Margo Tanner was beautiful in a way that snuck up on you. Petite and slender with flame-red hair that caught the morning sunlight, she had the kind of smile that made you feel like the most important person in the room. But it was more than that. She was smart, funny, kind without being naive, and she ran her business with the kind of competence that reminded Rad why small towns worked.
“The usual?” Margo asked, though she was already writing their order on her pad. Tyler always got the blueberry pancakes with extra syrup. Rad preferred the breakfast sandwich with local sausage and cheese from a farm twenty miles inland.
“Actually,” Tyler said, “can I try the French toast today?”
Margo’s eyebrows rose in mock surprise. “Of course you can.”
“Are you sure, buddy?” Rad said, his brows raised. “You’ve never tried it before.”
Tyler shrugged. “Actually, I had it the other day at the Parker house.”
Rad pursed his lips, impressed. His son never tried new things without a fight or having to basically bribe him to do it. Butin the past few weeks of having met his new best friend, Andy Parker, he’d tried different foods he would never have before.
“French toast it is,” Margo said, making a note. “Extra powdered sugar?”
“Yes, please.” Tyler nodded.
Rad watched the interaction with familiar warmth spreading through his chest. This was what he’d wanted for Tyler: a place where adults knew his name and cared about his preferences, where he could be himself without fear or pretense. But as Margo walked away, Rad had to acknowledge that his feelings about their morning routine were becoming complicated.
He was attracted to her and had been since their first conversation three weeks ago, when she’d helped Tyler find the perfect spot to set up his laptop while Rad filled out paperwork for the police department. She was smart, funny, beautiful, and she seemed to genuinely enjoy their company. But Margo was also an established member of a small community, and Rad was still the outsider trying to find his place.
More importantly, Tyler was finally settling in somewhere, making friends, sleeping through the night. The last thing Rad wanted to do was complicate their new life with romantic drama, especially if things went badly.
“Dad, look,” Tyler said, pointing toward the entrance. “There’s Andy.”
Rad followed his son’s gaze and saw Fire Captain Willa Parker entering with two of her children. Andy Parker was Tyler’s age and had become Tyler’s closest friend almost overnight, bonding over baseball and technology with the kind of instant connection that only teenagers seemed capable of. Behind Andy was hisyounger sister Becky, a twelve-year-old animal lover who’d already appointed herself Tyler’s guide to local wildlife.
“Tyler!” Andy’s face lit up as he spotted his friend. The boys performed their elaborate handshake while Becky rolled her eyes with the practiced disdain of a younger sibling.
“Good morning, Detective,” Willa said as she approached their table. She was a striking woman in her mid-thirties with dark auburn hair and the kind of confident bearing that came from years of commanding respect in a traditionally male profession. “Mind if we join you? Grace is with her best friend Katey this morning, and these two were driving me crazy at home.”
“Please,” Rad gestured to the empty chairs. “Tyler was just about to tell me his grand plans for the day.”
“There is a beach volleyball tournament,” Tyler announced. “Andy and I were thinking of going to it.”
“Yeah, can we, Mom?” Andy looked at his surprised mother, and Rad realized he hadn’t mentioned it to her.
“Sure,” Willa said. “As long as you take Becky with you.”
“Mom, I don’t need a babysitter, I’m twelve,” Becky hissed at her mother, her cheeks pinkening. “Besides, I’m going to Zoe’s house today.”
“Thats right,” Willa said with a nod and then looked at Rad. “Are you happy with our sons going to the volleyball tournament?”
“Sure,” Rad said, glancing at his son. “As long as you behave and are careful.”
The teenage boys both agreed to the terms he, and then Willa, laid out for them to go to the game.
Rad had quickly learned that Willa Parker commanded enormous respect in Sandpiper Shores. She’d taken over as Fire Captain after her husband’s death ten years ago, managing both wildland firefighting and wildlife conservation with a competence that impressed even the old-timers who’d initially been skeptical of her appointment. She was also raising three children on her own while maintaining the kind of community involvement expected of everyone in town.
“Morning, Willa,” Margo appeared with menus for the newcomers. “The usual for you and the kids?”
“Actually, can I get extra coffee today?” Willa asked. “And maybe some of those blueberry muffins to go? I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
“Fire department keeping you busy?” Margo asked with a smile.
“Always. Plus, we’re getting ready for the memorial next month, and the paperwork never ends.” Willa’s voice carried a note of tiredness that Rad had noticed before when she mentioned her work. Being the only female fire captain in the district couldn’t be easy, especially in a small town where everyone had an opinion about everything.
“Can I get some extra cream with my pancakes, please, Margo?” Becky asked.
