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  Molly smiled again, trying to keep up. “Actually, Sam Alderich told me the woman who owns the bed-and-breakfast is looking for a tenant.” Thinking about Sam made her skin feel warm.

  The waitress-slash-owner made her eyebrows dance. “He’d be right and he’d know, seeing as that’s his mama. Beautiful place she’s got there and I’ve seen that carriage home. There’s been many a day I wished I could rent it myself when my husband comes home in a stormy mood.”

  Molly wasn’t sure what to think of Sam recommending his mom’s place, but she supposed it made sense. She liked that Calliope was giving it a stamp of approval.

  “Let me go put your order in and check on the other customers. We’re short a waitress tonight, but I fully plan on asking you way more questions than is polite,” Calliope said.

  Molly just laughed as the waitress walked toward the kitchen. Turning back to the window, she sighed. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times and stretched her neck. Everything was going to be fine. One bad apple didn’t really spoil the bunch—at least not from what she’d seen. There were plenty of people in Britton Bay she’d like to get to know more.

  It took effort not to pull her files out of her satchel, but she knew she’d never take a break if she didn’t force it on herself. Her mom was always telling her there was nothing wrong with sitting still. Except, it tended to make Molly edgy.

  A man and woman came out of a shop across the street. The woman looked up at him and laughed at something he said. A couple of doors down, an elderly man was sweeping the sidewalk. There was a wide range of shops lining both sides of the street. In the distance, Molly saw a few people bicycling along the boardwalk that surrounded the beach. The coastline seemed to go on forever. First day off, I’m going to park myself on that beach and read a book. Or research and edit, or people watch, but still, she’d do it from the cozy comfort of the sand with an iced tea beside her.

  Covering a yawn with one hand, she tapped her fingers on the countertop with the other. A man behind her was telling a joke and the woman with him was already belly laughing. In the far corner booth, a young couple sat across from each other, sharing a plate of fries. Calliope stopped by their table with a bill and said something that made them both smile.

  She brought Molly’s cola and placed it in front of her. “Okay. I’ll give you the rundown first. Of course, I’m going to tell you there’s no finer establishment to eat than mine, but should you want something different, Morning Muffins is the best breakfast spot on the coast. I’ve got the waistline to prove I verified that. Stay away from Dot’s Bakery. It’s just a hobby for her and really, she should have taken up needlepoint. There’s a town council meeting every second Thursday. It’s the best place to get gossip. If you’re grocery shopping, head to the edge of town to the Greedy Grocer. Best prices around. If you’re into chain stores, you’ll find most of them just outside Britton Bay, but you can find most of what you need right here. It’s always better to stay local. Corky Templeton is our town crazy and we all take good care of him. Swears he’s been hit by lighting six times and to be honest, I don’t doubt it. You’ll see him around and every time he talks to you, he’ll leave in a hurry, thinking someone’s after him. He means no harm, but he’s a lot to take in on the first meeting.”

  “Cali, you gonna talk all day or bring that girl her dinner?”

  Molly’s eyes went to the back of the diner. She could only see the portion of the yeller’s face that wasn’t covered by the chrome pass. He gave a wide toothy smile and a wave.

  “That’s my man, Dean. Cooks like a dream and does plenty of other things well too. But I’ll tell you, come football season, I may crash at that carriage house of yours.”

  Calliope started to turn when the door swung open again. Molly’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help thinking there must be something special in the water surrounding Britton Bay. The woman walking in was nothing short of striking, in a Jackie O sort of way.

  “Hey there, Clara,” Calliope called.

  Clara Phillips Black. Guess Vernon was right about being able to talk to them anytime. Molly had a pretty good memory, especially since they’d spoken about Clara’s family today, but with all the information Calliope liked to dish, she’d need to jot down names if she had any hope of remembering everyone she was meeting or hearing about.

  Calliope leaned close again and Molly felt like she was in high school, whispering while the teacher was turned away.

