of debris, smacking Aubrey hard in the shoulder and grazing her head. The force knocked her backward as the wave pulled her under. Even submerged and disoriented, she knew not to inhale. Lungs burning, she waited patiently for the force to let up as she knew it would. Grateful for the often-tortuous but invaluable training instilled in her during “A” school, she finally broke the surface, inhaling a breath. Looking around, she realized she’d ended up a few yards away from Danny.

Swimming back, she was afraid she’d find her survivor entangled even worse. Instead she was relieved to see that the wave had done them a favor, taking the remaining vestiges of the nylon netting with it. Danny was free. She reached out and pulled the girl into her arms, kicking hard with her fins, propelling them away from the wreckage. It would be easy to become tangled in something else in the floating and rapidly spreading mass of boat debris.

That’s when she realized the helo had deployed another swimmer. She saw the form slicing cleanly through the water and imagined the situation must have looked far worse from the air. Her fellow swimmer stopped when he approached them.

“Aubrey?” a deep voice called out to her. “Are you okay?”

Her heart nearly stopped. Even with a mask and swim hood, she knew exactly who was now treading water before her. Removal of his mask and snorkel confirmed it. Finding herself face to face with Lieutenant Commander Eli Pelletier, former friend and one-time love of her life, a current of shock went through her. Not that she had time to think past the reaction, though, because she had a life to save.

Far enough away from the wreckage to avoid potentially flying debris from the rotor wash, she signaled for the basket. The helicopter moved over them.

“We’re good,” she shouted back.

Seconds later and the basket was lowering toward them. She watched as he repositioned his mask and, in his irritatingly Eli way, he moved as if to take over.

“I told you we’re fine. I’ve got this.”

He backed off while Aubrey kept talking, encouraging the terrified girl as she assisted her into the basket. “You’re doing great, Danny. You’re going to be all right.” She signaled to raise the basket. Danny’s terror-filled eyes remained locked on hers as she rose up out of the water. “Almost home.” A sense of satisfaction settled upon her as the basket headed toward the helo.

“What are you doing here?” she called after she signaled for the hoist hook to be lowered for their retrieval.

“Helping you out?” he returned hopefully.

She narrowed her eyes menacingly. He wasn’t helping, he was saving. Or that’s what he’d thought he was going to do. The first time she’d seen him in twelve years and he was trying to save her? How annoying.

She didn’t need help or anything else from him. She certainly didn’t need saving.

As the cable came down she reached for the hoist hook and deftly secured it to his V-ring. She lifted an arm, holding a thumbs-up, signaling he was ready to be hoisted.

CHAPTER TWO

“ARE YOU SURE you want to be here?” Aubrey’s sister Nina asked her again. Both she and their younger sister, Camile, kept looking at her like she might tip over at any second.

“Yes, absolutely. I’m off duty, so I’ll take a nap later and be as good as new.” Aubrey studied one of the several lists she had attached to her clipboard. “We’ve got sixteen people signed up for this work party. I need to be here.”

The three sisters were standing in the basement of the First Methodist Church surrounded by boxes, bags and baskets full of snacks, toys and children’s books. The items were ready to be stuffed into Christmas stockings for handing out at A Visit With Santa. It would be the second event in the DeBolt Realty Crazy About a Coast Christmas competition.

Aubrey, along with the mayor, was co-chair of Pacific Cove’s Christmas Committee, which put them in charge of the town’s participation in the contest.

Eligible beach towns up and down the Pacific Northwest coast had signed up for the competition. Back in July, each interested town had applied for entrance by submitting a proposal for four tourist-and/or community-friendly holiday events to be held the first three weeks of December. The categories included food, entertainment and fun for the family.

“You’ve been awake for who knows how many hours, part of that time on a rescue in freezing cold water where you saved four people,” Camile said, crinkling her face skeptically. She tucked a blond, chin-length curl behind one ear and plopped a hand on one petite hip.

Aubrey often marveled at how her little sister had ended up so...well, little. In comparison to her and Nina, anyway, who were both just a few inches shy of six feet. And while Nina was thin and willowy like their mother, Aubrey was curvier but athletic like their dad. Camile was barely over five feet, with “bones like a bird,” their grandma liked to say.

“I helped save four people, along with my flight crew. Two flight crews actually,” Aubrey corrected. Being a rescue swimmer might be one of the toughest jobs in the Coast Guard, but there was no way she could do it without her crew. Yesterday’s rescue had gone smoothly. Aside from Eli being deployed to assist her, she was feeling good about it.

Upon returning to base, she’d tried not to glare at Eli as she’d discussed the rescue with her team. She’d learned that after being rolled by the wave and hit by debris, coupled with the amount of time both she and the survivor had been in the water, the crew’s concern had escalated. The decision had been made to send down another swimmer, in this case Eli. She understood, yet it troubled her just the same.

Because it was Eli. She couldn’t help but wonder how hard he had pushed for it.

Even though as kids they’d both been wild and adventurous, and often competitive with one another, he’d always had an overly cautious streak where she was concerned. Trying to protect her, help her, save her. She couldn’t stop wondering exactly what had happened on that helo.

She’d been tempted to ask Jay, but didn’t want to give away the fact that she and Eli had any kind of romantic past. It wasn’t relevant and she didn’t need to be ribbed about it. Or have anyone thinking she was receiving special treatment. Anxiety bubbled within her at the thought. She needed to put it out of her mind for now and focus on the task at hand.

“You’re going to take a nap? Right,” Nina drawled wryly. Nina had been living with her for almost a year now and knew that she didn’t do naps. Aubrey powered through fatigue, shaking it off like a beesting or a twisted ankle.

She couldn’t help but be touched by her sisters’ concern, but enough already. She lifted her arms and held them aloft. “You guys, please stop worrying. I promise it was no big deal. Just another day at the office. Did you count these books?”

Nina answered, “Yes, I’ve counted them several times. You love using that office line, don’t you?”

Aubrey shrugged a shoulder and grinned. “I do.” She couldn’t help it. She loved that her “office” was the ocean. She loved her job, too. She was proud of what she and her fellow Coasties accomplished on a daily basis.

“Okay, but I could have handled this work party, you know?”

“Of course I know that,” Aubrey said. And she could have. But Aubrey needed everything to be perfect. “What kind of an example would that be setting for the rest of the team if I bailed in this crucial time?”

Camile snorted. “The team? The Christmas committee is a team? Do you even know how much you sound like Dad right now?” Camile had only returned home from college a few days ago for winter break, so this was the first Christmas committee meeting she’d been able to attend.

She deepened her voice and added an uncanny impersonation of their father. “‘To expect commitment and one-hundred-percent effort from your team members, a good leader needs to be an example.’”

In tandem, she and Nina burst into laughter.

Aubrey couldn’t help but grin herself. “Thank you,” she said, even though they all knew it wasn’t really a compliment. The sisters disagreed on the effectiveness of their now-retired Coast Guard father’s parenting techniques as they’d been growing up. Aubrey had hung on his every word while doing her level best to emulate him. Nina had not. Camile had fallen somewhere in the middle.

Aubrey looked down at her clipboard. “How are we doing with the goodies?”

Nina flipped a page in her own notebook. “Two hundred and twenty-six Baggies—three pieces of saltwater taffy per bag for a total of six hundred and seventy-eight pieces. Two hundred and thirteen pouches of roasted almonds and three hundred string cheese sticks.”

“Perfect.”

“Ah, yes, almonds and cheese, those most traditional of holiday treats,” Camile drawled sarcastically. “Couldn’t we have scored some fudge or a frosted sugar cookie or something? You know that June, the owner of Bakery-by-the-Sea, is a friend of mine, right? She makes the prettiest cookies.”

“I know, and that’s a sweet offer. But we have plenty of candy with the taffy. Why not take the opportunity to show kids that healthy foods can be treats, too? Sandpiper Nut Roasters donated the almonds. Cove Aged Cheeses donated the cheese. And Salmon Crackers made the crackers’ whole-grain deliciousness. It’s good stuff. And tucked into these little stockings that Mom’s quilt club made? Not only are the kids going to love them, they’re going to be a hit with the contest judges—a super-high scorer.”

