Chapter One
Chad wiped a hand across his brow and took a deep breath.
His back hurt. His knees hurt. His shoulders hurt.
Hell ... everything fucking hurt. At thirty-seven, he wasn’t exactly old.
But he was feeling every forty-mile march he’d done in the Army.
Every shift he’d done as a sniper, lying motionless on a roof, in the dirt, in the cold or the heat for hours on end.
He’d been damn good at what he did, and Chad was proud of his service to his country. But he was also glad to have moved on. Killing people, even if they were the worst humanity had to offer, wasn’t exactly a job he could talk about freely in polite society.
Being home, working with his hands in a whole different way, was just what he’d needed.
The salty breeze blowing in from the water, still cool though summer was coming up fast, rustled his dark hair, reminding Chad that he needed to get it cut. But he’d been too busy. He’d moved back to Lobster Cove the first weekend in May, and for the two weeks since, he’d been working nonstop.
Today, he was cleaning up the grounds around the houses.
There were sticks to be picked up from the many winter storms, leaves to mulch, grass to mow .
.. and then there was the inside work. The guest cabins needed some pretty extensive repairs.
And on top of all that, he’d also been helping Walt and Barry at the auto shop as much as possible.
His brothers were going to be arriving in a week, and Chad would be glad for their help. He’d known there was a lot of work to do at their childhood home, but he wasn’t prepared for exactly how much needed to be done.
“Chad?”
Turning toward the main house, he smiled at his mom. She was standing on the porch holding a plate and a glass of what looked like lemonade.
“It’s time for a break. I made your favorite cookies!”
Without hesitation, he dropped the bundle of sticks in his hands and headed for the house. His mom was the reason he was here, and he’d never not take the opportunity to spend time with her.
Evelyn was struggling. Outwardly, she smiled and said all the right things, but it was more than obvious how much she missed her husband.
And who could blame her? She and Austin had spent decades together.
Her world had been turned upside down, and she was trying to figure out how to go on without him. It would take a lot of time.
Chad made a mental note to fix the porch stairs as they creaked ominously with every step. He didn’t hesitate to barge into his mom’s personal space and hug her when he got close enough.
“Chad! You’re going to make me spill!” she protested with a small laugh.
He pulled back and took the glass and the plate from her hands, placing them on a small table between two rocking chairs on the porch.
“What? A son can’t hug his mom?” he asked as he urged her to sit. He had no doubt she’d been working just as hard in the house as he’d been while he was outside.
“He can, but you hugged me last night. And this morning ... three times.”
“So there’s a limit on hugs now?” Chad asked as he lowered himself into the other rocking chair.
Memories of his parents sitting in these same chairs, watching him and his brothers roughhouse in the yard, hit him hard.
The pain of losing his dad was so fresh, and being here at Lobster Cove didn’t help, because everywhere he looked were memories.
Good ones, but still, if he was feeling so much pain, his mom had to be feeling it tenfold.
“I’m okay, Chad,” she said softly. “I know you think I’m going to fall apart, but I’m not.”
“I don’t think that,” he said, genuinely shocked. “You’re the strongest woman I know. Even at seventy, you’re more resilient and tougher than me. Which is why I’m never getting married. What woman could ever live up to you?”
“Oh, son,” his mom said, sounding extremely sad. “Don’t say that. She’s out there.”
“Who?”
“The woman made for you. The time just hasn’t been right for you to meet her yet.”
“But now it is?” he asked, amused.
“I think so.” His mom nodded. Then she stared at him for a long moment.
“What? What’s that look for?” Chad asked.
“I just ... I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you. And your brothers. When you all told me you were moving home, it didn’t feel real. Your dad and I talked about it a lot, you know. Wondered if any of you would ever find your way back home.”
Talking about his dad was difficult, but it also felt good. “Yeah?” he asked, encouraging his mom to keep talking.
“Uh-huh. I fretted that none of you would ever come home. That you’d get married and we’d only get to see our grandbabies once or twice a year.”
Chad resisted the urge to roll his eyes. For years, his mom had been on him and his brothers to have kids. She wanted grandchildren to spoil and never hesitated to ask them about the possibility every chance she got.
