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ning was slow and lazy as he drove into town, past Me the vibrant waterfront Pockets of people clustered around vendors and storefronts, spilling off the narrow sidewalk onto the plush grass So nearby and the scent filled the air, ht off the boat They were fa as he could reed Jewell Cove would always be exactly what it was The tourists would coo, people would move in and ely co

He’d been inside aht was to go horeat outdoors sounded too good to pass up

He put in his order at Battered Up, the canteen next to the charter boat sales shacks As he waited for fish and chips, he wondered if Rick had gotten the job he’d applied for with Jack Skillin’s operation A boy, probably sixteen or so, was hanging up life vests at Jack’s hut, getting ready for the next day’s tours Inside another shed, areceipts for the day This tiot cra or whale watching, for a chance to see huht whale

When Toone out of the bay with their dads a lot They’d packed a lunch and their gear and spent the day on the water, catching pollock and cod and limpse of seals and whales and the odd blue shark or sunfish

Those had been good times He missed them, more than he cared to admit

His order was called and he grabbed packets of ketchup, tartar sauce, and vinegar before searching out a vacant picnic table He found one on the far side in the shade of a tree, a stone’s throay fro had ware trim and a scalloped screen door that was a work of art in itself As To bags, their leather sandals slapping on the concrete walk They were pretty, probably early twenties, with their hair up in the artfully arranged disarray that was a complete mystery to Toirls nudged the other with an elbow

Tom treated them to a polite smile and then looked away

In aze a little more boldly, said hello Maybe he hadn’t officially dated, but he hadn’t lived like a monk, either He’d just been discreet about it

But now there was no teht knohy and he didn’t like it one bit Abby Foster and her house were supposed to be a good thing for him—professionally Definitely not a romantic complication

He finished his ot up to put his plate in the nearby garbage can he paused aardly, halfway up fro his way but now halted as they realized he was there, their hands filled with rounded plates of clams, chips, and coleslaw

It was bound to happen In a town this size they were going to run into each other fro each other the silent treat punches and accusations Tom pushed himself away from the table and looked at Jess, then Josh

“Nice night,” he said benignly

Josh said nothing but Jess’s eyes were syht it would be a good ti brother”

Her free arm was tucked around Josh’s