Each event would be attended by a member from DeBolt Realty’s judging panel. Input from attendees would be encouraged and factored into the final scoring, as well.

Events included everything from Christmas concerts and plays to fancy dinners and wine-and-cheese tastings—anything that would “generate a feeling of community and holiday enthusiasm.” Scores were based on creativity, attendance, execution and Christmas spirit.

“Whole-grain crackers?” Camile shot a horrified look at Nina. “Next thing you know, she’s going to be passing out those little boxes of raisins on Halloween. She’ll be that house...”

Nina reached out and placed a hand on Camile’s shoulder. With exaggerated solemnity she said, “Camile, honey, I hate to tell you this, but she’s already that house. I begged her, but... She passed out protein bars this year.”

“They were chocolate chip!” Aubrey protested. “Plenty of sugar in there to constitute a treat, but the protein and fiber mixed with the sugar helps to prevent that blood sugar crash that no parent wants their child to be subjected to.”

“Protein bars?” Camile pressed her fingers against her temples. “And her house didn’t get egged?”

“I’m sure it was only because everyone in the neighborhood knows she’s Coast Guard. Most of them also know she’s Captain Brian Wynn’s daughter.” She added a slow, sad head shake. “But I’m afraid that will only shield her for so long before—”

Aubrey rolled her eyes. “You are both hilarious. I will admit they weren’t that popular with the trick-or-treaters. Next year I’m thinking about fruit cups. Now, can we get back on track? Our volunteers should be showing up any minute now. I want to have everything ready so we can start stuffing these stockings. I need to win this thing.”

When Aubrey had heard about the competition, she’d pounced on the opportunity, teaming up with Mayor Jack Hobbes as co-chair. The mayor was on a quest to attract wealthy tourists as well as new property-tax-paying residents to Pacific Cove. Aubrey wanted Pacific Cove to win the community improvement money. The town council had agreed to a deal where the bulk of the prize money would go to a project that was dear to her heart, the refurbishment of Pacific Cove’s swimming pool. Their combined efforts would bring exposure to the town and its businesses and, if things went smoothly, would also save the pool in the process.

“So, who’s going to be your Santa?” Camile asked as she scooped up a box of taffy and set it off to one side. In addition to her position as co-chair, Aubrey had taken the lead on this fun-for-the-family event, “A Visit with Santa.”

“Pete Stahl has committed to doing it. Isn’t that perfect? He even looks like Santa.”

“He’s a great choice. And I do like the books,” Camile said, opening a cardboard box to reveal a collection of holiday titles for kids. “And the coupons for bowling at Fast Lanes and free admission to Saturday Swim at the pool. I can see what you’re trying to accomplish here. Not only is a visit with Santa family friendly, so are these activities.”

“Not to mention, she’s drawing attention to the plight of her pool,” Nina added.

“You guys can stop trying to appease me. I’m confident.”

“Isn’t she always?” Nina added, exchanging a smile with Camile.

Camile laughed. “I can see how jumping from helicopters and dangling from cables over sea cliffs might prepare a person for volunteer work here in Pacific Cove.”

Aubrey laughed even as a current of discomfort flooded through her at the reminder of what she was trying hard not to think about; Eli was back. She hadn’t even known that he was returning to Pacific Cove. Of course, she’d known two new transfers were arriving on some kind of special assignment, but she’d never heard their names, hadn’t bothered to find out because she’d learn them when she needed to and—

Camile’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “I’ve noticed there are several titles. Are we letting the kids choose what books they want? Or do they just get what they get?”

Good questions. And an even better distraction from the inevitable encounter with Eli.

* * *

AS ELI AND GALE jogged through the streets of Pacific Cove, or “The Cove” as locals often referred to it, Eli marveled at how little things had changed in the twelve years he’d been away. Mission Street was still the main thoroughfare through town, both sides lined with quaint shops selling sand toys, shells, snow globes, plastic pirate swords and other assorted beach trinkets. Colorful flags were waving outside Kassie’s Kites and the saltwater taffy pull was busy working in the window of the Wishing Well Candy and Fudge Shoppe.

He noticed that Salmon Crackers still smelled like the heavenly fresh-baked buns they served their sandwiches on. On the next block, he was thrilled to see Rascal’s Bookstore still in existence. There was a new coffee shop and the smell emanating from Beach Beans Coffee Roasters made his mouth water.

The first day of December and already Christmas lights and garland were strung on every single light pole in town. Shop windows were painted. Many displayed festive holiday scenes and/or gift ideas.

The end of Mission Street featured a large cul-de-sac with a gazebo overlooking the beach. It was a popular meeting spot and a place where community events often centered. They jogged up to the structure and stood off to one side for a quick breather. A large sign advertised that Santa would be visiting there this coming weekend.

They stood side by side for a moment, gazing out at the stunning view of the horizon. Eli closed his eyes for a few seconds and focused on the roar of the ocean—the unique sound that was Pacific Cove. In spite of everything he was facing here, he was glad to be back. So far in his career he’d lived near the beach in Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina and San Diego, California. He was positive that if someone blindfolded him and plopped him down on the shore at any of those locales, he’d able to identify each one.

But the Northwest coast was different to him and Pacific Cove was special. He and his father had moved every few years until Eli was twelve. That’s when they’d landed in Pacific Cove. His father had been lucky enough to score back-to-back assignments here and Eli considered it the closest thing to a hometown he’d ever had.

Connected to this place were a billion memories, most of them including or featuring Aubrey. They had spent so much time on this very stretch of beach. He’d kissed her right here once, at the bottom of the stairs, sheltered from passersby under the edge of the boardwalk.

He felt himself shifting from one foot to the other as a fresh bout of anxiety coursed through him. Clearly, she was upset by the fact that he’d gone into the water after her. She’d barely glanced his way as the team had discussed the events back at the base.

Lt. Cdr. Holmes had explained to Aubrey their fear that she’d been knocked silly by the piece of debris. They’d immediately deployed Eli in case she needed assistance. By the time he’d been lowered into the water, the rest of the crew could see she had the situation handled. The consensus had been that she’d executed her duties perfectly.

But the fact was he’d pushed for it. He hadn’t been able to handle the idea of Aubrey being in danger. He’d wondered if Gale had picked up on it. He’d been waiting for his friend to quiz him about it, could feel his questioning gaze on him now. Gale knew that he, Aubrey and Alex were friends, that they had grown up here together. But Eli hadn’t mentioned that, for a time, he and Aubrey had been more.

“Are you up for a few more miles?” he asked. A sudden urge came over him to run by his old house. “We still have another hour before we meet Danielle Cruz and her parents.” Their first official task of the day was to interview the survivors from yesterday’s rescue.

“Sure,” Gale agreed.

They took off running again, heading east toward the other end of Mission Street. Here it crossed the two-lane Coast Highway, bisecting the town—and its socioeconomics right along with it. The community’s wealthier residents lived in the upscale beachfront and ocean-view mansions. The more modest “middle class” homes began a few blocks from the beach and stretched up toward the highway. The less fortunate and view-deprived lived “across the highway.” It was funny because he and Alex and Aubrey hailed respectively from each of these locales. The St. Johns lived in the grandest of all the grand beachfront homes. The Wynn family enjoyed a comfortable existence in a well-kept bungalow right in the middle of town. And the Pelletiers had made their home “across the highway.”

They turned into the now nearly empty parking lot of the Starfish Charmer where Eli explained, “This establishment used to be the place in town to drink hard and not go home alone.”

Gale chuckled in understanding. They were crossing the lot when a familiar figure emerged from the tavern. Eli watched as the man stopped, shoved his phone into a pocket and raked his hands through his hair. Same gesture of frustration he’d employed since they’d first become friends in the sixth grade.

“Hey, that’s my buddy, Alex.”

Alex saw them, gave a hearty wave and headed in their direction. They stopped and Eli introduced the two men. He silently hoped these two guys, his best friends, would hit it off.

“Are you okay, buddy? You looked a little wound up when you came out of there.”

“Oh, yeah, um...town council business.” Alex looked around like he’d just realized where they were. “What are you doing hanging around in this part of town, anyway?”

