Despite feeling foolish, Hadley had to admit the filmy white dress topped by a wide-brimmed straw hat with a blue ribbon held a certain charm.

Ami had insisted that Blooms Bake Shop get into the spirit of the old-fashioned ice cream social held on Wednesday in the town square. She’d furnished her employees with dresses fashionable young women would wear at the turn of the twentieth century.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into dressing up.” Hadley touched the brim of her hat.

“You know you wanted to do it.” Ami flashed a bright smile. “You’d have said no otherwise.”

It was a true statement. Hadley knew how to say no. Just as she knew the reason for her blue mood didn’t have a thing to do with today’s event.

Once the setup was complete, Ami and college-girl Karin worked like a well-oiled machine. They stood in the center of two long tables offering a tantalizing display of cookies, muffins and pastries.

Several nearby ice cream stations, manned by members of the Cherries and the rotary, did a brisk business. Donation-only stands, staffed by Seedlings and Saplings, part of the local scouting organization, served lemonade and iced tea at scattered locations in the square.

Despite the complimentary offerings, the coffee cart directly across from the bakery stand had been busy all evening. Cassie Lohmeier had been working alone since Hadley had first arrived. Color rose high in the tall blonde’s cheeks, and perspiration dotted her brow as she struggled to keep up with orders.

Hadley frowned. Where was Ryder? Didn’t he realize that one person, no matter how hardworking and experienced, wasn’t enough to handle the crowd?

Squaring her shoulders, Hadley placed a hand on Ami’s shoulder. “I’m going to see if Cassie needs help.”

“Good idea,” Ami murmured without breaking stride.

Like most of the adults working the event, Cassie had dressed for the bygone era. Her simple red A-line dress hung to midcalf, accentuated by the red-and-white-striped ribbon woven through her straw hat.

She’d pulled her sun-streaked blond hair back into a messy twist that managed to look stylish.

Hadley stepped forward. “Need help?”

Cassie flashed a smile. “Do ducks like water?”

Working as a barista in college had given Hadley serious skills. Once she found her rhythm, it was like stepping back into Starbucks time.

Thirty minutes later, when Pastor Dan Marshall ordered a coffee, she and Cassie were caught up.

“It’s good to see you, Cassie.” Dan offered both women a warm smile. “You, too, Hadley.”

Hadley couldn’t recall the last time she’d been to church, other than for a wedding. She certainly didn’t go weekly. The pastor at her grandparents’ church in North Dakota had preached hellfire and damnation.

She could only imagine what God thought of the mess she’d made of her life.

“It’s nice to see you, Pastor.” Cassie filled the cup and snapped on a lid.

“Is, ah, is your sister around?” The minister’s voice might be offhand, but the way he gripped the cup told Hadley this was no simple inquiry.

“I haven’t seen her.” Though a muscle in her jaw jumped, Cassie kept her voice equally nonchalant.

Hadley busied herself making lattes for a couple of teenage girls. Everyone in town was aware that Cassie’s sister, Lindsay, had broken off her engagement to the minister at the last minute.

Though Dan and Lindsay had gone on with their lives, it appeared the minister still hadn’t fully gotten over the youngest Lohmeier sister.

When he strolled off, sipping his coffee, his gaze scanning the crowd, Hadley turned to Cassie. “That was awkward.”

Cassie lifted a thin shoulder and let it drop. “He doesn’t normally ask about Lindsay. He was probably being polite.”

“Maybe.”

“He comes into the shop every Monday to work on writing his sermon for the next week.” Cassie’s tone remained even. “We talk, but never about Lin.”

“That’s probably a relief.”

The crowd had dwindled to a handful of tourists as the free concert by the Good Hope Brass started in the bandstand.

“Do you enjoy working for Ryder?” Hadley fixed herself a cappuccino and made one for Cassie.

“He’s a great boss. Very accommodating.” Cassie smiled her thanks and took the drink. “It’s difficult to work with a two-year-old, especially during the school year. The older boys watch Axl in the summer while I’m at work. If I have to pay for childcare, it pretty much eats up any money I make.”

