by Sophie Moss
Part of her was grateful for the business, but the other part—the part that knew the only reason everyone had come in today was because they were dying to know if she and Will were together—was afraid this was all going to blow up in her face.
Emptying the coffee grounds from the espresso machine, she watched Taylor refill the saltshakers on the café tables. Thankfully, her daughter had spent most of the morning upstairs making wind chimes out of the box of buttons Jess’s mom had given her. When she’d come downstairs at lunchtime, Della had fixed her a sandwich and put her to work icing sugar cookies.
Annie didn’t expect anyone to purposefully blurt out the fact that she’d slept with Will in front of her eight-year-old daughter. But what if Taylor overheard a conversation in passing? What if one of the kids in her class had seen them kissing in the street last night? It wouldn’t take long to put two and two together.
The last thing she wanted was for Taylor to get her hopes up that she and Will might have some kind of future together. Taylor was already so fond of Will. If she spent any more time with him, it would break her heart when he left.
She knew what it was like to get close to a man her mother was dating, to start looking up to him like a father figure. Most of all, she knew how much it hurt to say goodbye.
Pushing back from the espresso machine, she opened the register and pulled out a pile of receipts. She could hear Della singing along with a country song in the kitchen, pots and pans clanging around as she put everything away for the night. Making two piles, one for cash, one for credit cards, Annie stole a glance back up at Taylor and caught her daughter staring out the window. “What are you looking at, sweetie?”
“Nothing,” Taylor said quickly, grabbing a saltshaker from the closest table.
Annie watched her refill it and twist the top back on. When she moved on to a new table, Annie went back to tallying up the day’s receipts. A few minutes later, she glanced back up and found Taylor staring out the window again. “Taylor.”
Taylor looked up guiltily.
Annie set down the receipts. “What is it?”
“I thought Will might bring Riley over.”
Annie’s heart constricted. This was exactly what she’d been afraid of. “I don’t think Will’s coming over tonight,” she said gently.
“Why not?”
“Because he has a friend in town.”
“Maybe we could go to the inn?” Taylor asked hopefully.
Annie stepped out from behind the counter and crossed the room to her daughter. She took both of Taylor’s hands in hers. “You know Will’s leaving soon, right?”
Taylor looked down at their joined hands and nodded.
“You can still visit with Riley after he leaves,” Annie said, squeezing her hands. “She’s not going anywhere.”
“I know.” Taylor lifted her big green eyes back up to Annie’s. “But won’t he miss her?”
“I’m sure he will.”
“Do you think he’ll come back and visit?”
Annie took a deep breath. “I don’t know. But if he does, it won’t be for a really long time.”
Taylor looked back out the window, at where the leaves were drying and crinkling in the streets. “I wish he wasn’t leaving.”
Me too, Annie thought. But wishing and hoping weren’t going to get them anywhere. She pushed to her feet. “Why don’t you show me the new wind chimes you made today?”
Taylor took one last look out the window. “They’re upstairs.”
“Come on,” Annie said cheerfully, tucking her daughter’s arm through hers. “Let’s find a place to hang them.”
They were almost to the steps when a dog barked in the front yard.
Taylor whirled. “Riley!”
Annie turned slowly as Taylor ran for the door. Taylor dropped her broom with a clatter on the tiles as she raced out onto the porch and dashed down the steps to throw her arms around the wiggling dog.
Will and Colin turned up the walkway a moment later.
Annie took one look at Will and her palms grew damp. What was he doing here? Shouldn’t he be keeping his distance, letting things cool down between them after what happened last night?
He paused at the bottom of the steps to talk to Taylor. When he finally lifted his gaze, and caught her eyes through the screen door, the heat that sizzled between them could have set the café on fire.
There was nothing cool or distant about that.
Della walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “Well, well, well,” she murmured, pausing beside Annie. “Look who finally decided to make an appearance?”
“What?” Annie asked distractedly, her mouth going dry as Will slowly climbed the steps to her porch. His T-shirt was covered in dirt and sawdust. A pair of ripped jeans hung from his narrow hips. His strong forearms were tan and glistening with sweat.
Colin walked in behind him, scuffing his work boots on the doormat and gazing around the café appreciatively as they stepped inside. “Nice place.”
“Thank you,” Annie managed.
Colin turned his attention to Della. “You must be the famous chef Will’s told me so much about.”
Della beamed. “I don’t know about that, but you look like you could use a slice of pumpkin pie.”
Colin grinned at her. “You read my mind.”
He followed her into the kitchen, leaving Annie and Will alone.
Annie’s pulse quickened. He shouldn’t be here. She wasn’t ready to see him yet.
She needed a few days to catch her breath, to regain her balance. Last night had been…more than she’d expected. But it was time to take a step back, to start putting some distance between them.
It would be easier that way when he left.
Stepping behind the counter, she busied her hands with the receipts, pretending not to notice the flash of confusion that clouded Will’s eyes when she moved away from him instead of toward him.