Eli lifted his arms in a wide shrug. “What are you talking about? These are my old stomping grounds. I’m showing Gale around.”

Alex chuckled. “True enough.”

“I think the real question is what are you doing here, St. John? Pardon my political incorrectness, but this is slumming for you. I, on the other hand, used to enjoy a basket of clam strips here almost every Saturday night with my dad.”

He glanced toward the somewhat run-down establishment, annoyance again creasing his brow. “Polly Simmons has started yet another petition to shut this place down.”

“On what grounds?”

“She claims it’s unsanitary.” Twisting his face into a grimace, he pointed across the highway and asked, “You guys headed to your old neighborhood?”

“We are. Is it?”

Alex clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll go with you for moral support because it’s going to break your heart, buddy. And, no, it’s not. I wouldn’t eat off the floor, but it’s nowhere near condemnable. Polly is irritated because Jaycie won’t sell the place. Jaycie keeps getting these obscene offers from developers, but she won’t even consider them. This further infuriates Polly because she is on the mayor’s bandwagon where this subject is concerned. Polly and the mayor and their cronies want to turn Pacific Cove into one of those upscale tourist traps full of—” he paused to add air quotes “—‘high-end boutiques and gourmet eateries.’”

He rubbed the back of his neck and then gestured at the Starfish Charmer. “What is wrong with this place the way it is? Once you lose that small-town feel? Bam, it’s gone forever. Am I right?”

He turned and motioned them forward. “Cool your heels, by the way. We’re walking. I couldn’t run across the street if a tiger was chasing me. Honest truth, I would literally lie down and take my chances with a tiger—that’s how out of shape I am.”

They all laughed and started walking.

“So, Gale, what do you think of our little town so far?”

“It’s great. I’m a small-town boy myself. It reminds me a lot of our little coastal towns back east in Connecticut.”

“But without the history or the New England–style charm?”

Gale grinned. “Well, a couple hundred years can make a big difference history-wise. Although, Astoria is pretty cool and you’ve got your own history with the fur trade and Lewis and Clark’s big adventures along the Columbia River. Plus, the old forts and the Native American culture. And all these spectacular lighthouses I’ve been reading about. Excited to check those out.”

“That’s true,” Alex said, a tinge of pride in his voice. After a thoughtful pause he asked, “How long do you think you guys will be here?”

Eli answered. “Uh, we’re not sure yet. As long as it takes us to make a thorough evaluation.”

“Of search-and-rescue training procedures?”

“Yep.”

“Air rescue or all operations?”

“We’re doing air, water and vertical surface. Someone else will be assigned to the boats, probably sometime this spring, from what I understand.” This wasn’t true, but luckily the powers that be had planned for this question and formulated the official answer they were to give if asked. Even though it was part of the job, it made him uncomfortable to have to lie to his old friend.

Alex nodded thoughtfully.

This would be the perfect opportunity to confide in Alex. He and Gale had been cautioned to proceed as if they didn’t trust anyone. The admiral knew Eli had roots here, yet he’d trusted him not to let those connections cloud his judgment. Eli and Gale had agreed that they’d discuss and be in accordance before they sought advice or help from anyone else, Coast Guard or civilian. There was also the fact that he could conceivably be putting his friend in danger by getting him involved. For the time being he would hold off.

As they walked and talked, Eli wondered how many hundreds of times he and Alex had covered this same path together. It was crazy how it suddenly seemed like they’d done so only yesterday.

The cozy gray-and-white saltbox he and his father had shared was gone now. They paused on the newly-poured sidewalk in front of a cardinal-red mailbox marking the address where it had once been. Memories tumbled through his brain like a slide show; his dad making him breakfast every single morning when he wasn’t on duty, playing on the rope swing he and his dad had hung from the limb of a huge spruce tree, his cat Willow greeting him when he got home from school...

“Man, we had some good times here,” Alex said. “Remember all the card games we used to play? Dang, Aubrey was good at that one where you have to get rid of all the cards in your pile. She has freakishly fast hands. Remember how we would cheat? We’d get frustrated and throw her cards so she’d have to scramble around for them while we would frantically try to catch up.” His deep belly laugh was contagious. “She’d get so mad, but she’d giggle at the same time. It’s been great having her back in town—and Nina, too. I love those Wynn girls.”

Eli chuckled in remembrance. He hadn’t had fun like that in a very long time.

“Speaking of rescues... That was kind of a scary one yesterday, huh?”

Of course Alex would know about it. He knew everything that happened in town. Plus, Aubrey and Alex were still close, just like he and Alex were. Unlike him, Alex was still friendly with the entire Wynn family.

“You heard, huh? Aubrey was great. They are lucky to have her.” Eli wasn’t about to give away how scared he’d been. He didn’t even want to admit that to himself.

“Yeah, I talked to Nina last night. I called Aubrey first thing this morning because I knew she had a Christmas meeting. She’s a little obsessed with this competition. The woman goes nonstop as it is. If she’s not on base or working out, she’s swimming or giving lessons at the pool or helping somebody with something—or worrying about someone. Nina is on the receiving end of that these days. You know about how Nina’s been living with her since her divorce?”

He knew, but only because Alex had told him months ago over the phone.

“She’s been through hell, and Aubrey’s been there for her every step of the way. Don’t get me wrong, she’s amazing, and I’m not begrudging her any of it...” His head fell to one side as if pondering. “Most of it, anyway. I just wish she’d take a little time for herself once in a while.”

Eli wasn’t surprised by any of this. She’d always exhibited that kind of compassion. He’d been drawn to it as well as her courage and unshakable drive. At times he’d been almost jealous of the phenomenal amount of energy she possessed. Even when they were teenagers, she’d been tough to keep up with. When she’d told him she wanted to be a rescue swimmer, he’d never once doubted her ability to achieve that goal.

“What’s a Christmas contest?” Gale asked.

“Oh, there’s this competition, sponsored by DeBolt Realty. Their goal is to find the beach town with the most Christmas spirit. They specialize in oceanfront property and they’re trying to expand their footprint here in the Pacific Northwest. Aubrey is co-chair of Pacific Cove’s effort, along with the mayor, Jack Hobbes. She really wants to win. I’m not super thrilled about the venture because, if she wins, the town gets included in a national advertising campaign. Don’t let them fool you. Not all publicity is good publicity. But I’m being supportive for Aubrey’s sake because also included is prize money, which she wants to use to spruce up the community’s pool. That part I’m on board with. We spent an awful lot of time in that pool when we were kids, especially Aubrey.”

Alex pointed at what used to be Eli’s yard. “Remember how we would get those whiffle ball games going in your yard? Your dad would always play when we needed to make the teams even. He was so cool. He made being a single dad look easy. How’s he doing?”

Tim Pelletier had been a great dad, caring for Eli in the best way he knew how and steadfastly making their house a home. Eli’s mom had taken off when Eli was only three months old, so his dad had been left to fulfill as much of the mom role as he could. In spite of his dad’s bouts of depression, his childhood had been great, right up through his teenage years.

But everything had changed soon after his high school graduation when his father had been transferred. Closing in on two three-year assignments, it had been time for him to move on. But not in this way. The new assignment, which he’d had no choice but to take, had essentially been a demotion for his father, marking the end of his career advancement. Depression had kicked in and he’d retired soon after.

The situation had been bad for Eli, too. He’d been left with no choice but to break up with Aubrey while a burning anger and hatred had born for the man who had caused it all—Brian Wynn. Aubrey’s father. Because how could Eli be with the girl whose father had ended his own dad’s career? How could he be with her and not tell her all of the things that weren’t his to tell, like why he’d really broken up with her and what her parents’ role had been in it all?

Eli realized Alex was waiting for an answer. “He’s good. Really good, actually. He’s thinking about flying up for Christmas.” After his retirement, his father had moved to Florida, bought a boat and become a sport fishing guide. After several rough years of adjustment, his dad finally seemed content. The last couple of years in particular he’d been especially busy and seemed to be flourishing.

“We should go fishing with him again. Man, that was a blast.” Three years ago, he and Alex had taken a trip to Florida to visit him.

“Alex caught a marlin that weighed in at—what was it?—four hundred and twelve pounds.”

“Four hundred and twelve point two pounds,” Alex answered, launching into his fish story.