  “That’s the mayor’s wife. Her great-great-great-granddaddy and his brothers were the founders of Britton Bay. She’s the last one in her line still in the area. Takes great pride in the cachet her family’s name brings. Goes on a little too much about it now and then, but she loves the town and she and her husband take good care of it. They have a daughter. Savannah. Little socially awkward, but nice enough girl.”

  Clara came their way as Molly marveled at how much Calliope knew. She was better than any Google search.

  “Hi Calli. I’m just picking up an order. It’s study night,” Clara said. She turned her smile on Molly. “Hi there. You’re new here.”

  Molly held out a hand. “Molly Owens. I just started at the Bulletin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I knew Alan had brought someone in for the position. Well, let me officially welcome you to our little piece of paradise. You’ll love it here, I’m sure of that.”

  Other than a grumpy old man and some flat tires, the mayor’s wife was right.

  “Hey there, Clara. Got your order here,” Dean called from the pass.

  Clara looked over, then back at Molly. “Again, welcome.”

  “Thanks,” Molly said.

  Calliope walked alongside the woman to get Molly’s meal. Her stomach rumbled impatiently. She really needed to do a better job at keeping a routine. Or starting one.

  Calliope was back inside a minute, a wide smile on her face. She waved as Clara left, takeout bag in hand. Knowing there was dine-out service could be dangerous to Molly’s waistline and budget.

  “There you go. It’s on the house. Dean says I need to let you eat in peace—so I will—but you drop by again soon and I’ll take a break and grill you proper.”

  Shaking her head, beyond amused, Molly beamed. “I will absolutely do that. Thank you. This smells delicious. Do you guys advertise in the Bulletin?”

  Calliope’s lips straightened. “Hmm. Haven’t in a long time. Me and Dean were thinking of sponsoring some adult slow-pitch teams though, so maybe we ought to consider it. I’ll talk to him. Go on, dig in.”

  Molly did just that. Her mouth watered as she took her first bite. It was fresh with perfectly crispy batter. The fries were golden brown and served with a sauce that added a hint of sweet. She was rethinking her need for a kitchen. If she could afford to eat out every night, she wouldn’t bother with a rental.

  Once she finished, Molly left a tip and waved to Calliope and her husband. She’d escaped the questioning for today, but she didn’t doubt the cheery redhead would hold true to her word. As she approached her Jeep, she took a deep breath, then expelled it as she walked around it once. All four tires were fine. What? You think he was going to follow you around giving you flats? It wasn’t the worst welcome she’d ever had, she remembered as she followed Sam’s directions to the bed-and-breakfast.

  When she was in fifth grade, her father had been stationed in Texas. Her classmates there had welcomed her by putting a tack on her seat. It had pierced her left butt cheek, making her yelp and hop up. Humiliated, she’d run from the room. To this day, she never sat down without giving the seat a quick glance. Four flat tires were nothing she couldn’t handle.

  Thinking about her dad made her miss him and her mom. He’d retired and they were living in Arizona now. Molly had lived there while she’d gone to college, but had moved to California for a job. And a man. Only one of which made her happy.<
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  Slowing the Jeep for the light, she took a right onto LaMonte Avenue. A quaint residential street, lined with trees and black lampposts. Each house looked like a gingerbread home. In spring. Pastel colors and window shutters made Molly feel like she was driving down a lane in the game Candy Land. At the end of the street was a pale blue Victorian-style home. Parking on the road, she walked up to the white steps of the wraparound porch, to the front door.

  She knocked, then wondered if she should have called first. Like she’d been expected, the door opened and a dark-haired woman greeted her with eyes and a smile she’d already seen once today. Sam hadn’t mentioned this was his mother, but there was no denying he was her son. He got his rich, dark hair from her, along with the eyes and slightly playful smile. Strands of gray weaved through the thick side braid she wore.

  “Hi. You must be Molly. Sam called and told me you might come by. Then Calli called and said you were on your way,” the woman said.

