“What are you doing in my house?” Garrett asked.

Dahlia turned around to face him. Icy guilt shot through her body like venom, immobilizing her feet in place. “Uh…”

He looked past her at the illuminated computer screen. “I see you’ve discovered my secret identity.”

“You’re Susannah Garrity?” She couldn’t keep the incredulous tone out of her voice.

“Guilty as charged,” he said. “I don’t usually tell people because my publisher likes to keep it under wraps. Apparently women don’t think men can write about romance.”

Dahlia turned pink. She’d made the same assumption. “I never would have guessed.”

“What, you don’t think I can do romance?” His eyes twinkled with mirth.

“It wasn’t top of my list of genres I’d expect you to write.”

“Well, I’ll have to change your impression of me.” He locked his eyes with hers, his gaze full of promise.

The ice in her veins warmed considerably.

“So what are you doing in my house?”

“I came to return your fleece.” Her words tumbled out faster than she could think. “I accidentally bumped your computer. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy.” She crossed her fingers at the little white lie.

“You accidentally bumped my computer? Which was five feet away from where you left the sweater?” He looked pointedly at the fleece and then back to her.

She tried to edge her way out of the room, but he planted his feet in a wide stance in the entryway, his arms folded across his chest. She wasn’t getting out of this one unscathed.

“I didn’t mean to discover your pen name.” She stared into his eyes, hoping he’d believe her. In truth, she hadn’t been trying to uncover his secret identity, only the type of books he wrote. “It doesn’t really matter. I’m not staying in town, so don’t worry about me telling anyone else. Your secret is safe with me.”

He stopped trying to hide his amusement behind a frown and dropped his arms to his sides. “What do you mean you aren’t staying in town? You had all those plans for the bookstore.”

“Yeah, well, those plans required money from Aunt Ruth’s trust, which Agnes isn’t prepared to let me have. Without the money, I can’t remodel the bookstore and I can’t make the business profitable or competitive with the Book Warehouse.” She shrugged. “I’m out.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m heading back to Seattle tomorrow,” she said. He stepped aside and she walked past him to the open doorway. “It was nice knowing you.”

“That’s it?” he asked. “You’re just giving up on your life here? What do you plan to do back in Seattle?”

She hesitated at the door, curling her fingers around the outer door jam.

“Come back in and we can talk about it.” He leaned against the wall and gestured to the chair across from him.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do in Seattle.” She stepped back into the room and plunked herself down in the armchair. “All I know is that I’m failing miserably here and I can’t change anything about the terms of the trust. Anything has to be better than that.”

“Are you sure Agnes won’t let you have money to remodel the store? There has to be a way to fix this,” he said. “I haven’t known her that long, but she never struck me as unreasonable.”

“Not unreasonable?” Dahlia echoed. “She’s more than unreasonable. She’s downright antagonistic about anything to do with the store. She was Aunt Ruth’s best friend, but she’s taking the trustee thing too far. I can’t get her to release any funds because she thinks she’s protecting Aunt Ruth’s legacy.” She pushed herself up from the chair and paced between the coffee table and the front door. Her sandals slapped against the floor with every step.

“What she doesn’t realize is Aunt Ruth’s legacy is the bookstore and her role in the community. Which I’m trying to protect by making To Be Read a viable business again.”

His gaze followed her, but he didn’t say a word. She continued her diatribe.

“After Aunt Ruth died, I gave up my job and everything I had to move here. That counts for nothing with Agnes. I can’t win. She hates me and will never see me as anything but a selfish teenager.”

“It seems like you’re running away,” Garrett said. “Are there any other options to get the money you need?”

“No, there’s not, and I’m not running away,” she said. “There comes a point when no matter how hard you try, you can’t make things better.” She walked over to the door again. Why did he have to come home? If he hadn’t returned, she’d be home packing right now, instead of having this conversation.

“If you change your mind, my offer to help still stands. I can help you brainstorm ways to increase sales at To Be Read. I used to work for a marketing agency and I’ve picked up a few useful tricks along the way. I’d be happy to help you.”

She nodded. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’ll be needing your help.” She tipped her head up to the side. “Actually, there is something,” she said. “Are you still interested in buying the bookstore?”

“I’m open to that, but I think you’re doing a great job. You’ve come a long way since I first met you.” He followed her to the entryway. “But it’s your choice, of course.”

