Chapter 10 Lori
LORI
The sound of laughter drifted through the open windows of Seabird Cottage, mixing with the crash of waves against the rocky shore below. Lori stood at the kitchen counter, arranging vegetables on a platter, listening to the happy chaos of the barbecue happening on the deck outside.
A week. It had been exactly one week since Clara Whittaker had been arrested and charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, and a list of other crimes so long it had taken the prosecutor nearly an hour to read them all in court.
One week since Mitch and Marcus had worked with the authorities to ensure Clara would never hurt anyone again.
One week since justice had finally been served.
And now they were celebrating. All of them together. Safe.
She picked up the plate and walked toward the front of the house.
Through the window, Lori could see Sally and Marcus standing by the grill, Marcus’s arm wrapped around Sally’s waist as he flipped burgers with his free hand.
They’d officially become a couple three days ago, though everyone had seen it coming for weeks.
Sally was smiling more than Lori had ever seen her smile, her face relaxed and happy in a way that made Lori’s heart warm.
Glory and Jake were sitting on the deck stairs, their heads bent close together as they looked at something on Glory’s phone.
Probably wedding venues, Lori thought with a smile.
The moment Glory had announced their engagement to the group, Piper had squealed so loudly half the neighborhood probably heard.
Now the eleven-year-old was insisting on being involved in every detail of the wedding planning.
Speaking of Piper, the girl was currently running around the yard with Misty, throwing a tennis ball and laughing every time the dog brought it back. Misty’s tail was wagging so hard her whole back end wiggled, and she kept dropping the ball at Piper’s feet with an excited bark.
And then there were Tessa and Ryan.
Lori’s eyes found them sitting together on the porch swing, Ryan’s arm around Tessa’s shoulders, her head resting against his chest. They’d come out about their relationship two days ago, much to absolutely no one’s surprise.
Ryan was supposed to be resting, still recovering from his torn stitches, but he’d insisted on being here. Insisted on being near Tessa.
The smile on Tessa’s face made Lori’s chest ache with happiness. Her goddaughter looked peaceful. Content. Like she’d finally found something she’d been searching for.
Everyone was paired up now. Everyone except her.
Well, that wasn’t quite true. She and Mitch had admitted they loved each other a week ago in that hospital waiting room.
But since then, they’d barely had time to talk.
There’d been Clara’s arrest, the police interviews, the statements they’d all had to give.
There had been Ryan’s recovery and Tessa’s overnight hospital stay.
There’d been a thousand things that needed to be done, a thousand loose ends that needed to be tied up.
And through it all, Lori and Mitch had stolen glances at each other across crowded rooms. Had brushed hands when passing in hallways. Had shared small smiles that held promises they hadn’t had time to discuss.
But they’d resolved nothing. Nothing about where they went from here. Nothing about how a relationship between them could possibly work when she lived in Florida and he lived here.
Nothing.
Lori felt her throat tighten as she set the plate down on the table on the porch. She needed a minute. Just a minute to herself to breathe and think and not have to smile and pretend everything was fine.
She walked back through the house and to the back door, the one that led away from the deck and the party, and slipped outside. The late afternoon air was warm, carrying the salt smell of the ocean and the faint scent of the wild roses that grew along the property line.
Lori walked to the edge of the property, where the manicured lawn gave way to wild grass and rocks. She stood there, looking down at the rocky shore below, watching the waves crash and foam against the stones.
She was going to miss this place.
The realization hit her with unexpected force. She was going to miss waking up to the sound of the ocean. Miss the way the light came through the windows in the morning. Miss the sense of peace she felt here, standing on this cliff looking out at the endless blue water.
She’d been so lonely in Florida since Trevor died.
Oh, she had friends. Had neighbors who checked on her and invited her to dinner parties and book clubs.
But it wasn’t the same as having a partner.
Someone to share the small moments with.
Someone to talk to at the end of the day.
Someone to wake up next to and know you weren’t facing the world alone.
She’d thought she’d never have that again. Had resigned herself to a life of pleasant loneliness, surrounded by people but fundamentally alone.
And then she’d come here. And she’d met Mitch.