Eli took the opportunity to study his old neighborhood. Alex was right. Unlike the west side, or “beach side” as they’d called the upscale part of town, this side of town had changed. Dramatically. A few years ago a developer had bought a huge chunk of land here, torn down the old houses and put up one of those cutesy subdivisions where the houses looked different and yet matched at the same time. It reminded Eli of a set of snap-together toys.

“Isn’t this a crying shame?” Alex asked a few minutes later. “It looks like a bunch of gingerbread houses have been smacked down in the middle of Candy Land. I did my level best to block approval of this project. But the developer...he’s got his shizzle together. I tell you what...”

Alex rambled on while Gale asked questions.

Amazingly, the giant spruce tree that had stood in their front yard was still there, sans swing, but Eli could see the scars where a succession of ropes had spent years relentlessly rubbing into the thick limb. He stared at it as Alex ranted on about the injustice of unfettered construction in their town.

He wondered how long he and Gale would be in Pacific Cove.

The real question was how long could he work so closely with Aubrey and yet keep the distance he knew he needed to maintain? And what about Brian Wynn? Alex had told him that since his retirement, Brian and his wife, Susannah, had been spending a few months of the year down south in Arizona. He’d also mentioned that they would be home for the holidays.

Avoiding him was completely unrealistic. Could he be around the man and not reveal the hatred he harbored for him? Did he even want to? Maybe a confrontation was the answer to this long-held animus. Eli knew his train of thought was nothing but a vicious, ugly circle with no end. Because the problem with this scenario was that Susannah was still Brian’s wife—and Aubrey was still their daughter.

CHAPTER THREE

AFTER THE CHRISTMAS meeting Aubrey headed across town to visit Danielle Cruz. She’d learned that the girl had suffered a bad sprain to her knee along with a variety of scrapes, bumps and bruises. She was lucky. Aubrey had seen people suffer much worse after becoming entangled in boat rigging or debris.

Danny’s mom answered the door and she spent a quiet, emotional moment thanking Aubrey. She then led her up the stairs to Danny’s room and left Aubrey there with a grateful, encouraging smile. The door was open and the pretty teenager was sitting up, eyes closed, reclining against the headboard. Straight black hair was tucked behind her ears and a magazine lay open on her lap. Bare feet with purple-painted nails were sticking out from the end of a green-and-blue comforter. One foot was busy tapping a rhythm. The other was sporting a black brace around the knee.

“Hey,” she said, wrapping her knuckles on the doorjamb.

The girl’s eyes snapped open as her head turned, fingers reaching for the turquoise ear buds nestled inside her ears. Recognition dawned across her features. “Oh...” One hand flew up to cover her mouth and she promptly burst into tears.

Aubrey hurried toward her bedside. “Danny, what’s the matter? Are you all right?”

The girl reached for her hand and squeezed it tight. “I’m so happy to see you.” She snuffled out the words. “I was so cold and out of it, I didn’t have a chance to thank you. Thank you for saving me. And for saving Brendan and his dad and his uncle, too.” She dabbed at her face with the white sheet.

“Of course.” Aubrey smiled gently and lowered herself onto the chair next to the bed. “You’re welcome. It’s my job and you did great.”

“Yeah? Well, I can’t imagine having your job. You are so cool, you know that? Like, totally badass. I thought I was going to die. That net, it was going to pull me under. I couldn’t believe it when you came swimming over to me and I hoped I might actually be saved. And when I realized you were a woman? I was, like, shocked. I thought you might be an angel, even though you were wearing all that Coast Guard stuff.”

Aubrey let out a soft laugh. “Believe me, I was just as happy to see you as you were to see me. And just as surprised, by the way. I didn’t realize I was looking for a girl, either. You know, you weren’t part of the original distress call?”

Her head bobbed as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. With her free hand, Aubrey reached for the tissue box on the bedside table. She placed the box between them.

Danny plucked out a couple of tissues and used one, dabbing her eyes and blowing her nose. “I’m so sorry. I’m really emotional for some reason.”

“That’s perfectly normal after what you’ve been through.”

She sniffled. “Yeah. I’ve been crying a lot. I go from really, really happy to, like, the saddest of sad in one heartbeat. It’s been rough. I mean, I’m super grateful to be alive and everything, but...everyone is mad at me and Brendan. Especially at Brendan.”

“Why would they be mad?” Aubrey placed a hand on her own chest. “I’m not mad at you.”

Danny nibbled on her lower lip. “I wasn’t supposed to be on the boat. Brendan stowed me away.” She added a raspy chuckle. “That’s what he called it. He called me his stowaway. I thought it was cute...”

“Where were you headed?” She couldn’t help but wonder how the young couple thought they would get away with the scheme when they reached their final destination.

“Brendan’s dad and his uncle? They drop off these parts sometimes down the coast. It was just supposed to be one of those trips. There and back. Drop off the stuff and then turn around and come back. Brendan said it would be easy. He was going to pretend like he was getting seasick and then come into the cabin where I was hiding. I know it probably sounds really bad...” She trailed off with an apologetic shrug.

It had been a stupid thing to do, but they were kids. She was struck by the memory of the time she had been Eli’s “stowaway.”

During his teenage years he had worked for Quinley’s Berry Farm. Sometimes he’d deliver berries as far away as Portland. One time he’d suggested Aubrey hide under a blanket in the cab of the pickup so she could ride along. It had been a perfect day filled with sunshine and laughter. On the way home they’d stopped for frozen custard and watched the most incredible sunset from a bluff overlooking the Astoria Bridge. For a few seconds she let the happiness of that memory sink in, refusing to spoil it with thoughts of the unhappily-ever-after that followed.

Danny dabbed at her eyes with a fresh tissue. “My parents have been pretty good, though. I think they’re just happy I’m alive.”

“Of course they are.”

Her head started an agitated shake. “But Brett, that’s Brendan’s dad, has, like, blown a gasket over the whole thing. Usually he’s a really nice guy, but this...?” She gave Aubrey a pleading look. “He’s... Brendan is worried.”

“Worried, how?” The loss of a boat was a pretty big deal and definitely a reason to be upset. Hopefully it was insured.

“I’m not sure. He just keeps saying that his dad is in a serious rage. He can’t let it go. Keeps asking Brendan questions and going over and over what went wrong.”

Near-death experiences hit people in different ways. She wondered if she should follow up on this for Danny and Brendan’s sake. Talk to his dad or recommend some counseling? She would brief her superior officer Senior Chief Nivens and get his opinion. What she didn’t need to do was upset Danny any further.

“You know what? I know it’s difficult to believe right now, but chances are this will all blow over. Just do me a favor. Next time you decide to stow away or participate in any activity at all anywhere near the water, wear a life jacket, okay? Promise me.”

She let out a giggle. “That’s funny. That’s exactly what that other Coast Guard guy said this morning.”

Coast Guard guy? “Who?”

“Lieutenant Commander Pelletier.” She enunciated the title proudly. “That’s right, isn’t it? He told me to call him Eli, but he looks more like a lieutenant to me. A really good-looking one. And the other guy was totally hot, too. He looks like a movie star or a model or something...”

Eli. And the “hot movie star” had to be Gale. Why would Eli and Gale come here to talk to Danny? The girl had already been officially debriefed. Danny’s unknown presence onboard had thrown a wrench in the midst, but wrenches like that were thrown into rescues all the time. Yet a niggle of concern began to form in her mind. If they were questioning Danny again, did that mean she herself was being investigated for some kind of misconduct?

Aubrey replayed the entire series of events over and over again in her mind. She reassured herself once again that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Had she? Maybe she should have radioed that she was fine and didn’t need assistance. But time was always a factor... These were the kinds of details she could stew about for days. She wanted to quiz Danny about what they’d asked her, but felt it would be wrong somehow.

Besides, she told herself, not only was she a big girl, she was good at her job. She would wait it out, with confidence, until she knew for sure what this was all about.

Instead she focused on Danny and what she could do for her.

* * *

“I HAVE AN IDEA,” Gale said from the passenger seat of the pickup as Eli drove back toward the base.

“What’s that?” Eli asked.

