“NANA, YOU ARE most definitely looking out for me.” Sienna stood at the giant window in her room at the Flutterby Inn admiring the ocean in all its sun-setting glory. She’d thought that first morning she’d awoken on Dream had been the start of something new, but she’d been wrong. Today, this moment, watching the end of her first day in Butterfly Harbor, was her new life starting.
She’d stayed in countless hotels and inns all over the world, most of them the best money could buy. But few had the cozy, homey atmosphere of the Flutterby Inn. The beacon of Butterfly Harbor was the perfect mix of old-fashioned hospitality outfitted with all the markings of a contemporary, comfortable escape.
Sienna unlatched and pushed open the window, then stretched as the cool evening air hit her. There was so much she wanted to see tomorrow, so many people to meet and talk with. She had a two-page list that had to be dealt with before Frankie left for her conference or, more importantly, felt more at ease.
But first, she had to make a call.
She picked up the pay-as-you-go cell phone she’d bought at one of the stores after lunch and made the only call she could think of to get her life back on track. Her hands trembled as she dialed. And waited.
“Hello?”
“Tabitha? It’s Sienna. I’m sorry if I’m calling during dinner.”
“Sienna?” Her cousin shrieked so loud Sienna had to hold her phone away from her ear. “Where are you? Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“Tab, I’m fine.” To prove it to herself, she leaned against the window frame and continued to look out at the ocean. “I promise. I haven’t been kidnapped or any of those ridiculous claims they ran in the paper. I am safe and sound.” More importantly, she was happy.
“But your father...” Tabitha trailed off. “If you aren’t in any trouble, why would he tell us—?”
“To save Richard any embarrassment, I’m sure,” Sienna said. “And before you say anything, I know I shouldn’t have handled things the way I did. Running away like that was wrong. I just... I couldn’t breathe, Tab. Marrying Richard wasn’t the right thing to do. I don’t love him.” She didn’t much like him, either. When Tabitha remained silent, Sienna took a deep breath. “You don’t understand, do you?”
“No,” Tabitha said, as if coming out of a trance. “I don’t.”
“Well, the good news is, you don’t have to.” Sienna was determined to keep this conversation positive.
“If everything’s fine, why are you calling me?”
“Because I’m hoping you’ll do me a favor. I need a few things from my house, including my purse and cell phone. Can you overnight them to me if I give you an address?”
“Sure, yes. I guess. But...” She trailed off again, as if distracted.
“Tab? Is everything okay?” When Sienna heard what she thought were other voices in the background, she could have kicked herself. “Are you alone, Tabitha? Or is someone there with you?”
Another delay. “No, I’m here. What all do you want me to send you?”
Sienna told her the items, then added the Flutterby’s address. “One more favor, Tab?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Please don’t tell anyone where I am. I’m not ready to see people, especially Richard or my father. It’s important, Tab. Promise me you won’t tell.” When Tabitha didn’t answer, Sienna pushed harder. “Tabitha? Please.”
“All right. You swear you’re all right? That man didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“Monty could never hurt anyone,” Sienna assured her. “In fact, if it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I’d know which end was up. I’ll be back in San Diego soon. In time for my birthday.”
“In time to claim your inheritance,” Tabitha said with her usual touch of disdain. Sienna didn’t have time for Tabitha’s attitude. “I guess I’ll see you then. I’ll get this stuff sent out in the morning.”
“Thanks, Tab. You’re a lifesaver. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.” Tabitha clicked off before Sienna could.
“Strange, that cousin of mine,” she whispered at her phone before she headed into the bathroom to change for bed.
“I BROUGHT YOU a surprise.” On time the next morning for their appointment, Sienna held up a pink bakery box to show Ezzie.
She’d found the town’s oldest Victorian home as easily as expected thanks to the morning desk receptionist. Willa McNeill gave excellent directions. The added bonus of a walk up and down the side streets of town only elevated Sienna’s already cheery mood. It was an architectural fan’s dream with a variety of design structures mingling among one another. One of her favorite houses was most definitely the bright yellow English-inspired cottage with a large carved wooden door and a stained glass window of a monarch butterfly above it.
Her morning had gotten off to a brilliant start when she’d met chef Jason Corwin at breakfast at the inn. Their quick discussion about the catering for Frankie’s wedding was a good intro and an excellent first step in getting her wedding ducks in a row.
