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He caught my gaze with a penetrating stare. His brown eyes seemed to see straight through my soul, ferreting out my secrets. The flare of unwanted attraction I couldn’t quite hide. I couldn’t break away. My breath quaked in my chest, seizing up at his thoughtful expression. Sure he knew he’d affected me and guessed the rest of my secrets with a single, sweeping glance.

“Honey, you’ve got to dress better for the bluffs. Get some hot tea in you and rest. I’ll come check on you later.”

Relief made me sink into his hands, slumping toward his chest. He wrapped me in his arms, holding me tight. My cheek snuggled into his broad chest like the spot was made for me. I should have been embarrassed by my moment of weakness, but his heat blasted me like a furnace. For the first time in an hour, I felt warm.

“You’ll be fine,” he grumbled softly, his tone throaty. “Let Vi drive you home.”

My cheeks turned pink. He probably thought I was pathetically frail, thrown by the morning’s discovery. But that was still better than him learning the truth: I was relieved he hadn’t taken one look into my eyes and sussed out my past.

I took a shuddery breath, building my courage. Peeling back, I avoided his gaze, focusing instead on his mouth. “Thanks, Drew.”

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Lucy called. “It’s colder than Satan’s heart out here. We don’t all have handsome men keeping us warm.”

Drew backed away, and I shifted, swinging toward Lucy, who stood impatiently by my SUV.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” Vi chided gently.

“No, Lucy’s right. I’ve got to go help cover for Zach. Isa is probably drowning in orders all by herself if the ferry’s running late,” Rae said.

Drew turned toward the other members of the search and rescue team. I watched a beat too long as his stride ate up the distance between him and his crew. He’d shifted into work mode, hopefully forgetting all about me.

Chapter 2 – Anya

We were silent on the drive back into town, consumed by our own thoughts. Our own worries. I could only hope we were wrong, that we’d spotted some misshapen debris, not human remains. But the navy bundle had looked eerily like a man in a rain jacket and jeans.

I shuddered. Mother Nature presented most of the dangers on the island: high winds bringing down trees, swift currents and shipping lanes, and all the perils that came with a semi-remote island. Every few years we had a boating accident or something similar that made headlines, but it was usually reckless tourists falling prey to Mother Nature’s wrath. Not locals. Not someone we might know.

Friday Harbor was sleepy, an easy drive with no streetlights. Our busy season hadn’t truly started. It’d be June before town filled with tourists eager to browse the island’s shops and explore its parks. I felt lucky to have found the small community last year. Island life suited me. The slow pace. The quiet. Wewere isolated. Not impossible to reach, but difficult. It made me feel safe.

I drove up the hill, past the hardware store and the moped rental place, parking in our driveway. The house I shared with Violet was cozy and cute. We were only a few blocks from the heart of town, which made walking to the coffee shop better than fighting for parking. Especially if the ferries were loading or the overflow lots were full, the drive to the coffee shop could take an hour.

“Everyone want to come to Harbor Brews with me?” Rae asked.

Vi, Lucy, and I nodded. I snuggled deeper into Drew’s coat as we shuffled down the hill to the waterfront and Zach’s coffee shop. The faint whiff of his soap made me wonder how they were faring on the trail. I’d probably have to wait for an update until after my yoga class.

Harbor Brews & Beans had prime real estate overlooking the marina. The small storefront was part coffee shop, part bookstore and all cozy. Shelves crowded with every genre lined one wall, creating a kaleidoscope of color. Any time the mainland lost power, so did we. Zach did a brisk business selling books in winter months, and the tourist crowd kept him hopping during summer.

Isa, his barista, was battling her way through a line that stretched from the coffee counter to the door. A handful of locals carried their own to-go cups. The walk-on ferry riders were easy to spot with their luggage.

Rae beelined for the counter, slipping into a Harbor Brews apron. Isa shot her a grateful smile. Together, they made quick work of the line, dispensing lattes, bagels, and friendly chatter.

We placed our orders when we reached the front. A handful of couples had claimed tables inside and outside, but I snagged the last large table indoors while Rae and Isa worked on our drinks.

Rae settled into a deep blue velvet chair across from me, blowing gently on her mug of coffee when she joined us. Vi lounged in the chair to her right, and Lucy had arranged herself artfully in her own seat. With her dark black hair and stocking cap, she epitomized the Pacific Northwest coffee shop vibe.

“Any news from Zach or Drew?” Lucy asked Rae.

Rae pulled her phone from her back pocket. “Text from Zach. Looks like it’s…” Her face leached of color, her eyes standing out in glittering contrast.

My chest seized. I’d been carefully not thinking about this morning. Pretending we were out on a normal coffee date.

“It’s my cousin.”

“Jordan?” Violet asked, her expression sympathetic. “I’m so sorry, Rae.”

Rae’s eyes welled with tears.

I wanted to reach through the phone and slap Zach for the casual cruelty of that text. Instead, I fumbled for Rae’s hand, gripping her fingers.