“I’ll have the lawyer get in touch with you about buying the bookstore,” she said. “Goodbye.” Tears pearled in the corners of her eyes, but she eked out a smile and closed the door. The disappointment etched across his face would haunt her forever. She remained on the porch and allowed the pain to wash over her like the waves on the sand below. She didn’t want to leave like this, not when she wasn’t sure of her feelings for him. But she suspected they were growing toward something important if just the thought of not seeing his face again made her so maudlin. If she left, it would be the final nail in the coffin for them. She breathed in the familiar flower- and salt-tinged air before she plodded down the steps and back up the hill to Aunt Ruth’s house.

She’d meant what she said to Garrett. She’d failed. This had been her chance to create a new life for herself as a business owner. Back home, she’d been an assistant at a travel agency, a part-time one at that. In the last three months, she had transformed into someone unrecognizable, but in a good way. Sharp pains knifed her stomach. Starting over wouldn’t be fun.

She reached Aunt Ruth’s house and nostalgia wafted over her as strongly as it had when she’d first returned to Candle Beach. Would she ever come back here again? Or would it only be a memory, a blip in her personal timeline? No doubt, Agnes would be quick to sell the house and pocket the proceeds. How was there not a ‘For Sale’ sign in the front yard yet? She’d conceded defeat to Agnes over an hour ago.

She entered the house and nestled in the thick cushions of Aunt Ruth’s living room couch. Images of a lifetime spent in the house flitted across her mind like a movie, from jumping off the couch as a toddler, to late-night movie marathons with Aunt Ruth, all the way to more recent memories of girls’ night gabfests with Maggie and Gretchen. A photograph of Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ed hung on the wall above the TV. Normally, Aunt Ruth’s image comforted her, but today, she avoided it.

If she wanted to get things wrapped up at the bookstore by evening, she needed to finish the packing. She planned to leave early the next day for Seattle. The faster she got out of Dodge, the fewer questions she’d be asked about her future plans. With the exponential power of gossip in Candle Beach, who knew how many people would hear of her departure by morning. It didn’t matter though. She’d made up her mind and no one could make her stay.

* * *

Dahlia was ensconced in the back office of To Be Read when she heard knocking at the front door of the bookstore. The ‘Open’ side of the sign had been turned toward her, so it shouldn’t be a customer. She peeked around the door to see who had knocked.

Darn it. She should have expected this. Gretchen and Maggie peered in through the window with their hands cupped against the glass. She tried to back away from the door before they saw her, but they spotted her and jumped up and down, waving their hands like crazed fans at a rock concert. She knew she’d eventually need to tell them she planned to leave, but she’d hoped to do so at the last minute. Confrontations terrified her, and she knew they wouldn’t understand her reasons for leaving.

She dragged her feet all the way to the front door and turned the deadbolt.

Gretchen burst over the threshold, her eyes flashing. “When were you planning to tell us you were leaving?”

Dahlia sighed and opened the door wide enough to allow them to enter. “I decided a few hours ago. I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet. News travels fast in this town.”

“Agnes told the Ladies right after you called her and they spread it around town. Gossip doesn’t keep for long here,” Maggie said as she followed Gretchen inside. “For once though, I’m glad they did. Gretchen is right—were you going to tell us?”

Maggie’s eyes misted over and motherly concern filled her face. Her son, Alex, was a lucky kid to have her for a mom.

“What happened?” Gretchen asked.

“Yeah. You were so excited at the wine bar on Friday night,” said Maggie. “What changed your mind?”

Dahlia led them over to the seating area that she’d rearranged in preparation for the remodel. They sat down in the armchairs and Dahlia pulled the tall stool out from behind the front desk and brought it over to their circle. Her friends waited in silence for her to speak.

“I was excited.” She perched on the stool and thought for a moment. Things had happened so quickly and she didn’t know where to start. She had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions over the last few days. “I went into Haven Shores to check out the Book Warehouse and figure out how I could compete with them. I picked out new furniture for the bookstore and had so many plans for To Be Read.”

She stopped to make a mental note. Talking about the sofa reminded her she still needed to explain Wendy’s lease of the upstairs apartment to Agnes. She couldn’t keep avoiding it and she hoped Agnes would be reasonable about honoring the lease. After promising the space to Wendy, she couldn’t renege on the deal, even if she wouldn’t be around for Wendy’s tenancy.

“Everything got to be so expensive.” She slumped on the stool. “I figured out I’d need to have Agnes give me at least five thousand dollars out of the trust to finish the remodel.” She nodded at the back wall where she’d pulled the tea area away from the wall. “I’m guessing the coffee bar alone will cost several thousand between the additional plumbing and the bar itself. It would have been so cool though.” That reminded her—she needed to cancel the furniture delivery. She gazed wistfully at the space. For a brief instant, the bookstore filled with the aroma of brewing coffee and the chatter of customers.

