Chapter One

 

January

 

With his cell phone in hand, Drew McKenzie opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the balcony. “Morning, Mom,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“More like good afternoon. For those of us not on paradise time, it’s one o’clock in the afternoon,” Jill McKenzie said with a fair amount of humor.

Paradise time was a fairly accurate way to describe life in Hawaii. Despite his ability to travel anywhere he desired, Drew considered Hawaii his number-one vacation spot in the world. The only spot outside of New England he’d ever consider moving to.

“Fair enough. What’s up?” Drew dropped into one of the padded balcony chairs and gazed down at Waikiki Beach. Still on the early side, the beach remained fairly empty—except for the two homeless individuals he’d spotted sleeping on the beach the previous day as well.

“The perfect house for you came on the market yesterday.”

Two months ago, he’d asked Mom to keep her eyes open and let him know if anything suitable came on the market in North Salem, his hometown and where his parents and younger brother still lived. A place he’d visited as little as possible for almost four years now. However, back in the fall, he’d learned avoiding the town and the memories it held was a big mistake on his part. A mistake he needed to rectify if he planned to keep his promise to Ian.

Drew ignored the unease settling in his chest. The same unease gathered every time he considered moving back to town, even if only on a part-time basis. No doubt about it, his move back to North Salem would only be part-time. He planned on keeping his home in Weston, which was much closer to the Rebels home stadium.

“Where is it?”

“Blueberry Court.”

He’d called North Salem home until he graduated from college and bought his first house. He’d thought he knew every street in the town. “Not familiar with it.”

“It’s a newer road. Down past the Victorian Rose,” Mom answered, referring to the popular bed-and-breakfast in town. “There are only three homes on the street. The one for sale was built five years ago by a neurosurgeon from Boston. I’ve bumped into him a few times at Peggy Sue’s Café. He didn’t want his children growing up in the city. From what I’ve heard, he’s taken a position at a hospital in New York and the whole family is moving there.”

The gossip grapevine in North Salem was superb. If it said this doctor was relocating to a hospital in New York, then Drew would bet a small fortune he was.

“The house is seven thousand square feet and has five bedrooms. I drove by it yesterday. It looks gorgeous.”

He trusted Mom’s opinion. She knew what he liked, and if she thought he’d like this house, he’d take a look. “Can you forward me the listing?”

“E-mailed it to you before I called. The real estate agent has over twenty pictures of the interior posted and several of the grounds too. I really think this is the place for you.”

He heard the excitement in her voice. She’d wanted him to move closer for years. She’d started suggesting he buy a house in town after he got his first contract to play football for the New England Rebels after college. At the time, the idea of having a place in a new town away from Mom and Dad had been too appealing. Later he’d resisted moving back or even visiting because of the memories North Salem held. A decision that seemed to be coming back to bite him in the keister, as his grandmother would say.

“Thanks. I’ll take a look. If I like it, I’ll fly back and check it out.”

“Something tells me this is the one,” Mom said.

He imagined she was already picturing him living in the house. She was probably imagining him married too, with a bunch of children running around. Mom wasn’t quiet about her desire for him to start a family of his own.

“Let me know what you decide, and I can pick you up at the airport.”

Behind him the door opened, and from the corner of his eye he saw Melissa sit down. “Will do. Talk to you soon. Love ya.” He’d get questions about that comment, no doubt about it. He and Melissa had started dating only five weeks ago, but already she was acting like a jealous wife. He couldn’t even answer a text message without her asking whom he was contacting.

Drew ended the call and immediately opened his e-mail. He scrolled past a few messages before he found the one he wanted. “Morning.”

“You’re up early,” Melissa said while she stretched her arms over her head.

“Couldn’t sleep. I came out here so I wouldn’t disturb you.” He read through the brief house description before scrolling through the various pictures. Mom was right. The house was gorgeous, and it had everything he wanted in a home and then some: three-car garage, heated in-ground pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, separate pool cabana, full home gym, and even a wine cellar.

“Who was on the phone, and what are you going to do?” Melissa didn’t even try to hide the jealousy in her voice.

“Just my mom, Melissa.”