“It occurred to me earlier while we were talking to Alex. It made me think about what I’d do if we were trying to solve this case in Falls Terrace. I know you haven’t lived here, or even been here, in a long time, but you still have a lot of connections in the community.”

“Yeah.” Eli was already realizing how true that was. Twelve years didn’t seem that long now that he was back.

“All this Christmas stuff going on? This could help us solve this thing—getting out there and meeting people and socializing. A town this size, with this close-knit feel? People talk. There’s not much that is really and truly secret. Folks might not even know they are sitting on important information because they only have one piece of the puzzle. But if we gather some of these pieces, make some connections, we might get somewhere.”

He had a point. Eli guided the pickup into a space in the air station’s lot.

“Which reminds me.” Gale pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I got a text from Yeats.” Yeats was their contact at the DEA, keeping them informed about news on the case from California. He slid a finger across the display as he explained, “The crates have been sent to the lab for examination.”

For the last year a potent strain of heroin had been flooding the West Coast. Early indications had the DEA believing the drugs were being shipped up from the south. As a result, they’d focused most of their resources there even as the drugs continued to flow. He and Gale had been stationed in San Diego when a tip had come in to the DEA that Coast Guard personnel may be involved. Because of a connection Eli had in the DEA, he and Gale had been consulted about the case.

The DEA had seized a shipment of drugs from a boat off the coast of San Diego. Upon reviewing the evidence, it had been the wooden crates, not the drugs, that had got Eli thinking. They had been constructed from various woods, including maple and larch. Eli knew that larch was a wood that could only have come from much farther north where maple was also very abundant. He had speculated that the drugs were being smuggled into the Pacific Northwest, where they were being broken down into smaller units then shipped out again to lower level dealers in these locally constructed, and hopefully traceable, crates.

It was just speculation on his part, but soon after that, Eli had been at a Coast Guard luncheon where he’d mentioned the theory to Admiral Schaefer. The admiral had seized upon the notion and, a few short weeks later, Eli and Gale had been added to the task force and transferred to Astoria.

The admiral’s blessing and enthusiasm had been welcome, the assignment essentially like a promotion for him and Gale. For Eli, the importance of solving the case had increased exponentially. Not only did he want to solve the case for his own career, he didn’t want to let the admiral down. Failure, in any form, was Eli’s worst nightmare. Nothing, and no one, was going to stand in his career path the way it had his father’s.

“You have a history here, right? Plus, your friendship with Alex and Aubrey. Can you get us involved in some of this community stuff?”

“Yeah, probably,” he said with much more confidence than he felt. He had no idea how things stood between him and Aubrey.

Gale reached into the backseat and grabbed his notebook. He pulled a sheet of paper from inside and began to read in an overly enthusiastic tone. “‘It’s okay to be crabby this Christmas! At Pacific Cove’s crab races and crab feed you can be a crab and eat one, too’ et cetera and blah, blah, blah.”

“Crab races?”

“Yes. I just happened to pick up the Crazy About a Coast Christmas schedule of events. The first item listed is the crab races and crab feed this Friday night. At a place called The Shoals Hotel. Attending doesn’t sound like that much of a hardship. There’s an all-you-can-eat crab feed and buffet. But, if we could volunteer? Mingle with the folks? That would be even better.”

Eli grinned. “This actually isn’t a bad plan. I’ll see what I can do.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“OKAY, GUYS, THAT’S it for today. Great job, my little minnows! Don’t forget to practice your crunches and push-ups at home. Remember what we say?” A chorus of little voices joined hers. “Strong on land means strong in the sea.”

“Awesome! That’s right. You guys are smart as well as super swimmers.”

The fitness standards for a rescue swimmer were some of the most stringent in all of military service. Regulations required that they pass a monthly fitness test in order to remain on duty. The training on base, while intense, wasn’t enough. So, on her off days, she worked out. A day rarely went by when she didn’t get into the water and she liked to do it here at “her” pool, Pacific Cove’s community pool. And two or three times a week when she wasn’t on duty, she taught swimming lessons.

Six little bodies scrambled out of the pool. This group had made a ton of progress in the last few weeks. This fueled her resolve, even as it killed her that the pool she’d literally grown up in, and that she loved with all of her heart, was crumbling around her. She refused to accept what others were calling inevitable.

“Is anyone sticking around to practice today?” Aubrey had a policy that the kids could stay after class for fifteen minutes and practice what they’d learned in their lesson that day. They could practice anything, really, as long as they were in the water.

Two hands shot up into the air. One belonged to George, a shy little guy with huge brown eyes and a sweet smile featuring one front tooth. The other hand belonged to Eleanor, a tiny girl with blond pigtails and a bright purple swimsuit. Eleanor was one of her all-time favorite students, a foster child who’d been bounced around from relative to foster home her entire short life. For now, she’d found a home with stable parents who were motivated to bring her to swim lessons.

She qualified for free lessons through a program Aubrey had started for youth who couldn’t afford them otherwise. And Aubrey could see what swimming did for Eleanor because it was the same miraculous, confidence-building phenomenon she’d experienced as a child.

“Excellent, George and Eleanor. I’ll see the rest of you yahoos on Thursday?” With waves and goodbyes, the remaining crew headed toward the locker rooms.

“Do you guys want to jump off the diving board?”

“I do! I do!” This from Eleanor.

Ever cautious, George said, “I think I’ll practice treading water some more first.”

“Sounds good, buddy. You can never be too good at treading water.” Aubrey knew this was his way of gathering courage. She wouldn’t push him.

He climbed back into the pool while Eleanor hustled over to the diving board.

“Whenever you’re ready, El,” Aubrey called to the little girl.

She took a few steps, bounced on the board, sailed through the air and splashed into the water with all the force her forty-two pounds of weight could manage. She surfaced and began to swim toward the edge exactly as she’d been taught.

“Perfect!” And it was. The girl reminded her so much of herself at that age. She’d always been the first one in the water and the last one out. The first one to jump off the diving board. The first to swim across the deep end. The first to hold her breath while swimming the entire length of the pool under water...

A giggle sounded. “Can I do it again?”

“Absolutely. Good job, Georgie. You’re doing great.”

“Fearless,” a familiar voice said near her left shoulder, startling her.

“Eli, hi.”

He came around and sat beside her on the bench. “Reminds me of a girl I used to know. She would literally jump off of anything, no matter how high, as long as there was water to land in below.”

Aubrey gave him a casual smile even as her heart kicked hard against her rib cage. She focused on the pool where George was now practicing his freestyle stroke from one corner of the pool to the other.

“Really?” she said, her tone dubious.

“Really. She’s all grown up now, but I don’t think she’s changed all that much. In fact, now she jumps out of helicopters and allows herself to be lowered by cable onto sinking boats or to the sides of cliffs to help people who are stranded.”

“Wow. It sounds to me like she totally rocks.”

“Oh, she does, but...” His mouth formed into this adorable half frown as he glanced around as if to confirm no one would overhear. “Between you and me? I think she might be a little crazy.”

She couldn’t stop the smile playing on her lips even as recalling the memories tightened her chest with emotion. They used to call each other crazy after some of the stunts they’d pull together: jumping off cliffs and bridges, swimming across icy-cold rivers, exploring treacherous cliffs and caves.

His head dipped until his mouth was only a few inches from her ear. “But then, I’ve always been a little partial to crazy.”

Aubrey felt her cheeks grow warm as a blast of heat flooded her bloodstream. Apparently twelve years had done nothing to weaken her body’s response to Eli Pelletier. She was going to have to draw on her much more dependable brain when dealing with him. Luckily, her brain was stronger than her heart, and knew better than to fall under his spell. Her brain she could trust.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, glancing at him again. He didn’t appear to be here to swim, attired as he was in soft, worn jeans and a faded blue-and-gray Gonzaga Bulldogs T-shirt. His black hair was damp and he’d draped a soggy rain jacket over the bench beside him. She turned her attention toward Eleanor who was now bobbing in and out of the water like the dolphin Aubrey had nicknamed her after.

“I came here to talk to you.”

She frowned. “How did you know I’d be here?”

“Alex told me. I ran into him this morning and he mentioned that he’d talked to you. I had already stopped by your place and tried your phone. He told me you can always be found here on Tuesdays and Thursdays when you aren’t on duty.”

