Chapter 2
Kelly
I glance down Main Street as I stop outside the grocery store, half-expecting to see him leaning against a lamppost or stepping out of the hardware store, hands in his pockets. I shake the thought off. It’s silly to think he’d even remember me, let alone be waiting here after all these years.
The bell above the convenience store door chimes as I slip inside. Fluorescent lights hum overhead and my gaze sweeps over the shelves before landing on the freezer section at the back.
My best friend, Nora, recently broke up with her boyfriend. When we were teenagers, we’d share a tub of mint chocolate chip whenever one of us was dealing with boy dramas: therapy in frozen form. We’ll definitely be needing a tub tonight.
I grab the pint of sugar-free mint chocolate chip, but not before scanning the row, my eyes jumping from tub to tub. For a couple of seconds I hold it, hesitating, before putting it back and choosing another one that feels better somehow. The urge to get it just right never really goes away.
“Kelly Charleston, as I live and breathe!” The voice belongs to none other than Dot McLellan, the town’s infamous gossip. She emerges from behind a display of Halloween candy, her ample figure wrapped in a floral blouse that seems to compete with her loud personality. Nothing gets past her sharp, beady eyes or keenly honed nose. If it happened, she knows about it. Of course she’d be the first person I’d bump into.
“Dot. It’s good to see you.” A little white lie never hurt anyone. And it’s almost true.
“Good to see me? Honey, it’s been ten years or more! What brings you back to our little corner of the coast?” Dot’s eyes gleam with curiosity, her long dangly earrings swinging like pendulums as she leans closer, a cloud of her strong perfume hitting me.
“Work,” I offer vaguely. “I’m starting with the mayor’s office.”
“Is that so?” Dot waits for me to fill in the details, but I deflect with a polite look and let the silence stretch. “Well, don’t be a stranger. We’ve missed you and your family around here. How is your dad after everything? We heard all about your mother’s passing. I’m so sorry.”
Everything . A word that doesn’t even come close to describing the cancer that took Mom too soon, the hospice visits, watching a brilliant woman fade away to nothing. The missing hits me with sudden intensity: her humming along to the radio, always a little off-key. The way she used to fuss over everyone, making sure no one left the table hungry.
I loved her so much, always trying to be the daughter who made her proud. If only we’d had more time.
“He’s doing well. Thanks, Dot.” The words are automatic, practiced—a shield against prying eyes and questions that hurt.
With the pint of mint chocolate chip cradled in my arms, I pay and escape into the chilly evening air, the scent of the ocean chasing away Dot’s cloying perfume. The low-rise building where Nora now lives is just a stone’s throw away. Normally I’d walk, but my life is packed in the trunk and I need to get it to her apartment.
Back in my car, I cruise down Main Street as darkness settles over everything, passing the boardwalk on one side and the familiar lineup of shops on the other. My gaze catches briefly on the lighthouse in the distance, standing sentinel, as it always has.
I almost forget to breathe, a flash of memory from years ago gripping me. Jake, with his arm around me, pointing out constellations as we sat with our backs against its whitewashed wall, saying someday he’d name a star after me.
I bite my lip, forcing myself to look away from the view as if it’s just another ordinary sight, even as my stomach continues to flip.
Soon Nora’s building comes into view, with a sweet brick facade and established gardens. As I approach, there’s a flutter in my chest, the stirrings of something that feels like happiness.
This isn’t just a homecoming. It’s a pilgrimage to the altar of my past.
Sometimes you need to look back in order to move forward. Right?
Nora must have been watching from her front window, because as I park, she appears on the sidewalk, her silhouette—long curly blond hair loose around her pretty face—framed against the glowing windows.
“Kelly!”
When we collide in an embrace, it’s as if no time has passed.
“God, I’ve missed you,” I say into her shoulder, the wave of nostalgia nearly capsizing me.
“Me too,” Nora says, stepping back to look at me. “How was the drive? You must be tired. Come on, let’s get you settled.”
