Brandon couldn’t get her out of his head, and he had no idea why. This woman wasn’t his type at all. She was uptight and secretive and flew off the handle at a moment’s notice.

And yet he wanted to get to know her better.

He’d driven almost to Savannah for muffins. The thought astonished even him.

“Did you release Mrs. Smith in room three?” the nurse asked him as he stared at his tablet in a haze.

“What?”

“Mrs. Smith? The woman who had the reaction to the shampoo?”

“Oh. Right. Yes, I released her. She was stable and will be following up with her doctor about getting allergy testing.”

“Are you okay? You seem a little distracted today,” the nurse said. There was nothing good about being labeled as distracted in the emergency room.

“I’m fine,” Brandon said with a smile. “Just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

The nurse eyed him carefully. “Okay. Who is she?”

“Excuse me?”

“Dr. Jones, I’ve known you, what, like six years now? I’ve never seen you look so lovelorn.”

“Lovelorn? Impossible since I’m not in love with anyone at the moment,” he said, although she wasn’t far off the mark. He definitely felt something… although he wasn’t sure what to call it.

Brandon didn’t want to fall in love. It hadn’t worked out well for him in the past. In fact, he seemed attracted to women who needed “saving”, and once the saving part was done, they moved on to greener pastures. At least that was how he saw it.

“Who’s my next patient?” Brandon asked without moving the conversation further.

The nurse smiled and looked down at her tablet. “Room two. Possible broken wrist.”

Brandon pulled the sheet back to enter the room and was surprised to see his friend, Clay sitting there.

“Hey, man! What happened?”

Clay was sitting on the table, his wrist pulled tight to his chest and a look of pain obvious on his face.

“The ferry was tied up, or so I thought. Got my hand caught between the boat and the dock.”

“Ouch,” Brandon said as he started to press lightly on different areas of his wrist. Clay immediately jumped in pain.

Clay had run the ferry service for a long time now, so getting hurt wasn’t a typical thing for him.

“I think we’d better get this x-rayed.”

Clay nodded. “Addy is going to kill me. I wasn’t supposed to work the ferry today, but my guy called in sick.”

“I’m sure she’ll forgive you when she sees you’re in pain.”

“Maybe, but I have to help with the redecorating. We just bought some stuff to redo a few of the rooms we didn’t get to when the place opened. I guess I’ll have to help her one-handed.”

“First things first,” Brandon said. “I’ll call for x-ray and then we’ll see what we need to do from here, okay?”

* * *

Faith sat at the table in the small coffee shop she’d found near the beach. Jolt seemed to be a popular place, so it had taken her a few minutes to get a table, but now that she had one she wasn’t moving for awhile.

Although the January Cove library had been smaller than anticipated, she had been able to print off some potentially useful information including newspaper birth announcements from around the time she was born.

The thing was, she had no idea where she was really born. Her birth certificate could’ve been faked, or so she assumed. Since Jim wasn’t answering her calls and refusing to see her, she had little information to go on other than the name of January Cove.

As she drank her latte, she scoured each item she had copied, but nothing was turning up. She sighed and crumpled up the last piece of useless paper.

“Dang it,” she said to herself.

“Everything okay?” the red-haired woman behind the counter asked. The customers had finally thinned out once the lunch rush passed, and now Faith found herself alone with the woman aside from another table with an elderly gentleman.

“I’m fine,” Faith said. “Sorry if I said that a little too loudly.”

“No, problem at all. I’m Rebecca. You must be new in town?”

Faith chuckled. “It’s hard to be incognito here, isn’t it?”

Rebecca smiled. “Small towns are that way, I guess.”

“I’m Faith. And yes, I’m visiting from Virginia. Staying at Addy’s.”

“That’s wonderful. Addy’s basically my sister-in-law. I date her brother, Jackson.”

“Everyone really does know everyone in this town,” Faith said. “It’s kind of… nice.”

She was surprised to hear herself say those words. Faith had never thought about living in a small town. Big city life had always been her dream. Parties, art gallery openings, wine tastings. But January Cove was different, and nothing seemed to be “missing” about it.

“So are you here for business?” Rebecca asked. Why did everyone here need to know why she was here? It was like they were protective of their town.

Faith was already getting tired of keeping up the facade. “No. I’m actually here doing a little genealogical research on my family.”

Rebecca cocked her head in confusion. “You came all the way from Virginia for that? Seems the computer might have been faster… and cheaper?”

“Maybe so. But I needed a little mini vacation, so I decided to pack them into one big trip.”