“That’s true.”

“You always loved teaching lessons.”

“I have. I do. Ever since Jason Redmond almost drowned in the ocean. I’ve done other stuff, but teaching the world to swim is still my goal.”

“I remember,” Eli said. “That was your...? Let me think... Second summer as a lifeguard on the beach, right?”

“Yep. I was fifteen.” The first time she’d ever done CPR on a real-life person. Changed her life.

The episode still sometimes woke her up at night. As she’d executed compressions on Jason’s cold, blue, bony chest, time had seemed to shift into slow motion. It had felt like hours before the ten-year-old finally gasped and coughed out the ocean that was literally choking the life out of him.

“And that’s when you started teaching the free lessons, right?”

“Stretch out your arms, Georgie,” she called to the little boy. “Reach really far... That’s it. Good job!

“Yes. Thanks to Betty. You remember Betty Frye, right?”

She felt like she was giving back to the pool that had helped to make her who she was. Unfortunately, she was only one person and the need was great. And because her beloved pool was falling into ruin, attendance was way down.

“Of course. Betty was great.” Betty used to run the pool and coach the swim team. The competitive swim league where she’d flourished throughout her youth had disbanded years ago.

“She was. She loved this place as much as I do. She helped me restart the program.”

Eli was looking around as if just now noticing his surroundings. “It’s looking a little sad these days, huh?”

She nodded. “Betty passed away two years after I left for the Coast Guard. The program fizzled out after her death and the pool has been on a slow decline ever since. If it wasn’t for the St. Johns, it would probably be closed already.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

Aubrey explained how Alex and the St. John family had made a series of donations to keep the pool open, but without the revenue it needed, it was only a matter of time before it closed for good.

“No one wants to swim here anymore. People are taking their kids to lessons in Astoria or Lancaster. Without the revenue...” She trailed off with a sigh.

“This is a tragedy. I had no idea. So many great memories here.”

The comment turned her insides to mush because she knew how those memories were intertwined with hers. She, Alex and Eli had been nearly inseparable for years and they’d spent countless hours here at the pool.

Keeping her eyes on her still-swimming charges, she smiled and said, “I don’t remember ever not knowing how to swim. I spent so much time in the water when I was a kid, I thought it was normal. I didn’t realize until I was way older that not everyone lives part-time in the water.”

“I know what you mean. When I moved here, I was happy to join you. I don’t know if I would have passed ‘A’ school on my first attempt if Dad and I hadn’t moved here—if I hadn’t met you. I give you so much credit for pushing me in that way. In a lot of ways actually.”

Aubrey felt a warmth spread through her at the comment. He’d pushed her, too. She’d had the same thoughts about him when she’d entered the brutally difficult rescue swimmer school. As the only woman in her class, she’d often told herself to imagine the guy next to her was Eli. If she could swim as far as Eli, then she could swim as far as him, too. There were days that thought had been what literally kept her afloat.

“Yeah, I kind of feel that way about you, too. So many races in this pool.”

“What’s your time these days in the 500 meter buddy tow?”

She told him.

“Wow. I still think there’s a chance you might, in fact, be part mermaid,” he teased, referring to the nickname he’d given her when they were kids. “Alex and I used to just marvel at how long you could stay under.”

Before she could respond he twisted around on the bench again. “There has to be something that can be done...” She felt heartened by his reaction. Less silly about her own plans.

“I, uh, actually have a plan.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Let’s hear it.”

“I know it probably sounds insane... You’ve heard about this Christmas contest going on in town?”

“I have. It would be tough to miss.”

“That’s good.” She grinned. “That means I’m doing my job as co-chairperson. You may or may not have also heard that I’m a little over the top about the whole thing?”

“‘Obsessed’ I believe is the term I heard.”

She gave her head a shake. “I’m sure that came from Alex. He thinks I’m nuts, even though he’s helping, albeit grudgingly. But the reason for my enthusiasm is because I plan to win.”

“You?” he repeated sarcastically. “You plan to win?”

They shared a laugh and she went on to explain her strategy. Then added, “The money isn’t enough to restore the pool to its former glory, but it’s enough to get started. I have ideas on how to raise the rest. A refurbished pool and some proper management, and I know this place could pay for itself again. I would love to get the swim team up and running and expand the swim lesson program.”

They spent a few minutes discussing the details until it was time for Eleanor and George to pack it up. She tossed each child a towel, delivered some encouraging words and watched them head for their respective locker rooms.

She could feel Eli’s eyes on her the entire time. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

“You never said why you were looking for me.”

His expression turned sheepish. “I wanted to apologize. I, uh, kind of pushed to be deployed yesterday. I saw you down there in the water and when that piece of debris hit you, it took me back... And I couldn’t—I can’t—stand the thought of something happening to you. Apparently that hasn’t changed.”

She swallowed, but it was difficult what with the gigantic lump lodged in her throat. She tried to think of something to say. There was so much she wanted to say, she didn’t even know where to start. And yet another part of her didn’t want to say anything at all. It seemed better not to revisit their history.

“We both know friendship means more than anything in the world to me. I have always done, and will always do, anything for my friends.” Except for our friendship. Except for me, she wanted to add but didn’t, knowing how pathetic that would sound.

She blew out a breath and looked around, wanting to focus on something besides his beautiful face. It felt painful to meet his eyes. After all these years, it surprised her how much it still hurt. Because they had been friends. Best friends. And she’d relied on that—on him. Too much, she’d realized after their breakup. She’d confided in him, depended on him and, yes, she’d been young but she’d loved him with all of her heart. For seven months they’d been more than friends and she’d given him everything she had—body, mind and soul. And more. She’d promised him her future, and he’d done the same.

Except he’d changed his mind. In what seemed like the blink of an eye he’d changed his mind. He’d broken up with her, saying only that a long-distance relationship would be too difficult. The Coast Guard Academy was intense and he’d need all of his energy to focus on that. She’d understood—as much as her shattered heart had allowed her to. After all, she kept telling herself, they were both intent on their Coast Guard careers, and she still had two years of high school left. Eli did need to focus. So did she. Even though she’d hoped they could do so together.

Three days later he was gone. His dad’s transfer came through and Eli moved with him.

Within a month he was attending the Coast Guard Academy and starting a new life. Without her. And as much as that hurt, she couldn’t hate him. She’d never hated him. Mostly she’d been shocked. She couldn’t blame him for moving on, but she couldn’t help but wish he hadn’t abandoned their friendship in the process.

The reliably practical part of her kicked in again, banishing this unhelpful sappiness. He was here now and she needed to get used to that. She would get used to it. She kind of wanted to get used to it. If she could ignore the physical attraction, weed out the warm fuzzies from her heart, which shouldn’t be that tough because they served no constructive purpose, then maybe they could even get some semblance of that friendship back.

But first she needed to make something clear.

“I appreciate the apology. On some level, I even appreciate the gesture. But you cannot do it again, you know that, right? You’re lucky no one caught on. Actually, I’m the lucky one. I have to work with these guys, Eli. It’s tough enough to be a woman in this profession. I’ve earned their respect, but for any of them to think that you don’t trust my abilities? Or, even worse, that you are somehow giving me special treatment? That would be devastating to my reputation.”

* * *

ELI HADN’T INTENDED for this to happen—this revisiting of old feelings and sharing of some kind of moment. He should have anticipated the depth of feelings he’d still have for her. And why wouldn’t he, when, in typical Aubrey fashion, she was making this reunion, and his near screwup, so easy on him?

She’d done this when he’d broken up with her, too. She’d been all composed and sweet, even though he’d been able to see how much he was hurting her. No screaming or shouting or crying. Just those light green eyes brimming with unshed tears and a quaver in her voice as she’d told him she understood. She’d turned and calmly walked away, her thick blond braid swaying at her waist. It killed him even now to think about it.

In a perfect world, they would have remained friends. But he’d known, even at the time, that he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just be friends with her. Could he be just friends with her now? Seeing as how that was the only option, he needed to figure out a way. And quickly.

