Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The last time she’d moved, Emily Harper had optimistically hoped that she wouldn’t need to move again, at least not for several decades. She hated moving. And she’d loved her last house.

But, well… that hadn’t worked out, had it?

She pushed those thoughts from her mind. She was focusing on the future, not the past. And the nice thing in her immediate future was that she was almost done unpacking. Just these last few boxes left to go and she would be done, both with unpacking and with the past that haunted her.

Except…

Emily froze as she pulled a slim volume from a box and saw her own face staring back at her. Or more like her old face she thought, grimacing slightly, as she looked at the glossy magazine. Back when she’d been the kind of person whose picture ended up on the cover of business publications, she’d styled herself differently. She’d had a glossy, dark bob and always put on a full face of makeup that she made sure was perfect throughout the day.

It wasn’t a bad look, certainly, but she preferred how she styled herself now. She’d let her dark hair grow out and had gotten some chestnut lowlights put in at her last stylist’s appointment, on a lark that had proven to make her feel more herself. Her hair was thrown back in a loose bun now, which was how she wore it most days. And her makeup routine was a lot more minimal these days too. She usually just threw on some tinted moisturizer with sunscreen included, gave a quick coat of mascara, and called it a day. Today, when the plan called for shifting around boxes inside her new house, she hadn’t even bothered with that much. She was wearing an old college t-shirt too, not the kind of polished athleisure outfit that Old Emily would have worn even for just a day at home.

That’s something, at least , Emily thought. New Emily’s style is a lot more comfortable… and a little more me.

Her new style, after all, was modeled based on what Emily wanted, not what she imagined the people behind the prying eyes that had followed her constantly after the incident with Simone to have wanted. She almost shuddered at the memory, like she had to physically shake off the feel of people watching her.

She’d hated that constant scrutiny. But here, in this tiny town she’d picked practically at random off the map, nobody would be looking at her. She could just… be.

And the first step to that, she thought, marching determinedly into her kitchen, was getting rid of the things that dragged her back into her past. She shoved the magazine cover into the trash can, burying it at the bottom for good measure.

There , she thought, dusting her hands with satisfaction. She didn’t even know why she’d packed that awful thing in the first place.

It only took Emily about twenty more minutes to finish up her unpacking. She broke down her cardboard boxes and took them out to her recycling bin, noting that the weather was actually quite pleasant… for a New England winter, anyway. It was cold, yes, but not frigid, and that coldness was crisp.

It wasn’t at all like the gross, dirty sludge that seemed to get into every corner as soon as it snowed in New York City. Here, frost sparkled on grass like something out of one of those old-fashioned Christmas cards.

Her mind made up, Emily went inside to don her new winter jacket. It was, in all honesty, quite hideous, and nothing at all like the sleek, wool jacket she’d worn in winters in New York. But it was so blessedly warm that Emily scarcely felt the weather at all as she set out to explore her new town. And for all its chic, flattering lines, that wool coat had always left her feeling like the cold was seeping into her bones.

This new coat, she decided with satisfaction, was better.

She also found a good deal of satisfaction from walking smack in the middle of the sidewalk, as there were no crowds to jostle her to one side or the other. Yes, Whale Harbor was practically the dead opposite of New York City… and she loved it.

In fact, the late afternoon streets were practically empty, except for a man sitting quietly on a bench across the street. He wasn’t doing anything, not scrolling on his phone or reading the newspaper. He was just sitting, looking pensive. And there was something about that calm, unbothered energy that made Emily think, Yes. I’ve chosen the right place to live .

She was probably staring, she realized, fighting a blush. But the man wasn’t just peaceful looking, he was handsome too, with a tall, athletic frame and trimmed, dark hair. She couldn’t see his eyes from across the street, but she would bet her last dollar that they were kind.

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, he glanced up at her…

But Emily looked away, embarrassed, before she could determine if she was correct in her assessment or not.

Tucking her head, she hurried down the path, forcing her feet to slow to a pace that suited this little town instead of one she would have used when hurrying between meetings in the city.

When her feet carried her past an adorable little coffee shop, her nose pushed her to duck inside, the warm, comforting smell of coffee promising to be the perfect thing on a winter’s day.

