After several hours at the hospital, Faith was finally released. The sun had set long ago, so Brandon wouldn’t let her walk back to the inn. Besides, her knee was still hurting, she had a dull headache (no concussion though) and she was starving. The vegan breakfast sandwich she’d eaten in the car that morning wasn’t exactly doing the trick anymore.

“Are there any vegan restaurants around here?” she asked Brandon as they walked to the car. She tugged on the plastic hospital bracelet on her wrist and tore it free, tossing it into a nearby trashcan.

Brandon chuckled. “In January Cove? Not that I know of. But, if you want fried catfish or biscuits and gravy, we’ve got you covered.”

“I’m sure you do. I was hoping for something a little more… healthy. I mean, you’re a doctor. Surely you know that a plant based diet is better for your body and certainly better for the planet.”

“Maybe so, but I’m also aware that while I want to live a long life, I also want to live a happy one.”

Faith smiled. “And biscuits and gravy make your life happier?”

“Immensely.”

Brandon unlocked his SUV and opened her door. Faith climbed inside.

“So I take it you’re hungry?” he asked as he slid behind the steering wheel.

“Very. But I’m sure Addy has something I can eat.”

“Actually, there is a nice seafood restaurant down by the water. I’m sure they have salads and so forth. Want to give it a try?”

“I’m kind of exhausted. Not sure I want to do the whole fancy restaurant thing.”

“Okay, I have an idea if you’re game?”

Faith was far too hungry to argue. “Sure. What’s the idea?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Great,” she said rolling her eyes. “So far I love your surprises.”

* * *

Brandon had no idea why he was doing all of this. As he rushed around the small grocery store, he wondered why he was trying so hard to impress a woman he barely knew and who seemed to despise him.

But here he was.

“A vegan sandwich?” the man behind the deli counter asked. “You do realize that we cut meat and make subs here, right?”

Brandon forced a smile. “Yes, Tommy, but I need something without meat. Like maybe lettuce, tomatoes, onions… and some of that vinaigrette everyone talks about.”

A few minutes later, Tommy had created a vegan masterpiece. Brandon grabbed a fruit tray, some sparkling water and some disposable cups.

When he arrived back to his vehicle, Faith was sound asleep, her head leaned to one side. He stopped for a moment and watched her through the window, her chest rising and falling. She looked peaceful, and he hated to wake her up.

For a moment, he wondered about her life. Where had she come from? What was so wrong that she kept mentioning? And why was she in January Cove in the first place?

But Faith didn’t seem like the type of person to open up easily. She seemed walled off, hurt by something or someone.

“Don’t try to figure it out,” Brandon whispered to himself as he walked around to the driver’s door and slipped inside. Faith stirred as he carefully placed the paper bag behind his seat.

“Did I fall asleep?” she asked, her voice still groggy. She yawned.

“Seems that way.”

“How long was I out?”

“Just a few minutes.”

Brandon pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward their destination.

“It is always this cool at the beach?” Faith asked, crossing her arms.

Brandon laughed. “Not usually, but sometimes it can get a little crisp during this time of the year. Here,” he said, reaching into his backseat for the extra jacket he kept.

“Thanks,” Faith said, surprising him by not saying no to wearing his clothing. Maybe he was making some headway with this woman. Although he had no idea why he cared. She was just a stranger to him. Once he dropped her off at the inn, he probably wouldn’t ever see her again.

* * *

Faith looked out the window at the passing storefronts all lit up for the holidays. Christmas had just passed a few weeks ago, but apparently the people of January Cove weren’t in a hurry to take down their decorations.

She thought of her father and how he’d always hired a company to put up and take down their extensive holiday decorations. She hadn’t exactly had the typical upbringing, but it had been hers. And now those memories felt strange to her.

It dawned on her that she was now riding in a vehicle with a man she barely knew to a place that she didn’t know at all in a city she had never visited. At night. And her cell phone was dead. This was how horror movies started.

“Here we are,” Brandon said as he pulled into a driveway.

“Where is here?”

“Actually, this is my house.”

Faith was surprised. The house was more like a cottage with dormer windows upstairs, but it sat right on the beach. She could hear the waves crashing into the shore even before he opened her door.

“Your house? I think you might have the wrong impression…” Now she really was getting a little nervous.

“It’s okay, Faith. I wasn’t thinking anything like that. Can you just try to trust me?”

At this point she was so hungry and tired that she didn’t even care about the outcome. Brandon walked around and opened her door after grabbing a large paper bag from behind his seat.

She followed him down a cobblestone walkway beside the house until they were on the beach. Even at nighttime, she could see the white caps as they raced toward the sand. The moon was reflecting off the water and looked like a million little diamonds shining brightly for miles.

For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to be here with someone she loved. Her recent breakup hadn’t really resulted in heartbreak, but it did make her feel like her life had been set back by years. She was no closer to getting married and having a house on the beach herself. Instead, she found herself literally starting over from scratch, trying to retrace her life from birth.

“Here we go,” Brandon said as they turned the corner to reveal a small sitting area with a fire pit in the center just behind his house.