Rekindling a romantic relationship was not possible. If anything, the obstacles were even bigger than they’d been twelve years ago. Back then, when he’d had to let her go, his father’s career and reputation had been on the line—as well as Aubrey’s happiness. If he’d told her all of the truth, she would have been devastated. It would have torn her family apart and shattered her happiness right along with it all.

Now that he was back, the stakes were even higher. His career was the one on the line, and he wasn’t going to let anything—or anyone—stand in his way. Not like his father had. He was going to fulfill his dreams. Not to mention that the same complications still existed surrounding Aubrey and her family. As evidenced by his actions regarding the rescue, the instinct to protect her was still as strong as ever.

She was right about her own reputation. It wouldn’t be good for her if her crew thought someone in his position doubted her. Or that he was trying to protect her by giving her special treatment.

“You’re right. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” she said firmly. “Or I will have to kick your butt.”

“I would be okay with that,” he shot back. “In fact, if you want to try, I’m available any night after work. Could we have dinner first?”

Her lips twitched and then she laughed.

Eli felt his heart take flight, even as he told himself to ignore the sensation. But she was just so...irresistible. She always had been. Even when they were kids and had been nothing more than friends, he’d loved being around her. She was smart, funny, athletic, driven and focused, yet she could also be a little shy. She was also adventurous to the point of being wild. Fun. Hard-core fun. They’d always had so much fun together.

And the way she was watching him now was nothing short of dangerous because, in spite of their history, and their breakup, attraction still simmered between them. Good sense told him he should get up and walk out right now.

But he couldn’t seem to stop staring at her, couldn’t quite believe he was finally sitting here next to her. And he had a chance to make things better between them. Back in the day she’d possessed a steely courage and, at some point over the years, a quiet, solid confidence had seeped in to replace the shyness she’d battled as a kid. He liked that, too.

“Aubrey, I know I should have come to you a long time ago to...explain somehow.” That was a dumb thing to say. It was unrealistic because he couldn’t really explain without giving everything away. “I should have at least tried to make things right between us. I never intended them not to be. I just... It was difficult for me to—”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” she answered flatly. “I get it, Eli. I got it a long time ago. We were young. Your career was important.”

He swallowed, knowing he should just let it go at that. It stung, reminding him of how deeply he’d hurt her—how much it had hurt him, too. But if he started explaining, where would he stop? No one here in Pacific Cove seemed to know about the circumstances of his dad’s transfer all those years ago. Except Aubrey’s dad.

Yep, Brian Wynn knew all about it. Still, after all these years, Eli wanted to take the man down. The only thing holding him back was the promise he’d made to his own father, and his desire to protect Susannah Wynn. Lately he’d been thinking about that, though, wondering if he could manage one without the other. Could he be satisfied by getting revenge against Brian Wynn even if the man wasn’t aware of who had extracted it?

“Look, Eli, if you’re worried about me, about something personal regarding our history affecting my job performance or making things difficult for you, I can assure you that won’t happen. My job always comes first. And I think we’ve established that it’s important for you to treat me like anyone else. I will give you the same courtesy.”

“I know that, Aubrey. Your record is impeccable. Your colleagues love you. Everyone on base respects you. I’m proud of you. You should be really proud of yourself.”

He hoped he wasn’t imagining the hint of blush on her cheeks.

She shifted on the bench to look at him. “Alex says you’re here to check up on us?”

Now she was referring to what he was “officially” doing here. The paperwork said that he and Gale were in District 13 to perform an evaluation of the base’s airborne search-and-rescue missions.

“To ensure that proper procedures are being followed.”

She stared back at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. Without her signaling distress or radioing for assistance, it was debatable as to whether he really should have gone into the water after her. No one was questioning what he’d done—yet, anyway. Still, not exactly a stellar example of what he’d just claimed he was here to do. If he was trying to maintain his distance where she was concerned, his actions had pretty much blown that, too. He needed to get his head together where she was concerned, and he needed to get his act together where his job was concerned.

This case had to come first.

His gaze traveled back to the diving board. “How many ‘rescue jumps’ do you think we practiced off that diving board?”

He ignored how her gravelly chuckle sent a jolt of heat through his bloodstream.

“Um, approximately one million and fourteen? Remember how we used to tie towels onto a swim noodle to use as our ‘survivor.’” She added air quotes.

They laughed again, reminiscing about the elaborate “rescue missions” they would invent.

“I can’t stand the thought of this place closing.” He swiveled so he was facing her again. “You think you can win this contest, huh?”

“Of course,” she answered confidently.

“How can I help?”

She smiled. “That’s really sweet, but you just got to town and all. I’m sure there are a million other things you’d rather do with your off time.”

“None of them this important,” he said, ignoring the eye-roll from his conscience. He suddenly wished his motives were as pure and selfless as hers. “I’m serious. I want to help.”

“Well, the crab races are first on the agenda. If you’re serious, I’ll give you Gabby’s number and you can ask her. I’m sure she could use the extra hands.”

Just then her newest student limped out of the locker room wearing a bright blue swimsuit and a knee brace around one leg. She lifted a hand and waved.

Eli’s gaze followed hers, along with a dose of confusion. “She looks familiar. Is that...?”

The girl held up a finger in a just-a-minute gesture.

“Danny Cruz, from the Respite?” She was grinning when she looked his way again. “Yep. I’m going to teach her how to swim.”

CHAPTER FIVE

ONE OF THE many things Aubrey loved about Tabbie’s was that the owner, Lily, didn’t blare music so loud throughout the pub that you couldn’t hear yourself think—or talk to your friends. And the music she did play was a nice mix of country and classic rock. Except during the holidays when vintage Christmas tunes filled the air, like they did now.

It was a popular hangout for Coasties and local folks who were more interested in a sourdough bowl of seafood chowder, a couple microbrews and maybe the latest gossip than in forming a romantic liaison.

Aubrey was sitting in her favorite booth sipping herbal tea and listening to Bing Crosby dream about a white Christmas. Normally she would relish both but right now she couldn’t enjoy either because Nina was busy explaining why her impulsive purchase of the county’s iconic Quinley’s Berry Farm was a good idea. Odd, how she’d been thinking about that place just yesterday. It was like, now that he was back, all things Eli had decided to rise up out of the depths and taunt her.

“This is perfect for me. I need to get out of the city. I need fresh air and space and the countryside.” Nina smoothed her thick ash-blond hair over one shoulder.

“Pacific Cove isn’t exactly a metropolis, Nina. Mayor Hobbes was just telling me last week how his worst fear is that we’re never going to break that three thousand mark.”

The coastlines of Washington and Oregon were dotted with small towns like Pacific Cove. In the summertime the population more than doubled. During weekends and holidays, tourists could swell those numbers manyfold. The nearest city of substantial size was hours away. There was a constant battle between the folks who wanted to maintain this small-town feel and those who wanted “growth.” The proper way to foment that “growth,” as well as acceptable manifestations, varied considerably depending on who you talked to. Although, luckily, most of the town seemed on board when it came to the Christmas competition. Pacific Cove pride was at stake.

“All we have here is fresh air. Unless you’re down at the docks and then it can get a little fishy.”

“I love pie,” Nina countered as if this was also a legitimate argument for her relocation to the countryside.

“So...what?” Aubrey asked with a baffled shake of her head.

“Everyone loves pie.” She jabbed a finger Aubrey’s way. “Well...except you.”

“I like pie. I just don’t eat it because it has too much sugar.”

“Yeah, well, as I was saying almost everyone eats pie. Therefore, they would love berries with which to make pies, right? Or muffins or jam or...compote or aioli or whatever the foodies are into these days. And smoothies—you eat those. I could sell them at the farmer’s market in Astoria.”

Aubrey stared blandly at her sister even as her heart clenched inside her chest. Less than a year ago her big sister, at the age of thirty, had been running her own wildly successful marketing company. She’d owned a three-million-dollar showpiece of a home in California and a vacation house in Aspen. That was before her world had imploded. Now she was going to retire to the countryside where she planned to grow organic berries and bake pies?

Nina met her eyes with a solid challenging gaze of her own. She was going to make her say it? Fine. If that’s what it took to keep her sister safe, she’d say it. Aubrey accepted that it was her role in life to keep people safe—including her family.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be living that far out.”