The atmosphere inside the room was sunshine-y, like a hint of summer that didn’t care that the calendar said it was January. The smiling woman behind the counter had the same energy about her, her glowing tan skin and gleaming dark ponytail as cheerful as her expression.

“Good afternoon,” she said brightly. “Welcome to Seastar Espresso. What can I get you?”

Emily’s usual order, a dry cappuccino, almost jumped to her lips before she paused. Did she even like dry cappuccinos? Or was that just a “cool” order she’d started getting because it went along with her svelte, businesslike image? Instead of answering right away, she peered at the menu, taking a moment to think about what really sounded good to her.

“I’ll have a decaf hazelnut latte,” she said after a moment.

The woman’s grin grew even larger. “Ooh, that’s one of my favorites,” she said approvingly. “This is my shop, so I try to sample everything, but I come back to that one all the time.”

“It’s a classic for a reason,” Emily agreed. And then, feeling emboldened by the woman’s kind aura, she ventured, “This is your shop?”

The woman’s hands had already been moving toward preparing the coffee with an ease that spoke of long practice. But she halted for a minute and stuck out her hand for Emily to shake.

“Yes, I am! I’m Charity. Nice to meet you…” She trailed off for Emily to offer her name.

“Emily Harper,” she introduced, grateful when there was no flicker of recognition in the other woman’s eyes. “I’m actually a new Whale Harbor resident.”

“Oh! Well, in that case, your drink is on the house.” Emily opened her mouth to protest, but Charity shook her head. “Nope, sorry, it’s town tradition.”

Emily chuckled, privately reflecting that she liked the idea of a town that had traditions. New York City had those too, but they weren’t the “friendly local coffee shop owner gives a free drink” kind. They were glitzier and more high-profile, like New Year’s Eve at Times Square. And although those type of events were their own kind of fun, they weren’t the kind of fun she was looking to have.

No, she wanted this. The coziness. The quiet.

“Well, thank you,” Emily said with a gracious smile. “I appreciate it.” Then she took a sip of the coffee Charity had handed her and let out a happy little noise. “Oh my goodness, I really appreciate it. This is delicious.”

Charity beamed. “Thank you! When my fiancé first moved here from Boston, he was so certain that no small-town coffee could hold up to his big city tastes, but I think I proved him wrong.”

“I guess he didn’t mind you winning that particular disagreement, if you’re engaged now,” Emily quipped, glancing at the beautiful ring on Charity’s left hand.

The businesswoman laughed. “Oh, at the time, he totally did. But I kept him caffeinated enough that he forgave me for winning that one.” Her eyes darted over Emily’s shoulder. “Actually, here he comes now—speak of the devil.”

Despite Charity’s choice of idiom, there was no devil coming in through the door of the coffee shop. Instead, it was a handsome, dark-haired man smiling indulgently down at two children, one of whom resembled him very closely. This was a little girl with dark curls poking out from under a winter hat that sported the largest pom-pom Emily had ever seen. The other child was a boy, slightly younger than the girl, who was frowning down at his mittens.

“But I don’t like wearing them,” he complained halfheartedly.

“You’d like freezing fingers even less,” the man pointed out patiently.

The boy’s lip jutted out stubbornly. “I don’t know about that. Maybe it would be cool.”

“It wouldn’t be cool , it would be cold ,” the girl chimed in, laughing at her own joke.

“We can get you some gloves if you like wearing them more,” the man said. “But when it’s cold enough for snow, you have to wear something to protect your hands. Gloves or mittens. Your choice.”

Still frowning, the boy looked up at Charity, then looped her into the conversation like she’d been there the whole time. “Do I really, Mom?”

Charity put a hand on her hip and gave her son a ‘mom look.’ “Lucas Turner, yes you do. You know you have to listen to what Dominic says. And he’s giving this rule to protect you. Please don’t argue anymore.”

The frown didn’t disappear, but the boy nodded. “Okay, I guess so .”

Clearly recognizing a win when she had it, Charity turned back to Emily. “Emily, this is my fiancé, Dominic Reeves, and our kids, Addie and Lucas. Kids, can you say hi to Miss Emily?”