We both grab a couple of suitcases from the car and walk side by side—there’s so much comfort just being with her. We head up a flight of stairs and Nora unlocks the door, which swings open.
“Welcome home,” Nora says with a grin.
I set the pint on the counter, but it looks off center. I nudge it a little, just a tiny adjustment, until it’s perfectly in the middle, then look around. Nora moved out of her mom’s house a year or so ago, after her grandmother, Granny Sloane, passed away. It’s a far cry from the eclectic decor favored by her artist mom, and the apartment is a calm oasis, walls adorned with landscape oil paintings by her mom, with simple furniture filling the space.
“Come on!” She leads me to my room and sets the bags down on the floor. “What do you think? Riley helped me decorate when she was back from college last weekend.” Nora and her sister Riley have always been close.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.” My fingertips graze the soft comforter, and I take in the plush cushions on the bed, the antique desk and full-length mirror, and the window overlooking the apartment’s back garden. The sun has fully set now, and red and yellow leaves outside are bathed in moonlight.
Nora shrugs. “It’s no five-star hotel, but it does the job.”
“It’s perfect. Thank you so much for letting me rent this room. I really hope I can make it home.”
She smiles, that easy, genuine Nora smile that always makes everything seem a little brighter. “You already do. If I had it my way, you’d never leave. We’d adopt a bunch of cats, swear off men, and be childless cat ladies forever.”
I laugh. “Deal. Speaking of men... how are you holding up since the breakup?”
Her smile falters just a little, and she gives me a shrug as we walk back into the open plan living room. “You know, ups and downs. Mostly ups, though. It’s amazing how much clarity you get once you delete someone’s Netflix profile.”
I snort. “Truly empowering stuff. I brought reinforcements, by the way.” I gesture to the pint of mint chip ice cream on the counter.
She grins, eyes lighting up. “Therapy ice cream? Now you’re talking.”
“The best kind.”
She heads to the kitchen, coming back with the ice cream in one hand, two spoons in the other, tossing one my way.
We sink into the couch, and I scoop out a spoonful of mint chip, making a mental note to keep track. “So, is this the totally over him part of the breakup, or are we still in accidentally stalk his Instagram at 2 a.m. mode?”
She scoops up her own spoonful, giving me a mock-serious look. “Let’s just say I may have had a minor slip-up involving his dog’s Instagram, okay?”
I burst out laughing. “The dog? You’re officially in deep.”
Nora rolls her eyes, but she’s laughing too. “Look, the dog’s innocent in all this. He can’t help being adorable.”
I hold up my spoon. “Fair point. To adorable dogs and emotional recovery via ice cream.”
“To that,” she says, clinking her spoon with mine before digging in again.
As we chat, I continue to count spoonfuls silently—Nine is the maximum I’ll allow myself. Nine is a good number. Nine and Two.
“So, how have you been holding up since your mom?” Nora’s voice trails off softly, as though she’s not sure if she should even be bringing it up. I didn’t invite Nora or anyone else to the funeral. I told her we were keeping it small, just family. The last thing I wanted was an audience to the hardest day of my life.
“Fine,” I reply automatically, even though it’s a lie. “It’s been hard, but, you know... I’m fine.”
I don’t dare admit how hard it’s been—not to Nora, not to anyone. It would mean admitting I’m not as strong as I promised Mom I’d be. The weight of that promise is already a knot in my chest, pulling tighter with each day that passes, and it’s safer this way—pretending everything’s fine.
She looks at me, her eyes full of empathy. She lost her own dad when she was just a kid. “I wish I’d been there for you. I bet you miss her a lot.”
With Mom gone, I’m floating, directionless. Yeah, I have a new job, which from the outside looks as though I have a concrete plan, but not knowing who I’m even trying to impress anymore is a real thing. Unmooring, unsettling, unending.
“I miss her so much. There’s just a lot left unsaid. Things I never got to show her. But that’s life, right? One minute you think you have all the time in the world, and the next, it’s gone.”
