Page 5

As soon as I step out of my Escalade, I see my friend just inside her shop. It’s closed for the evening, but Isabel and Romeo are still in there for whatever reason. When he sees me, he waves at his niece, gives her a quick hug, and then hurries out to meet me.

“Still can’t believe you’re here, man.” He chuckles as we shake hands. “Is it temporary? Have you decided?”

I freeze for a moment, unsure what to say, but then blurt out the truth. Ripping the Band-Aid off has always been effective in my past. “Nora is me and Sandy’s daughter. I’m here for the wedding reception, to get to know her, and to maybe slow down a bit.”

There.

It’s out in the world now.

Mom will be thrilled.

Rather than cringing at the thought of telling my mother the same statement, I watch with slight amusement at Romeo’s expression.

Shock. Disbelief. Maybe a little excitement or joy.

“I knew it,” he says, playfully punching my arm that’s been seeing too much hotel gym time since moving back. “That girl was so in love with you in high school. She moved to Seattle for you. To me, it was obvious the kid was yours, but no one talked about it, certainly not you. Holy crap, Up. Or should I call you Daddy Up?”

I groan and shake my head. “Don’t call me Daddy Up. Sounds dirty.”

Before he can scandalize me with “real examples of dirty” like he would have when we were kids, I rush toward the door to The Icehouse. I catch a few vulgar words dancing in the air behind me, but I ignore them, and fling open the door.

It’s crowded as can be.

Bunko night.

The savory scent of freshly fried onion rings fills my nostrils and makes my stomach grumble. I’ve stopped drinking since I left Seattle. Toward the end there, it got a little too frequent for my liking, but Silas is known for a lot more than alcohol.

When I see Monroe Calder, or Sheriff Calder these days, I give him a wave. There’s an empty seat on either side of him and one in front. I drop down beside him, and Romeo takes the seat beside me.

“About time you showed your face around here,” Monroe says, lips twitching, but the smile from his childhood long gone. “Good to see you again, man.”

We shake hands and before I can utter another word, Romeo blabs my secret. But, since I told one of the biggest mouths in Budgie Bay, I sort of knew this would be the outcome. Monroe, to my surprise, already knows. Sooo shocking.

Silas ambles over to us and claps me amicably on the shoulder. I sit, sighing in exasperation, but let the secret spread even further. The three of them chatter like this is the best news they’ve heard all day.

A bunch of gossip queens.

The scent reaches me before realization does. A perfume I know better than any smell I’ve ever inhaled.

Hers. Sandy Everhart. To be sure it’s actually her, I whip my head around to meet her blue-eyed stare.

She’s as beautiful as ever.

Her long blond hair is done up in a messy bun that suits her. I always thought her face was perfect, but her lips are a little fuller than the last time I saw her. My mouth waters to run my tongue over her bottom one.

Like old times.

I grit my teeth and give her a forced smile. It’s not that I don’t want to see her. I just wasn’t quite ready. When I cast my eyes past her and then back to her again, she shakes her head before taking the seat across from me.

“Nora’s at home with Elias,” she says, head angled down to fiddle with the zipper of her fleece jacket.

Hearing my daughter’s name, in public and no longer a secret, warms my heart more than I thought it ever could.

“I’m eager to meet her,” I admit, ignoring the nosy guys around us. “Maybe we could all have dinner together or something one day soon.”

Sandy, still not meeting my eyes, nibbles on her bottom lip as if to tease me. “She’d like that.”

What about you, sweet Sandy?