When they’d met, Melissa had come across as sweet and loving. He’d thought maybe, given time, their relationship would go somewhere. Her true self had started to sneak in during their second week together. It’d been subtle at first, and sometimes he’d wondered if he’d imagined the little changes. They’d arrived in Hawaii a few days ago though, and since then there was no denying their relationship was doomed.

“Oh. What did she want?” Her tone changed. Now, she sounded less like a jealous woman and more like an annoyed one. He didn’t need either type in his life.

What’s her problem? Didn’t she ever have conversations with her parents? “She found a house she thought I’d be interested in looking at. It just came on the market, and she e-mailed me the listing.”

He’d told her once he intended to buy a place in North Salem, but they hadn’t discussed it since. At the time she hadn’t understood why he’d want to. He hadn’t gone into all the specifics because it wasn’t any of Melissa’s business. Or anyone else’s, for that matter.

She tapped her long light blue fingernails against the chair, the sound grating on his nerves. “You’re still thinking about doing that?”

Melissa had grown up in Miami and then spent a few years living in Los Angeles before moving to Boston. She thrived on city life and didn’t get the appeal of living in a small town.

“Wouldn’t it be nicer if you bought us a place out here? We could spend a couple weeks here every year. I’ve always wanted to learn to surf. I can’t imagine a better place for doing it. Maybe we could get a yacht, so then we can travel between the islands whenever we want. Or even better, we can get a plane. We could take flying lessons together and get pilot licenses.”

Someday he might buy a house on one of the islands. He loved it enough here to do so, but when he did, he wouldn’t be doing it with her. They’d already been together too long. He’d decided to keep things as platonic as possible for the rest of their vacation. Then as soon as they got back to the mainland, he’d let her know it wasn’t working. At the moment, he was reconsidering his decision. Ending things now and getting her a separate room was sounding better and better.

“My plan is still to buy a place in North Salem. I’m just waiting for the right home to come on the market. Mom thinks this might be it.” He nodded toward his cell phone.

“Why, so you can be closer to your mother?”

Her question made him wonder if she’d dated a few too many mama’s boys in her time. “Being closer to my family is a perk of moving back, but it’s not my only reason.” Nope, his main reason was a woman named Kelsey, his deceased best friend’s younger sister. Heaven help him if he ever told Melissa that. She’d immediately assume he wanted Kelsey, and he didn’t. He only wanted to uphold his promise to her brother, Ian. “North Salem is a great town. It’s got a lot to offer, and I have a lot of friends and family there.”

“Whatever. Let’s see the house.” She reached for his cell phone and plucked it from his hand. She scrolled through the various pictures before handing it back to him. “It’s okay. Not as nice as your house in Weston, but it might do.”

“I’m going to take a look at it when I get back. If the house looks as good as it does in the pictures, I’ll make an offer.” He’d intentionally not mentioned bringing her along, knowing she’d pick up on it. Waiting until their vacation was over to end things was a bad idea. Even if they didn’t have sex again while here, she’d continue to think a future existed between them.

“You mean us, right? Before you commit to anything, I want to see it.”

Drew turned, so he faced her. He’d been taught that both honesty and integrity were all important. She might not want to hear it, but he needed to be honest with her now. “No, Melissa, I mean me. If I buy this house, it’ll be my decision.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could speak he plowed on. “We’ve had some fun together. And I think you’re a great person, but it’s time we went our separate ways.” Okay, so he stretched the truth a little. In the beginning, he’d thought she was a great person, it was only the more he got to know her the less he thought so.

Her fingers stilled, and she crossed her arms. “You’re seeing someone else, aren’t you? That’s who was on the phone, not your mother.”

“There isn’t anyone else.” For a brief moment, the memory of Kelsey walking toward him at Sean O’Brien’s wedding popped up. He’d spent most of his life thinking of her as the little sister he didn’t have. At the wedding though, it’d been clear she wasn’t anyone’s little sister anymore. She was a beautiful woman. A beautiful woman he had no right fantasizing about.

Knowing that hadn’t made a damn difference the night he dropped her off at home and almost kissed her.