Nora’s quiet for a moment, her spoon hovering over the ice cream before she sets it down on the coffee table in front of us. “I know what you mean. I felt that way when Granny Sloane passed. Even though we got to say goodbye, it was still such a shock, still so much left unfinished.”
“Exactly.” The silence stretches for a few moments before I reach out and squeeze Nora’s hand. “Let’s talk about something else.”
She bites her lip. “Well, if we’re changing the subject, you know how Patrick’s getting married in two days—well, I was wondering, would you be my plus one? I really don’t want to turn up alone. Otherwise I’ll spend the night standing by the punch bowl, making awkward conversation with some distant aunt who wants to know when it’s my turn to get married.”
“So you need backup and someone to run interference?”
She groans. “Yes! Otherwise, I might not survive this. You have to say yes.”
I laugh, leaning back on the couch. “How could I say no to that? You know I’m always up for some awkward conversation with distant relatives.”
Nora grins, relieved. “Thank you. Seriously. Plus, you’ll get to watch Patrick be all grumpy and uncomfortable in a tux. That’s worth it alone.”
“Sold,” I say. “Awkward weddings and Patrick in a tux.”
“Great!” She reaches across the space between us, squeezing my hand. “Thank you so much.”
But the sweetness of being needed is chased by a cold splash of reality—Jake will be there. He’s one of Patrick’s best friends, and the thought of seeing him again so soon sends my thoughts into a spin.
As usual, Nora seems to pick up on exactly what’s running through my head. “You’re worried about seeing Jake, aren’t you?”
I sigh, shrugging as though it’s no big deal. “I mean, it’s inevitable, right? Harbor’s Edge isn’t exactly huge. I was going to bump into him eventually. And it’s been a long time. A very long time. I honestly couldn't care less if he’s there.”
“Oh, please.” Nora gives me one of her mischievous grins. “Don’t even try pretending you’re not curious to see him again.” She sinks deeper into the sofa, crossing one leg over the other, her gaze fixed on me.
“That part of my life is over. Thank god. I never think about him. Well, hardly ever.” I smooth down the edge of a throw pillow, avoiding her eyes, trying to convince myself as much as her.
She arches a brow. “But just imagine—what if he looks at you now and realizes what he gave up? What if he wants a second chance?”
I let out a laugh. “I’ll never go there again. Trust me.”
She taps her chin thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing like she’s piecing together a delicious rumor. “He’s been divorced from Jenny for a long time. I bet he’s spent years pining after you.”
“I highly doubt that.” My thoughts go places I don’t want them to go—his grin, the way he’d pull me in close and make me laugh when no one else could. My heart hitches. Why did I agree to go to the wedding? This has disaster written all over it.
Nora gives me a sly look. “Well, don’t worry. You’re going to look so fantastic. The only awkward part will be him realizing what a huge mistake he made.”
I force a smile. “Let’s not talk about it. It’ll be fine.”
“It will be. Want a cup of tea? I’m going to put the kettle on.”
“Yes, please.” I pull my feet up onto the sofa, wrapping my arms around my knees, trying to shake the unsettled feeling that’s settled over me.
Nora gets up and walks to the kitchen with the rest of the ice cream, while I stand and move to the window, my gaze drifting out over the harbor visible through the trees in the front yard. The moonlight dances silver on the water, a view I’ve looked at thousands of times from a thousand different vantage points along Main Street and the boardwalk.
It’s weird how life brings us back to places we thought we’d left behind. Back to the people we left behind.
Jake Tanner. Of course, I knew I’d run into him at some point, but now that it’s actually happening? I thought I was ready to face my past, to finally figure out who I am and where I’m going.
But I didn’t count on having to come face to face with my biggest mistake so soon. Even if I can’t keep him out of my head.
The kettle whistles, a sharp sound breaking through the silence. I close my eyes for a second, steeling myself. Whatever happens at this wedding, I can handle it. I’ll be there for Nora. And as for Jake?
I’ll face him, too. No turning back now.