She’d even made Chef Corwin blush with her fangirling, something that had delighted his sweet and very pregnant wife to no end. Abby Corwin, the manager of the Flutterby, was anxious to hear if the inn had met Sienna’s expectations. Sienna had been thrilled to let her know they’d been exceeded. Monty hadn’t been wrong. His town was charming, as were the people who lived here.
As positive a start as she’d had, even more progress was made at the Chrysalis Bakery. Hence the box in her hand.
Standing on the front porch of the home of the infamous Cocoon Club, Sienna’s smile grew brighter when Ezzie looked suspiciously at the box. “You didn’t have to bring anything, Sienna.” Ezzie stepped back and waved her inside. “I’ve taken care of breakfast, remember?”
“Oh, this isn’t breakfast.” She lowered her voice and glided the box in front of Ezzie’s nose. “It’s a wedding cake sample.”
“It is not!” Ezzie gasped. She reached for the box, but Sienna snatched it away. “How’d you ever do it? I’ve been begging Gale to tell me what she had planned for weeks!”
“So I heard,” Sienna said with a sly grin. “I’ll just say I can be very persuasive when I need to be. Oh, hello.” As she looked down the hall, she spotted two women, both on the far side of seventy, with curious albeit suspicious gazes pinned on her.
The clomp, clomp behind her was accompanied by the distinctive sound of a rubber-footed and squeaky-wheeled walker. She shifted and smiled at the elderly stooped man standing behind her. “And hello to you, as well.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed as he moved closer. He inched up his chin so he could see into her face. “You’d be this runaway bride we’ve heard about then?”
Sienna’s face went hot. “Um.”
“Oscar, behave yourself,” Ezzie ordered and patted him on the shoulder. “Oscar Bedemeyer, this is Sienna Fairchild. And you know very well she’s helping Frankie with her wedding.”
“What was wrong with the groom?” One of the women came forward, her bright orange hair striking a match of color in the room. “He some kind of doofus?”
How did she answer that? “Ah, not really.”
“All of you, behave,” Ezzie ordered, only to be interrupted by the whizzing of a wheelchair exploding out of one of the side rooms. “Alice, now remember your speed limit!”
Alice brought her wheelchair to a screeching halt right at Sienna’s toes. Alice’s slight frame shook with what Sienna recognized as Parkinson’s tremors. “It’s nice to meet you, Alice. Oscar.” She nodded to each, then to the redheaded woman. “And you are?”
“Myra. This is Eloise,” she said and pointed to the woman behind her. “And that’s Harold. Over there’s Elliot and Penny. You can remember her because of her big boo—”
“All right, that’s enough,” Ezzie called over her shoulder. “Sienna, you can join me in here. We have work to do,” she told the others. “Interrogation may commence once we’re done.”
“Interrogation?” Sienna swallowed hard and clutched her bakery box to her chest. “Oh, that won’t be necessary, I’m sure.”
“I’m betting he was a doofus,” Myra declared and led the others away. “Come on, Alice. Your speedway awaits! Ezzie, we’re going to take our morning constitutional.”
Alice gave Sienna a shaky smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” Sienna stepped back so Alice could join the rest of her group as they put on their jackets and scarves. Not that they needed them. The weather had been nice enough for Sienna to leave her sweater back at the inn. When the door closed behind her and Ezzie, she breathed an unexpected sigh of relief.
“They’re exhausting, I know.” Ezzie waved her forward. “Come on. We’ve got work to do. And you have an escape to make. They won’t return until close to eleven. They’re going to the diner for breakfast.”
“On their own? Are they—?”
“One thing you never tell the Cocoon Club is that they’re too old to do anything. If they can’t make the walk back, Holly will call me and I’ll run down in the van. Now.” She clapped her hands together and licked her lips. “Let’s open that box and see what Frankie and Roman are getting for their cake.”
“WHAT DO YOU mean all my accounts have been frozen?” It took all of Sienna’s control not to yell at the bank manager on the other end of the call.