Hadley knew Cassie had gotten pregnant at fifteen with her daughter, Dakota, who was now in college. She had two sons by another guy. Those boys were now in high school. Axl’s father was in prison, convicted of a string of burglaries in Good Hope.

Cassie’s life could have been hers, Hadley thought, if she’d made different choices.

Almost as if she knew the direction of Hadley’s thoughts, Cassie flushed. “Ryder gave me a chance when almost everyone else in town—including my mother—had written me off.”

“Our past doesn’t dictate our future.” As she spoke the words, Hadley felt herself steady.

“I’ve taken many wrong turns.” A profound weariness filled Cassie’s voice. She gazed into her cup.

“I’d wager we all have things we’d do differently given the chance.” Hadley’s lips twisted in a rueful smile. “But we can’t change the past. We can only change the present and the future. You’re making positive changes, Cassie. You should be proud.”

Tears filled Cassie’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” This time, it was Hadley’s turn to let her gaze drop. “Like you, I’m not going to let the past define me. Not anymore.”

* * *

“Looking for someone?”

David turned so quickly the lemonade in his cup sloshed over the rim. “Dan. I didn’t see you.”

The steaming coffee the minister held looked more appealing than David’s lukewarm lemonade. He made a mental note to ask Dan where he’d gotten it.

“I don’t normally see you at these events.” Dan sipped his coffee.

“Brynn is a Seedling.” This fall, his daughter would move up to the next local scouting level and become a Sapling. “Her troop is working one of the drink stands.”

“Doesn’t Camille usually bring her to these types of events?”

“She used to.” Emphasis, David thought, on the past tense. Though he considered himself to be an involved father, over the past couple of years, he’d turned over more of the parenting to his longtime nanny. “Camille is married now and living in Sturgeon Bay.”

The minister’s brows lifted. “Will she continue to care for Brynn?”

“I’m afraid not.” David finished off the lemonade and crushed the tiny cup between his fingers.

“I imagine that’s been difficult for Brynn.”

David started to nod, then paused. “I broke the news Saturday night. She was upset at first, but then seemed to be okay. Still, I’m concerned that maybe it hasn’t really sunk in yet. She’s had a lot of hard knocks this year. First her mother, then Mindy—who she considered her best friend-and now Camille.”

“You’ve built a solid foundation for your daughter in Good Hope.” Dan’s gaze met his. “Brynn has her grandmother, her aunt, her uncle and lots of friends here. While Camille’s absence will undoubtedly be felt, Brynn will be fine.”

Thanks in large part to Ruckus. Hadley had been right about the dog.

“Just remember.” Dan rested a hand on his shoulder. “God has a plan.”

With those parting words, Dan left to greet fisherman Joe Lyle and his wife.

Recalling seeing a coffee cart across the square, David headed in that direction. He paused when his path crossed with Tim Vandercoy’s.

A successful real estate agent, Tim brokered most of the deals on the peninsula. Short, with thinning brown hair and a salesman’s smile, he held out a hand to David.

Though David wasn’t well-acquainted with the man, his mother had dealt with Tim on many occasions, most involving commercial real estate. Just knowing she held Tim in high regard was a good enough reference for David.

“I love these events.” Tim smiled, showing a mouthful of straight, white teeth. “An excellent way to touch base with people you don’t get to see nearly often enough.”

David rubbed his chin. “Do you have a second to talk business?”

“Absolutely.” An excited gleam sparked in Tim’s dark eyes. “What can I do for you?”

“Tim.” The shrill female tone held more than a little exasperation. “I told you to wait for me.”

The irritated look on Anita Fishback’s face vanished when she spotted David.

David stifled a groan. Anita, owner of Crumb and Cake, mother to Cassie and Lindsay Lohmeier and former girlfriend of Steve Bloom, was one of his least favorite people in Good Hope.

Though he personally didn’t know her well, he’d heard enough about her antics from his mother to want to keep his distance.

“David, how lovely to see you.” She extended her hand in such a way that he found himself wondering for a second if he should kiss it or shake it.

Anita was a pretty woman in her fifties, with dark hair and hazel eyes in an angular face.

