“Of course, sweetpea,” Margo said to Becky. “I’ll be back with your order shortly.”
As Margo walked off, Rad’s phone buzzed in his pocket. By the time he got it out, it had stopped. He frowned, and it was a few seconds before the phone started to buzz once again.
“Sorry,” Rad said, glancing at the screen. An unknown number, which was usually a wrong number or someone calling about a case. “I should probably take this.”
He pushed back from the table and headed for the relative quiet of Teacups’ front porch before hitting the green button.
“Detective Dillinger,” Rad answered, stepping away from the other customers.
“Detective Conrad Dillinger?” The voice was male, professional, with the careful neutrality that usually meant bad news.
“Yes, this is Detective Dillinger.” Rad frowned as a bad feeling crept over him.
“Detective, this is Dr. Reece from Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. I’m calling about your father,” the doctor told him.
The words hit Rad like cold water. His father lived in Virginia, worked crazy hours, and rarely took vacation time. What would he be doing in Miami?
“My father?” Rad’s grip on the phone tightened. “What about him?”
“He’s been involved in an incident, Detective. He’s currently in our trauma unit in critical condition.” The doctor’s voice was low and firm.
The world seemed to tilt sideways. Rad found himself gripping the porch railing, staring at the peaceful harbor scene without really seeing it. Critical condition. The words echoed in his head like a mantra.
“What kind of incident?” Rad’s voice sounded strange to his own ears.
“I can’t discuss details over the phone, but you’re listed as his emergency contact. How soon can you get here?” the doctor asked.
Emergency contact. Of course, he was.
“I can be there in four hours,” Rad said, his mind already racing through logistics. Tyler would have to come with him, which meant packing, arrangements, and explanations.
“Detective Dillinger, I need to stress that your father’s condition is very serious. If there’s anyone else who should be notified...” the doctor said.
“My grandmother,” Rad said quietly. “I’ll call my grandmother.” He frowned. “She’s actually in Miami. I’ll call her.”
How was he going to tell his gran? His grandmother, who had nearly had heart failure just hearing that Rad had been grazed by a bullet.
“Please do,” the doctor said. “The next couple of hours are crucial. Someone should be here.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Rad said.
He ended the call and stood on the porch for a moment, watching the normal morning routine of Sandpiper Shores continue around him. Tourists strolling toward the beach. Fishing boats heading out for the day. Children playing in the town square while their parents drank coffee and planned their vacation activities.
Everything looked exactly the same as it had five minutes ago, but Rad’s world had shifted completely. His father was in critical condition in a Miami hospital, and Rad had no idea what that meant or how it had happened.
Through the window, he could see Tyler laughing at something Andy had said, his face bright with the kind of uncomplicated happiness that Rad had worked so hard to give him. In a few minutes, he’d have to walk back inside and shatter that happiness with news that would change everything.
Because that’s what happened in the Dillinger family. Just when you thought you’d found peace, just when you started to believe that maybe the universe had finished throwing curve balls at you, something else went wrong.
Rad took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and headed back inside to tell his son that their new life in Sandpiper Shores would have to wait. They had to go back to the city.
4
WILLA
The morning sun streamed through the windows of Teacups Coffee Shop as Willa sat at the table she was sharing with Rad and his son. Margo had taken his seat when he’d gone outside to take a phone call. Andy and Tyler were chatting as they ate, and Becky was on her phone with Zoe, setting up their meeting in a few hours. There was something comforting about small-town life, and especially Margo’s coffee shop and bakery. Willa loved the familiar sounds of the espresso machine and the gentle hum of conversation that made Sandpiper Shores feel like the safest place on earth. She and Margo had been best friends since Willa arrived in Sandpiper Shores twelve years ago, heavily pregnant with her third child. It had been Willa’s mother, Dr. Lucy Tanner, who had delivered Becky. She didn’t know what she would’ve done without Margo’s support when Shaun died. Her mind flashed to another person who had been Shaun’s best friend, and then, after Shaun passed away, had become hers. Ace McKenna had been another rock in her and her children’s lives when Shaun was no longer with them. A sad smile tugged at her lips. She was truly blessed to have found herself living in this small town, even though she’d paid a heavy price for the privilege. As the late town mayor told her,loss is brutal, but lifeknows what it’s doing, and it will be hard, soul-crushing, and so painful, but if you stay on your life’s path, you’ll get to where you were always meant to be. You have to believe that Shaun’s life was meant for that moment, and you still have a journey ahead.
“I still can’t believe it’s been almost ten years,” Willa said, stirring cream into her second cup of coffee. The words came out heavier than she’d intended, carrying the weight of a decade’s worth of grief that never quite went away.
