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Chapter One

CROUCHED ON THE worn hardwood floor beside the shelf he was building, Trent Rockwell sat back on his heels, turned the hammer over in his palm, and listened to the sounds of the island Crickets, tree frogs, and occasional distant voices snuck in through the open s of the old grist up on Rockwell Island with his four younger siblings The familiar sounds of his youth had nearly been erased by the constant noise of New York City, where he’d been living for the past ten years He’d been back on the island just shy of two randfather, Chandler Rockwell, deeious Rockwell Resort

It had been a blessing in disguise Trent had been conte to the island for quite so his successful law practice had kept hirandfather was in his hties and had suffered two heart attacks in recent years, Chandler Rockwell had needed to randfather had soe, too

While two of his younger siblings, Ethan and Sierra, had e, Trent and his other siblings, Quinn and Derek, had built their careers on the mainland But in the weeks since they’d returned to take over the resort, Quinn had already fallen in love with Shelley Walters, who had been vacationing on the island—and she’d fallen so deeply in love with Quinn and the island that she’d never left They’d ristanic coffee shop called Shelley’s Café After weeks of renovation, which Trent and his brothers were handling, her café was al

Trent’s life had also changed drastically since co Quinn and Shelley fall un to take stock of his own life and reclai, like ti with friends and fa behind a desk with his al docuain found relaxation and enjoyrist after his other siblings had called it a night

Scents of Cape Cod Bay swept over Trent’s bare chest like a caress, stirringbefore he’d moved back to the island His mind drifted to a summer ten years earlier, when in the space of six short weeks, he’d met, fallen in love with, and married Reese Nicholson She’d been just nineteen years old to his twenty-six, with hair as blond as spun gold and gorgeous brown eyes that were like s to her enor heart

Without the distraction of overti hi to the forefront of his mind: If he hadn’t worked seventy hours a week, if he’d paid h to put her first—above his career, above the need to socialize in the circles that had secured his rising to the top of the practice—would they have split up six ? Or could they have made their relationship work?

He rose to his feet, trying to push past the fa in his chest But he never could escape thoughts of Reese for very long, and since co back to the island, it felt like she was everywhere—even though she’d been in Oregon helping her sister with her new baby ever since Trent had returned

Still, her absence hadn’t stopped thehiht across the street froristmill Hell, Trent couldn’t even pass the local beach without seeing the iown He still heard her sweet laugh in the brushing of the leaves in the wind And even now, as the breeze wrapped around his chest again, it was her fingers he felt trailing along his skin

Who was he kidding? He hadn’t been able to escape thoughts of her since he’d come home to the aparto with a diane on their six-month anniversaryand found the Dear Trent note that had ended their e

I never thought I’d write you a note like this, and I know it’s—