Driving through the security gates of The Dunes Resort, Katelyn smiled at the perfectly manicured landscapes. Several neighborhoods split off the winding entrance road, leading to modest houses in some, while others contained multi-million dollar homes backing to the golf courses. Two nationally known courses drew in visitors from the area, as well as all across the east coast.

Gareth had visited several times in his investigations, as well as eating at the Dunes Clubhouse Restaurant.

“You play?”

Katelyn’s question cut into his thoughts and he jerked his gaze to the side. More casual today, she was in nice jeans and a simple navy sweater, her hair pulled away from her face. Following her gaze over the course, he realized what she was asking. “Yeah,” he responded before adding with a chuckle, “But not well. What about you?”

Laughing, she replied, “I’ve played a couple of times but, honestly, golf was never my thing.” She looked at the restaurant as they pulled into a parking spot and said, “I thought of working here at one time, but then I couldn’t stand the thought of one more waitressing job. I knew that while the tips might be better on the weekends when they had golf tournaments, the restaurant really is kind of seasonal. And…” she added with a shrug, “I hated the idea of all the out-of-towners.” Seeing his lifted eyebrow, she explained, “The diner is just more homey.”

Nodding, he said, “Yeah, at the diner you didn’t have to worry too much about strangers hitting on you.”

“Exactly,” she agreed as they alighted from his vehicle. Looking over at him, she asked, “How do you want to work this?”

Standing for a moment with his hands on his hips, his gaze drifting over the clubhouse, he said, “How about you go into the bar and start some questioning of the staff and I’ll head to the pro-shop. I’ll meet you in the restaurant as soon as I’m finished.”

With a nod, Katelyn set out, Gareth watching her as she moved into the building, a smile playing about his lips as he realized how seamlessly she fit into his business…and life.

A few minutes later, he stood at the counter in the pro-shop, glad to see someone he knew at the register. The fact that the shop was not busy was also in his favor.

“Gareth, my man! How’s it going?”

Nodding, he smiled at the young man. “Slow day, Bob?”

“Oh, yeah. Boring as hell in here when no one’s playing golf. You thinkin’ of playing?”

“Sorry, no, not today. But I do have some questions, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure thing.”

“Do you know Walter Berry and, if so, what can you tell me about him?”

Bob scrunched his face for a few seconds before his eyes widened and he said, “I heard he was missing.”

Rearing back in surprise, Gareth said, “From who?”

“His wife was in here a couple of days ago asking if I’d seen him this week.” He looked at Gareth and said, “Whoa…she’s hired you, hasn’t she? Damn, he really is missing.”

Hoping to quell the young man’s inquisitiveness, Gareth just shrugged and said, “So, what can you tell me?”

Leaning his arms on the counter, Bob replied, “Nice guy. Decent golfer.”

“He usually in alone…with a group…his wife…some other friend?”

Laughing, Bob said, “How about all of the above? He’s a real regular and I’ve seen him come in with a group that he’d introduce as clients of his. Sometimes he’d just play with whatever members were here to play. His wife played some, but usually she’d come and sit with a book while he played.”

Nodding slowly, he asked, “So you never saw anything suspicious in his behavior? Or a change of behavior?”

Shaking his head, Bob replied, “Nope, sorry. I told his wife the same thing. He was just a real good guy.”

Thanking him, Gareth walked out of the pro-shop and headed into the restaurant. Finding Katelyn at the bar chatting with one of the bartenders, he had a flash of jealousy seeing the man leaning his arms on the bar perilously close to her. Hearing him come in, Katelyn’s beautiful smile filled her face as she beamed at him, causing his heart to skip a beat.

The bartender leaned back, his face showing his disappointment as he poured Gareth a beer. Katelyn greeted him before inclining her head toward the bartender, saying, “Chris remembers seeing Walter numerous times, with all sorts of people. Groups, friends, and his wife.”

“Bob from the pro-shop said the same thing.”

“He was a good tipper,” Chris joked. “He came in almost weekly.”

“Ever see him with a woman…uh, not his wife?”

Chris’ eyes widened for a millisecond before he replied, “Yeah…but not alone. You know, not like he was hookin’ up or anything. Just sometimes there might be a woman golfer with some of the men he was with.”

With a nod, Gareth stood and picked up his and Katelyn’s beers from the bar and walked to one of the tables overlooking the course. Settling in chairs, she turned and said, “So what do you think?”

Taking a sip, he said, “I figured this was a long-shot. This place is too well known…too close to home and his wife. Odds are, he’d never bring another woman here, but I thought it was worth checking out.”

Finishing their beers, they nodded to Chris as they headed back out into the sunshine. Driving back to town, Katelyn said, “If it’s alright, I need to leave a bit early this afternoon. I’ve got an AL Auxiliary officers meeting.”

“No problem. I’ll spend the afternoon going over the Berry’s financial statements that you started on,” he replied, glancing to view her smiling face. “How’s the Auxiliary going?”

“Really good. Just like with the AL, there are a lot of women who are interested in serving. We’ll keep doing fundraising to help with the programs you all are working on. We’re also getting a memory wall going, and we’ll have the newspaper do an article when we’re finished.”

“Did you walk to work today?”

“Yeah, so can you just let me out at the AL building? It’ll just be a short walk home when it’s over.”

Pulling up to the curb, he turned toward her, wanting to lean over to kiss her but unsure what she would deem acceptable. Kissing at night on her front porch was one thing, but he knew it was entirely different for her to kiss him in front of others. Before he had more time to wonder, she leaned over and met him halfway. Her lips hit his and his hand automatically reached up to cup her cheek. Rubbing her soft skin, he smiled as he pulled back regretfully. “See you later,” he said, as she met his smile with one of her own.

