Chapter 1
one
LIAM
“Holy mother of god, this is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.” Ellie slurps down the milkshake I just made, a few moans slipping out and grabbing Theo’s attention.
“Slow down, AG. You’re gonna get a brain freeze,” he scolds, stealing the glass out of his wife’s hands. He takes a sip and mimics the same sound she just made. “Okay, she’s right. What’s in this, Harley?”
“Peaches,” I say with a shrug, rinsing out the blender. Also, homemade vanilla and brown sugar gelato. A bit of basil syrup I made after grabbing the last few leaves from the garden this morning. A few other things I don’t mention. Running a small town diner isn’t exactly the same as the Michelin star restaurant I had in New York City. Best if they think I keep it simple. “Still want burgers?” I ask.
Ellie groans, taking another sip and sinks down into the booth, Theo’s arm draped around her. “Yes, please. I’m starving.”
“Dad, can you make the special sandwich?” Poppy asks from her perch on the counter, where she’s been attempting to braid her copper hair.
I love that she still calls it that— special —even if it’s just a PB&J. I make the peanut butter and jam from scratch to keep the sugar low. My only special ingredients are a pinch of cinnamon and chia seeds to thicken the jam. And whatever is available in the greenhouse. Luckily for her, I made a big batch of jam yesterday from some of the juiciest blackberries we’ve had all year. It might technically be fall, but I’m taking advantage of the warmer air as long as I can. Could be any day now that we get our first snow considering how unpredictable Vermont can be.
“Sure, angel. Come here so I can check your pod.”
I get back to work in the kitchen, the place I feel most at home. Having two line cooks and three servers on my wait staff is a far cry from the bustling kitchen I ran two years ago, but I think I’m finally at peace with the change, if a little bored at times. My daughter’s happy. She’s as healthy as someone with type 1 diabetes can be. Life isn’t bad.
I bring out three burgers for me, Ellie, and Theo, Poppy’s special sandwich, and a smaller version of the same sandwich for Stevie. Ellie and Theo’s baby girl just turned one a few months back, and she’s become my daughter’s obsession.
When I slide into the booth with my friends, I feel contentment. It’s taken a while to get here, but it feels good.
Poppy demolishes her sandwich in seconds and immediately moves on to feeding Stevie hers. I check the app on my phone that’s connected to Poppy’s glucose monitor, making sure she doesn’t have a spike. After a few minutes pass with no issue I turn my focus to my own lunch.
“So, Ellie, are you feeling better?” I ask through a large bite. Theo let me know this morning that she’s been having a bad lupus flare this week. Add that to the fact that one of her best friends is eloping today, she hasn’t been her typical happy self. Theo asked me to make a milkshake that could cheer her up.
“A little, thanks.” Her gaze snaps to Theo who’s taking a video of our daughters. Stevie is sucking peanut butter and jam off of Poppy’s fingers while simultaneously babbling “Pop, pop, pop, pop,” something Poppy enjoys immensely. “What are you doing?” Ellie asks while eyeing Theo typing on his phone.
“Gotta send this to the group chat.” Theo pulls up our Girl Dads chat group and my phone pings a second later with the video.
“Can someone please explain why you need a group chat when it’s just you two?” Ellie asks with a huff.
“It’s not just us,” I say. “Ezra’s in it too. You know your brother loves it when we share pics of the girls.”
“But it’s called Girl Dads . He doesn’t have a girl.”
“He has Desiree,” I defend.
“She’s a husky.”
“She’s actually an Alaskan malamute.”
“She’s a dog,” Ellie laughs. “You guys are ridiculous.”
“He’s my god dad. Doesn’t that count?” Poppy turns to Ellie, the question shimmering in her eyes.
“He is?” Ellie asks, looking to me. Maybe I should have said something to her about it considering she’s the one who introduced me to her brother in the first place. But she knows how close we are now. “Since when?”
“I asked him a few months ago.” It must have been the tenth time he stayed up all night with us, helping to get her glucose stable. I’m not sure what I’d do without Ezra if I’m honest.
When we moved out here two years ago, I wondered if Poppy and I would be okay, if life could be better here. The small town of Sugar Valley seemed idyllic, the perfect place for her to grow up. I hoped we would be okay on our own, prayed on it even, but I’ve realized that parenting is a team sport. Her mother might not have stuck around, but my friends have become the kind of family I’d be lost without.