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, and Lori jumped, her heart leaping into her throat before she recognized the touch. The scent. The solid warmth of him.
“Sorry,” Mitch murmured against her hair. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Lori relaxed back against his chest, his arms tightening around her waist. “It’s okay. I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“Everything,” Lori said. “About how glad I am that it’s all over. That everyone’s safe. That Clara’s in prison where she belongs.”
“Me too,” Mitch said quietly. “I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something else to go wrong. But it’s over.”
They stood in silence for a moment, just holding each other and watching the waves.
“How did Carrie take the news?” Mitch asked finally. “When you told her everything that happened.”
Lori sighed. “About as well as you’d expect. She was horrified that Clara had been targeting me because she thought I was her. She felt guilty that I’d been put in danger because of a case she’d worked on.”
“It wasn’t her fault,” Mitch said firmly.
“I told her that,” Lori said. “Multiple times. I said, ‘Carrie, you were doing your job. You were protecting Judge Whittaker’s wife and all the people he’d hurt. You can’t control how a criminal’s family decides to seek revenge.’ But you know Carrie. She takes everything personally.”
“What did she say?” Mitch asked.
“She just said that didn’t stop her from feeling like it was her fault,” Lori replied.
Mitch’s arms tightened around her. “Sounds like Carrie, she can be very stubborn.”
“I know,” Lori said. “I told her that none of us knew Clara was Judge Whittaker’s daughter. That she’d changed her name and hidden her identity, and nobody could’ve predicted what she’d do. And I told her that if I hadn’t come here, I never would’ve met you.”
She felt Mitch smile against her hair. “What did she say to that?”
“She gave a quiet chuckle as if she knew something I didn’t,” Lori said with a small laugh.
“Well, she is a police officer and a very good one at that,” Mitch pointed out.
“She finally sighed and said, I guess we’re even then,” Lori said. “She kept the fact that she was investigating Trevor from me.”
“What a summer for both of you!” Mitch said.
They both sighed contentedly, and Lori felt some of the tension in her chest ease. This was good. This felt right. Standing here with Mitch, and talking like they’d been doing this for years instead of just months.
“I’m happy for them,” Lori said, nodding toward the front of the house where the barbecue was. “They all deserve happiness after everything we’ve all been through.”
“They do,” Mitch agreed.
“Piper’s already planning everyone’s wedding, too, it would seem,” Lori said with a smile. “I heard her telling Glory yesterday that she needs purple bridesmaid dresses because purple is the best color, and also, can Misty be the ring bearer because dogs are better than flower girls?”
Mitch laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest. “That sounds like Piper. She’s been on cloud nine all week with all these romantic developments.”
“I noticed,” Lori said. “She keeps giving Tessa and Ryan these knowing looks and giggling.”
“She told me this morning that she’s already excited about the prospect of Maggie being her cousin,” Mitch said, his voice warm with affection. “Said she’s always wanted a cousin close to her age, and now Ryan’s going to marry Tessa, and Maggie will be family.”
“They’re not even engaged yet,” Lori pointed out.
“Give them time,” Mitch said. “Ryan’s already looking at rings. I caught him browsing jewelry websites on his phone yesterday.”
“Really?” Lori felt her heart swell. “That’s wonderful. They’re so good together.”
“They are,” Mitch agreed.
They fell silent again, but this time the silence felt heavy. Weighted with all the things they weren’t saying. All the questions that hung unanswered between them.
Lori took a breath. “I go back to Florida in a few weeks.”
She felt Mitch stiffen behind her. Felt his arms tighten fractionally around her waist.
“I know,” he said quietly.
The silence stretched out again, longer this time. Painful.
Then Mitch stepped back, gently turning Lori to face him. He took both her hands in his, his eyes serious as they searched her face.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Mitch said. “About you going back to Florida. About us and how this could possibly work.”
Lori’s heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. “And?”
“And there’s really only one solution,” Mitch said.
Lori tried to smile, tried to lighten the moment even though her chest felt tight with anxiety. “Florida in the winter and Nantucket in the summer?”
Mitch’s face broke into a grin. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Lori blinked. “Wait, really?”