Chapter 2
MITCH
The sunrise over Pelican Bay never got old. Mitch Brandon stood on his porch, coffee mug warming his hands, watching the sky shift from deep purple to pink to gold. The ocean caught the light and threw it back, each wave tipped with fire.
This was his favorite time of day. Before the world woke up and demanded things from him. Before he had to be anything other than a man watching the sunrise.
The screen door banged open behind him.
“Morning, Grandpa.” Piper appeared at his elbow, already dressed in her running gear. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her green eyes sparkled with the energy only ten-year-olds seemed to possess at dawn.
“Morning, sweetheart. You’re up early.” Mitch smiled.
“Just because it’s summer vacation time doesn’t mean I can be lazy.” She stretched her arms over her head, bouncing on her toes. “Coach says I need to keep training even during vacation if I want to make regionals next year.”
Pride swelled in Mitch’s chest. Piper had her mother’s determination, her father’s focus. She’d lost them both when she was too young to remember, but somehow their best qualities lived on in her.
“How far are you running today?” Mitch watched her warm-up routine.
“Just three miles. Down to the point and back.” She grinned up at him. “Want to come?”
“I’ll pass. These old knees prefer a slower pace.” Mitch still went for runs, but not as much as he used to, and he preferred to run in the evening.
“You’re not old, Grandpa. You’re just lazy in the morning.” Piper’s brows rose knowingly.
He chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair, which she dodged with the quick reflexes that made her the fastest runner in her age group. “Get going before you talk yourself out of it.”
She took off down the porch steps, her feet barely making a sound as she hit the gravel drive. Within seconds, she’d disappeared down the path toward the beach.
Mitch sipped his coffee and watched the empty path. Piper was growing up too fast. Eight more years and she’d be off to college, starting her own life. The thought settled heavily in his chest.
But that was years away. For now, she was still his to raise, still young enough to need him.
His head turned towards his neighbor’s house. Next door, Carrie’s SUV sat in the driveway. No, not Carrie’s. Her friend’s. The woman who’d be staying for the summer.
Carrie had mentioned the house swap a few weeks ago. Her best friend needed time to heal after losing her husband. Carrie needed time to recover after taking a bullet in the line of duty. It made sense for them to trade places for a while.
Mitch hadn’t thought much about it at the time. He and Carrie had become used to being neighbors. It was handy living next door to the town’s police chief.
But watching movement through the cottage windows, he felt the familiar prickle of awareness that came from thirty years in intelligence work. His senses were on high alert as there was a new person in the environment. And an unknown quantity. It was a habit for him to assess and monitor.
He shook his head at himself. Retirement meant letting go of those instincts. The woman wasn’t a threat. She was Carrie’s friend, here for a quiet summer. Nothing more.
Still, his eyes tracked to the cottage more than once as he finished his coffee.
Movement on the beach path caught his attention. Piper, returning from her run, her face flushed but smiling. She jogged up the steps and collapsed dramatically on the porch bench.
“Three miles done. I think I beat my time.” Piper turned off her stopwatch.
“Good work. Go shower and I’ll make breakfast,” Mitch suggested.
“Can we have pancakes?” Piper gave him her most beguiling smile. The one that usually always got her what she wanted.
He sighed and could all but hear his late daughter-in-law Charlotte admonishing him for giving in to Piper.
“When have I ever said no to pancakes?” Mitch said.
She beamed and disappeared inside. Mitch followed, rinsing his mug in the kitchen sink. Through the window, he had a clear view of Seabird Cottage. The back door opened, and a woman stepped out with a German shepherd on a leash.
Misty. The dog bounded down the steps, tail wagging, clearly happy to be home. The woman followed more slowly, and even at this distance, Mitch could see how she moved. Careful. Like someone still learning the landscape.
She had long chestnut hair that caught the morning light, and even in jeans and a simple shirt, she carried herself with a kind of grace that made him look twice.
He turned away from the window and pulled out the pancake mix.
By the time Piper emerged from her shower, he had a stack of pancakes ready and bacon crisping in the pan. They ate together at the kitchen table, Piper chattering about the upcoming summer camp, her friends, and the science project they were starting this week.
“Oh, I saw Misty is back,” Piper said between bites. “Is Carrie home?”