“So, what? You had your fun and now you’re going to just kick me out. Strand me here while someone else takes my spot.” Melissa’s voice caused the memory of Kelsey to disappear.

Considering the way Melissa was acting, the idea held merit, but he’d never do it. “You have your ticket home in two weeks, and I’ll get you a room in the hotel until then.” He’d bought them both round-trip first class tickets, so even if he left today or tomorrow she had a way back to Massachusetts. “And honestly, Melissa, this has nothing to do with another woman.”

She leaned closer and wrapped her hand around his wrist. “If there really isn’t anyone, what’s the rush? Let’s give it some more time. We have so much fun together.”

He usually found ending a relationship difficult. Oddly, today he wasn’t finding it hard at all. “Time won’t matter. This is best for both of us. I’ll call down and get you a room.”

Melissa released his wrist and huffed. “I want a suite.”

Of course she did. “Tell you what. You keep this one, and I’ll move to another room.” Not only that, he’d call and change his plane ticket to the first available flight home, so they wouldn’t run into each other again.

“And how am I supposed to get around if we’re not together?”

The city had adequate public transportation. Since he was the one leaving her on her own though, he’d make sure she had a way to get around the island. “I’ll rent you a car to use until you leave.” Anything else, he almost asked. The sooner he got Melissa out of his life the better.

“I guess it’ll do.”

Before she tried to change his mind or made any more demands, he went back inside to make the necessary arrangements.

***

Kelsey Bancroft reached for her latte. She was seated at her favorite table inside Peggy Sue’s Café. She often stopped in the popular café to do her work. Unlike at her house, there was always noise and activity here. Over the past two-plus years she’d learned sometimes a person just needed noise around them.

“I should probably try to squeeze in a lab,” she said before taking a sip from her mug.

She glanced over her lesson plans again for the upcoming week. As often happened around this time of year, her students were suffering from the winter blues. The major holidays had gone by and all everyone had to look forward to was weeks of cold temperatures and snow. In the past, both the students and staff were able to look forward to February vacation, but not anymore. The previous school year, the district and teacher’s union had done away with both winter break in February and spring break in April. Instead they’d replaced them with a week off in March and two long weekends, one in February and one in April. For those students new to school, the change was no big deal. Those students in middle and high school though were finding the adjustment difficult, as were the teachers. However, she’d learned in her five years of teaching that any kind of lab or hands-on activity helped keep her students engaged and better behaved.

“Are you still awake over there?” Ella Bridge asked, taking a seat at the table.

“Should we order you another coffee?” Cat Bates added, pulling out the third chair.

Kelsey’s head snapped up, and she smiled at her two closest friends. “I’m just trying to get this done for next week. I only have Friday left to plan.”

Actually, she'd done her plans for the following week twice. The first time around she'd made so many errors she'd simply torn the pages out of her plan book and started over rather than try to fix them.

“How’d shopping go? Did you find the dress?” Kelsey asked, far more interested in her friends’ news than her lesson plans.

“You should’ve come with us. It was so much fun,” Ella answered.

She’d considered Ella’s invitation to go wedding dress shopping, but in the end opted to skip the outing. As much as she adored her friends, they loved to shop, with a capital L. Even shopping for bath towels could turn into an all-day event. With a shift at the restaurant tomorrow, exams to correct, and lessons plans to finish, a Saturday spent catching up had seemed the wiser decision.

“I found the perfect wedding gown and the bridesmaid dress,” Ella answered before taking a sip from her steaming mug.

Kelsey pushed her books off to the side. Schoolwork could wait ten or twenty minutes. One of her best friends didn’t get married every day. “What does it look like? Did you take any pictures?”

“Did we take any pictures?” Cat said with a smile. “Wait until you see it. Almost makes me want to marry Tony all over again.” Unlike the wedding Ella and Striker, Cat’s older brother, were planning, Cat and Tony’s ceremony had been a small, intimate affair at his parents’ house.

Ella handed over her cell phone. “The first few are of my gown. The bridesmaid dress is next, and the last one is the flower girl dress for Kerry,” she said, referring to her niece.

