Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Chloe pushed open the door to her cottage on Anchor Lane, balancing a box of fabric from the local elementary school on her hip. With a smile, she nudged the door closed.

The smell of the chocolate chip cookies she’d made with her six-year-old son, Oscar, still lingered in the air. It made their cottage feel warm and cozy, and exactly like the home she wanted to create for them.

Until the 1930s, their cottage had been a vacation home for people working on the steamboats crossing Flathead Lake. After decades of neglect, the last four cottages on Anchor Lane were remodeled and converted into community housing. The third house on the lane was now her refuge, a haven for her and Oscar after the horrible year they’d had.

Chloe set the box down on the dining table. It was covered with sketches and sewing supplies for the elf costumes she was making for the school production. Oscar was on the floor, engrossed in a game with his toy dinosaurs. His big, brown eyes sparkled with mischief as he made growly noises and maneuvered his toys through an imaginary forest.

Before she’d moved to Sapphire Bay, her life was completely different. As the part-time Collections Development Manager at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C, she’d led projects that most people dreamed about.

Now, she was a part-time waitress in a small Montana town, and volunteered at the local church.

“Mom, look!” Oscar exclaimed, holding up one of his dinosaurs triumphantly. “This one is the boss!”

Chloe smiled. “Is he now? And what makes him the boss?”

“Because he’s the biggest and the strongest,” Oscar declared with the certainty that only a six-year-old could muster. “He can move the biggest rocks and keep the other dinosaurs away from his house.”

Chloe crouched beside him. “Well, it sounds like he’s a busy dinosaur. Maybe you and your dinosaurs can help me with the elf costumes later?”

Oscar’s eyes widened with excitement. “Can I make the hats?”

“Of course, you can. Between you, me, and your dinosaurs, we’ll make the best elf hats ever,” she assured him, ruffling his hair affectionately.

As she stood up, Chloe’s thoughts drifted back to the soul-destroying divorce that had brought her here. She’d been married to Paul for eight years. His betrayal of everything their marriage stood for had left her broken. When she’d moved out of their home in Washington, D.C., she’d flown halfway across the country, determined to create a stable, loving environment for Oscar. Each day they were here was a step toward healing and rebuilding their lives.

A knock on the front door pulled Chloe’s thoughts out of the past. When she saw her next-door neighbor standing on the veranda, she smiled. From the day they’d moved into the cottage, Owen had been super friendly and was happy to help with anything she couldn’t manage on her own.

He held up an empty measuring cup and wore an apologetic smile. “Hey, Chloe. I hate to bother you, but do you have a cup of flour I could use? Harper’s coming over for dinner and I’m making a cake for dessert.”

Chloe smiled. Owen and Harper had become engaged a few months ago, and she couldn’t be happier for them. “Of course you can. Come in.”

Owen stepped inside, glancing at the boxes of fabric and the half-finished tunics sitting on the table. “It looks like Santa’s workshop in here.”

“I’m making elf costumes for the school play,” Chloe told him as she took his empty cup. “Oscar’s really excited about it.”

Owen’s eyes softened as he watched Oscar. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”

Oscar looked up, beaming. “Hi, Owen! I’m playing with my dinosaurs. Do you want to see the boss?”

“Absolutely,” Owen replied, crouching to inspect the toy. “That’s one impressive dinosaur you’ve got there.”

“It’s a T-Rex. My friend Tommy says it’s the strongest dinosaur in the whole world,” Oscar said proudly, holding it toward Owen. “Do you want to play with me?”

Owen smiled. “I’d love to, but I have to finish baking a cake for Harper. Maybe another time?”

Oscar nodded solemnly. “Okay. But you have to promise to play next time.”

“I promise,” Owen said, shaking Oscar’s tiny hand with mock seriousness. “And you can show me all your dinosaurs then.”

Chloe walked into the kitchen and filled Owen’s cup with flour. By the time she returned, Oscar was showing him his toy trucks.

“Here you go, Owen.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Owen stood and took the cup. “Harper’s been working a lot of extra hours. I wanted to surprise her with something nice.”

“She’ll love it. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

Owen gave her a grateful nod. “Thanks. Have a good night, and good luck with the costumes.”

After Owen left, Chloe closed the front door and returned to the living room. Oscar was still playing with his dinosaurs and humming a happy tune. Despite arriving in Sapphire Bay with almost nothing, she was proud of the new life they were building.

