Despite my conversation with Spencer that morning and the lack of response to any of my texts, I was enjoying myself. Harmony Island was beautiful. The warm ocean breeze washed over me as I walked down Main Street, and I took in a deep breath.
This place reminded me of a warmer, brighter version of Magnolia. All I needed was Maggie here with me, and it would feel like home.
I loved the small shops that lined the street. Whoever built them had an eye for architecture and color. They weren’t your normal square buildings. They were each unique, not only in their design but in their coloring as well.
It was like stepping into a storybook.
And the smells that came from the restaurants had my mouth watering.
I was standing outside of a fudge shop when my phone rang. For a moment, I hoped it was Spencer calling to tell me he’d been wrong, and he wanted me to be a part of his life. But it was Maggie.
I didn’t want to sound disappointed, but she must have sensed it when I answered, because she didn’t even bother to say hi. Instead, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I said as I finally gave into my craving and pulled open the door to the fudge shop. The smell of sugar and chocolate activated my salivary glands, and my mouth began to water.
“You sound upset,” Maggie said.
“I’m not upset. I’m about to buy half a pound of fudge. Would someone who’s upset do something like that?” I winced when my own argument hit my ears. I sounded pathetic.
“That is exactly what someone who is upset would do.” Maggie grew quiet for a moment. “Did something happen with Spencer?”
My emotions choked my throat as tears pricked my eyes. I knew I shouldn’t lie to Maggie, but I didn’t want her to worry. “No,” I said softly.
Maggie tsked. I knew she wouldn’t believe me, but it was worth a shot. “What did he do? Did he leave? Do I need to come down there?”
The woman behind the counter finished up with a customer and turned her sights on me. I pointed toward the rocky road fudge and mouthed, “half a pound.” She nodded and got busy filling my order.
“You’re so sweet, but you don’t need to come down here. And Spencer didn’t leave me. He’s just going through some things. I understand, and I’m keeping my distance like he asked.” I sighed. Saying the words was easier than doing it. But I was going to be the person that Spencer needed, however he needed me.
Maggie was quiet. Just when I wondered if I’d dropped her call, she spoke. “Mom, I love you, and I want to protect you.”
The woman behind the counter finished filling my order and waved me over to the register.
“I know, Mags. But this is a process that Spencer has to go through, and I want to make sure that I’m here to help him. He needs me. So, I’m going to stay.”
The woman motioned to the credit card reader, so I swiped my card.
“I get it, Mom.” Maggie sighed. I could tell that she was stressed, and I was sure my issues weren’t helping any. “But I worry about you. Promise you’ll call me if it gets bad?”
My heart hurt for my daughter. I wished that I had been a better mom. I wasted so many years keeping my distance from her, and I would do anything to get them back. “I know, and I will.”
The woman handed me my bag, and I mouthed a thank you. She responded with a smile and nod. I turned, waiting for Maggie to reply as I walked out of the store. There was no way I was going to hang up without knowing that she was going to be okay.
The warm morning air hit me once more as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. I took in a deep breath and sighed. “I’ll be okay. And I promise I will let you know if I need anything. For now, stay at the inn and focus on something else.” I tipped my face toward the sky and allowed the warm sunrays to hit my skin. I needed this. I could literally feel my mood lifting as I stood there.
“Promise?” Maggie asked.
I nodded. “Promise.”
We said our goodbyes, and I pulled my phone down from my cheek but left it clutched in my hand as I dropped my arm to my side. I took in another deep breath. I was going to be okay. I was. Spencer would come around, and we would move forward in our relationship.
It wasn’t like Spencer was the type to spook…except he was. My stomach dropped. He’d ended up in Magnolia for that exact reason. He’d gotten scared and ran.
Was I really so certain that he wouldn’t do the same here?
But the response to that question never came into my mind. Suddenly I was rammed into. The force caused me to step forward, and thinking I was going to need to catch myself, I dropped both my bag of fudge and my phone. My eyes whipped open, and I saw a woman’s wide, panicked eyes looking down at me.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as she grabbed onto my arm to steady me. “I didn’t see you there.”
I glanced down at the book that was lying next to my phone and fudge. I should have been angry, but I couldn’t when I saw that she was reading one of Jackson’s books. The one that I’d personally helped him workshop a few years ago.
“It’s fine,” I said as I reached down to gather our spilled items.
“No. I should know better than to walk and read.” She reached out her hand for her book.
I wasn’t in a hurry. I flipped it over and read the back—even though I already knew what was written there. I could recite it word for word in my sleep. “Is it good?”
The woman breathed. “It’s amazing. Every time I think I know who the murderer is, it changes. Jackson Richard has a way of painting a picture.”
I nodded. I had those feelings as well. If he didn’t have his medical issues, I would have pushed him to keep writing. But I knew that quitting was what he wanted, and with Fiona and Blake, I knew it was what he needed.
That didn’t make his retirement any less of a shame.
“What part are you on?” I asked as I handed back the book.
She took it and nodded in gratitude. She was young—Maggie’s age. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a pair of navy glasses sat perched on her nose. “The main character is about to walk into a dark alley.” She leaned forward. “I think he’s about to find another dead body.”
My lips tipped up into a smile. I knew exactly where she was, but I didn’t want to spoil it for her. “I can see why you were completely engrossed.”
She nodded. “It’s a blessing and a curse.” She adjusted her glasses. “As a fellow bibliophile, if you are looking for a good read, you should stop by my shop later.” She tucked her book in the crease of her arm so that she could dig around in her purse. She pulled out a business card and handed it over to me.