Rebecca smiled. “Well, be careful because January Cove has a way of reeling you in and never letting you go.”

She walked away to speak to her other customer, and Faith wondered if that was true. Already, the little town was growing on her. Not that she had any plans to move there, but she could see the attraction. It was the perfect place to start over and build a totally different life.

“We have to stop meeting like this.”

She looked up to see Brandon standing there. He was wearing green scrubs, and for some reason that made her feel a little giddy inside.

“Do you ever work?” she asked with a laugh.

“I’ll have you know I’ve been at work for four whole hours now.” He put his hands on the back of the chair across from her and leaned in. “Don’t tell anyone, but there’s a lull in the ER right now so I came out to get coffee. Shhh….”

Faith smiled. He was cute in an irritating sort of way. “Well, don’t let me interrupt you.”

“I have a few minutes,” he said, pulling out the chair and sitting down.

“Feel free to sit down.”

Brandon grinned. “Hey, Rebecca, can I get a couple of mocha lattes for Sarah and Paul, and a black coffee for me?”

Rebecca waved and nodded as she turned around to start working on the caffeine boosts.

“So how was the library?”

“Not overly helpful.”

“You know, I went to college. Maybe I can help?”

“Do you ever say anything that’s not sarcastic?” she asked.

“Occasionally.”

“Anyway, no there’s nothing you can help with. I’m not even sure why I’m in January Cove, to be honest.”

“Faith, as far as I can tell, we’re friends.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I brought you muffins!”

She giggled. “And they were amazing. But friendship takes time to build. But we’re acquaintances for sure.”

“Wow, that’s great. I’ve always wanted more acquaintances.”

“Sarcasm again?”

“Look, I don’t know what happened to you recently, but you’ve got this enormous wall up. I don’t know if you could make a friend if you tried right now.”

Faith’s mouth dropped open. “That was harsh.”

“But true, right?”

She sat there with her lips pursed for a moment. “Probably.”

“And I know you have some reason why you don’t trust people. But what do you really have to lose here? I mean, you could leave here and go back to Virginia anytime, right?”

“Right.”

“So why not try to trust someone and see if they can help you?”

“I never said I needed any help.”

“Hey, Brandon, doesn’t Sarah like a shot of vanilla in hers?” Rebecca called from behind the counter. Brandon nodded.

“It’s obvious you need help. You’re here in a strange town all alone. You’re being very tight lipped about why you’re here. People all over town are talking…”

“Seriously?” Faith asked, her mouth gaping open yet again.

“Well, no. Not yet. But they will be. That’s a small town for you.”

Faith took a deep breath of relief. “Look, I don’t think I can get the answers I need here anyway. This trip was a rash decision I made in a moment of grief and frustration. I’ve been thinking about heading back to Virginia.”

“Don’t,” he said, reaching across the table and putting his hand over hers. Faith let it sit for a beat, but then slid her hand from underneath his.

“Why?”

“I believe in gut feelings, Faith. And your gut brought you to January Cove. Now, I don’t know why you’re hiding so much, but I’d like to be that friend… er, acquaintance… to help you get what you need to move forward in your life.”

“Why do you care so much, Brandon? You hardly know me.”

He sighed. “I’m a doctor, Faith. I care about people. It’s just who I am.”

She stared at him for a moment. He really did seem to be one of the most genuine people she’d ever met.

“Here you go! I put it on your tab,” Rebecca said with a wink as she put the drink carrier on the table. Sensing she was interrupting a conversation, she quickly made herself scarce.

“Okay, fine.”

“Fine? So you’ll let me help?”

“Since you seem to have a superhero complex, I’ll tell you some of my story,” Faith said.

Brandon smiled broadly. “Great. I get off at six tonight. What do you say to a nice dinner?”

“Somewhere fancy?”

“At my house.”

“I don’t know…”

“Faith, I assumed you wanted privacy since you don’t want the whole town knowing your business?”

He was right. “Okay. I’ll be there at seven.”

“I can pick you up.”

“No. I’ll drive myself.”

Brandon looked like he wanted to argue, but knew he was on shaky ground as it was.

“Looking forward to it,” he said with a wink before picking up the carrier and walking out. He waved one more time through the large plate glass window.

“That Brandon is something else, huh?” Rebecca said as she brought Faith a refill.

“Yeah, he seems to be. Are all small town doctors like him?”

Rebecca cocked her head. “Oh, sweetie, Brandon hadn’t lived here in years until recently. He spent the last five years doing missionary work as a doctor in the Middle East. The man spent that time in war zones serving some of the most forgotten people on the planet. He’s a true hero, that one.”