  The town seemed to be making her mind up for her. But Molly trusted her gut, and like Calliope Jacobs, this was going to be someone she liked.

  She extended her hand. “I didn’t expect them to do that. I am Molly. You must be Katherine.”

  Sam’s mother nodded her head and stepped aside, dropping Molly’s hand so she could step in. “I am indeed. Come on in. I’ll make you a cup of tea and then I’ll show you the carriage house. It’s fully furnished, but I can store whatever you don’t want in there.”

  She shut the door behind Molly, who looked around the stunning entryway. Dark hardwood floors matched the wide mouldings on the walls. A short, wide staircase was directly ahead of her and to both sides, arched doorways led into other areas of the house. The air smelled of cinnamon, making Molly feel like she’d wrapped herself in a cozy blanket at Christmastime. Even without seeing the carriage house, she knew it would be a replica of the fine craftsmanship of the main house. Clearly, ambiance mattered to Katherine.

  As Sam’s mom chatted about the history of the bed-and-breakfast and her current guests, Molly bit back a yawn. After her tea, she’d head back to the hotel for a final night, but Molly knew, before she even took a seat at the beautifully finished farmhouse table, that she’d found her home. The way Katherine put her at ease was one more sign. She would be happy here.

  Chapter 3

  The next few days went by in a blur of learning and adjusting. After she settled into the carriage house, making the space her own, Molly forced herself to take a walk each evening. Sitting all day wasn’t bad for her just physically, but it tended to make her feel a little too slothlike. It’d be too easy to get into the habit of coming home, eating, and surfing channels or the internet until she fell into bed with a book. The fresh air was welcome and her walks let her familiarize herself with the area.

  If she cut through a park near the bed-and-breakfast, there was a trail leading to some steps down to the ocean. Surprisingly, Molly rarely saw anyone on it. Maybe it was the time of day she was walking, but it made her feel like she’d discovered her own, secret little path. Other than the occasional birdsong and the distant sound of the water, she was alone with her thoughts.

  This was the routine she’d needed to establish and as she came up on the ocean, stopping to toss a few rocks into the waves, she was glad she’d forced herself out again this evening. She waved at an older couple holding hands as she passed them along the sand. Taking a deep breath of sea air, Molly breathed the stress of the last few days out of her shoulders.

  The last few days had been…productive, but tense. Together, Clay, Elizabeth, and Molly worked to get the current week’s paper to press. Though Alan was in and out of the office quite a bit, he insisted she worry more about the following edition rather than the one they were on. Elizabeth was great while Alan was there, but any time he stepped out, she lost focus. Vernon kept to himself at his little desk, working on his laptop, writing in a notebook or jotting down notes on his endless supply of Post-its—which apparently no one else had permission to touch. At one point, he even put in earbuds to drown the rest of them out. Along with developing her own routine, she was learning theirs.

  She was trying hard not to push everything on them at once. Several times, she’d had to bite her tongue when Vernon rebuked an idea she gave for further developing a story. It was like he was scared to add a little depth, or—God forbid—an actual source. Molly wasn’t sure if he was just that set in his ways or merely determined to butt heads with her. And everyone else around him.

  Resuming her walk, appreciating the freshness of the air and the sound of gulls swooping in the distance, she made herself think of more pleasant things, like her new home. The carriage house was tucked in behind a couple of oak trees at the back of the bed-and-breakfast property. Katherine told her it hadn’t yet been rented, as she’d just had it fully finished and furnished a couple of months prior. The constant yawning on Molly’s part had cut the first evening short, but she had a feeling, like Calliope, Katherine would soon find a way to chat her ear off. Molly was looking forward to it.

  As Molly padded out of the sand and onto the concrete walkway that lined the beach, she noticed a man leaning under the hood of his car. He was broad-shouldered with dirty-blond hair, and she wouldn’t have paid much attention if he hadn’t suddenly slammed the hood down and kicked the front tire several times. Though she couldn’t hear the words he was saying, she guessed they weren’t too pleasant.

