Chapter 1

Willis Jenkins squinted against the sunlight as a cool breeze from the ocean ruffled his dark hair, cooling the warmth of his skin.

I'm getting too old for this nonsense,he thought as he took another look at the repairs that he'd just made on the roof of Tidal Wave Coffee. The shingles that he'd replaced were tucked in perfectly with the others—the only difference between them was that the new shingles were slightly darker in color, having never been subjected to long hours of sunlight.

Carefully, Willis picked up his toolbox and made his way to the edge of the roof, where his ladder was leaning. As he climbed down it, a couple of curious customers paused in the doorway of the coffee shop, blinking at him.

"Haven't you ever seen someone repair a roof?" he asked them. His voice was gruff, but he winked after the words.

Probably not, he thought with a sense of satisfaction.

Not a lot of the buildings around town needed repairs, and when they did it was seldom, like this one. Years before he had built Tidal Wave Coffee with his own two hands, as well as his own restaurant, The Crab, and several other buildings in Blueberry Bay. The buildings in town were well-built, and he knew it better than anyone.

If things are made well, they don't break,he thought—a phrase that often went through his mind or passed through his lips. That roof would have held up without any trouble for years if it weren't for that branch scraping it during the storm.

It was May in Blueberry Bay, and the spring weather brought with it coastal rainstorms. He never minded a storm, though, because afterward the air smelled cleaner and the world looked fresher. He sniffed the air eagerly. It was an afternoon with warm sunlight and a chilly breeze, and the air held the invigorating scent of growing things.

He closed up the ladder and placed his toolbox beside it. He noticed that the customers who had been blinking at him earlier were now watching him from inside the coffee shop.

They probably think I'm some kind of ogre,he thought, smiling to himself a little. I guess I am becoming a little bit like the town grump.

He realized how long it had been since he'd had a real conversation with someone—well, someone other than his daughter Hannah. But his conversations with her were nearly all phone calls, now that she was off studying to be a pianist at Jacob's School of Music in Indiana. Sometimes he reminisced about what life was like before she met her boyfriend, Luke Ward. She had always been around to help him out at The Crab, and sometimes he missed her so much his chest ached.

She's much happier now,he reminded himself. Besides, Luke is a great guy. He's the one who encouraged her to pursue her dream.

He smiled, lost in thought for a moment about the joyful look on his daughter's face whenever she played the piano.

His phone vibrated, and he reached into his pocket eagerly, hoping it was a phone call from his daughter. Those were always the highlight of his week—she would tell him all about how things were going at school. He was proud of how hard she was working, and how much she was accomplishing.

She needed this adventure,he thought as he picked up the ladder and started carrying it to his truck. Maybe she's more like her mother than I always thought.

His heart twisted at the memory of his ex-wife. Hannah's mother had left him when their daughter was young, telling him that she felt that life in Blueberry Bay wasn't enough for her, and that their marriage wasn't enough for her either. It had all been too boring.

Only boring people get bored,he thought, feeling the old spark of indignance under the dulled pain of the memory. There's nothing boring about Blueberry Bay. There's exciting things happening here every day if you know how to look for them.

He shouldered his ladder into the bed of his truck—his trusty '98 Ford, which had been keeping him company for years. He'd been in his truck when he'd gotten the news that his wife had left town. He remembered driving home in a daze, unable to think about much besides what it would do to Hannah.

One decision can change the entire trajectory of a person's life,he thought as he walked back to Tidal Wave Coffee for his toolbox. It's kind of scary how much power we all have that way. Hannah's decision to pursue a career as a pianist instead of spending her life in Blueberry Bay was a good one, but it's changed her life forever. It's changed mine forever too.

He thought about how much his wife's decision to leave them had affected their lives. If she hadn't left, he wouldn't be alone like he was. He'd still have a wife at home.

A gust of wind ruffled his hair as he stooped to pick up his toolbox. He noticed a smooth stone lying on the sidewalk and remembered standing on the beach with his first true love, Marsha Dunlap, and skipping stones. For a moment he wondered what his life would have been like if different decisions had been made, and he had married Marsha…

He pushed the thought away quickly, even though it warmed him and filled him with a sweet kind of ache.

