Chapter 1

Josie Garner lifted her hands from the keyboard with a little flourish and peered at her computer screen, her lips curving in a satisfied smile. Now that was what she called a spreadsheet.

She lifted her coffee cup to her lips and took a long, luxurious sip. She'd bought the coffee from Tidal Wave Coffee during her break. Vanilla hazelnut. She felt like trying something new today.

Josie turned to look out the window of The Outlet. It looked like a beautiful day outside—a clear blue sky and sparkling sunshine. Blueberry Bay was beautiful during every season, but there was something about the small Rhode Island town in autumn that was like an added warmth of color, and an added spice to the scent of the wind. She was eager to finish up the rest of her work so that she could make her way home.

She carefully clicked her way through the rest of her emails, organizing them into separate inboxes. Some of them could wait for a few days, but she responded to most of them anyway. The Outlet had a couple of wonderful, creative writers—Dane Taylor and his fiancée, Alissa Lewis—but a newspaper couldn't run on creativity alone, and that was where Josie came in. Dane Taylor might have been the captain of the ship, so to speak, but Josie was the first mate, and she kept the ship in tip-top shape. Everything was tidily organized and got done on time, and Josie managed all of it, including projects for both the newspaper and the local magazine that Dane and Alissa had started together.

Josie turned off her computer, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. There. She was ahead of her work, ready for the next day.

She glanced at her calendar, her eyes lingering on the year. She'd been thirty for a few months now. Her age still felt a little bit like new territory. She didn't feel old, she just felt more competent, but she had to admit to herself that she hadn't expected her life to turn out the way that it had. She'd thought her life would look different than it did now by the time she was thirty.

She'd planned on being a lawyer, once. She knew that she could have made an excellent career out of it. Her sharp mind was well-suited to the intricacies of a courtroom. But she'd found that the heaviness of legal battles had worn on her heart more than she'd expected. It had been dreary, and depressing, and had caused her to think too much about her past. And thinking about her past inevitably brought up too many regrets.

Josie stared out the window, remembering the day she left her hometown of Portland, Maine, to go to school in California. She had felt as if she was escaping into a new life. California had been sunny and exciting and so far away from her home, in more ways than one. School gave her a new life, but her old life still haunted her memories sometimes. She couldn't escape from the unresolved pain of her past.

Josie shook herself. Here she was getting lost in thought when she could be leaving! She stood and picked up her purse and her coffee cup and a document that she wanted to give to Dane before she left.

She strode across the office on her high heels and opened the door to Dane's office.

"Oh!"

Josie smirked. "Sorry."

Dane and Alissa parted from their kiss hastily, looking sheepish. Dane cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Josie." Alissa smiled at her friend, pushing her glasses up on her nose. "We shouldn't be kissing in here."

Josie waved a hand dismissively. "You're engaged." She winked as she added, "You should kiss whenever possible."

She set the document down on Dane's desk, winked at the couple again, and closed the door with a grin on her face. The moment the door closed, however, her smile faded. She stepped out of the front door of The Outlet, putting on her sunglasses to protect her eyes from the glare of the sun.

The wind was chilly. Pleasantly brisk, but still chilly. Josie shivered a little as she buttoned her jacket up all the way to her chin.

She was happy for Dane and Alissa. She smiled for a moment, remembering how she taught Dane how to hula dance in order to impress Alissa at the luau. Seeing them together made her heart feel warm, but it also made her heart ache a little sometimes. She had no one special in her own life. Most of the time she didn't mind that so much, but seeing Alissa and Dane together made her realize how much she wanted someone who would kiss her and hold her hand.

Josie took another sip of her coffee. She thought about Michael O'Neil, the handsome owner of Tidal Wave Coffee. She smirked to herself, recalling the time Alissa tried to set her up with the professional surfer, who was known throughout Blueberry Bay as a lady killer. Josie had never had romantic interest in Michael, however, and she was pleased to see his new relationship with Caitlin, Alissa's sister. Michael adored Caitlin's six-year-old daughter, Pearl. The three of them were like a happy family already.

"You don't need a man, Josie," she told herself, taking a deep breath of the fragrant, crisp air. It smelled of autumn leaves and the ocean, a glorious combination. "You came here for anonymity and peace. You have that. You didn't come to Blueberry Bay for romance."

Josie reached her apartment building. It was charming, made of red brick and with blue painted shutters, overlooking the ocean. She climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and opened the door to her apartment, feeling a surge of contentment. Her apartment greeted her with a warm, homey smell: coffee and the lingering scent of her apple pumpkin candle that she'd been burning last night.

Josie changed into sweatpants, a soft sweater, and slippers. She warmed up the rest of her coffee in a mug in the microwave and went to sit in her favorite light blue armchair, placed in front of one of her French windows. She sat there, sipping her coffee and gazing out at the ocean, which was sparkling gold and silver in the waning sunlight.