  Car trouble sucked. She knew that firsthand, but his reaction seemed a little over-the-top. There were a few other cars in the lot, but no other people. If there had been, she may have offered assistance in the form of her cell phone. Which would have been unnecessary, she noted, as he pulled one out from his back pocket. Molly turned in the other direction as the man stalked away from the car.

  Things might take some getting used to at work, but her car was running, she had some money in the bank, and a great place to live. Not too bad. Plenty to be happy about. Still, there was a restlessness nagging her, quickening her step. Nothing a good book—or an engaging article from one of the Bulletin writers—wouldn’t cure.

  With her first week in the area disappearing like a snap of her fingers, Molly was feeling truly settled. The heat of the sun was already pressing down when she parked in one of the spots behind the Bulletin. Dropping her satchel and her laptop on her desk, Molly went to the small kitchen in the back of the office to make some coffee.

  Her phone rang and she swiped the screen, smiling at her friend Tori’s image. Excitement flooded her veins. It had been too long since they’d spoken.

  “Hey. I was going to phone you tonight.”

  Tori chuckled. “Sure you were. I was worried your new job had swallowed you whole. How is it?”

  Molly looked around the room she was in. The building was old, like the newspaper itself. It didn’t stand out with character the way many of the other buildings in the neighborhood did, but the inside was spacious and comfortable. It made her happy to be there.

  “It’s good. I like the office. Most of the people are nice. The food here is crazy good. How’s Hollywood?”

  She’d met her best friend when she’d done some freelance editing for her. They’d met up in person to discuss her script and hit it off instantly. She’d been the one thing Molly had been sad to leave behind when she’d cruised out of L.A.

  “The same. Busy, but good. You sound good. I worried you wouldn’t,” Tori said.

  Molly stared at the coffee, willing it to drip faster. “I’m fine. Honest. How do you have time to worry?” She knew what kind of hours her friend spent in writers’ rooms, chugging coffee like it was water.

  “I get a chance to squeeze in a thought of you now and again. What do you mean, most people?”

  Molly laughed, grabbing a mug. Of course she’d zero in on that. “There’s one guy who seems to wish I’d gotten lost on my way here. But apparently he hat
es everyone, so it’s not just me.”

  “Couldn’t be you anyway. Clearly, he has a problem. I miss you.”

  “Me too. But this was a good move. I’m going to be happy here,” Molly said. She removed the not-yet full carafe and poured a half a cup. Mmm. Happier now. Moving to the fridge, she grabbed the cream.

  “That’s all that matters then. I gotta go. Love you.”

  “You too.”

  Molly hung up and doctored her half cup of caffeine and enjoyed it while waiting for the rest to brew. She wandered, cup in hand through the empty office. It was peacefully quiet with no one else there.

  There was a conference room, a few offices, a small kitchen, one bathroom, and a central area at the front of the building. It looked out onto the street and housed partitions to separate the employee desks around the edges of that room. In the center, a large island-type counter, bigger than any kitchen-style one, allowed them all to gather around and organize layouts and designs. Molly couldn’t wait to do that. First priority after pouring an actual full mug of coffee.

  Second, would be figuring out a way to tell Vernon his timeline could have been done by any person who had the ability to use Google. Elizabeth’s pieces were fairly straightforward to edit. They could use some spice and a few more powerful sentences, but until Molly got her finger on the heartbeat of the Bay, current-event types of stories would have to do. The rich, bitter taste of the coffee made her feel more alive. Heading to her office, she opened up her laptop.

  Messages from her mom and Tori popped up on her personal email. She was used to missing her parents since they hadn’t lived in frequent-visits distance for a while. She typed a quick email to say she was fine. Her parents would want more details, but they’d have to settle for a quick hello. If she didn’t give them something, they’d be on her doorstep just to see for themselves she was okay. Molly wouldn’t mind curling up on the couch with a hot chocolate and telling her mom about this cute little town.