“Okay. So did she give you the money?” Gretchen said, shattering Dahlia’s vision. She leaned forward in her seat to hear Dahlia’s response.

“No,” Dahlia answered. “She refused to give me anything. She said I needed to work with what I had already and that Aunt Ruth wouldn’t have wanted me to waste money.”

Maggie spoke up. Her voice shook and a slow fire burned in her eyes. “This is exactly what Ruth would have wanted. She knew how important the bookstore was to the community and it was her life’s work. She would have wanted it to grow and for you to do what you needed to do to make that happen.”

“That’s what I thought too.” Dahlia pulled a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes.

“So what now?” Gretchen asked. “You’re just giving up on it?”

Dahlia had no patience left. Garrett had questioned her about her reasons for leaving and now her friends were too. It wasn’t her choice to leave. Agnes had given her no choice in the matter.

She looked at Maggie. “When you and Alex moved back to Candle Beach after your husband died, your family took you in and helped support you until you could get back on your feet.”

Then she turned to her other friend. “And Gretchen, you moved back here after college, knowing there was always room for you at your parents’ real estate company. Not everyone has family they can depend on when things get tough. My mother has her job in Seattle and I don’t want to ask her for the money. I’ve been the screw-up daughter for too long. Getting money from Agnes was my only opportunity to make this work.”

She regretted her outburst as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Maybe her friends weren’t offended. But one look at them and her heart sank. Maggie’s lips were pressed into a thin line and she had furrowed her brow. Her fingers twisted together in her lap. Gretchen stared at Dahlia, her face stony as she traced a circle on the floor with her feet.

“It took a lot of hard work on my part too,” Maggie said in a level voice. “I wasn’t exactly lounging around at my parent’s house, watching TV all day.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Dahlia said. She put her head in her hands. She’d royally messed this up. How was she going to get them to understand her predicament? They’d both grown up in Candle Beach and had the support of the community. Everything for her seemed to be an uphill battle. She turned to Gretchen, who said nothing.

At last, Gretchen spoke. “You have us.”

She rose from her seat and hugged Dahlia. Dahlia smiled faintly as she attempted to hold back tears. Having good friends was one of the things she’d miss the most about living in Candle Beach. She had difficulty staying in touch with people when not in frequent contact with them. If she wasn’t careful, when she moved back to Seattle, they’d probably return to being nothing more than friends on social media.

Maggie got up from her seat as well and joined in the group hug. “Gretchen’s right. If there’s anything we can do, please tell us.”

“Unless one of you has thousands of dollars lying around, there’s not much you can do to help,” Dahlia said.

“Sorry, I can barely make my rent as is,” Gretchen said. “I wish there was something I could do.”

“I could probably pull together some money, but the café has me pretty tapped out,” Maggie said.

Dahlia shook her head. “No, I couldn’t let you do that. You’ve got a kid to support. This is my mess and my decision to make.”

Maggie nodded and relief passed across her face.

“Thanks, you guys,” Dahlia said. “I’ll miss you both so much.”

They made plans to meet for breakfast the next morning before Dahlia left, then Gretchen and Maggie exited the bookstore, pulling the door closed behind them. Dahlia had never felt so alone, not even in the days and weeks following her divorce.

She walked back through the bookstore to the office and sat down in Aunt Ruth’s chair, spinning around in a lazy circle while dragging her feet on the carpet. This couldn’t be the end. Planning the bookstore remodel had filled her with joy and a sense of purpose. Had she made the right decision to leave?

She put her feet down flat on the ground. Living in Candle Beach had changed her. Wallowing in self-pity and doubting her abilities wouldn’t help. There was still a lot of life left to live, even if it didn’t involve To Be Read or Candle Beach.

She organized the financial files she’d created and straightened the desktop. When Agnes took over management of the store before she sold it, she wouldn’t find anything to disapprove of in how Dahlia had left things.

She returned to the sales floor for a final look around. What would Garrett do with the store if he bought it? Would he continue with her plans for an espresso bar or children’s area? What would his displays look like? Her eye caught on a Susannah Garrity book facing out from the shelf and she grinned. Who would have thought Garrett was a bestselling romance author? Even though she now knew his secret identity, he remained a mystery to her. She would have liked to stay in Candle Beach to get to know him better.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice came from behind her. Dahlia whirled around. She’d forgotten to lock the door after her friends left.

“We’re closed,” she called out as she walked into the front room of To Be Read. Where were these customers when she was open for business? Irrational irritation shot through her body, but faded when she saw the perky face that peeked around the open door.