For their date at the Seaside Grill, Angel pulled a dress from her closet that hadn’t seen the light of day since well before she’d moved away from Los Angeles. In fact, considering how unlikely it had seemed that she’d need a little black dress for her new life in Candle Beach, she had thought about donating it to the Goodwill. Now, she was glad she hadn’t.

She held the simple dress up to her body, watching her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of the closet door. As she turned slightly from side to side, the gentle folds of the knee-length skirt rippled and swished. It was pretty, but the last time she’d worn this particular dress hadn’t been a wonderful occasion. She’d been out on a date with someone she’d been seeing for several months and had been excited when he invited her to go to a fancy restaurant downtown.

However, after they finished their meal, he claimed to have misplaced his wallet and left her with the entire check. If he’d been telling the truth, she wouldn’t have minded, but after calling and texting him several times after the date with no response, she realized that she’d been dumped.

But Adam was different. This time she’d wear the pretty dress, and she’d have that fairy-tale romantic date that she’d envisioned when she bought it. She dropped the silky black material over her head and stretched her arms around her back to pull on the zipper. She finished the look with a pair of black nylons and black heels with fanciful straps that wrapped around her ankles like ballet slippers. After a quick application of lip gloss and mascara, she was ready to go. Adam had called earlier to tell her he was working at the newspaper but he’d meet her at the restaurant at six, so she grabbed her coat and walked down the hill to town alone.

When she arrived at the restaurant a minute after six, Adam was already there, waiting outside the entrance. He had his back to her and was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, his hands stuck firmly in his pockets. She stifled a grin. He looked like a little kid, overflowing with excitement to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

“Adam,” she called out.

He whirled around, a smile spreading rapidly across his face when he saw her.

“Sorry for the change of plans. I wanted to come pick you up at your house, but I had to get a few more things finished before dinner and I didn’t want us to miss our reservation time.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “It didn’t take me long to walk here, and it’s a beautiful evening.” She shivered. “Beautiful, but cold.”

His face took on a look of concern. “Let’s get inside then.”

He reached for her arm and led her inside. They only had to wait a few minutes for their table. When they arrived at their seats, she removed her coat, revealing her strappy black dress.

Adam’s eyes widened. “You look really beautiful tonight.” Then his eyes widened even further when he realized he may have stepped in it. “I mean, you always look beautiful, but tonight even more so.”

She smiled, and hung her jacket on the back of the chair before sitting down. “I knew what you meant.”

“Thanks,” he said, the redness fading from his face.

“So, what’s good to eat here?” She glanced at the menu.

“I’ve only been here once before, but I’m partial to seafood wherever I go. I’ve heard the salmon is excellent.”

“Hmm.” She scanned the menu, and then flipped it closed. “Seafood sounds good, but I’m craving pasta, so I think I’ll compromise and get the shrimp scampi.”

The waitress came over and they placed their orders.

Adam had been unusually silent about his quest to help her find her family. She knew he had been busy with his upcoming story about the logging industry, but if he wasn’t going to be able to research it for her, she wanted to know. She took a sip of water and then set her glass back on the table, lifting her gaze to meet his. “Have you made any progress down at the county about finding out who my family is?”

He suddenly became very interested in the dessert menu propped up against the sugar bowl on the table.

“Adam?” she prodded. “Did you hear me?”

He sighed. “I heard you.”

What was wrong? Why was he acting like this? He’d seemed gung ho about helping her before, so what had changed?

He finally lifted his eyes to meet hers. “I went down to the county a few days ago, and they were able to provide me with the information I needed.”

Excitement bubbled up in her chest. “So you know who they are?”

He averted his gaze. “Yes, I found out who your grandmother is.”

“So who is she?” Why would he not have told her if he had found her grandmother several days ago?

“I can’t tell you.”

“You can’t tell me. Why not?” A feeling of dread came over her. “Are my grandparents dead?” she asked in a whisper.

“Your grandfather passed away a few years ago, but your grandmother is alive and well.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me about her?” She stared at him. “She doesn’t want to see me, does she? I came all the way up here to see her and she wants nothing to do with me.”

His eyes widened. “No, it’s not that. It’s that…”

“That she doesn’t want to see me.” Angel finished.