After a productive morning that had her marking off half her to-do list, she’d picked up lunch from the diner and headed to the marina. Catering, check. Cake, double check. Seating arrangements, in progress, and in Ezzie’s capable hands since she was better acquainted with the residents than Sienna. The confusion about the cost of the rental tables and chairs had been remedied, but she still had to confirm a schedule with the linen suppliers and the backup tents in case of rain. She also needed to check in with city hall to verify the park had been blocked out for the wedding and any permits they might need were securely in place. After that, it was the little stuff, including helping a still flu-ridden Brooke Evans with the upcoming bridal shower in a few days. Frankie Bettencourt’s wedding, it seemed, was coming along great.
Just as Sienna’s life continued to fall apart.
She’d hoped for peace and quiet out by the water and instead was becoming a noise hazard herself. “Who authorized freezing my bank accounts?”
“It was by court order, Ms. Fairchild.”
Sienna could tell by the way the bank manager said her name he wasn’t entirely convinced that’s whom he was speaking to. “Well, unfreeze them.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am. Not until we have an order reversing the request.”
“I’m the only one on the accounts,” Sienna insisted. “How can anyone have the authority to...?” The thoughts spinning through her mind came to a skidding halt. “My father.” The kidnapping report in the paper suddenly made so much more sense. “Okay. Okay.” She took a cleansing breath, pinched her nose and stepped to the side as she spotted Mrs. Yamishimi headed in her direction. “Tell me this. No one else has been given access to the account, have they?”
“I’m afraid I’m not able to discuss this matter except in person.”
“Oh, for the love of frogs, it’s me. You’re talking to me. Me. Sienna Fairchild.” She rattled off her personal information much to the disapproval of Mrs. Yamishimi, who seemed apparently in no hurry to get home. “You’re telling me you can’t discuss my own account with me?”
“Not at this time, ma’am. Not without visual confirmation of your identity. Or a certified letter from your legal representative. You may call back once you have all that lined up.”
Sienna let out a growl and stomped her feet as the line went dead. Just as her independence had started taking shape, she had the financial doors slammed in her face. Her father. Again. Why was he so determined to keep her in check now?
Now, when she wanted to be able to at least pay back Monty for the expenses he’d incurred since she’d stowed away on his boat. She didn’t like the idea of being beholden to anyone, let alone someone...
“Oh, boy.” Let alone someone she’d fallen in love with. “Why, oh, why do I always have the absolute worst timing on the planet?” She pressed a hand to her cheek and faced the only person nearby. Mrs. Yamishimi. The Asian woman with silver-streaked dark hair tilted her head and offered an understanding smile. Mrs. Yamishimi patted the paper bag in her hand. “Come with me. We’ll have tea.”
“Oh, no, thank you, but I can’t. I have—” Errands to run. People to meet. And she needed to catch up with Frankie before dinner and give her an update.
“You have time to accept that which you’re afraid of. Come along.” With her bright white athletic shoes, baggy sweatpants and matching pink hoodie, she headed down the curving road to the private residences located at the marina. “Come, come.”
As if caught under some spell, Sienna did as she was told and soon found herself enchanted once again by the sight of the houseboat Mrs. Yamishimi called home. “It really does look like a house.”
“My late father-in-law designed and built it for a wedding gift for myself and my husband. Shoes off, please.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Inside the sliding glass door, she quickly slipped out of her shoes. The two-story structure was both spacious and cozy, with several windows to allow for a generous amount of natural light. Decorated in soft creams and grays, there wasn’t a lot of furniture that wasn’t serviceable, and it was all practical and neatly arranged. Clutter was kept to a minimum and the framed photographs along one shelf depicted a full life well lived. A collection of potted orchids lined a narrow path between the entryway and kitchen.
“Tea is already steeping,” Mrs. Yamishimi told her as Sienna wound her way into the kitchen.
She stopped almost immediately, transfixed by the view in front of her. The entire back of the house was glass. A sliding door was the only break and led out to the lush patio Sienna had seen from the Phoenix yesterday. Tears burned her eyes and she blinked them back.
“Your home is stunning,” she whispered. More than stunning. It was perfect. “I’m sorry,” she said at Mrs. Yamishimi’s inquisitive look. “I was thinking about a trip I took to Japan with my grandmother. There was a village on the coast. About the size of Butterfly Harbor, I think. The entire shoreline was filled with homes just like this beside the ocean. Not quite as many windows, but the feel...” She pressed a hand against her chest. “I’d forgotten about that trip. Thank you for the memory.”