“Yeah,” she breathed against his lips, sighing before she hopped down from his SUV. Jogging over to the door, she stopped to chat as a group of women was walking up to the building.

Gareth watched as Tonya Bayles greeted Katelyn with a hug and, for a moment, he panicked. Will Katelyn be upset if Tonya saw us kissing? Immediately chastising himself, he drove away, forcing the thought of Katelyn and Philip’s mother out of his mind.

* * *

“Fabulous!”

The pronouncement by Jillian, as the temporary chairman, in response to how much the Auxiliary’s officers had accomplished in their meeting, was agreed upon by all.

“Okay, ladies, we’re ready for the next month’s meeting.” With that, the women stood and scooted their chairs back. Hugs and goodbyes took several minutes before the room was emptied.

As Katelyn began walking down the sidewalk, Tonya called out to her. Turning back, she smiled as Tonya jogged over to her.

“I couldn’t help but notice that nice young man who brought you to the meeting,” Tonya began and, with a huge smile, added, “And the kiss you gave him.”

Blushing, Katelyn ducked her head, her grin slipping. Lifting her gaze back to Tonya’s, she said, “Gareth’s the first man in a really long time that makes me feel like there might be more out there for me.”

“Oh, darling girl,” Tonya gushed, throwing her arms around Katelyn. “Yes, yes, there’s more for you.”

Leaning back, Katelyn peered into the face of the woman she would always care for deeply.

Tonya cupped Katelyn’s face and, with tears in her eyes, said, “I’ve prayed for so long that you’d find someone. Someone that deserved you as much as Philip did. And it looks like my prayers have been answered.”

Swallowing hard, Katelyn felt the familiar stinging behind her eyes before a tear slipped over her cheek. “I would have lived and died his wife, you know?” she whispered.

“Oh, Katelyn, I know. Philip loved you so. His father was so worried that you two were too young to be so committed, but I told him not to fret. I never worried about how young the two of you were.”

“I just never thought I might find that kind of love again,” Katelyn whispered, her voice rough with emotion.

Tonya smiled through her tears, one hand still cupping Katelyn’s cheek. “If you’ve found it, then don’t let it go. Don’t let the past…or fear, keep you from it.” Leaning over, she kissed Katelyn’s cheek before nodding and turning away, walking toward her car.

Katelyn stood, rooted to the sidewalk for a moment, swallowing deeply. Changing directions, she hustled down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from her house, not seeing Gareth in his SUV parked on the road, watching.

* * *

How can I compete with a memory? Heart heavy, Gareth sat in his vehicle, parked outside the Baytown Cemetery. His gaze still on the woman kneeling at a tombstone, he leaned his head back as a long sigh left his chest.

A rapping on the passenger side window had him jerking his head around in surprise. Aiden’s face stared back at him. Shaking his head, he unlocked the doors, observing as Aiden climbed up into the SUV.

Silence filled the vehicle until Aiden, unable to stand the quiet, said, “So…you doing a stakeout of the ghosts of Baytown now?”

Rolling his eyes, Gareth looked over, his quip choking in his throat as he saw Aiden’s pained expression. Saying nothing, he turned his head back to watch out his window.

“She does this, you know,” Aiden finally said, breaking the silence once more. “She comes here to talk to him.”

Silence.

“It’s just something we’ve all come to accept,” Aiden continued. “It’s harmless and seems to make her feel better.”

Silence.

Shifting in his seat, Aiden confessed, “Sometimes me or Brogan will come out here, just like you are now, and watch. You know…to make sure she’s all right. Years ago, she’d fall asleep out here after crying her eyes out and one of us would pick her up and carry her back home.”

Twisting his head back toward Aiden, Gareth’s brows lowered as he growled, “And you call that harmless?”

“That was years ago, man. When it was all…I don’t know…fresh. Hell, Philip’s death just about tore all of us up.” Aiden let out a deep sigh and said, “We were all young, idealistic…hell, foolish. From this little town and we were going to go out, see the world, and save America.” Scrubbing his hand over his face, he said softly, “Jesus, we were stupid. Thought we fuckin’ knew it all. I guess we were lucky that only one of us didn’t come back.”

Silence filled the vehicle once more only, this time, less strained. More introspective. Comforting.

“I really care for her,” Gareth confessed, “but don’t know that I’m up to competing with Philip’s memory.”

“Oh, hell, Gareth! That ain’t what’s happening here!” Aiden rushed. “She does this now when she has something on her mind. Sometimes she comes to talk to him about good stuff and, if I had to guess, that’s exactly what she’s talking to him about now.”

Doubt in his eyes, Gareth stared back at Aiden.

“I’m telling you, I know my sister and she’s been happier in the past week being with you than I’ve seen her in years! Katelyn’s not hanging on to Philip’s memory to keep her from moving forward. She’s just…” sighing again, “she just finds some comfort out here. It’s almost like talking to Jillian…only less loud.”

A chuckle rumbled out of Gareth’s chest at Aiden’s description of Katelyn and Jillian together. As his mirth ebbed, he said, “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” Aiden confirmed. “And I gotta tell you, not to get all emotional and shit, but I’m real glad. She deserves someone like you.”

Praise now from both MacFarlane brothers, Gareth dared to smile. Nodding, he said, “Appreciate it, Aiden.”

“No problem. So, uh…you gonna wait on her now?”

“Yeah, I’ll be here when she’s finished. I just hope she doesn’t mind.”

“Like I said, if I had to guess, she’s telling Philip about you right now.”

With that, Aiden jumped down from the SUV and, with a quick salute, jogged over to his truck, leaving Gareth wondering who would be walking home from the cemetery—a woman still devastated by her memories or a woman ready to take a chance on him.