“All right, dinosaur man,” she said as she kneeled on the floor beside her son. “Let’s make the elf hats.”

Oscar’s face lit up with joy. “Yeah! This is going to be the best play ever.”

Chloe hugged him close and sighed. “I think so, too.”

Liam pulled into The Welcome Center’s parking lot. His Golden Labrador, Trixie, was panting eagerly in the back seat. For the past three hours, he’d been interviewing a woman for his book about the untold stories of small town America. She’d moved to Montana eighty years ago and what she’d told him was priceless.

As he opened the truck’s back door, Trixie leaped out with her tail wagging furiously. Liam chuckled, giving her a quick pat before grabbing his backpack and laptop off the seat.

When he’d arrived in Sapphire Bay, he’d assumed there’d be plenty of accommodation, but he was wrong. With the hotel and all the bed-and-breakfast options full, he’d resorted to sleeping in his truck. When Pastor John asked him if he’d like to stay at The Welcome Center, he’d accepted right away.

The staff and residents were friendly, there was always plenty of delicious food for dinner, and more than one person to chat to over breakfast.

Mabel, a volunteer who helped at the center, looked up from behind the reception desk. “Before you go anywhere, Liam, I have a message for you.” She handed him a piece of paper. “Stanley said to call him at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”

He smiled at Mabel and read the message. “Thanks. Are you here for the rest of the afternoon?”

Mabel shook her head. “I finish at one. If I don’t get back to the general store, Allan won’t get a lunch break. How was your meeting?”

“Mrs. Dobson was great. She had plenty of interesting stories to tell me.”

The phone rang and Mabel turned to answer it. “That’s great. Keep up the good work.”

While she was busy with the call, Liam made his way to his room. The space was simple but perfect, with a double bed, a desk, and a window overlooking the garden. Dropping his backpack onto his bed, he thought about his nomadic lifestyle. Constantly moving from one town to the next was part of his life as a freelance journalist. It had its challenges, but it also allowed him to immerse himself in the heart of the stories he wanted to tell.

Changing into a pair of comfortable walking shoes, he clipped Trixie’s leash onto her collar and headed back outside. The crisp air filled his lungs as he strolled along the streets toward the lake. Trixie trotted along beside him, happy to be in the fresh air.

When they reached the shore, he looked across the water. The beauty of Flathead Lake never ceased to amaze him. The clear blue water, the surrounding trees, and the distant mountains created an incredible backdrop for the small Montana town.

As they walked along a trail, Liam spotted a familiar figure coming toward them. Steve, a local artist he’d met a few weeks ago, was walking with his toy poodle, Rex. The two dogs immediately began sniffing each other, tails wagging in approval.

“Hey, Liam,” Steve said. “How’s the writing project coming along?”

“It’s going well. Thanks for suggesting I talk to Mrs. Dobson. Did you know her grandfather worked on a steamboat on Flathead Lake in the 1890s?”

Steve nodded. “I heard an interview she did on the local radio station a few months ago. It was fascinating. You missed a great meal at last Friday’s community dinner.”

“I heard it was good. I wanted to be there, but I was interviewing a man in Polson.”

“If you need more leads or people to talk to, let me know,” Steve said. “Even in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve talked to some interesting people about the history of the area.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind,” Liam replied.

They chatted for a few more minutes before parting ways. Liam continued along the trail with Trixie. By the time he’d finished his latest project, it’d be the longest he’d stayed in one place for years. He was enjoying the routine of everyday life. Doing things that most people took for granted.

Even though he was happy here, he wouldn’t stay. Capturing the history of the area was only part of the reason he’d come to Sapphire Bay. If he could have had the perfect job he’d be a travel writer. But that was three steps ahead of where he was now. And if he didn’t finish his book, the publishing house would never see the potential in his next submission.

“We’re going to make the most of our time here, Trixie,” he said softly, scratching behind the Labrador’s floppy ears. “By the time we’re finished, our book will be so good no one will want to put it down.”

Trixie’s big brown doggy eyes looked at him adoringly. With a happy bark, she trotted ahead of him, ready to explore the rest of the lake. He looked up at the starlit sky and smiled. For now, this was where he belonged and where he wanted to be.