“The Shop Around the Corner Bookstore?” I read. “Isn’t that from a movie?” I swore I’d heard it before.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes. But it was named before that movie came out.” She leaned in. “I’m convinced they stole it from my grandmother.”
I nodded. “Probably.” I turned the card over. “You own the bookstore?”
She nodded. “My grandmother owned it before me. When she passed away, I came here to take it over.” Then she shrugged. “Well, me and my sister.”
I blinked as my body went cold. I studied her, suddenly seeing a familiar set of dark brown eyes. She didn’t look much like Spencer, just in a few areas. “What’s your name?” I held my breath, praying that she wasn’t who I feared she was. I wasn’t sure how Spencer would feel if I met up with his daughter before him.
“Abigail,” she said as she extended her hand. “And yours?”
Not sure what to do, I decided to rely on etiquette and shook her hand. “Penelope, but you can call me Penny.”
Abigail smiled as she dropped her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Penny.” Then she tapped the business card that I was still holding. “Make sure to stop by. I love to talk books.”
I nodded, my heart racing and my mind swirling. I wanted to say no, that stopping by would be impossible, but I couldn’t do that. She seemed so excited at the prospect. “I will,” I said as I slipped her card into my back pocket.
Hugging her book to her chest, she nodded. “I’ll see you later then.”
I watched as she hurried down the sidewalk. “See you,” I called after her.
She gave me a final wave before rounding the corner and disappearing. I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I made a beeline for the nearest bench and proceeded to collapse on it.
My brain was struggling to process what had happened. I’d just met Spencer’s daughter. She was as sweet as she was adorable. She was happy and well-adjusted. I wasn’t sure what Spencer was concerned about. In a way, she reminded me of Maggie, and that only made me want to get to know her better.
I opened my bag of fudge, and even though it was only nine thirty in the morning, I was going to eat it. The stress of this trip was getting to me, and meeting Abigail hadn’t helped. If anything, I was now a giant bundle of nerves. I was worried what Spencer would think once he discovered that we’d already met. What if he couldn’t bring himself to meet with her? He would effectively stop my relationship with his daughters before it even began.
I sighed. Why did life have to be this complicated?
“Mrs. Brown?”
I startled at the sound of my name. I glanced up to see Colten standing in front of me. He looked confused, but his smile was hard to ignore. Naomi was standing next to him, looking as confused as I was.
“Colten?” I glanced over at Naomi. “Naomi?”
“Yeah, what are you doing here?” Colten asked as he reached out and shook my hand. He laughed. “I had to do a double take to make sure that I wasn’t still in Magnolia.”
I nodded. “Yeah, what a small world. I’m here with…” Should I say Spencer? What if they wanted to know more? What was I going to say then? I cleared my throat. “Spencer and I are vacationing here.” Colten glanced around, and I could see his confusion. Before he could ask me where Spencer was, I hurried to add, “He’s still sleeping, that goof.”
I winced as my voice sounded desperate even to my own ears. Even though I hated lying, I didn’t really have another choice. I kept my smile broad as I glanced between Naomi and Colten. “And you two are?” I raised my eyebrows.
Colten shook his head. “I’m just visiting. Naomi lives here with Walker.”
Memories came rushing back. That was right. Walker and Naomi were dating again. Jackson and Fiona had been so broken after she left. I glanced over at her, and she looked uncomfortable. There was something in the way she stood there that reminded me of…me. I’d been in a similar situation before.
I knew the look of a lonely woman like I knew the back of my hand.
“It’s good to see you,” I said as I stood and pulled her into a hug. Even though we were only acquaintances, I wasn’t going to hold back. She looked broken. And broken people craved physical touch, even if they didn’t know it.
“You too,” she said as she patted my back.
I smiled as I pulled away. “How do you like living here in Harmony?”
She glanced around. “It’s good. Walker is out on the rig for the month, so I’m looking for a job.” She held up a stack of papers.
“That’s too bad,” I said.
She looked confused.
I shook my head and offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. What I meant to say is that it’s too bad that you are here and not in Magnolia. I would have loved to hire you for the paper.”
She studied me and then nodded. “Yeah, that’s too bad. Walker and I love living here.”
I nodded. “I can see why. I’ve been here a day and I love it.” I folded my arms and took in a deep breath. “I love the small-town feel.”
“Yeah.” She fiddled with the papers.
I could tell that she wanted to get moving. Not wanting to be the reason she felt uncomfortable, I smiled at both of them. “I should get going. I need to get back to Spencer.” I took a step in the opposite direction from where they seemed to be heading.
“It was good to see you,” Colten said as he raised his hand halfway.
“You too.” I turned around and took a few steps. “Maybe we’ll get together for dinner sometime?” I asked over my shoulder.
“Sure,” Colten said. “I’ll get your number from Jackson.”
I gave them a smile and then hurried down the sidewalk. Once I rounded the nearby building, I stopped and took a deep breath. Even though I was in a hurry to get away from them, I really had nowhere to go.
Despite what I told Colten and Naomi, Spencer was not waiting for me. I wasn’t going to meet up with him. In truth, I had no one to meet and nowhere to go.
For the first time since New York, I felt alone. I missed Maggie. I missed Magnolia Daily and Victoria and her pushy personality. I missed the book club and having a group of women that I could call if I needed something.
Here, I knew no one.
I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face. I was going to throw a pity party, and then I was going to put on my big-girl pants and move on. After a few seconds, I squared my shoulders and headed back toward the Apple Blossom B&B.
If I needed a distraction, I knew the perfect person who would keep me so busy that I wouldn’t have time to breathe.
I was ready to put myself in Missy’s hands.
Heaven help me.