“No. But I’m just not able to tell you who she is.”

She stared at him. She was so close to finding out who her family was, so close to having people who were related to her in her life, and now he wouldn’t even tell her who they were.

“You’re not able to tell me, or you don’t want to tell me?” She removed her napkin from her lap and set it on the table in front of her.

“I want to tell you. You’ve got to believe me.” Adam’s face was filled with panic.

“If you wanted to tell me, you would.” She picked up her purse and walked briskly out of the restaurant, tears spilling down her face. She thought she’d finally found a decent guy, but Adam was just like the rest of them—not to be trusted.

She walked home, fuming the entire way. It wasn’t until she walked in the door of her apartment that she realized she’d forgotten her jacket in the restaurant, but she wasn’t going to call Adam to get it back. Right now, she never wanted to see him again.

* * *

Angel lay in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Adam had lied to her about her family. But why? Why would he not tell her who they were? Could it really be that bad? Did he think so little of her that he thought she wouldn’t be able to handle knowing who her relatives were? She’d trusted him and he’d let her down.

She turned to the side and hugged the blankets close to her. Maybe the whole idea of moving to Candle Beach had been a bad idea. While she’d been upset that her mother had lied to her for her entire life, maybe it had been for the best. If she’d never found that photo, she wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t be feeling so rotten. Waves of pain washed over her. She’d thought Adam was someone she could trust. If he wasn’t, what about her other friends?

This wasn’t why she’d come to Candle Beach. Disappointment could have easily been found back in Los Angeles. She could go back to Southern California, but there wasn’t really anything tying her to it. Here, Maggie needed her at the café. Her boss had told her many times how happy she was with her work and how fortunate she felt to have Angel there. She’d given Angel a job when she desperately needed it, when she arrived in town without more than a couple of dollars in her checking account. Deserting Maggie now, when she was in the midst of opening up a new events venue, didn’t seem right.

She turned to the other side, ripping off the blankets. In her stocking feet, she padded over to the window. Gretchen’s house was dark, but the streetlights lit up the empty street on the other side of it. Beyond that, was the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Candle Beach was beautiful, and she would have liked to stay and give it a chance. But if she had no future with Adam, it might make it too awkward.

She filled the teakettle with water and set it on the stove to heat. As a child, whenever something had been bothering her, her mother had made her tea. They’d sit down at the kitchen table together and work out whatever was the matter. Whatever she’d found out about her mother after she died, she still loved her and missed her very much. She inhaled the strong peppermint aroma from the tea, the familiar scent reminding her even more of her mother. The pain of losing her hit Angel now, as fresh as it had been in the week after her mother’s death. Tears streamed down her face and onto the table.

Half a box of Kleenex later, she finished her tea and curled up in bed. This had been the worst day she’d had in a long time. Maybe things would look better in the morning.

* * *

The next day, Angel walked into the newspaper office, her face stony. Adam sucked in his breath. That was not the face of forgiveness.

“Hi.” She stood in front of him.

“Hi.” He walked around his desk and handed her the jacket she’d forgotten on their date.

“Thank you.” She took the jacket from him, then backed up a few steps and folded her arms across her chest, staring down at the ground. His heart leapt into his chest.

She was here to break up with him, he knew it.

“Angel—”

She cut him off. “This isn’t working. You know it and I know it.”

His shoulders slumped. “No, you have to listen to me.”

“What is there to listen to? You told me yourself that you knew something about my family, but you’re refusing to tell me about it. And you lied to me by not telling me you’d discovered them in the first place.”

“It’s not like that. I couldn’t tell you.”

“Of course not.” She shook her head, her hands gesticulating wildly. “Everyone is always keeping secrets from me, trying to protect me. Well, listen to this. I don’t need your protection.” Her chin jutted out and she glared at him defiantly.

“Angel…” he tried again. “Your grandmother— ”

“No, I don’t want to hear your excuses.” She pivoted and strode out the door without another word.

As the door slammed shut behind her, a pain shot through his chest. What had he done? Was it really worth it to keep Mary’s secret if it meant losing Angel? He’d thought he could do it, but now he wasn’t so sure. Not that it even mattered now. She’d been so mad at him that he wasn’t sure she’d ever talk to him again.