“He’d be bursting with pride if he knew how you were all stepping up.”
Chad nodded. His dad would be proud. He’d also probably be overbearing and bossy about what his sons should be doing around Lobster Cove. He’d be overseeing their every move, critiquing their every decision.
“How are you really?” he blurted, needing reassurance that his mom would be all right.
Evelyn sighed. “I’m tired. And sad. I miss him. Nothing’s the same, and it’s hard to find the energy and will to get up each morning and continue on without him.”
Alarm coursed through Chad. But then his mom went on.
“But I will. Austin would be pissed at me if I stayed in bed and moaned about how hard my life is without him. The truth is, life is never easy. It’s full of ups and downs.
It’s how you deal with the downs that shows the true measure of a person.
Your dad and I ... we vowed a long time ago to not let the bad times outweigh the good.
Do I wish he was still here? Of course I do.
But that doesn’t mean that I can’t be happy ever again.
I’m happy you’re here. That your brothers will be here soon.
Everything else, I’m taking one day at a time. ”
Love for this woman swept over Chad. She was the backbone of Lobster Cove. She was also his biggest supporter and had always been there for him. “I love you, Mom.”
“And I love you too. Now ... finish up your cookies and get your butt back out there. Those sticks aren’t going to pick themselves up.”
Chad chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
She smiled at him from across the small table. “You going into town today?”
The change in subject was obvious, but Chad didn’t mind. There was only so much emotional stuff a person could take at one time. “Yeah. I need to pick up a few things from the lumberyard and stop at the hardware store. You need anything from the grocery store?”
“Actually, yes. I have a list,” his mom said, leaning to the side and pulling a piece of paper from her back pocket.
The familiar move made him smile. He’d seen her do that countless times over the years.
She always kept a piece of paper in her pocket so she could jot down items she needed throughout the week, then gave the list to his dad when he went into Rockville.
Chad reached for it and glanced at the items. She had a lot of cleaning supplies on there, as well as staples such as sugar, flour, and rice. Next week, the first guests would arrive at the rentals, and his mom always made cookies or muffins to welcome them to Lobster Cove.
“I could set up an app on your phone that would make this easier,” Chad told her. “You could type in what you need instead of having to keep track of a piece of paper, then text me the list.”
She smiled lovingly at him. “I’ve been doing it my way for so long, there’s no way I could change now,” she said matter-of-factly.
His mom was definitely old fashioned. She had a cell phone, but she lost it around the house more than she used it.
She’d set it down and forget where she put it.
Or the battery would die because she hadn’t used it in so long.
Evelyn was smart; she simply didn’t feel the need to change a routine that had worked for years.
“All right, but if you change your mind, let me know,” Chad told her.
She gave him a look that clearly told him she wouldn’t be changing her mind anytime soon.
“I’m going to talk to Walt and Barry before I head out. Call me if you think of anything you forgot on your list.”
“I’m making taco casseroles for them to take home today,” his mom informed him. “Can you please remind them to come up to the house before they leave?”
Chad was well aware it would be useless to remind his mother that the mechanics weren’t teenagers or college kids, and they didn’t need her to send food home with them every Friday night. As she’d said earlier, her routines were her routines, and nothing was going to change that.
Besides, Walt and Barry would never turn down a meal from his mom. She was an amazing cook, and her love language was food.
“All right, Mom. Anything else before I head out?” Chad asked.
“Be safe,” she said quietly. “The tourists are starting to come back to town.”
“I will.” He could’ve assured her that nothing would happen. That he’d survived situations overseas she wouldn’t even be able to comprehend, and there was no way he was going out in a car crash in his hometown.
But he knew better than anyone how life could turn on a dime. Was more aware than ever of how precious life was. Since his dad had died, he was already taking fewer risks than he had before.
Standing, Chad kissed his mom on the cheek, crossed the open expanse of property for a quick stop in the auto shop, and then headed for his dad’s pickup truck.
It was older than dirt but purred like a kitten.
His dad had kept her running smoothly and perfectly.
His mom had given him the keys when he’d arrived, saying Austin would’ve wanted it to be used and not kept parked in the garage, rusting away.