Faith walked to one of the well weathered chairs and sat down as Brandon lit the fire pit and sat down with the bag in his lap.

“It’s nice out here,” Faith said.

“Thanks. Not exactly a fancy restaurant, but hopefully it will do,” he said smiling. He had dimples, and that made her get shivers that didn’t have anything to do with cool ocean breeze currently blowing through her hair. “So I wasn’t exactly sure what you like to eat, but I took some wild guesses at the grocery store,” he said, handing her some kind of sandwich. He put a large fruit tray on the table between the chairs and poured some sparkling water into two paper cups.

Faith opened the sandwich, surprised to see that it was totally vegan and exactly the way she would’ve ordered it herself.

“Is that okay?”

Faith smiled and then felt a wave of guilt wash over her. “It’s perfect. This was very sweet of you. Especially in light of how horribly I’ve treated you today.”

“Hey, I’m the one that let the mutt run you down like a tractor trailer truck,” Brandon said with a laugh as he pulled out his own sandwich.

“It was just a tough day,” she said quietly. “So thanks… for this.”

They sat together and ate without a lot of words between them. Faith was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, and the sound of the waves wasn’t helping her elude the comatose state she was sure to be in once her head hit the pillow.

“You look exhausted.”

Faith laughed. “I’m beyond exhausted. I don’t even think there’s a word for it. I should probably get to Addy’s before it gets too late.”

“Of course,” Brandon said, standing up and gathering their leftover trash.

“Isn’t it just down the street? I can totally walk that far.”

Brandon looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “Now, Faith McLemore, I think you know me at least well enough to know that I would never let a woman, especially an injured one, walk home in the dark.”

Faith nodded. Truthfully, she was way too tired to walk to the inn anyway.

As he drove her down the street, she realized he hadn’t really asked her why she was in January Cove, and for that she was thankful. She had no idea what she was going to say when people asked her that question.

“Oh, my father stole money from his company and the government of this great country of ours. So he’s currently eating slop in prison, and I’ve lost everything I own. Oh, and my boyfriend left me because I’m not rich anymore, and everyone thinks I’m guilty by association. And it turns out I’m also an orphan, so I’m just here in town with little to no information looking for my long lost mother. So, yeah, I’m totally normal.”

“Here we are,” Brandon said, knocking Faith out of the pretend conversation in her head. The inn was beautiful at night with leftover Christmas lights still glimmering on the porch. Faith had always loved Christmas, but this year had been lonely to say the least. She’d spent it eating Chinese takeout in her tiny apartment by herself. No gift buying for anyone else, so she bought herself four entrees and binge ate all of it over the span of a few hours while watching sappy Christmas movies on TV.

Now it was after the first of the new year, and here she sat in a brand new place. She wanted to think about how full of possibilities it was, but really she just felt lost. And alone.

“Thanks for the ride.”

Brandon nodded. “Of course. It was the least I could do considering how I welcomed you to town.”

Faith laughed. “Yes, I think I can still see some of my blood on the sidewalk over there. Next time a handshake would be sufficient.”

Brandon held out his hand, a slight smile on his face. “Hi. Welcome to January Cove. I’m Brandon. And you are?”

Faith slowly reached out her hand and slid it into his. There was a warmth there she hadn’t expected on such a cool evening.

“Faith.”

“Faith. I like that.”

She could feel her face flushing and prayed that the darkened vehicle wouldn’t give her away. Suddenly, she had a need to get out of the SUV and fast.

“Good night, Brandon,” she said softly without making eye contact again.

“Let me walk you to the door,” Brandon said, starting to open his door. Faith stopped him.

“Look, I appreciate everything you did today. I really do. But I’m not looking for anything more than acquaintances in this town. I won’t be here long.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “Faith, I wasn’t trying to date you. This is the South, and I’m a gentleman. My Mom raised me right. I just wanted to walk you to the door.”

She wasn’t sure if the nervousness she felt in her stomach was from making a mistake in thinking he was trying to woo her, or if it was disappointment that he wasn’t trying to impress her.

“No need. Thanks again,” she said before she hobbled up the stairs and into the inn without looking back.

* * *

Faith hadn’t slept this well in a long time. She slowly opened her eyes, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. She certainly wasn’t in her old bedroom, the one with the elevated four poster bed and expensive down comforter set.

Instead, she was in a bed that was made of logs with an intricate patchwork quilt keeping her warm. And it wasn’t as bad as she thought it’d be.

Truthfully, when Addy had shown her the room last night, she’d wondered why anyone would ever want to stay in such a place. Each room was decorated differently, and she apparently had the “cabin themed” room. Faith had never been a cabin person. The most rustic place she’d stayed was a hotel that didn’t have an indoor pool.

Easing herself up, she rested her back against the headboard. Her head was still a little sore, and her knee felt raw but other than that, she felt well rested.

She looked at her phone, as she did every morning. No text messages. She didn’t even know who she was hoping to hear from. It wasn’t like her father could text her, and apparently he wanted nothing more to do with her anyway.