She scrolled through the various pictures of Ella in the long white gown and then of Cat in a strapless periwinkle floor-length dress. The flower girl’s dress perfectly complemented the wedding gown, and Kelsey could easily picture Kerry strolling down the aisle in it, a basket of flowers in her hands.

“They’re all beautiful.” She turned the device so the picture of Mrs. Bridge faced Ella. “Is this what your mom is wearing?”

“I think so. She wants to look at one more place, but I think this is the dress for her.” Ella accepted the cell phone back. “We both told her that, but you know my mom. She’s always worried she’ll see something she likes better somewhere else.” Ella stuck the device back inside her purse and reached for her apple turnover. “We need to get you over there for a fitting. Cat had hers today, and my sister and Kerry are going next week.”

Another expense she really couldn’t afford but would have to. Saying no when Ella had asked her to be a bridesmaid had not been an option. “I don’t have a night off this week, but the week after I do. I’ll go then and get it taken care of.”

“If you want company, I’ll come along,” Cat said, always up for anything that resembled shopping.

“You’re working every night again this week?” Ella asked, earning her a dirty look from Cat. “Today was your first day away from the restaurant in over a week.”

“Tomorrow is a short shift. And I have a whole weekend off soon.”

In several weeks, the three of them and another good friend were headed to Boston to see Gage Larson and his band perform at the Garden. None of them wanted to miss it, and she’d requested the whole weekend off, something she never did.

A former North Salem resident, Gage and his band had signed with a big-name recording label about eighteen months ago, and earlier this year they’d launched their first nationwide tour. Their friend Maryann, another former North Salem resident and Gage’s wife, had gotten them fabulous seats and backstage passes for the upcoming show.

“It’s still hard to believe Gage is performing at the Garden,” Cat said.

Kelsey appreciated Cat’s attempt at moving the conversation away from her work habits. Of all her friends, Ella was the most vocal of the group when it came to the number of hours she worked between school and the restaurant. Whenever they all got together, which wasn’t often anymore, if Ella brought up the subject, Cat tried to steer it away to something else

“He deserves it. The whole band paid their dues.” Maybe she could keep control of the conversation this afternoon and avoid any more talk about how much she worked.

Across the table, Ella put her mug down. “He’s not the only one. Have you thought any more about our suggestion?”

Now, like she had a million times before, Kelsey wished she hadn’t shared the full extent of her financial problems. A few months ago, they’d both known money had been tight since her parents’ death a couple years ago. However, Cat and Ella hadn’t known just how tight. Then one night over dinner she’d told them about the home equity loan her parents had taken out and she’d cosigned when her brother got sick, to pay his bills. She’d also explained about the loan her parents got when they decided to expand Bancroft Automotive six years ago, a decision they’d made before Ian’s cancer diagnosis.

“Yes.” She’d considered it and even gone as far as researching real estate agencies in the area that handled both commercial and residential property.

“And?” Cat asked.

“I haven’t made up my mind.” Selling either her house or the garage would be giving up what little she had left of her family. While it might make financial sense, she didn’t know if she could emotionally handle it at this point.

“Kelsey, you know it’s the logical decision,” Ella said, not ready to drop the subject. “We all know you don’t love teaching middle school. If you sold the garage, you could at least stop working a second job. Maybe you’d even be able to leave teaching at the end of the school year. Sell both, and you’ll definitely be enrolled at Brandeis again in the fall.”

“Guys, really, I’m thinking about it. When I decide, you two will be at the top of my must-inform list. Can we talk about something else? Please.” She adored them both, but neither understood. How could they? They hadn’t lost first their brother and then their parents within a year of each other.

“We only bring it up because we care and worry about you,” Cat said, and Ella nodded in agreement. “But we’ll change the subject.”

Thank you. Kelsey pulled a chunk off her apple cinnamon muffin. She hadn’t touched it earlier, and with her mind no longer focused on lesson plans, it was calling her name.

“Did Drew tell you?” Ella asked before Kelsey managed to get the muffin piece into her mouth.

Drew McKenzie, also known as her brother’s best friend, had made his annoying monthly call two weekends ago. Since she’d been on her lunch break, it had been thankfully shorter than usual, which was saying a lot because their calls were never long anyway. A fact she appreciated. “Uh, tell me what?”