“You are most welcome.” Mrs. Yamishimi led her to a table. “I have many memories, too. My husband and I raised three children in this house. They’ve all moved on. Have homes and families of their own.” Where Sienna expected sadness she found only joy on the older woman’s wrinkled face. “Lives are for living, are they not?”
Sienna nodded. “Yes, I’ve come to understand that.”
Tea was poured. The paper bag Mrs. Yamishimi was carrying was opened and cookies were put on plates retrieved from the cabinet. “Gale makes me special tea biscuits once a week. We will share.”
Touched, Sienna smiled. “Thank you.” She opened her takeaway box from the diner and offered the same. “Where do your children live now?”
“My youngest is in Seattle. In a house not too dissimilar to this one. He and my daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby in June.”
“That’s wonderful.” Growing up, she’d been one of those girls who had an entire nursery filled with baby dolls. Probably because she’d been so lonely as an only child. She wanted kids. At least, she thought she did. Did Monty want them?
The image of him leaped to her mind. Monty. That lump in her throat was back; the one that had formed while she’d been on the phone with the bank. It had only been a day since she’d left him out on the boat, but she missed him so much she ached. “How long were you married?”
“Forty-three years.” The misty expression in Mrs. Yamishimi’s eyes had Sienna swallowing hard. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss him. He is a part of me.” She tapped a hand against her chest. “I knew, from the moment we met, that he was for me.”
“I thought that only happened in storybooks,” Sienna said softly.
Mrs. Yamishimi smiled. “When you know, you know. Life gives us signs. They lead us where we need to be at just the right moment. My Henry.” She shook her head. “We did not have enough time together. But maybe...” She looked around her home, a smile curving her lips. “I think perhaps I’ve been given another sign. Thank you, Sienna.”
“You know who I am?” She set down her half sandwich and reached for her tea. “How?”
“Small town,” Mrs. Yamishimi laughed. “It will take you time to get used to it, but soon all will settle down. Yes.” She lifted her sandwich. “All will settle down for you very soon.”
THE SOLITUDE OF Mrs. Yamishimi’s houseboat almost had Sienna forgetting there was a world outside. Few places had ever brought her as much peace; the only other being her nana’s beach house in San Diego.
At Mrs. Yamishimi’s urging, she’d accepted another cup of tea, and brought out her wedding-planning notebook on the deck, where she now sat surrounded by a forest of planted fauna that reminded her of the cantina in Plover Bay. The water lapped gently and beneath the scent of the ocean, she inhaled the calming aromas of jasmine and lavender.
Reorganizing and updating her notes for Frankie’s wedding, Sienna found herself feeling quite at home in the little town. Whatever effort or stress she felt over the meetings and details faded away, and she found she was truly enjoying the prospect of bringing Frankie and Roman’s nuptials to fruition. Problems were a challenge, not an obstacle, and she liked the idea of rising to them.
“You look at home here.”
Sienna glanced up as Mrs. Yamishimi joined her. “I feel at home. The tea is delicious.”
“Would you like more?”
“No, thank you.” Sienna closed her binder and sat back, gazing at the calm ocean. “I don’t know how you don’t just sit here all day. It’s lovely.”
“This was Henry’s and my favorite place in all of Butterfly Harbor.” She offered a sad smile. “And it was just for the two of us. Tell me something.” Mrs. Yamishimi sat in the chair beside her. “What do you see out there?”
Sienna smiled. “Endless possibilities.”
Tears glistened in the older woman’s eyes. She reached over and laid her hand over Sienna’s. Not so far away, the blare of a police siren broke the peace.
“Well, that doesn’t happen very often.” Mrs. Yamishimi rose and peered toward the marina’s entrance. “And that’s not any of our sirens.”
“Maybe the sheriff or fire department has a new vehicle?”
“Doubtful. That would cost a fair amount of money,” Mrs. Yamishimi said with a twist of her mouth. “Our mayor isn’t exactly generous when it comes to things like that. You’ve heard about our mayor, Gil Hamilton, I suppose?”
“Monty mentioned him.” And she’d gotten an earful just from smatterings of conversations she’d overheard at the diner. “He seems popular, but for the wrong reasons.”
