The way she'd looked when he'd said he was leaving. Like she was trying not to show relief and disappointment fighting for space in her chest.
He deleted the text.
Some things should be done in person.
46
The Sugar& Salt reopening was a success.
By four in the afternoon, Cara's bakery was spotless again, the display cases empty, and every table wiped clean. The whole town had shown up. Pastor Ben had blessed the space with words about restoration and second chances. People had bought pastries, offered congratulations, and reminded her that Haven Cove took care of its own.
Her found family had worked the chaos with style—Reagan on the register, Tom handling crowd control, Wade bussing tables while looking like he was planning military operations, and Piper documenting everything for what she called "posterity and college applications."
Now the bakery was quiet. The five of them hunched over hot chocolates.
"Okay." Reagan set down her mug. "Everyone to the basement. Now."
Cara blinked. "What?"
"Basement. All of us. Come on."
Tom and Wade exchanged glances. Piper grinned like she'd been waiting for this moment her entire life.
They descended the stairs to where Cara stored flour and supplies.
Except now there was a door. A serious door with a keypad and reinforced frame and hinges.
"We added a few features," Wade said.
“Sorry, not sorry,” Piper added.
He punched in a code. The lock disengaged.
Inside was a room she'd never seen. Twenty by twenty. Conference table. Computers. Secure storage. Equipment that looked expensive and possibly illegal.
"What is this?" Her voice came out faint.
"Haven Investigations," Piper announced. "I came up with the name."
Reagan gestured at the table. "Sit. Let us explain."
Tom pulled out a chair across from her. "We all have skills we don't talk about. Skills that don't match our cover stories."
"You're not the only one with a past," Reagan said.
"Exactly." Tom's expression was serious. "We worked together. Saved David. Saw what we could do as a team. So we're making it official. Sort of."
Piper bounced in her seat. "We're forming an investigative team. For cases the police can't handle. For people who need help."
Cara stared at them. "You want to do this regularly."
Tom raised his hands, palms out. "Only if you're in."
"Why me?"
"Because you're good at this," Wade said. "And because we trust you."
"Even though you don't know who I really am."
