What on earth had she been thinking? Offering to help Finn with his limp was idiotic. She wasn’t going to be around long enough to do anything like that. It had been an impulse based on…what? The horrible things Annika had said to him? The way he looked in that suit? Or maybe it was the vulnerability she’d seen in his face as he slouched on that bench, eyes closed, long legs stretching forever.

Finn might be sexy and charming, but there was a lot more to him than that. Face it, he intrigued her, and she liked talking to him. Time seemed to disappear when she was bantering with him. If she left Jupiter Point, she’d very likely never see Finn again.

It didn’t matter. She was leaving. She had to. Just in time, too, she thought as she parked her Mercedes outside the McGraws’ stately Tudor-style home. This town was starting to grow on her, with its gorgeous setting and quirky stargazing theme.

And handsome firefighters.

Yes, it was time to leave. Past time. She just had to give notice to the McGraws and then she’d go.

But when Molly McGraw’s face lit up at the sight of her, she completely lost her nerve.

“How are you today, my dear? You look wonderful.” She kneeled down next to Molly, who was already in her wheelchair. The Dean had been reading to her; he slipped a bookmark into place and put down the book. A mystery, Lisa noticed. Good choice; they helped keep her brain active.

“F…fine. Happy to…see you.”

The Dean met her questioning gaze. “She wanted to wait for you to give her a shower. She says I don’t do it right.”

Lisa smiled and smoothed Molly’s hair. “We have our little routine down, don’t we?”

“Yes.” She nodded firmly, though her head kept trembling when the gesture was over. “I love my husband, but he g…gets all w…wet and makes a big m…mess.”

Lisa chuckled as she wheeled Molly toward the downstairs bathroom, where a special bathing stall had been added. “We all have our areas of expertise. I know the Dean has many.”

“Yes. Just ask him.”

Lisa burst out laughing at that zinger. Molly winked at her husband on the way out of the room. He was shaking his head with amusement. At least she hoped it was amusement. Sometimes the Dean could be hard to read.

She helped Molly undress and assisted her into the sit-down shower stall. Molly held tight to the grab bar while Lisa maneuvered the hand-held showerhead.

“Are you sad?”

She looked down to see Molly peering up at her through the layer of shampoo she’d just applied to her head.

“No. Of course not. Well, maybe. I—” This was it. The perfect moment to tell Molly she was leaving. I have to leave town for a while. I’ll find someone even better than me. I’ll come back to visit someday.

But she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.

Molly filled the gap. “You need more f-friends. Evie says you should t-take her place at the Orbit.”

Lisa frowned as she rubbed the foamy bubbles across Molly scalp. “The Orbit? That bar? I’ve never been there.”

“The g…girls are coming to pick you up.”

“Oh no. No, that’s really not a good idea. I—”

“It’s too late. They’re on their w…way. Evie made me promise. It’s her g…gift to you. B…because you came to her wedding even though you h…hate weddings.”

The thoughtfulness of the gesture made tears prick Lisa’s eyes. “I didn’t hate her wedding. Hers was just fine. Wonderful, in fact.” She rinsed the shampoo out, holding her hand as a shield to protect Molly’s eyes. She finished the rest of the shower routine, then helped her out of the stall and dried her off. “I bet they’re having a fantastic time on their honeymoon. They’re in Italy, right? Drinking wine and eating veal parmigiana?”

“And t-taking lots of photos. Two weeks in Italy, j-just imagine.”

Two weeks. Yes! She’d wait two more weeks for Evie’s return, then she’d give her notice. It would be too difficult to find a replacement now, and the Dean couldn’t handle it himself. Who would help with Molly’s shower?

No. The fact was, Molly needed her now. And Lisa loved her and couldn’t possibly walk away from her. She refused to abandon her favorite patient because of some weird incident that had happened four months ago.

After all, nothing had happened since then. She could wait two more weeks. A sense of relief flooded through her.

Smiling now, she helped Molly get dressed.

She’d figure something out. She’d get a gun. A pit bull. Maybe a rabid raccoon. Maybe she could train the campground nuthatches to chirp at the approach of danger. Everything would be fine.

* * *

Brianna showed up in her ancient red truck when Lisa still had an hour left in her shift. Molly insisted that she was about to nap and Lisa should go ahead and have fun.

Fun?

Not a concept Lisa had dealt with much over the past year. She was definitely rusty in that area. But Brianna’s friendly chatter during their ride to the Orbit put her completely at ease. They talked about the wedding, and all the work Brianna had put into the flowers. Lisa showered her with compliments, leaving out the sneezing.

At the Orbit Lounge and Grill, they slid into a black vinyl booth. The entire place was designed to look like outer space, with black walls and a curved ceiling decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars. Kind of like the ceiling of her motorhome, Lisa realized with a smile.