“No. Her friend is here for the summer. Remember? The house swap Carrie told us about,” Mitch reminded her.
“Oh, right.” Piper’s eyes lit up. “What’s Carrie’s friend’s name again?”
“I think Carrie said Mrs. Lori Carlton.”
“That’s a beautiful name. Lori.” Piper said it slowly, as if she were tasting it. “Can we meet her? I should say hi to Misty. She probably missed me.”
Mitch had known this was coming. Piper loved that dog and had walked her almost daily whenever Carrie was working late. It made sense she’d want to check on her.
“We’ll see,” Mitch said, non-committedly.
“That’s grown-up code for no,” Piper immediately flagged his vague answer and translated it.
“That’s grown-up code for not right now. Let the woman settle in first.” Mitch held her eyes with his without flinching as he watched the myriad of emotions flashing through them as if she was looking for one that would persuade him.
Piper sighed the way only pre-teens could, like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. “Fine. But soon, okay? Misty needs her walks, and the new lady might not know all the good trails.”
“Soon,” Mitch agreed, knowing it was a battle he’d eventually lose.
After breakfast, Piper grabbed her backpack for day camp, and they loaded it into his truck. The camp was held at the community center in town, a fifteen-minute drive from Pelican Bay.
“Don’t forget, I have Emma’s birthday party this afternoon,” Piper reminded him as they drove. “It starts at two.”
“I remember. I’ll pick you up from camp at one-thirty.” He frowned. “I can’t remember, did we get her a present?”
“Two days ago.” Piper nodded. “And then after the party, can we meet our new neighbor?”
Mitch glanced at her. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Nope. It’s one of my best qualities.” She grinned at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back.
“We’ll see,” Mitch said again.
He dropped her at the community center, watching until she disappeared inside with a group of other kids.
Then he drove back to Pelican Bay, his mind already running through the day’s tasks.
He had a bookshelf to finish in his workshop, some repairs to make on the back deck, and the normal rhythm of a quiet summer day.
The house felt empty without Piper’s energy filling it. Mitch changed into work clothes and headed to his workshop, a converted garage behind the house. The smell of sawdust and wood oil greeted him. It was familiar and calming.
He’d been working for maybe an hour when he heard a car pull into his driveway. Mitch set down his sander and walked to the workshop door, wiping sawdust from his hands.
Sally Lane stepped out of a sleek sedan, carrying a covered dish.
Mitch sighed and clenched his jaw. Of course, it would be her. The woman didn’t quite take no for an answer or understand that a relationship was over. Not that it was much of a relationship. Or at least he didn’t think it was.
“Hello, Mitch.” She smiled, bright and calculated. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Hello, Sally,” Mitch greeted her with a tight smile. “What brings you this far out of your way?”
“I won’t keep you long. I made way too much lasagna last night.
I remember how much Piper used to enjoy the dish when I made it, so I thought you and Piper could help take some of it off my hands.
” She walked toward him, her movements deliberate.
Sally never did anything without purpose, including making too much lasagna.
“That’s kind of you.” He took the dish, holding it between them like a barrier.
“It’s no trouble at all.” Her eyes scanned his face, looking for something. “How have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Keeping busy. Summer’s a good time for outdoor projects.” Mitch chose his words carefully, not wanting to say anything that might encourage her or keep her there longer than was necessary.
“I imagine Piper keeps you busy too. I saw her the other day in town with her friends. She’s growing so fast,” Sally commented.
“She is,” Mitch agreed.
An awkward pause stretched between them. Sally and Mitch had dated briefly three years ago, shortly after she’d moved to Nantucket. It had been pleasant enough, but when she started hinting at something more permanent, he’d ended it. Gently, but firmly.
She hadn’t taken it as well as he’d hoped.
“I heard Carrie’s away for the summer,” Sally said, her tone carefully casual. “I believe it was some sort of medical leave.”
“That’s right.” Mitch nodded, not elaborating.
“Is it true that Carrie has a friend staying there for the summer?” Sally’s brow furrowed curiously.
There it was. The real reason for the visit. To be nosy and ensure the newcomer wasn’t a threat somehow.
“Yes, I believe so,” Mitch confirmed.
“How nice.” Sally’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I should probably stop by and introduce myself. Welcome her to the neighborhood.”