I was thrilled when Ezra decided to build a home here in Sugar Valley, even if it won’t be finished for several more months. He’s been splitting his time between here and Burlington since I met him almost two years ago. He quit his job at the hospital in Boston to be closer to family after his niece, Stevie, was born—something I greatly respect, and to focus on his podcast that’s currently blowing up. And as grateful as I am for every time he’s made the hour-long drive to help me out, I’m looking forward to a time when he’s closer. I’ll feel a lot less guilty at the very least.
“Uncle Ez is the best,” Poppy continues. “He always stays up with me when I can’t sleep. His pancakes aren’t as good as Daddy’s but he tries really hard.” It took me months to perfect a pancake recipe that won’t spike her blood sugar. When I gave him the recipe so I could get some sleep, he didn’t realize he had to grind up the oats.
Ellie laughs, but there’s so much sadness in her expression. I hope we haven’t touched on something that hurts her. “I have trouble sleeping sometimes too,” she says to Poppy, almost conspiratorially. She pinches Theo’s arm. “And this one makes me grilled cheese sandwiches.”
“Yummmmm,” Poppy screeches. The sound elicits a giggle from Stevie in her high-chair and we all melt.
I hear the ding of a new patron opening the front door and see Ellie turn white as a sheet. Her eyes bulge and Theo’s expression follows suit a moment later. I think he starts to choke on the bite he just took, a coughing fit drawing everyone’s attention.
I hand Theo my water glass and spin around in the booth. A bride has just entered my diner. A dirty bride. Her ivory dress is caked in mud like she decided to have a roll in my greenhouse. She’s wearing one of those gowns that hugs every curve, making me wonder how she can even walk in it. Maybe she can’t. But that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the view. Her face is covered by a mop of chocolate curls that she’s attempting to pacify. I quickly check the date on my watch. We’ve got another two weeks until Halloween. What the hell is going on?
“Ellie! Oh, thank god!” The bride starts running toward our booth. Well, run-hopping. I’m pretty sure she’s missing one shoe. “I’ve been wandering around this town like a—holy shit, she’s huge,” the bride continues when she reaches us, holding her arms out to Stevie.
The baby babbles back a string of “M” sounds and claps her hands.
“She remembers me!”
“My, what are you doing here?” Ellie finally asks. It is clear she had trouble finding her voice for a minute, the shock taking over. “Aren’t you supposed to be eloping…like right now?”
The bride huffs, finally able to blow the remaining hair away from her face and twisting it behind her neck.
“Well, I sort of called off the wedding. And got a helicopter from Manhattan and now I’m…”
My eyes tell me she keeps talking, her hands gesturing wildly while I’m sure she relays a dramatic story considering her current state. But I don’t hear any of it. Not once I see her face. The face I’ve spent the past two years dreaming about. The face I picture in my head every day, wondering if I’ll ever see it again.
“Maya?” Her name slips from my mouth and she turns to me. There are a million things I attempt to convey with my eyes. I’m sorry. What happened? I’m happy to see you . But those honey-tinged eyes I can’t seem to forget stare back at me blankly.
And then she extends a hand for me to shake. “Yeah, sorry about the interruption. I’m Maya Bloom.”
And I’m dumbfounded. She’s really going to pretend like we don’t know each other? But before I can call bullshit, Theo speaks for me. “This is Liam Harley. He lives in the house next to ours. And owns this diner.”
Now Maya gapes. I’m offended it took her that long to remember me, but at least it’s finally clicking.
“Liam Harley? The chef? You own Gairdín?” Her eyes light up and I am more lost than I ever have been.
“Yeah. Well, I used to. Sold it almost two years ago.”
“That’s right,” she says, snapping her fingers. “Such a shame. I ate there right before you left as head chef. The whole menu was amazing, especially the?—”
“Corn cakes?” I offer, cutting her off. I smirk, thinking of her second helping that night, but she only grins back, the memory having no effect on her.
“ Yes . I would kill to eat those for a second time.”
You did , I want to say, but nothing comes out. Why is she doing this? And more importantly, how can I convey my irritation while my daughter is sitting beside me?