I want love someday, she thought, feeling a kind of ache fill her heart. She felt happy but wistful at the same time. But being at least somewhat peaceful is good enough for now.

* * *

Caitlin hummed a little to herself as she turned the chicken over in the pan. It made a satisfying sizzling sound, and was already letting off a mouthwatering, savory aroma.

"How much spice should we put in the chicken marsala, Pearl?" Michael asked, leaning his elbows on the counter and grinning at Caitlin's six-year-old daughter.

Pearl wrinkled her nose at him, laughing. "No spices," she said. Pearl didn't like spicy food—not unless she had a large glass of chocolate milk to wash it down with.

Caitlin smiled, feeling her heart swell with happiness. She loved watching Michael interact with her daughter. He could make her giggle in a way no one else could.

Michael straightened and winked at Caitlin. She winked back.

"Thank you for being here again," she said to him in a quiet voice. Pearl was seated at the counter on one of the stools, busily transferring pre-washed spinach and lettuce leaves from their containers into a wooden salad bowl, which was her favorite job.

"Of course." Michael leaned over and kissed Caitlin. "I know it's easier on Pearl if I come here. There's not much at my place to entertain a kid."

"Besides you," Caitlin told him. "You're very entertaining."

Michael pretended to bow at the waist. Caitlin laughed, feeling grateful. They'd been spending so much time together, and most of it had been at her place. Michael was a very busy man, but he always made time for her and Pearl.

"It's time for the tomatoes!" Pearl announced, gesturing to the wooden salad bowl to proclaim that it was ready. "Can I cut them up? I'll be careful."

Caitlin shook her head. Michael came to the rescue.

"Tell you what, Pearl," he said, walking over to the little girl. "I'll cut them up and you put them in the salad, okay?"

"Okay." Pearl smiled, pleased with the plan.

Michael carefully cut up the tomatoes and handed a bowl of them to Pearl. She began to place them inside the salad one at a time, as if she was creating artwork. Chuckling, Michael returned to Caitlin's side.

"Would you like to help me set the table?" she asked him. "This sauce is cooking beautifully."

Michael inhaled the savory aroma of mushrooms, broth, thyme, and wine and smiled. "You're an amazing cook, Caitlin."

She beamed at him. They began to set the table together, laying out Caitlin's favorite teal plates and cups, along with sparkling cut glasses.

"Speaking of cooking," Caitlin said, arranging the silverware around each place, "I'm going to make a casserole for Sandy and Daniel soon."

Michael looked up. "You are? Are they all right?"

Sandy and Daniel Ryan owned Sandy's Grocery, Blueberry Bay's grocery store. They were kind-hearted people without any children of their own, and Caitlin admired the way they often had foster kids come and stay with them.

"Yes!" Caitlin assured him. "But they have a new foster kid arriving soon, and I know they're going to be busy."

"That's great." Michael smiled at her. "And I'm glad you're making good friends here."

"It's easy to be good friends with good people." Caitlin hesitated before continuing to talk about what was on her mind. "And besides, I feel restless. I know you're just as busy with the coffee shop during the colder weather, but winter is a dilemma for me. It's time for me to think about what to do with my business."

After moving to Blueberry Bay, Caitlin started Beyond the Sea Dinner Cruise. It was a tremendous success, but it couldn't continue during the colder months. She felt as though her momentum had to stop just when it was gaining traction.

"I don't want people to forget about the cruise during the winter," Caitlin mused, slowing down and staring into space. "And I've got to find something to do in the off-season. I'm feeling a little worried."

Michael put a comforting arm around her. "You'll figure it out, I have no doubt about that. You'll come up with amazing ideas, you always do."

Caitlin smiled at him gratefully, and Pearl scampered up to the table.

"Is it time to eat yet?"

A few minutes later, the three of them were sitting around the table, enjoying the delicious food. The sauce had a rich, buttery flavor and the chicken was cooked to perfection. Caitlin and Michael had also made a side of sliced sweet potatoes sprinkled in garlic and brown sugar.

"This is the best salad I've ever had," Michael said, winking at Pearl, who giggled. Caitlin had added pepper and feta cheese to it, and with a dressing of raspberry vinaigrette, it did have some incredible flavors.

After Pearl had finished eating and asked to be excused from the table, Michael reached over and took Caitlin's hand. "I can see you're still worried."

She shrugged, trying to laugh it off. "A little, I guess. I feel like I'm facing the great unknown again."

Michael smiled at her. "Last time you were facing the unknown, you took the leap to pursue an idea, and you made it work. You were brilliant. You're going to continue to build your life here in Blueberry Bay. You've got the brains for it. And the guts."

Caitlin smiled, squeezing her boyfriend's hand. She felt bolstered by his words, but privately she had to admit that she wasn't quite sure how to keep building her life in Blueberry Bay. She didn't have the answer to that just yet.