“It’s twelve miles from town. I clocked it yesterday when I drove out there. That’s hardly far out.”

“You know what I’m talking about. You’re way closer to civilization here.”

“You honestly believe the Cove is civilization?” she quipped.

“You know what I mean.” Aubrey stared, willing her sister to take this seriously.

Nina began fiddling with her silverware. “I haven’t had a seizure in ages.”

Her sister had been diagnosed with epilepsy when she was a teenager. Medication had kept it under control, an occasional seizure cropping up only now and then. Something had changed when her marriage began to fall apart. Stress, the neurologist hypothesized. Aubrey believed it; she couldn’t imagine anything more stressful than the breakup of her sister’s marriage to the lying, abusive Doug Halloren.

There was really no way to know for sure, but Nina had been through hell. Whatever the trigger, the result had been an increase in the frequency and intensity of her seizures. Changes in medication, dosages and counseling to manage her stress level had ensued in an effort to get her stable. To Aubrey’s way of thinking, that stability had yet to be achieved and her city-girl sister moving even farther out into the country was not going to help matters.

“Six months and three days is ages?”

Brows scooted up onto the flawless alabaster skin of her sister’s forehead. “You keep track?”

“Of course I keep track. You’re my sister. I love you.” And she did. Bottom line, the thought of her living so far out by herself scared her to death. “You know what? Forget about civilization. You’re closer to me living here and that’s what I want. Let’s make this about me.”

“That is so sweet. I don’t know what I’d do without you—what I would have done without you all these months.” Nina reached over and squeezed her hand. “But it’s too late. I signed the papers this morning. I’m moving in this Thursday.”

“Thursday! Without even talking to me about this first?”

She dipped her chin and looked up at Aubrey through her lashes. “I know you, too, Aubrey. Just as well as you know me. I knew you would try and talk me out of it.”

No point in trying to deny that.

Nina gave her a beseeching smile. “Please try to understand, okay? I need something. I need... I don’t know what I need, but this feels right somehow. Mom and Dad will be home for Christmas soon. I’m excited to show them how much better I am. Dad is so...judge-y. Especially when it comes to me. I want them to see that I can take care of myself again. I know they’ve had their doubts. And I can understand that. But I’m better now—you know that. I could really use your support here.”

“Of course you can take care of yourself. No one doubts that. And Dad is not judge-y. He only wants you to be happy. But...a farm? How are you even going to...?”

A Santa-hat-wearing waitress stopped by to take their orders. Aubrey complimented her festive attire and requested another minute.

Nina reached down to the seat beside her and heaved a large three-ring binder onto the table between them. Giving it a firm pat with the palm of her hand, she added, “Don’t worry, I have months to read up on how to be a farmer.”

She had no idea what to even say to that. Did her sister seriously believe a notebook was going to teach her how to be a commercial berry farmer?

“Plus, I ordered three pairs of overalls from Amazon and the barn came with a pitchfork.”

Aubrey snuffled out a surprised laugh.

“According to the Quinleys, buying in the winter is the way to go. Gives me plenty of time to get up to speed.”

“Gives them plenty of time to get that humongous RV to Sedona in time to spend the holidays with their new grandbaby you mean?”

Nina let out a chuckle. “There is that.” Something caught her attention in the direction of the door. “There’s Alex! And, wait, is that...?”

Aubrey turned to look.

“Oh, my... Is that Eli? He looks...different. Wow. Even better.”

Aubrey’s pulse took off at a crazy flutter as the men strolled toward their table.

“Hey, ladies,” Alex said, stopping in front of them. He removed a baseball cap to reveal his thick, brown thatch of unruly hair. It was the one thing about him that hadn’t changed over the years. Unlike his once-stocky frame of muscle, which was rapidly softening toward plump. Of course, that was no surprise what with the atrocious eating habits Aubrey was constantly harping on him about.

He gestured happily at Eli. “Look who I ran into? Didn’t think you’d mind if I asked him to join us.”

Nina was already on her feet, moving toward him for a hug. “Of course we don’t mind. Eli, hi! Alex told me you were back. It’s been ages.”

Nina was right; the years had been ridiculously kind to him. She’d always thought his sculpted and flawless features were unfairly beautiful. A thin white scar was now etched below his bottom lip and his olive-toned skin was a bit weathered from so much time outdoors. Soft lines were making a home around his eyes. The combination made him look less...perfect. And even more appealing, if that were possible.

Alex slid across the booth from her while Nina and Eli chatted. Her sisters had always adored Eli. Three years older than Aubrey, Nina had been away at college by the time Aubrey and Eli’s romance began. Aubrey had never told her about it. Camile, being four years younger than Aubrey, had also been clueless. But then again, no one had noticed.

They’d always been friends so it wasn’t unusual for the two of them to spend time together. They’d been very aware that if her parents, especially her father, knew their friendship had blossomed into more, restrictions would be placed on their time together. They had planned to reveal the status of their relationship at the end of summer, when it was time for Eli to leave for the Coast Guard Academy.

But they didn’t make it that long. Aubrey had never shared her heartbreak with anyone, not even her sisters. She’d suffered silently and persevered, focusing on swimming, school and her own career goals. The distance between them had been the perfect cover for their waning friendship.

Nina resumed her spot next to Alex. Eli slid in beside her. Why hadn’t she thought to scoot over first? Because now his muscled thigh was pressing against hers and burning her skin. She felt a flush creeping up her neck and hoped no one would notice.

After another few moments of small talk, Nina flashed her a grin. “Let’s ask Alex his opinion.”

She shot her sister a wry look. They both knew very well he would support whatever Nina decided to do. He held himself partially responsible for Nina’s disastrous marriage. He’d been the one to introduce her to Doug.

“Alex, you like pie, right?”

His eyes widened in surprise, as if she’d asked him if he liked to breathe. “Do I like pie? Remember how I used to have birthday pie instead of cake at my parties when I was a kid?”

“That’s right!” Nina exclaimed. “I do remember that. Geez, your birthday parties were fun. I still remember that magician—the one who made your dad’s plate disappear?”

He belted out a laugh. “I remember that. My mom was worried the guy was going to steal the china. My parties were epic.”

Aubrey had to agree. Alex’s parties had been legendary. The St. Johns would go all-out. Every year there’d been something new to look forward to—pony rides on the beach, a bouncy house or a magician. And Mrs. St. John would put together party bags so every kid would have a gift to take home. She and Eli used to discuss how the gift was always something more expensive than either of them could expect to receive for their own birthdays. One year they’d all gotten hand-held video-game systems.

Alex’s dad, Carlisle, was a gazillionaire who’d only joined the Coast Guard because that’s what the men in his family did—they gave back by serving their country. He’d been unusual in that he’d chosen to remain in the service beyond the requisite years before he’d retired to run his family’s empire. Alex liked to joke that his dad’s extra years entitled him to skip military service altogether. He made up for it by doing volunteer work and serving on the town council, which he loved. Aubrey believed he had political aspirations beyond the local level, although he had yet to confess as much.

“Remember your parents’ Christmas Eve parties?” Nina asked. “Those were like...fairy-tale stuff. Do they still have those?”

Was it her imagination or did Eli tense beside her? And was it for the same reason that she was gripping her fingers together under the table so tightly they hurt? Thirteen Christmas Eves ago, with the scent of evergreen subtly floating on the air and soft Christmas lights twinkling around them, Eli had kissed her for the first time right beside the tree at the St. Johns’ party. That kiss had marked the beginning of their romance.

“When she and Dad aren’t traveling, they do. They’ve been wintering in the south of France for the last few years. They’ll be home this year. I’ll have to ask Mom.”

Nina clapped a hand on the tabletop to indicate a subject change. “Eli, what about you?”

Eli, who had been studying the menu, looked up. “What about me?”

“Do you like pie?”

“Uh, no to pie.”

Aubrey almost laughed at the stricken look on her sister’s face. “What do you mean ‘no’? You don’t like pie?”

He hissed out a breath. “Sorry, no. Too much sugar.”

Alex gave his head a mystified shake.

“You don’t eat sugar?”

“Very little.”

“Not another one?” She rolled her eyes. “Neither does Aubrey.”

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