He strolled up to the counter, his gaze dropping to the receipts. “Are all those from today?”
She nodded.
“I’m impressed.”
“It was a good day.” Thanks to you. She continued to sort the receipts, her hands methodically separating them into the two piles. It was easier when she had a task to focus on, when she didn’t have to look at him.
She froze when he reached across the counter and adjusted the pen she’d stuck haphazardly in her hair that morning.
“I like this,” he murmured, his fingers lingering in her messy hair.
Her neck tingled, her skin flushing with heat. “I didn’t have time to do much else with it this morning.”
His chocolate eyes warmed as he drew his hand back. “You should wear it like that more often.”
She opened her mouth, closed it. He was not making this easy for her. Twisting a rubber band around the cash pile, she nudged it aside and turned her attention to the credit card receipts. “Did you and Colin get a lot of work done on the inn today?”
He nodded. “It helps to have an extra set of hands.”
“I can imagine.”
“Annie.”
Her gaze flickered back up to his.
He took her hand, prying the receipts from her fingers. “Ryan invited us out on his boat to watch the sunset. Can you come?”
“Ryan’s boat?” she asked, struggling to concentrate when he brushed his thumb gently over her knuckles.
He nodded. “It might be the last time we can get out before winter sets in. Ryan wants to show us a few of the projects he’s been working on. Taylor will love it.”
Annie drew her hand back, catching the surprise and disappointment in his eyes. “I wish I could say yes, but I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I have a meeting with Shelley Needham, the principal at Taylor’s school, in an hour.”
Disappointment shifted quickly to concern. “Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just a standard meeting. We agreed to check in
once a week, talk about how things are going.”
“But everything’s okay?” he pressed.
“Yes. Everything’s fine. Shelley just wants to stay on top of the situation. Becca fills her in on everything that happens in class and we discuss Taylor’s overall progress both at school and at home.” She took a deep breath, looking away. “In case…”
“In case what?”
“In case anything like this ever happens again.”
Will’s jaw hardened. She caught the flash of anger, the cold fury that swam into his eyes. He had spent the last ten years of his life hunting down the people who’d murdered his mother and sister. The thought that something so cold-blooded would happen at home, in a school, to innocent children, wasn’t easy to swallow.
“It makes me angry, too,” she said quietly. “But it helps to talk about it. These weekly meetings with Shelley are the one chance I get to discuss Taylor’s progress with someone face-to-face, someone who cares about getting it right as much as I do.”
“Taylor doesn’t go with you to the meetings?”
“She does sometimes,” Annie admitted. “Della offered to watch her for me last week, but she’s got a church meeting tonight, so I’ll probably take her.”
“I could watch Taylor for you tonight.”
“Thanks,” Annie said, reaching for the receipts, “but I’ve got it covered. Shelley downloaded a bunch of games on her laptop. Taylor has no problem popping in a pair of earplugs and tuning us out.”
“You’d rather she play computer games than come out for a ride on Ryan’s boat with me?”
Annie looked up at him. “She’s not going out on the water without me.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” Why was Will doing this? He’d made it clear he didn’t want anything permanent. She was trying really hard to keep things light and simple between them. He wasn’t helping by asking to hang out with Taylor without her. “Because I don’t feel comfortable.”
“It’s just a boat ride, Annie. If she’s going to grow up on this island, she needs to get out on the water. She needs to start learning about the Bay.”
“And we’ll get out on the water, together, another time.”
“You don’t trust me.”
Annie took a deep breath. “It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
Will walked around the counter and took her shoulders in his hands, turning her to face him. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you to keep her safe.”
“Then, what is it?”
How could she tell him she didn’t want her daughter hanging out with him because she was afraid Taylor would get too attached and start looking up to him as some sort of father figure?
“Becca will be there,” Will said. “Ryan, Colin, and I will be there. Both of Ryan’s dogs will be there. You know how much she loves spending time with those dogs.”
Annie looked out at the porch, where Taylor was sprawled out on the floorboards laughing while Riley chewed on her hair.
“Trust me,” Will said gently.
Annie looked down at her hands. “She’s not a strong swimmer. I’m going to sign her up for lessons at the YMCA soon. I know she needs to learn. We just haven’t had time yet.”
“Nothing’s going to happen.”
Colin walked out of the kitchen, catching the tail end of their conversation. “I can vouch for Will’s swimming skills, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Will smiled.
Annie felt herself cave. She knew Taylor would love to go out on the boat. It wasn’t fair to make her stay inside and play computer games when she could be out on the water, watching the sunset. “You’ll bring her back as soon as the boat ride is over?”
Will nodded.
“And you’ll make sure she’s wearing a life jacket.”
“Of course.”
“And you won’t leave her side.”
“I won’t leave her side.” He took her hand, leading her out from behind the counter.
“Hey, kiddo,” he said to Taylor when they got to the porch. “Want to go for a boat ride?”
Taylor sat up, her eyes widening. “A boat ride?”
He nodded. “We might even put a few lines in the water, see if we can get a fish to bite.”