As he shook her hand, a calculating gleam filled her eyes.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of selling your beautiful home on Millionaire’s Row.” Before he could answer, Anita’s voice filled with faux sympathy. “I understand how difficult it must be for you and Brynn to live there without Whitney. I’m sure everywhere you turn, from the bedroom you shared to the dinner table, you see her.”

David wondered how she’d react if he told her Whitney had spent so little time in his bed and in their home that he barely recalled her being there.

He kept his mouth shut. Anita was a known gossip, and Whitney was Brynn’s mother. David offered a noncommittal smile and refocused on Tim. “I was going through my insurance papers, and I’m concerned the house may be underinsured.”

“How long have you lived there?” Tim cast her a sharp look when Anita opened her mouth.

“Five years.” David remembered vividly the beautiful spring day when they’d moved in. He’d carried Whitney over the threshold. Brynn had insisted he carry her, too.

“You built it new.”

David nodded. “The assessment was accurate at the time. However, a home down the road with less amenities recently sold for a lot more than I have mine insured.”

“Home values, especially in your area, have skyrocketed in the last few years.” Tim studied David’s face. “Are you interested in a market analysis or an assessment?”

“Either works.” David inclined his head. “Would you be able to stop out next week?”

“I’ll make the time.”

Out of the corner of his eye, David spotted Hadley. She slowed when she saw Anita. Apparently, she wasn’t a big fan of the woman, either. He motioned her forward.

“When you decide to sell, Tim’s your man.” Anita looped her arm possessively around the real estate broker’s arm. “He’s been the top seller on the peninsula for the past ten years.”

Her voice carried in the still summer air.

David saw Hadley stumble to a stop. She’d obviously concluded she would be interrupting business. Actually, what she was doing was saving him from a woman the Bloom sisters had not-so-affectionately nicknamed “the piranha.”

Slipping a business card from his wallet, David handed it to Tim. “Call me. We’ll schedule a time for you to come out.”

Quickly saying his good-byes, David hurried over to Hadley.

* * *

He’s having a real estate agent come out.

“Are you thinking about moving?”

David blinked, then appeared to catch the direction of her gaze. He swiped the air with one hand. “No. Just having the home assessed for insurance purposes.”

Hadley expelled the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Always smart to keep on top of insurance stuff.”

“I agree.” David smiled. “I’ve been meaning to call you.”

“Why?” she blurted, then flushed.

“If you have time, we can talk about it now.”

“Now?”

Amusement danced in his eyes. “If you have time.”

“Ah, sure.” When he began to walk, she fell into step beside him.

“I like the hat.”

Hadley touched her fingers to the brim. “I feel ridiculous.”

“The outfits add a nice touch.” He surprised her by taking her elbow. “You look thirsty. Brynn is serving up lemonade over there.”

He gestured in the direction of a refreshment stand under the branches of a large oak. “I need to warn you. The cup I had wasn’t the coldest.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

He studied her for a moment. “You’re an optimist. I like that about you.”

The warmth that surged through her body had nothing to do with the sun overhead. How long had it been since someone had come out and said they liked her? Especially someone she…admired?

Hadley slowed to a stop and lifted her face to the sun for several seconds. Though she was eager to see Brynn, she needed to know what was on David’s mind.

“I noticed you helping Cassie with the coffee cart,” he said.

“I worked as a barista at Starbucks in college.” Hadley spoke absently. What could he have to say to her? “Making lattes and cappuccinos was actually fun for me.”

“Where did you go to college?”

It figured he’d latch on to her past, the one thing she preferred not to discuss.

“In Illinois.” Hadley kept her answer vague. “That was a long time ago.”

“Not so long.” David’s gaze turned assessing. “You’re what, twenty-five? Twenty-six?”

The man had missed his calling. Instead of an architect, he should have been a detective. “I’m twenty-eight. Is my age what you wanted to discuss?”

David only chuckled.

“Then, what?”

Before he could respond, she heard a voice that was robust and capable of reaching the back row of any theater. “Yoo-hoo, David and Hadley. Over here.”

Confused, Hadley turned in the direction of the summons.

When she saw who was beckoning, Hadley knew she and David would have to postpone their talk.

She’d lived in Good Hope long enough to know that no one ignored Gladys Bertholf.