Maggie had dropped Alex off the night before at her parents’ house so she could come in for the five o’clock morning shift with Angel. The younger woman was working out well at the café, but Maggie still needed to teach her how to make a few more of the café’s signature pastries. And if they weren’t ready early in the morning, her regular customers would not be happy.

Jake had stopped calling and coming by her apartment. She’d had a full day to cool down and she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. The news that he was only interested in her to fulfill a promise to her deceased husband had shocked her to the core, but he was still her son’s uncle and she didn’t want to come between him and Alex.

After a morning of rolling dough for cinnamon rolls and wrangling the staff, she took a well-deserved coffee break in her office. She was enjoying the luxury of time to stare off into space when her phone rang. It was Gretchen.

“Hey.” Gretchen’s voice was cheery and music to Maggie’s ears after the long morning she’d had.

“Hey, yourself. What’s up?”

“I have some news for you.” Gretchen let the tension build.

“What?” Maggie couldn’t help asking.

“You know the farmhouse property you liked so much? Well, I have some good news for you.”

“You do?” The property had gone under contract almost two weeks before, and she wasn’t sure she’d call that good news.

“The other buyer’s offer fell through.”

Gretchen’s words slipped through Maggie’s brain like water dripping down a staircase. She’d thought the farm property was out of the picture and had put it out of her mind.

“What does that mean?” A sliver of hope edged at her consciousness.

“It means you can put an offer in now. It’s back on the market.”

Maggie leaned back in her chair. On one hand, she was excited about the possibility of buying the property, but it had already caused her so much stress and with things with Jake up in the air and falling fast, she didn’t know if she could handle going through that again.

“Can I think about it and let you know?”

“Sure,” Gretchen said. “But keep in mind there could be other interested parties. If you’re serious about it, we need to put an offer in ASAP.”

“Got it. Thanks, Gretchen. I’ll let you know by later this afternoon.”

She hung up the phone and her eyes wandered around her office. Her legs twitched, wanting to get out of the tiny room. She pushed herself up from the chair and took her coat off the hook.

“I’m taking my lunch break,” she called to her staff. They nodded to show they’d heard.

With everything going on, she wasn’t hungry, but coffee sounded good. She stopped off at the espresso stand near the beach and ordered a grande latte. Her legs carried her down to the beach by muscle memory. In a few minutes, she was standing on the sand and wondering how she got there. This was where she always came to think—something she desperately needed today.

She perched on a beach log and slowly sipped the creamy coffee. Two weeks ago, she’d been devastated by the loss of the farm property, but buoyed by a budding romance with Jake. Now, things had turned about-face and she had another crack at her catering center, but she’d lost the guy. Amazing how fast things could change. She knew that all too well.

Was owning the barn and farmhouse in her future? She’d purchased the café using Brian’s life insurance policy and worked hard to make it a success, taking it from a greasy spoon to a popular eating spot for locals and tourists. It was a legacy she hoped to pass down to Alex. Could she really put that at risk to pursue this new dream of hers?

She stared out at the waves. They crashed rhythmically on the shore, washing away any imperfections in the sand. The wind blew her hair back and she shivered before taking a sip of her hot drink. Most people flocked to the ocean beaches in the summer, but this was when she really enjoyed them. In the winter, she often had the beach to herself—a perfect place of solitude to reflect on things. Usually, when she had a problem, she could sit here and let the shifting sands melt away her concerns. But Jake’s betrayal and the immense responsibility of taking on a new business venture were too big for the sands to sweep away.

She stood and breathed in the cool air, allowing herself some peace before returning to her busy life. She didn’t want to lose Jake, but it seemed as though she already had. Now she needed to get up the courage to tell him things were over and somehow do it in a way that didn’t make things awkward between Jake and Alex. That would be tricky.

She knew what she had to do about the farm property. Buying it just wasn’t a smart move for her current situation. Her stomach churned at the realization, but her mind felt clearer as the decision jelled.

She stopped at the garbage can at the top of the beach access stairs and threw in the coffee cup, turning to stare one more time into the ocean’s abyss. Things had to get better from here, right?

* * *

After work, Maggie stopped by Jake’s room at the B&B. She exited her car, eyeing the door with trepidation. It was a far cry from the joy she’d experienced a few days before when she’d come over to tell him she loved him and was ready to move forward with their relationship.

Before she reached the door, it swung open. Jake stepped outside, a tentative smile on his face.

“Maggie. I didn’t expect to see you.” He held his hand out to her, but she didn’t take it. He stopped on the step.

“I had some thinking to do.”

He nodded. “And what did you decide?”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t think this is going to work.”

The color drained from his face and he looked as sad as she felt herself. “Can you tell me why? I thought everything was going great until you ran away from me. Was my gift choice that bad?” He laughed nervously.

She shook her head. “It wasn’t your gift. It was a lovely gesture. Thank you.”

Her heart pounded. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go with him. She’d been so sure that he was the right person for her. That is, until she’d overheard those fateful words, “I promised Brian I’d take care of her.” She reached up behind her neck to unclasp the silver necklace chain and held it up to him, but he waved it away.

“Keep it,” he said gruffly. “I want you to have it.”

He wasn’t a bad person—after all, he’d kept the promise he’d made to his brother. The problem was that he didn’t love her, and she needed that. All the caring in the world didn’t mean anything if there wasn’t love attached to it.

“I want things to stay the same between you and Alex.” She looked directly into his eyes, which glistened with unshed tears. If he was only in it because of a strange sense of duty, why was it bothering him so much for her to end things? Did he feel that strong of a commitment to his promise?

“Of course.” He reached for her shoulder. “Are you sure we can’t work things out? I really thought there was something between us.”

She shrank back. If he touched her, it would be over. She’d turn into a melting puddle of tears and she couldn’t let him see her like that.

“Maggie.” He hesitated. “Is it because of Brian? Are you not ready to date again?”

He didn’t need to know why she’d broken things off. He was a good guy, and it seemed easier to agree with him.

She nodded, glanced at him tearfully and speed walked back to her car. She could feel his eyes following her until she was down the street.