Taylor looked up at Annie expectantly. “Mom?”
Annie slipped her daughter’s jacket off the coat rack by the door. “You can go, but you have to promise you’ll be careful.”
“I promise!” Taylor scrambled to her feet, grabbing her jacket. She stuffed her hands into the arms, looking up at Will. “Can Riley come?”
“Of course.”
Riley jumped up, wagging her tail. Taylor followed Colin down the steps, heading toward the marina with the dog on her heels.
Annie’s gaze fell to Taylor’s broom, lying on the floor, forgotten.
Will squeezed her hand. He bent down to pick it up, and dropped a light kiss on her lips before heading down the steps. When he caught up with Taylor and Colin, Taylor glanced over and noticed her broom in his hand.
Annie waited for her to reach for it, to take it from him and drag it along the sidewalk through the leaves. Instead, she reached for Will’s hand.
“Isn’t that a sight?” Della murmured.
“He’s leaving,” Annie breathed. “In two weeks.”
Della was silent for a long time as she watched them walk down the street toward the marina. “You’re sure about that?”
Annie looked over at Della. “His career is in San Diego.”
“Lots of people change careers,” Della said lightly.
Not Navy SEALs, Annie thought, looking back at her daughter and Will holding hands. Especially not one who’d dedicated his life to going after the people who’d killed his family.
“Besides,” Annie said. “I need him to leave. I need him to sell the inn to Morningstar so I can open my French restaurant.”
“Is that really still what you want?” Della asked, her voice sad.
“Yes.” Annie nodded. Of course, it was. Wasn’t it? “You knew this was only temporary.”
The wind picked up, the chimes singing in the salty autumn breezes.
“I know,” Della said quietly. “I just keep hoping you’ll change your mind.”
Will kept Taylor’s small hand in his as they motored out of the marina. The setting sun painted the marsh grasses a fiery copper. Fingers of water snaked in and out of the meandering shoreline. Flocks of Canada geese flew overhead, their calls filling the sky.
Taylor’s face was turned up to the pink clouds, her wispy red hair flying out in the wind. Her broom was lying at their feet. She hadn’t reached for it since they’d left the café. He wished Annie could see her. He wished she could see how relaxed and happy she was.
Whenever he thought about what had happened to Taylor at that school in D.C., a hard knot of anger formed in the pit of his stomach. He had joined the SEALs to protect this country, to prevent another attack like 9/11 from happening, to make sure that no one else lost their mother and sister to terrorism. But Taylor had been through her own personal war here at home.
Who was here to protect her?
Becca walked over, leaning against the railing on the other side of Taylor. “Ryan’s telling Colin the story about the time you guys went crabbing in your grandfather’s canoe and tipped it over.”
Will looked back at where Colin and Ryan stood at the helm laughing. “There are two versions of that story.”
Becca smiled and lifted the top of the cooler, fishing out a soda for Taylor. “You might want to set the record straight.”
Taylor let go of his hand to take the soda, and Will caught the beer Becca tossed to him. Twisting the cap off, he strolled back to the helm.
“We’d been out on the water for a few hours,” Ryan was saying, “catching maybe five or six crabs at a time.”
Will leaned a shoulder against the center console.
Will took a sip of his beer, remembering all the carefree days he and Ryan had spent out on the water, fishing and crabbing and chasing after girls on sailboats.
Ryan lifted his hand, waving to three fishermen in a yellow boat heading back to the marina. “We’d filled the bushel about halfway, and Will was leaning over the side of the canoe pulling up the trot line, when a tiny crab, probably half the size of my hand—”
“It was at least three times that size,” Will cut in.
Ryan looked back at Colin. “This tiny crab pinched Will’s toe and he let out this huge shout and started kicking his leg to try to get it off. I tried to help—”
“You did not try to help.”
“He was flailing around—”
“I did not flail,” Will corrected. “I have never flailed.”
Ryan’s shoulders shook with laughter. “He knocked the bushel over and the bottom fell out. At least three dozen live crabs escaped into the canoe.”
Colin laughed. “Who jumped out first?”
“Will,” Ryan said at the same time Will said, “Ryan.”
Will shook his head while Colin laughed louder and Ryan launched into another story about their childhood. To this day, neither one of them would admit to being the first who’d bailed.
When the canoe had tipped, they’d lost the crabs, both paddles, and Will’s grandfather’s favorite fishing rod.
His grandfather had not been happy when he’d found out.
Especially since Will and Ryan had both been grounded the day before and shouldn’t have even been out in the canoe. He couldn’t remember what they’d been grounded for now, but it was probably something stupid like putting a toad fish in Grace’s backpack or a bag of bloodworms in Becca’s locker.
Looking out at the water, Will took another pull from his beer. He’d forgotten how simple life could be, how easy it was to grow up on this island. Before he’d come back here, that time in his life had felt like a million years ago. Now, out on the Bay with two of his childhood friends, it didn’t seem so far away anymore.