Brianna introduced her to Suzanne Finnegan Marshall and Merry Warren, who were both around her age. She’d seen Suzanne at the wedding reception—she was the extremely pregnant blond ordering people around. But she hadn’t met Merry before. Merry had skin the color of almonds and warm eyes alive with curiosity. A headband held her dark hair back from her face.

“Hi. I’m Lisa.”

“I know you.” Merry toasted her with her margarita. “You’re the Freak.”

“Excuse me?”

“The Freak on the Peak. Rollo told me that’s an affectionate nickname for the spotters who hang out in those lookout towers.” Merry’s eyes danced; she definitely lived up to her name. “You have no idea how much I’m dying to interview you. How did you not lose your mind up in there? Didn’t you get bored?”

“No, not really. I liked it.” She’d loved it. But she didn’t want to sound like too much of a freak. “It was what I needed at the time, I suppose.”

“Needed it? Why?” Merry cocked her head. Lisa could see why she was such a good reporter.

“Overworked and under-vacationed,” she said lightly. “I was—am—an ER nurse. Pretty much nonstop stress. That tower was kind of like detox. It was so peaceful.”

“I could use some time at that tower,” Suzanne announced. Her long blond hair was twisted off her neck and her pregnant belly barely fit into the booth. “Josh is driving me crazy. If he offers me one more back rub… Just kidding. I’d marry him ten times over just for those talented hands of his.”

Brianna waved a toothpick with a chunk of pineapple at her. “You can stop right there, Mrs. Marshall. I’m still recovering from the overdose of sappy we all experienced at the wedding.”

“Oh please. You’re the sappiest one of all. Didn’t you find those white flowers that look just like stars?”

“She’s my oldest friend. I have the right to be sappy.”

“You’re both a total embarrassment,” teased Merry. “It’s a good thing I’ve got enough cynicism for all of us. Anyone needs a dose, come see me.”

“Or me,” Lisa chimed in. She raised her hand. “Team Cynic over here.”

The other women all looked at her with surprise. “Really? You?” Brianna asked. “But you’re so romantic-looking.”

“Romantic-looking?” Lisa laughed. She had no idea what that meant.

“Yes. Just ask Finn. He was tongue-tied at the sight of you. And foot-tied. I thought someone had literally tied his shoelaces together when he practically tripped over himself at the tower.” Brianna’s green eyes brimmed with laughter. “It was fun to see, after all the times I made a fool of myself over him.”

A weird jealous feeling came over Lisa. Had Finn flirted with Brianna too? “You and Finn—”

“Oh no. It was just a crush. A misguided one. Not because he isn’t crush-worthy,” Bri added quickly. “He absolutely is. He was so nice and patient about my crush. But Rollo’s the man for me. It just took a while for me to see the light.”

“I can vouch for Finn. He’s a very cool guy,” said Merry, popping a chip into her mouth.

“So you and Finn…” Brianna asked, lifting her eyebrows at Merry.

Merry shook her head. “Too alike. We can talk up a storm together, but we don’t have any sparks. Now Finn and Lisa…”

“No, no,” she said quickly. Maybe too quickly. “No men for me.”

“Amen.” Merry reached across the table and high-fived her. “Team Cynic is on a roll.”

Suzanne gestured between her and Brianna. “Speaking for Team Romance, some important information has just come to light. Did you hear that Annika Poole broke up with Finn? He’s available.”

Brianna bounced on her seat, making her drink slosh. “Rollo’s so happy he wants to throw him a big bachelor-party-type thing. Like a ‘congratulations, you’re free’ party. Rollo really didn’t like Annika, by the way.”

“If the Mighty Finn is back on the market, plenty of girls will be throwing a party,” said Suzanne.

“I don’t know, I think that might be the old Finn.” Brianna chewed thoughtfully on her straw. “Rollo says ever since the burnover, he’s been different. Like something’s eating at him.”

“Well, he did nearly die,” said Merry logically. “And he had surgery and spent months in rehab. There’s no way something like that doesn’t change you. I heard he used to be kind of a player but he never acted like that with me.”

“Or me, Lord knows,” said Brianna mournfully. “I tried to get him to flirt with me but he was so sure I was with Rollo he refused.”

“So only one person here has the scoop. Lisa, what’s it like to be flirted with by Finn Abrams?” Suzanne lobbed the question so quickly, Lisa didn’t have time to deflect.

“Disturbingly fun.” She grinned.

The other girls hooted and Merry reached across the table to high-five her again.

Lisa laughed as their palms met. Then she saw a familiar figure push open the door of the Orbit. The rangy form of Deputy Will Knight emerged. She must have reacted, because Merry turned to look over her shoulder.

“Oh, crap on a cracker jack. Deputy Slow-Mo is here. This calls for a refill.”

Suzanne gazed at her, fascinated, as she sipped at her virgin margarita. “Merry, I didn’t know you had a thing for the hot cop.”

“A thing? Like a can’t-stand-the-sight-of-his-slow-ass thing? I guess you could say that.”