“I always thought he had promise. With all these shenanigans lately, I’m not so sure anymore. I voted for him. Believed he got a raw deal because of who his father was. But now, with this horrible collapse at the sanctuary building site and the recall election, I don’t know what to think.”
“There’s someone running against him in the recall election, isn’t there?”
“Leah Ellis, yes.” Mrs. Yamishimi sat up, but the frown was still in place. “She’s a terrific young woman. Lawyer, who took over her uncle’s practice a couple of years ago. Do you know, she helped me rewrite my will? Barely charged me enough for the ink in her printer. She’s got that mayor of ours in her sights. And I don’t mean for anything good. She wants him gone just as much as the rest of us.”
“Too bad you have to wait until November to vote.”
“Oh, it’s all but decided. Gil knows it. He’s just pretending he doesn’t. That’s not to say he hasn’t done some good for the town. He has. But he’s also added to the damage his father did. Hamilton Senior had his hand in more tills in this town than the tax man. Dozens of families had to walk away from their homes because of him calling in loans and refusing to refinance when the housing market began to tank. Just turned a blind eye. Nasty business that was.”
“But the town’s doing better now, isn’t it? Monty said a lot more businesses are open and homes are selling again. Surely some credit has to go to Gil?”
“I suppose.” Mrs. Yamishimi didn’t look convinced. “Have you met him yet? The mayor?”
“I’ve not had the pleasure.”
“Well, you make certain not to let him charm you too much, Sienna. That boy.” She shook her head. “The sooner he’s out of office, the better, if you ask me. Now, look there. There’s a new one.” Mrs. Yamishimi shielded her eyes and turned her attention to the horizon. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”
Sienna’s heart skipped a beat as she followed her new friend’s gaze to Nana’s Dream making her way slowly toward the marina. Inching out from behind the cliffs to the Flutterby, the gleaming, polished white wood looked like history moving across the water. “That’s Monty’s new boat. He’s back.”
“Well, don’t just sit there. Go welcome him home. Go on. It’s time for my afternoon nap, anyway. Just promise you’ll come back and see me again.”
Sienna stood. “I promise. Thank you for inviting me into your home. It’s beautiful. And so are you.” She bent down and kissed the old woman’s cheek.
She retrieved her shoes, then quickly made her way up the dock and along Monarch Lane to the commercial area of the marina. She stood there and watched as Monty steered Dream into an empty slip at the far end. A group of men headed directly toward him, some she didn’t recognize. Her stomach dropped. She twisted around and saw a state police vehicle parked askew, lights still spinning. No one was inside.
Because two officers were standing ready. Their hands on their weapons.
Just as Sienna moved to follow them, an SUV with Butterfly Harbor Sheriff’s Department written on the side stopped and parked far more carefully. The two men who stepped out were tall and impressive, and had all-business expressions that sent more warning bells off in Sienna’s brain.
“Excuse me, what’s going on?” Sienna asked as she hurried over to greet them.
The taller of the two men pushed up his baseball cap that had BHPD embroidered on the front. “Nothing dangerous, ma’am. Just responding to a request for jurisdictional assistance with regard to one of our residents.”
Sienna looked over to Dream. “You don’t mean Monty Bettencourt, do you?”
The other officer leaned against the SUV and folded his arms. “Do you know Monty?”
“I do. And you do, too. You’re Holly’s husband, Sheriff Saxon, aren’t you?” She addressed the man in the baseball cap. “I’m Sienna Fairchild.”
“Sienna Fairchild.” He offered his hand even as he grinned. “I’d heard you were in town. I can’t tell you how good it is to meet you. And to see you. Deputy Fletcher Bradley, this is Sienna Fairchild.”
Bright blue eyes sparkled when Fletcher smiled. Sienna blinked quickly. Goodness. The men in this town were certainly... She blew out a breath. Well, they were all something to look at, that was for sure.
“I’ve never seen a kidnapping victim look so good,” Deputy Bradley said. “Or so free. You have perfect timing, ma’am. I’m pleased to meet you.”
What on earth were they talking about? “What’s going on?” Sienna asked again.
“Well, normally I’d say I couldn’t talk about it, but seeing as you’re involved with all this, I can. It’s best you come with us. After you, ma’am.”
“Sienna, please, Sheriff.”
The sheriff nodded. “And you can call me Luke. Now, let’s go see what mess Monty’s gotten himself into.”