Gordon bent over the desk, adjusted his glasses, and fixed his gaze on the computer.

“There.” He pointed at movement in the corner of the screen. “There were two rabbits. Did you see them?”

“I did,” Amelia answered. “The second one, though—it looked somewhat scrawny, no?”

Nicole looked at where her boss had pointed, trying to focus. A few days ago, one of the cameras in the marsh picking up two rabbits together would have made her cry from joy. Today, seeing the animals made her mildly happy, but that was all.

Something else was on her mind and she didn’t know when she would start feeling normal again.

Saying goodbye to Aidan the day before had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. The fact that they hadn’t even known each other a whole week made it all the more ridiculous. How was it even possible to be so captivated by someone she’d just met? And they hadn’t given each other any promises, other than, ‘let’s stay in touch.’ As if random texts and video chats would keep a connection going.

Nicole dropped back from the desk, stepping closer to Gordon’s open office door. The other two were still chatting away and she took the opportunity to lean in the doorway and mull over things.

Thinking about Aidan while at work was going to make her tear up. Maybe she could volunteer to go out and check on the cameras again or something. Anything to get some fresh air and space.

The building’s front door opened and Nicole looked over as a man carrying a vase of red roses walked in. He stopped and talked to Marie at the front desk, then looked right at Nicole. He crossed the main room, heading for her.

“Nicole Carson?” he asked.

“Yes?” She straightened up.

“These are for you.” He unceremoniously handed her the vase of roses. “Oh, and this.”

Passing her a card as well, he turned and strode from the building.

“You got flowers!” Amelia exclaimed, leaving the computer screen. She gently cupped one of the roses and inhaled deep.

“I guess.” Nicole’s heart pounded. Was this Aidan’s way of saying goodbye?

“Open the card,” Amelia said.

Nicole bit the inside of her cheek. Reading a goodbye note from Aidan in front of the whole office seemed like a bad idea. The first word itself would likely undermine her whole Not-Breaking-Down-At-Work plan.

“Do you have an admirer?” Gordon asked.

Nicole took a deep breath. Now she couldn’t not open the card.

“Hold these, please.” She handed the vase to Amelia and broke the envelope’s seal.

The card was white, with gold trim and a painting of the beach on its front. Holding her breath, Nicole flipped it open, both afraid and thrilled to read it.

She glanced at the signature at the very bottom.

“It’s from Aidan,” she confirmed.

“Well, who else would it be from?” Amelia teased.

Nicole was too nervous to think of answering. Clearing her throat, she read in a low voice. “Nicole, so—surprise! I’m still in town. I will be for a while—at least I’m hoping. As it turns out, I might be as in love with this town as you are. Or maybe it’s the people here that I can’t seem to leave.”

She paused, her face burning and her heart feeling like it had spouted wings.

“Oh, wow.” Amelia sighed, squeezing Nicole’s shoulder.

At the desk, Gordon tapped away on the keyboard, but Nicole could tell by his cocked head that he was listening.

“Is there more?” Amelia asked.

“Please, have dinner with me tonight. Meet me at that little restaurant where we bumped into each other. Seven PM. Aidan.”

Amelia let out a light squeal. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen. At least that wasn’t in a movie.”

Nicole tried to bite back her smile, but it was no use. Aidan was staying in town! But why? Was it solely because of her?

“If he’s here for me, that’s a lot of pressure,” she said, twisting the card around in her hands.

“That’s on him.” Amelia set the vase on the long desk in the main area and turned back to face Nicole. “You didn’t ask him to stay here for you, right?”

“Of course I didn’t,” Nicole nearly cried.

Amelia’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “He really likes you, girl. It looks like we’re going to have to wrap up work early today.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because we have a date to get you ready for.”

Nicole dropped her face and pushed her fingers against her lips, embarrassed to be smiling so much. In her back pocket, her cell started buzzing. Slipping Aidan’s card into her other pocket, she pulled the phone out. Was it Aidan looking to confirm the date?

But no. It was her mother calling. Not only that, but the bar across the top of the phone showed several missed calls—all of which were, no doubt, from her.

“I’ll be right back.”

Hurrying down the hall, Nicole slipped into the bathroom. Normally, she wouldn’t take personal calls at work. She hadn’t spoken with her mom in two days, though, and if she didn’t answer right then, the calls would only keep coming.

“Hi, Mom,” Nicole whispered into the phone the second the bathroom door shut.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re all right!”

Nicole leaned against the sink. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, making sure to keep her voice low. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because I called you three times and you didn’t answer.”

“I’ve only had my phone on me for, like, the last ten minutes. It was in my purse before that. What’s up? Is everything okay?”

She really didn’t want to say that last word. Asking her mom if everything was okay basically meant inviting chaos in. But how else was she able to show she cared?

Victoria Williams sighed long and deep. “I need your help, pumpkin. It’s this stupid spare room. You know, the one across from your bedroom. With the lavender paint in it.”

“Yes.” Nicole shot a look at the door, half-afraid Gordon was out there. Maybe he wouldn’t be angry over her being on the phone, but she still didn’t like the way it made her look. The best thing would be to end this call as soon as possible.

“What’s going on with the room?” Nicole asked.

“All of that stuff needs to be taken out of it. Everything. The paintings. The boxes of old clothes. There are books, too. Name it and it’s probably there. I need you to come and help me.”

Nicole cringed. “Mom, you know I’m on this internship. It doesn’t end for two more months.”

“Can’t they give you a few days off?”

“Mom, I just got here.”

“Oh, Nicole,” she cried. “Am I supposed to do this all by myself?”

“Why can’t Annie do it?”

“She’s only the housekeeper. That’s not her job. Also, it’s family stuff in there. No one else should be touching it.”

Nicole shook her head at herself in the mirror. This could go on for the next hour or two.

“Mom, once I get home the first thing we’ll do is tackle that room.”

“But that’s so far away. Aren’t you going to come see me before then? Or I can come there. I need to see the place you’re staying at, anyway. I don’t like the idea of you there all alone without me knowing that house is safe.”

Nicole felt heaviness in her chest. After her parents’ marriage fell apart, Victoria relied on her for support and, even though she was still a kid, she was forced to put her mother’s needs ahead of her own. This internship was the first time in her life that she’d done what she believed was right for her despite her mother’s protests.

“Let’s figure something out, Mom. Right now, though, I need to get back to work.” Nicole hesitated, considering telling her mother about the flowers from Aidan. The whole thing was so exciting she wanted to shout about it to every person she knew.

But the words rested in the base of her throat. She could guess what her mother would say. A boy, huh? Let’s hope he’s not like your father. Or, Watch yourself, Nicole. Men are only looking out for themselves.

Nicole didn’t want to hear any of that. Not that day. Not about Aidan.

“I love you, Mom. Let’s talk—” Nicole paused. She was about to say ‘tonight,’ but that night she’d be with Aidan. “Later this afternoon,” she finished.

“Love you too, pumpkin.”

Nicole hung up and noticed that, for some reason, her hands were shaking.