It was almost exactly as she remembered.
“I suppose some things never change.” Juliette dropped her bags on the hardwood floor, then unbuttoned her wool coat and tossed it over the arm of the leather sofa. She didn’t even need a bed at this point. The after-midnight drive and the events of the night were wearing on her, leaving her bones weak and her mind exhausted. All she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep. And forget.
“I think you’d be surprised.” Adrienne ran a hand down the length of her braid and fiddled with the knot at the end. “A lot has changed since you left.”
“Really?” Juliette asked dryly. She couldn’t picture her mother ever changing, but seven years was a long time.
“It’s true.” Vivianne absently trailed her fingers along the length of the small kitchen island with the chipped counters.“Mama has done very well for herself. Adrienne and I both took over the floral design after…”
She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. It made no difference, of course. Juliette already knew the filler words, the ones that lingered in the air and in her mind long after she left Mystic Cove.
After you left.
After you refused to work in the shop.
After you said you hated her.
“She’s gained quite the reputation, Jules.” Adrienne inclined her head, the way she always did when she was trying to make a point. “One of the best florists in the area.”
“That’s good.” Juliette would make an effort to be kind. Understanding, even. The twins loved Gigi and rightfully so. Growing up, they were spared her demands. Her constant criticisms. So, even though she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs about the unfairness of the world, she often did whatever she could to keep the image of Gigi rosy for them and not doused in shadows.
“Does Gabi know you’re here?” Vivianne asked.
“No. Not yet.” Juliette had received the customary “Happy New Year” text from her oldest sister hours ago. Unfortunately, she’d been sitting on a sofa sipping a watered-down vodka and cranberry, listening to Rodrigo’s validation of his behavior. She hadn’t thought to respond. “It’s only four in the morning in California. I’ll call her tomorrow.”
Tomorrowwas a word Juliette used far too often.
“You should get some rest.” Vivianne’s face softened, and she placed one hand against her cheek. “I’m sure Mama has some cucumbers to help with the swelling around your eyes.”
Juliette pressed her lips into a thin line and tried to hold back her smile. Vivianne was blessedly blunt, yet also sometimes brutal. “Thanks, Viv. I’ll be sure to check the fridge.”
Adrienne rolled her eyes to the exposed beams above them. “What she meant to say was, try and get some sleep. We can talk more later once you’re feeling better.”
“Right.” Vivianne bobbed her head, and her short, dark brown ringlets bounced like ribbons of satin. She inspected the status of her pink gel polish manicure. “That’s exactly what I meant to say.”
Adrienne took her twin’s hand and tugged her from the loft. “Come on, Viv. Juliette needs some sleep.”
“Jules?” Vivianne paused at the top of the stairs. “Are you staying? For good?”
Hope lingered at the edge of her question.
Juliette knew what she was asking. The twins wanted her to stay. They didn’t want her to leave again. She had no way of knowing how long she would be in Mystic Cove. She didn’t want to stay forever, not after trying so hard to get out, but with her twin sisters staring at her with their matching pale green eyes full of expectation, she knew she owed them a response. After all, she’d abandoned both of them along with Anne-Sophie just as quickly as Gabrielle had left her behind once she got married.
“For a while, I suppose.” She kept her voice soft. Even. “At least until I can figure out what I’m going to do.”
The twins nodded in unison, then descended the stairs to the flower shop below where Gigi waited for them to start the day.
Juliette dragged herself across the loft to the makeshift bedroom that was nothing more than four walls painted a calming sage green and a mattress with a pile of blankets that smelled like musty lemons. She stripped down into an oversized shirt and a pair of flannel shorts, then collapsed onto the bed. Curling beneath the soft down blanket, she tried to erase the images of Rodrigo from her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, but the more she tried to forget, the more she was haunted by the past. By memories and mistakes.
She was back in Mystic Cove, the one place she swore she’d never return.
Juliette could stay for now. But she couldn’t stay forever.
CHAPTER 2
New Year’s Day fell on a Tuesday morning, and Brockton Gallagher found himself driving to his typical spot—his grandmother’s house.
It had become sort of a habit to visit with her at least once a week, and usually during the mornings, her favorite time of day. He considered himself more of a night owl, though life and work forced him to wake up at the crack of dawn, but he asked her why she preferred mornings once. And her answer sold him. She told him it was because the world was still and sleeping, and for a moment, it was as though that precious carving of time belonged solely to her. She said there was nothing more magical than witnessing the sun just breaking on the horizon, its glow of warmth not yet touching the sand, or when there was nothing but the sound of the sea and the call of the breeze. And so he’d begun to visit during those favorite times in the morning, when it was just the two of them, the ocean air, and a fresh cup of coffee.