Before I can find my words, Poppy is tugging on my arm from inside the booth. She’s still shy around new people and has been hiding behind me since Maya showed up. Now she peeks her head around my arm and crawls into my lap, alerting Maya to her existence.
The woman who insists on pretending she doesn’t know me offers Poppy a warm smile. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Poppy answers back. “You look like a princess.” Poppy has been in her princess era ever since her seventh birthday back in August. Ellie helped plan the Frozen -themed party with decorations still filling my home. At least we can reuse some for her Halloween costume this month.
“Thank you,” Maya replies, leaning down. “And you look like a mermaid. Do you want help finishing your braid?”
Poppy nods ferociously and I scoot over in the booth so Maya can sit down. She looks at me over my kid’s head and winces. “Sorry for interrupting you all.”
Ellie and Theo start to placate, letting her know how happy they are that she’s here. I’m still stuck on what game she’s playing with me . “This is my daughter,” I say. And then, with emphasis, “ Poppy .”
“Poppy! Oh, I love that name. It’s as pretty as you are,” she says to my daughter as she finger combs her hair.
I huff, my frustration getting the better of me. How is she so good at this? Is it even possible she doesn’t remember me? Her memory of dinner that night is clearly intact. Did she hit her head after leaving the restaurant?
“I’m really sorry for showing up like this,” Maya says, still fiddling with Poppy’s hair. But she’s clearly not talking to me, just Theo and Ellie. “I know you both have your hands full with Stevie and the village, but I just didn’t know where else to go. I needed to see you, El. Everything in my life is just…”
“You’re always welcome to visit, My. You know I wish you did more. Do you want to spend the night?” Ellie asks. Her somber mood from earlier has evaporated at the site of her friend. It’s immediately clear she’s the best friend Ellie always talks about, the one she’s constantly asking to visit, the one who’s usually traveling around the world to new exotic places every month and never has time to come here. How did I never get her name?
“I was actually thinking I’d stay for a few days,” Maya offers. “I have nowhere I need to be and…honestly, I just miss you so much. I hate not being in the same city anymore.”
“Me too.” Ellie chokes on her words and now both women are in tears.
“Are there any rentals near the village? It looks like the closest hotel is here in town.”
“No way, you’re staying with us,” Theo interrupts.
“Oh, I’m really fine getting a hotel. I showed up here out of nowhere.”
This whole exchange is laughable. Theo’s one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. When I first showed up here with Poppy two years ago, he spent a whole day convincing us why we should move here, even helped me find the perfect space for my diner.
He grew up in this town, his family running the local tree farm and ice rink that he’s turned into a bustling winter village. It’s clear how much love he has for it.
“Maya,” he says pointedly. “I live to make this one happy.” He sneaks a quick kiss to Ellie’s shoulder. “And as much as I hate to admit it, nothing makes her happier than spending time with you. You’re staying with us. End of story. For as long as you want.”
“Sorry, husband, but it’s true,” Ellie says, grinning.
Maya opens her mouth to respond, but wipes a tear from her eye instead.
Poppy tilts her head up at Maya, her small hand cupping the woman’s shoulder. “Do you wanna watch Frozen ? It won’t make you sad anymore. Daddy can make you a milkshake too. They fix everything.”
My throat tightens, emotions threatening to reveal themselves. I love how compassionate my daughter is. After all she’s been through, and from such a young age, she never stops thinking about others.
Maya beams at Poppy. “ Frozen ’s my favorite. Maybe–ahh!” She squeals as the village cat leaps onto the table, using her knee as a springboard. “What the…”
“Mr. Milkshake!” Poppy cheers, right as he starts to lick Ellie’s glass, catching any last traces of her drink.
“You know this animal?” Maya asks, her eyes glancing around the table. “You’re all okay with a feral cat joining you for lunch?”
“He’s not feral,” Theo defends. “He’s sort of like the town mascot, only no one knows where he came from.”
“That’s because he’s magic,” Poppy explains. She turns to Maya. “He only shows up when something special happens. Well, or when there’s milkshakes. That’s why I named him Mr. Milkshake.”
Maya nods along slowly, her body still positioned as far away from the calico as possible.
“When something special happens?” she asks.
“Yeah,” Poppy says. “Maybe he’s here because of you.”