“Hi, Miss Emily,” the children dutifully chorused. Dominic stuck out his hand to shake.

“Nice to meet you,” he said. “Are you new to town or just passing through?”

“New,” she confirmed. Then, because it felt silly to hide this information, she added, “Just moved from New York.”

She fought back a cringe, as if the mere mention of the city would cause these friendly people to know every aspect of the scandal that had sent Emily fleeing for Whale Harbor.

But Dominic’s smile didn’t so much as flicker. “Ah, Addie and I did the big city to small town shift ourselves, so we know how that goes. I promise, it’s easier to acclimate than you think… especially if you have great neighbors.” He gave Charity a wink at this.

“We used to live next door to one another,” Charity explained. “That’s how we met.”

“Daddy ran over her flowers and crushed ‘em,” Addie offered. “But she forgave him and now they’re in love and kiss and are gonna get married and I’ll be the flower girl, probably.”

Dominic gave Emily a look that said, kids, huh? Emily gave the little girl a smile.

“That sounds awesome,” she said. Then she looked back at the adults. “I’ll leave you all to it. Thanks again for the coffee!” She beat a hasty retreat, throwing a wave over her shoulder.

Even though the people had been nothing but nice, Emily walked back toward her new house feeling like she’d escaped just in the nick of time. The next logical step in that conversation had been about Emily’s move, and she didn’t want to discuss anything about the situation that had led her to relocate. Explaining all that mess would just feel like dragging her old life into her new one.

She tried to focus on the present as she walked home, drawing her attention to the crisp coolness of the air and the whisper of crashing waves in the distance, a mindfulness technique she’d learned when the stress had gotten too much for her. She was so absorbed in this that she didn’t even notice the woman waving to her until she was standing almost directly in front of her.

“Oh!” Emily blinked. “I’m so sorry. Were you talking to me?”

The woman didn’t look offended in the least, instead offering Emily an understanding chuckle. Her chocolate brown eyes crinkled warmly, and a large geometric barrette held back her auburn curls.

“No, I’m sorry. You were clearly lost in thought, and I interrupted. I just wanted to introduce myself—I’m Darla Maroney, your new next-door neighbor.” She pointed to the house next to Emily’s. “My husband Rick and I live just there.”

Emily’s lips twitched, thinking back to her conversation with Charity and Dominic. Emily might have been slightly startled by her neighbor’s call, but at least it was a smoother introduction than having someone run over her flowers.

“Emily Harper,” she said, offering her hand for a shake. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Darla said. “That house has been empty for quite a while, which is really rare for Whale Harbor real estate. My mom is a realtor in town, so I know that better than most.” She waved a vague hand. “There was an elderly couple who lived there a few years ago, and they decided to go to a retirement community, instead, since the winters here were getting hard on them. I think it took their kids a few years to decide what to do about the house, keep it or sell it. But I guess they decided to sell it, and I’m so excited they did. Having neighbors is way better than having an empty place next door.”

In New York, Emily had lived in her apartment for seven years. In that time, she’d met her next-door neighbors exactly twice, both times because they’d been coming or going at the same time. The only words she’d exchanged with the man, who’d been in his mid-forties, was, “Wet out there,” once when he came in from the rain. This conversation with Darla was much nicer… but also a bit overwhelming.

Still, she’d come here seeking a community, and she’d gotten one.

But that didn’t mean she had to embrace the entire community in a single day… did it?

Pasting on a smile was about the best Emily could do.

“I’m looking forward to living here too,” she said politely. “But I have a bit more unpacking to do, so I might have to catch up with you later.”

This was a total lie. Everything was unpacked. But after months of only leaving her apartment when she needed to, months of fretting that everyone was looking at her with judgmental stares, Emily could only manage so much social interaction at once, and she feared she’d hit her limit.

Darla gave her an understanding smile. “Of course,” she said, stepping aside to let Emily pass her on the sidewalk. “Let me know if you need any help!”

“I will,” Emily said over her shoulder, knowing she wouldn’t. She quickly opened her front door, feeling disproportionate relief when she felt it clicked closed behind her.

She knew she was hiding, but she needed just a little more time. Just a little bit longer before she felt ready to face the world.