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We’d just settled with our coffee when Anya’s phone buzzed. Her grim expression told me all I needed to know.

“He’s watching us.”

I scowled, glancing around Harbor Brews.

“Not now, but this morning. He saw us meet with Captain Nick. I’m going to confirm a meet time for this afternoon.”

“The sooner we can put this behind us, the better.” I squeezed her hand. “Then we can start our future. Together.”

Chapter 26 – Anya

Owen’s message read:looks like you’ve found our man. When can I meet him?

The idea of him watching me at the docks made me sick to my stomach. It also meant he’d probably spotted Drew. Fear flickered. Owen had always been too pragmatic for jealousy. Maybe because he’d been using me. But if he thought he could manipulate me by threatening Drew, he would.

Owen had been smart enough not to claim to love me or mention our unofficial breakup when we spoke before. I figured disappearing and changing my name sent a clear message. But if he watched me meet with Agent Harris this morning at the docks, he had to have noticed I’d replaced him with an upgrade. Drew was everything Owen was not: honest. Trustworthy.

I set the meet for seven and texted Agent Harris the details. Now, all we had to do was wait and hope Owen took the bait.

“What do you want to do today?” Drew asked.

We needed a distraction. Something to keep me from stewing about introducing Owen and Agent Harris.

“How about you show me the farm? I’ve always wanted a tour.”

“You have?” Drew seemed surprised by my suggestion.

“You’re kind of a big deal around here. I’ve always been curious.”

His slow smile of pleasure sent my heart flipping in my chest. “Sure. I can run you through the process this morning.”

I’d been to the farm before with Violet, but only for brief visits. Mostly when she needed to drop off something for her mom or pick up stock for the shop.

The Fenwick family homestead glowed like a beacon under the spring sky. Lights shone from the dormer lights above the broad front porch. The overall impression was of natural cedar shingles and glass, the multi-story family home warm and welcoming. The large house would look out of place in town, but nestled among the rolling hills of the inner island, it fit perfectly.

Drew drove past the main house, parking in front of the administrative building next to the evaporation houses. We walked through each greenhouse, Drew showing me the crystallization process as we toured houses with older batches of saltwater. He explained how he harvested hundreds of gallons of saltwater, depositing the briny liquid in shallow pools in the evaporation houses, then let time and sunlight do the heavy lifting. Over weeks, the water evaporated, leaving mineral-rich sea salt ready for harvest. The crystals were stunning, intricate patterns and shapes more beautiful than I’d imagined glistening on the top of the water. The surface in the final house looked like frozen ice.

“There’s still a bit of brine beneath the surface, but this batch is ready for processing.” Drew’s pride in his operation was well-earned.

“It’s beautiful.”

I could sense his gaze on me. “Mmhm.” He extended his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you where we create the blends.” He walked me through the rest of their production process and packaging. Boxes of Island Salts lined the shelves in their small warehouse.

“How much of this gets sold through Vi’s shop in town?” I asked.

“She’ll go through at least a case a month of each blend and two cases of our signature sea salt. The rest is for online orders or local distribution. We run a weekly truck to the mainland to serve those customers.”

His passion shone, animating his voice as he spoke in more detail about the blending process and packaging design. I loved seeing him nerd out. It was adorable.

“You really enjoy the salt business, don’t you?” I asked.

“I do. I have dreams for expansion, but I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

“You should be.”

He checked his watch. “Want to grab lunch? I bet Gran has something good in the fridge.”

“Now I see why your family calls you a freeloader,” I teased.