Rebecca walked back to the counter, and Faith was left to wonder if she’d been misjudging Brandon all along.

* * *

Brandon looked at his watch. His shift was ending soon, but he still had one more patient to discharge.

“Sarah, Mrs. Lechter can go home. She needs to fill the prescription for the antibiotic and follow up with her doctor later this week.” He signed off on the paperwork and handed it to his nurse before heading to the lounge.

Brandon loved being a doctor, but it had been a big adjustment coming home to January Cove after so many years away. Still, it was home, and his mother and father didn’t live far away. He felt like he needed to be close now that they were getting older.

“Headed out, Brandon?” Dr. Becker asked.

“Yes. In fact, I’m cooking dinner for Faith McLemore tonight.”

Dr. Becker’s eyes popped open. “Really? How on Earth did you get her to agree?”

“We’ve actually spent a little time together. She’s not all that bad. Just a little…”

“Uptight? Pretentious?”

Brandon chuckled. “Surface stuff, Don. You have to dig down to get to the good stuff, kind of like a Tootsie Pop.”

“Tootsie Pops are better on the outside, actually.”

“Okay, well, I can’t think of another example right now. She’s been through some stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Well, I don’t know yet. That’s what I intend to find out tonight.”

Dr. Becker slapped Brandon on the shoulder. “You missed your calling, young man. I think psychology would’ve been a great fit for you.”

“Says the man who wants me to take another shift next week…” Brandon said with a smile as he headed for the door.

“But you’re a dang fine ER doctor too, Brandon James…” he called out loudly.

* * *

Faith pulled up in front of Brandon’s house. She’d regretted agreeing to this dinner all afternoon, but she had no way to back out since Brandon had been on duty at the hospital.

“Just step out of your comfort zone, Faith,” she said to herself as she pulled into his driveway.

“Hey there!” Brandon said from the porch, a big dimply smile on his face.

Dang, he really was handsome. Even more so in the light of the emerging sunset. He was wearing a cable knit tan sweater and jeans, and Faith felt a flutter move through her chest.

“Hey,” she said as she walked up to the porch. She loved his beach house. It was quaint, but very nice for a single man. It felt like a real home, and she sort of appreciated that since her home had been a bit sanitized feeling.

“Come on in,” Brandon said, opening the door for her.

The inside was a lot nicer than she’d imagined. The walls were a light gray, perfectly accenting the beach that was visible from just about every angle.

There was a large wall of floor to ceiling windows facing the ocean which cast a beautiful glow into the living room and kitchen. The off white furniture, overstuffed and looking brand new, fit the beach theme perfectly without being kitschy or tacky.

It was the way she would have decorated it herself if she’d had the chance.

“Your home is lovely, Brandon. Did you hire a decorator?”

Brandon laughed. “Nope. Actually I did it myself. It’s a hobby of mine.”

Faith was surprised. “Interior design is your hobby?”

“Don’t tell anyone, but yes. I even like building my own furniture. See that table over there?”

Faith turned to look at his kitchen table. It was a beautiful light oak with thick, heavy duty chairs. “You built that?”

“Yes. Took me months, but I finally finished it a few weeks ago. My Dad was big into carpentry when I was a kid, so I guess I just watched him a lot. Now I use his old workshop at the house I grew up in to fiddle around with projects when I get time.”

“The table is amazing. A man of many talents,” she said, an easy smile spreading across her face.

“Care for a glass of wine? I’ve got white and red, whatever you like.”

“White please,” Faith said, following him into the kitchen. He pointed at a barstool at the breakfast bar. “So are your parents still living?”

Brandon poured a glass for each of them and slid hers across the counter. “Yes. They’ve been married for forty years and live in the same house where I grew up. It’s about twenty minutes from here.”

“I wouldn’t even know what that was like. My Mom died when I was young.”

“I’m so sorry, Faith. That’s tough.”

She took a sip of the wine. “Yeah, it was hard being a girl and only having my Dad…” she stopped herself. It was hard to say Jim was her Dad now, not because he’d lied about her adoption but because he’d basically disowned her recently.

“Are you okay?”

She stared at her glass. “I’m fine.”

“So your Dad raised you in Virginia?”

She took in a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Faith, you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone why you’re here.”

Faith smiled. “It’s not like I’m here to start a drug smuggling ring or something.”

“Good to know. I can cross that off my list.”

“Funny. Look, I’ve just had a rough few months.”