Faith tossed her phone on the table, slid back down under the covers and pulled the quilt over her head.

“Knock knock!” she heard Addy say while she simultaneously knocked on the thick wood door. Faith sighed.

She stood up and pulled on her robe before opening the door to see Addy standing there with a plate full of something covered by a silver dome.

“Breakfast,” Addy said with a big smile as she walked past Faith into the room. “I’ve got coffee or fresh squeezed orange juice. Which would you like?”

“Um, coffee, I guess,” Faith said.

“Great! I’ll bring up a fresh cup in a quick second,” Addy said, trotting off into the still darkened hallway. “Cream and sugar?” she called back over her shoulder.

“Just sugar please,” Faith responded as she pulled out the chair to the small desk near her bed and took the top off the plate. On it was a stack of French toast topped with blueberries and whipped cream. The aroma was almost overwhelming.

“Here you go,” Addy said, arriving back in the room at an alarming speed. Faith wondered how she had so much energy in the morning and how she managed to get back so fast without spilling the coffee on herself and everything in between.

“These look really good, but I don’t think I can eat them.”

“Nonsense! Enjoy yourself!”

Faith smiled. “No, I mean… I’m vegan.”

Addy’s face fell. “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry, Faith. I didn’t mean to offend. I just knew you had a hard day yesterday. You know, comfort food is a Southern thing.”

Faith laughed. “I appreciate the sentiment. Maybe you have some fruit and oatmeal?”

“Of course. My sweetie will eat this stack in no time flat,” Addy said.

“Listen, please don’t put yourself out. I’ll get ready and come down to the kitchen to grab something before I leave.”

Addy nodded. “I don’t mean to pry, Faith, but I have to ask why you’re in January Cove? I mean, most of my guests are here visiting family or on business or vacation, but you don’t seem to fit any of those categories.”

Faith knew she’d get questions, but it was still a bit early in the morning to answer them. Besides, the last thing she wanted was for anyone to know about her past.

“I have family here,” Faith said without thinking.

“Oh really? Who? I’ve lived here my whole life, so I probably know them!” Addy said excitedly.

Faith froze. “Um, I…”

“Good morning, ladies,” a voice said from the doorway. It was Brandon. He was holding a brown paper bag again.

“Good morning,” Faith said smiling, grateful that he’d interrupted their conversation.

“Hey, Brandon,” Addy said. “French toast?” She held up the plate and Brandon laughed.

“You didn’t know she was vegan, did you?”

Addy looked at Faith and chuckled. “No, but I do now, so I’m going to do a little digging around on the Internet for some recipes.”

“Oh, Addy, really… Please don’t inconvenience yourself. I’ll just go to the grocery store.”

“Not an inconvenience, Faith,” Addy said as she made her way to the door. “It’s just part of what I do as an inn owner. It’s my responsibility to make January Cove feel like home.”

For some reason, that tugged on Faith’s heartstrings. No one had cared about her feelings in a long time, and in less than twenty four hours, she felt like January Cove was a possible home. At least temporarily.

After Addy left the room, Brandon stood there quietly for a few moments, a thick air of awkwardness between them.

“Here,” he said, handing her the bag.

Faith took it, unsure of what it could be. She looked inside and saw a couple of large muffins, one blueberry and one chocolate.

“But these can’t be…”

“Vegan? Yes they are. I promise.”

“You bought these for me? In January Cove?”

“Yes, I bought them for you. In January Cove? No. There’s a great place near Savannah.”

“Savannah? But that’s more than an hour away, isn’t it?”

“Depends on how fast you drive,” Brandon said. “I just knew you’d need breakfast, and we got back too late last night to warn Addy, so…”

Before Faith could stop it, her eyes teared up. “Thank you.”

Brandon looked at her quizzically. “Faith, it’s just muffins. Are you okay?”

She laughed and wiped away a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. “I’m fine. I guess I’m just worn out from traveling and everything that’s happened in the last twenty four hours.”

He paused and looked at her for a moment. “Okay. If you need to talk…”

Faith held up her hand. “No. I definitely don’t need to talk. But thanks for the offer.”

Brandon nodded. “Well, I’ve got a shift at the hospital, so I’d better get going. Enjoy the muffins.”

He turned to leave. “Hey, Brandon?”

“Yeah?”

“Where would I find the library around here?”

“Wow, that sounds like a fun place to hang out. You know we have a beach and a movie theater, right?”

Faith rolled her eyes. “I like to read. What can I say?”

“The library is down the road to the East, just past the high school. Not more than a mile from here, I’d say. If you need a ride, I’m heading that way.”

“No thanks. I still have some things to do around here first. You know, unpack and all that.” She was totally lying, but she didn’t want to be in the car with him again right now. Too many questions that she didn’t feel like answering.

“Okay. Well, enjoy your reading,” Brandon said with a chuckle before walking out. She shut her door and walked to the window, the paper bag still dangling from her hand. She peeked through the wooden plantation shutters and watched him drive off in his SUV before taking one of the muffins from the warmth of brown paper and smiling.