“His ass looks pretty good to me.” Brianna was watching him as he headed for the bar. She actually tilted sideways to get a better look. “Yup, looking good. You may go out with him if you choose, Merry.”

“I don’t choose. I’d rather date a cactus.”

“You are kind of a cactus,” Brianna pointed out. “Emotionally speaking. I should probably mention that he’s coming this way.”

“Mother—” Merry snapped her mouth shut as the detective strolled next to their table.

“Ladies,” he said, nodding a greeting to them all. Did those gray eyes linger on Merry? Lisa couldn’t tell. He ended up fixing his gaze on her. “I’m glad I ran into you, Lisa. I have a few more questions for you. Can we set up a time to talk?”

“I really don’t—”

“You don’t need to talk to him,” Merry piped up. “He doesn’t have any jurisdiction here. This is JPPD territory, he’s with the county.”

His eyes flickered to her, then lingered there. His tone was cool when he spoke again. “This is about your attempted kidnapping, Ms. Warren. You might show a little more concern.”

“You’re on the case?” She sank back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. “Great. Might be solved by the time I’m eighty.”

He showed no reaction, which earned him big points in Lisa’s book. It sure looked to her like Merry was trying to get under his skin. He turned back to Lisa. “Well?”

“I really don’t know what else I can do for you, Deputy. I don’t know anything more.”

“Call me Will. Just a few questions. It won’t take long.”

“Pfft.” Merry snorted. “Won’t take long? Tell my editor that. Maybe he’ll forgive me for the four deadlines you made me miss.”

“I like to do things right,” Will said firmly. “They take whatever time they take. Thoroughness is my middle name. Comes in handy in certain situations.”

Merry’s brown skin turned a little rosier than before. To save her from any more embarrassment, Lisa made a plan to meet Will for coffee the next day.

When he was gone, Brianna and Suzanne both pounced. “Okay, time to dish some dirt here,” Suzanne declared. “Merry, you have some explaining to do. You and Will Knight? Is there some sort of history there? And Lisa, what do you have to do with what happened to Merry—oh!” She sucked in a breath. “Hang on.”

With a hand on her belly, she closed her eyes. They all held their breath while she rode out whatever sensation she was experiencing. When she opened her eyes, they were shining with laughter. “Just a little love tap from the little guy,” she explained. “Don’t let us interrupt the spilling of secrets.”

“Sorry, Team Cynic is going to plead the fifth,” Merry announced. “You’ll have to find your gossip elsewhere.”

“Boo,” Brianna chanted. “This isn’t gossip. This is information. You’re the queen of information, Ms. Best Reporter in Town. Cough it up.”

Merry muttered something inaudible into her margarita, so Brianna turned to Lisa. “Oh my God, I just figured it out. That mugger! He was looking for you, wasn’t he? When he grabbed Merry? Of course he was! You were the girl in the tower he kept jabbering about.”

Lisa turned to Merry. “I’m really sorry, Merry. I feel terrible that he hurt you.”

“Pfft.” Brianna waved her toothpick in the air. “She would have kicked his ass if Rollo hadn’t done it first. You should have seen her face.”

“I grew up in Brooklyn. No one grabs me without payback.” Merry shoved aside her margarita and leaned toward Lisa. “But now you got me curious. Why was he after you?”

Lisa was seriously second-guessing her decision to come to the Orbit. “I probably shouldn’t talk about it now that the police are investigating.”

She had no idea if that was true, but it sounded plausible.

“Not just any police, but the very handsome Deputy Knight, for that matter.” Brianna winked at Merry, who ignored her. She was still focused on Lisa.

“You’re pretty new in town, right? How do you like it here so far?” Merry asked her.

“It’s great. Everyone’s been really nice and welcoming. I love working for Molly McGraw. She’s a sweetheart.”

Merry tilted her head. “Where’d you come here from? I hear an accent.”

“Houston.”

“Merry, why are you interrogating her like that?” Suzanne interrupted. “This is supposed to be a nice, friendly drink to welcome Lisa to town.”

Merry twisted her face in apology. “Sorry, Lisa. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s the reporter in me. When I smell an interesting story, I can’t resist following up. And the fact that I nearly got kidnapped by someone looking for you—that’s definitely a story. Forgive me?”

Lisa stared at the other woman. If only she could explain. If only these were her friends. In ordinary circumstances, she could be friends with these women. They were fun, kind, funny, friendly. She missed having friends and being able to vent about anything and everything. “Nothing to forgive,” she murmured.

Brianna clapped her hands, breaking the tension. “Let’s talk about something else. Rollo and I came up with an amazing plan for a wedding present for Sean and Evie. We’re all going to work on it together. Except Suzanne because sorry, babe, you’re just too darn pregnant. Lisa, we’d love for you to join in. Are you interested?”

“Sure. Absolutely.” She felt a huge smile cross her face. She couldn’t share everything with them, but she could offer up her time. At least it was something. “What are we doing?”

“How are you with manual labor?”