“When I was seventeen, I lost my older brother to a boating accident.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s been a long time, but you never really get over that kind of thing, do you? I remember for the longest time after he died, I’d walk into a room and just lose it. Maybe I’d see one of his old baseball trophies or even an old sweat sock,” Brandon said shaking his head. “Grief is funny that way.”

Faith nodded and took a sip of her wine. “Grief comes in many forms, unfortunately, and not just after someone dies.”

Brandon eyed her carefully. “Very true.”

There was a moment between them where the silence seemed to speak louder than their words.

“In medical school, I took a psychology class. I did a paper that year about the effect of grief on a person’s health. It’s scary how much it can change a person’s physiological make up, especially if the person doesn’t have an appropriate outlet for their grief. You know, like talking to a trusted friend…”

“Or drinking lots of wine…” Faith said smiling before she took a long sip.

“Very funny. Why do I get the feeling that you’re not much into sharing your innermost thoughts, Faith McLemore?”

“It just wasn’t done in my house, I guess. My father worked a lot, so I was on my own much of the time. I mean we had house workers and so forth, but it just wasn’t the same.”

“House workers?”

“Oh yes. Housekeepers, a chef, a nanny…”

“Wow. Who was your father, the Duke of Virginia?”

“That’s quite an education you got there, Brandon. Believe it or not, there’s no Duke of Virginia,” she whispered before pouring herself another glass of wine.

Brandon reached for the bottle before she could fill the glass. “Faith, we haven’t had dinner yet. I’d love it if you wouldn’t drink the whole bottle before I’ve even had a chance to serve my famous vegan pasta dish to you.”

“Wait. You cooked pasta for me? How?”

“Well, first I removed the large pot from that cabinet over there…”

“Very funny. I mean how did you have time when you just got off work an hour ago?”

“Prep is key in these situations,” he said as he stood up. “Cut up the veggies this morning, made the sauce, and now all I have to do is boil the pasta.”

Faith watched him fill the pot with water. “At least let me help you, Dr. James.”

“Oooh, Dr. James. I like the formality. Here, you can cut open the pasta package. The scissors are in the drawer on the end,” he said pointing across the kitchen.

Faith opened the drawer and retrieved the pair of scissors. She noticed a photo of Brandon with a small child, the desert landscape obvious in the background.

“That’s Hassan,” Brandon said.

“Rebecca told me you worked over there for a long time. Is this a boy you helped?”

Brandon smiled, but there was a hint of sadness. “I helped as much as I could. His mother had been maimed in a terrorist incident. Their village was very dangerous. Hassan had seen a lot of very bad things, and he was the head of their family at just ten years old.”

Faith instinctively put her hand on her chest. “Oh my gosh, how awful. Whatever happened to him and his mother?”

Brandon leaned against he counter and took the photo from the drawer. He stared at it for a moment, the look on his face like he was a million miles away.

“His mother lost her legs. The last I heard, they were in refugee camp on the outskirts of their town. I had to leave before I could say goodbye.”

Faith’s eyes welled unexpectedly. She wasn’t normally one for emotion, but just the look on Brandon’s face made her sad. “That had to be hard.”

Brandon put the photo back in the drawer and closed it. “It was very hard. There were so many people there who needed help, even just basic medical assistance, and it was impossible to help them all. It was frustrating at times. Not only were we always short on supplies and medications, but we spent a lot of time running for cover when fighting would begin.”

Faith felt a tugging at her heart. Here she was fixating on her situation when people in other parts of the world had it so much worse than she ever thought about. And what had she done with her life to this point? Nothing. No volunteer work. No serving the homeless or working at an animal shelter. She’d spent her life being waited on hand and foot and shopping in the fanciest stores. It was embarrassing.

“How’s that pasta coming along?” Brandon asked. Faith didn’t realize she’d been standing there with the bag in one hand and the scissors in the other.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”

“Yeah, it’s overwhelming, isn’t it? So many people who need help in this world.”

Faith handed him the open bag. “Yes, but at least you’ve helped people. I haven’t done a thing in my life to help someone.”

Brandon looked at her surprised. “You’ve never volunteered?”

“Nope. I’m a horrible person.”

“You’re definitely not a horrible person, Faith. If you’d like to volunteer, I know of some great local organizations.”

Faith’s stomach clenched up. If she volunteered in January Cove, it meant she was staying for awhile. It was a commitment. But what else did she have to do? Of course, once her money ran out, she’d need a job but she had the gift of time right now.

“Okay, yes. I’d like to know of some places.”

Brandon smiled. “Good. We can chat about it over our dinner.”