Daydreaming is for young folks,he told himself firmly. I'm far too old to not accept reality. This is how my life turned out, and I'd best accept that.

"Willis!"

He turned around when he heard his name. Michael O'Neil, the owner of Tidal Wave Coffee, was stepping out of the front door of the building, flashing his charismatic smile.

"I wanted to make sure to thank you before you left." Michael reached a hand out and shook Willis's eagerly. "I'm so grateful to you for taking care of the repairs. And so quickly!"

"Don't mention it," Willis grunted. "Just doing my job."

He liked how firm Michael's handshake was. The other man was a professional surfer, and even though Willis had thought it kind of a silly sport in the past, he had to admit that it made Michael in peak physical condition.

"Would you like to come inside for a while? You can have any drink you want, on the house."

That's nice of him,Willis thought. Giving me free coffee in addition to paying me.

"Coffee sounds good right now," he said, offering the surfer a smile. "I could use an afternoon pick-me-up."

"Great." Michael grinned.

They walked inside the coffee shop together, and Willis eagerly breathed in the nutty aroma of fresh coffee. A skinny young man wearing glasses stood behind the counter—one of the local teens that Michael had hired to work at Tidal Wave Coffee—and he took Willis's order of black coffee politely. He handed him a steaming cup a moment later.

Michael already had a beverage he was drinking, and he picked up the cup from behind the counter and then went to sit down at a table by one of the windows. Willis realized that the other man expected him to come sit down as well, since he was smiling at him.

I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to have a conversation with someone other than Hannah, he thought, walking over to the table and sitting down. I should ask him about his girlfriend and her daughter.

"How are things with Caitlin?" he asked, just before taking a cautious sip of the hot coffee. The taste was rich and dark. "How's her business going?"

"Great." Michael's eyes warmed as he spoke. It was no secret how much he cared about his girlfriend, Caitlin Lewis, and her daughter Pearl. The two of them had come to live in Blueberry Bay after she had gotten divorced, and she now owned Blueberry Bay's first and only dinner cruise ship. "She's a whiz at it. All that time running a fancy restaurant in the city has made her a real pro. And she's just like that, you know? She's determined."

Willis nodded. "Good to hear. And things are going well for the two of you?"

Michael nodded. "There's nothing easy about the relationship—relationships are never easy. But it's a hundred percent worth it." The bright smile on his face seemed to be proof of how happy he was.

Willis thought with a pang how true that was—relationships were hard. His ex-wife hadn't wanted to stick it out through the ups and downs, but if she'd had the kind of attitude that Michael seemed to have about his relationship, she would have.

Loyalty,he thought. She didn't have loyalty. But sometimes love is more about loyalty than good feelings.

"You're lucky to have found someone who wants to fight for the relationship," he told the surfer, almost surprised by his own words. He didn't often speak about these kinds of things with people he didn't know well. His mind flickered back to Marsha, and he wondered if she would have been that kind of partner for him. Someone who was willing to hold on tightly even through rough patches. Someone loyal.

Don't think about that,he told himself firmly, even though his heart was stirring at the thought. No use dwelling on the past like that.

"I am, that's for sure." Michael smiled. "Caitlin really is a treasure. She's just as dedicated to our relationship as I am."

The two of them continued to talk for a few minutes, but Willis felt restless, and soon excused himself. He didn't admit it, even to himself, but their topic of conversation was a difficult one for him. It stirred up a lot of old hurts.

"Thanks for the coffee." He shook Michael's hand. "I'd better run. I've got lots of work that needs doing. I'll see you later."

"See you later." Michael stood and accompanied him to the door. "Thanks again for your work."

"Don't mention it."

Willis waved goodbye to Michael and the teenager behind the counter, then walked out to his truck. He started the engine but hesitated for a moment before pulling out into the road. His heart felt muddy, as if eddies of feeling that had been long frozen over were starting to thaw. For a moment, he sat staring into space, lost in thought.

Then he grunted and pulled his truck out into the road.