“He might be moving back to town,” Ella answered.

Yep, he definitely had not mentioned that tidbit during their conversation. She would’ve remembered. It made sense though that he hadn’t brought it up. For the most part, all their conversations were the same. Drew asked general questions, and she answered. She never pried into his personal life, because if she did he might reciprocate. Since he insisted on calling each month, she preferred their talks remain superficial.

Kelsey shook her head as she digested the news. “Nope. How’d you find out?”

“I overheard Mrs. McKenzie telling Lola at the Hair Cottage. He has an appointment to see the house for sale on Blueberry Court. You know, the one owned by the doctor. Mrs. McKenzie sounded excited.”

Well, if he did move back, at least he’d be on the opposite side of town.

“I drove by it the other day. It’s gorgeous. And huge,” Cat said.

Although she knew where it was located, Kelsey had never been down Blueberry Court. She had no reason to visit that part of town.

Cat finished her brownie and then said, “Cody and his family are moving back to town too.” Cody was Drew’s older brother, and for several years he’d been living in Ashford, Connecticut, with his wife and son. “Tony ran into Cody the other day. He was here while they did the house inspection. Cody’s company transferred him from Hartford to Danvers.”

The North Salem gossip line must be slipping. Kelsey hadn’t heard about any of this until now, and between the North Salem Middle School teacher’s room and Masterson’s Restaurant, she heard a lot. “All three of her sons living in town again. Mrs. McKenzie must be over the moon happy at the possibility.”

Across the table, Cat and Ella nodded in agreement, and both opened their mouths to speak. Ella got the words out first. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. How do you feel about Drew moving back?” Ella asked, her apple turnover forgotten.

Unfortunately, Ella and Cat knew she’d decided at the age of ten she’d marry Drew someday. A secret desire she’d long ago abandoned, although her friends didn’t seem to believe her. They also knew about his monthly phone calls and how she felt about them, as well as the fact he’d made a trip back simply to check in on her when she didn’t return his calls the previous fall. A mistake she didn’t plan to make again.

“It’s a free country. Drew can live anywhere he wants.” She’d just prefer he did it at least fifty or sixty miles away from her. Seeing him tended to bring her childhood dream back to the surface. She didn’t need or want it there.

“You’re a terrible liar, Kelsey. You hate the idea.” Ella clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “If he does, I bet his monthly calls will turn into monthly visits instead. Maybe even weekly ones.”

“I’ve got to agree with Ella on both counts.”

Kelsey rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. The guy has more important things to do than visit me once a week.”

“Didn’t he do exactly that in the fall?”

Ella wasn’t wrong, but Kelsey wasn’t going to admit it aloud. “That was different, and you both now it. If I’d called him back like I usually do, he wouldn’t have stopped by.”

“Maybe not,” Cat said.

She heard the giant but in Cat’s voice and held her breath for whatever was about to come next.

“But I saw the way he looked at you at Sean’s wedding reception. Later he insisted on driving you home.”

The memory of them outside her house pushed its way forward for the umpteenth time.

He’d touched her shoulders and banished the chill she’d been feeling moments earlier. Then he leaned closer, his eyes focused on her lips, and for a split second she’d thought he was about to kiss her, finally fulfilling one of her teenage fantasies. Instead he’d dropped a brotherly kiss on her cheek. Before she could do something stupid like take charge and kiss him, she’d opened the front door and stepped inside. She hadn’t seen him in person again since then.

“Something tells me Drew’s going to be visiting you a lot when he moves back,” Ella said.

Although it made no logical sense, more times than not, Ella’s gut feelings proved true. “If, you mean. He’s only looking at the house, remember. Drew might hate it and decide to keep looking.” Or hopefully change his mind altogether and stay away from town. Kelsey kept the last thought to herself.

“Cat’s right. The house—if you can call it a house, it’s more like a mini-mansion—and the grounds are gorgeous. He’s going to buy it. I know it. And when he does, you’ll be one of the first people he visits.”

Kelsey waited for the dread and sadness that usually crept up when she thought about seeing Drew again. Neither came this afternoon. She didn’t know what to think about that.