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Changing your plan midstream isn’t failing. It just feels like it is.

M eg glanced around the empty bookstore Wednesday night and pulled out her laptop. At breakfast her mom had asked her to work another shift. The good news was she didn’t have anything else to do. So she’d said yes.

She’d finished all the tasks on her mom’s list for the day.

She’d even made a sign for a counter display announcing L.

C. Aster’s newest signed book. Her mother needed to add more Pacific Northwest authors to her signed collection.

Maybe Meg should focus on writing a proposal that included a list of possible in-person signing events.

Her mom was paying her to be here. She might as well find a way to bring in more customers.

And a writing group. And maybe a book club?

The island had enough full-time residents to fill a weekly event night.

Maybe that would give the area’s singles, like Luna and, yes, Irene, a place to meet up that wasn’t church or the bonfire.

Heaven, hell, or a book club—all meet cute starts for couples in romance novels.

Instead, she decided to work on Lilly’s next assignment.

A list of mystery bookstores in the United States.

She decided to make the country an autofill cell that she could change if she found new bookstores.

That way, Lilly—or more likely Jolene, or whoever she hired to set up the book launch events—could sort by location.

For a second, she realized that person might be her.

Meg liked the idea of working full-time for Lilly.

If she could figure out the benefits part.

Maybe Lilly paid for health insurance for her employees.

She needed to stop putting up walls to block her dreams. She could deal with the specifics if the dream came true.

She continued configuring the Excel sheet to fit the needs of a writer or assistant. Thank goodness for the classes in computer programs she’d taken at the start-up. She didn’t know how to code, but at least she knew how the different office programs worked.

Setting a system up took longer than she’d expected, and suddenly, her stomach was growling. She hadn’t had a customer in over three hours, but she had a workable spreadsheet into which she could start inputting data.

First, she needed food. Neither Natasha nor Dalton had shown up with dinner, so she called in a delivery order for Chinese food.

Then she fed Watson and, after locking the front door, took him for a short walk.

They made it back before the food arrived, and when it did, she sat on the couch and ate.

While she ate, she scanned through her email. She had something from the college admission office saying her application had been received and was being processed, but she was welcome to take part-time classes this summer, before the process was complete. She hadn’t even opened the class schedule.

She had four emails from Romain. All with the subject line We need to talk.

She ignored them. She thought about deleting them, but she’d read them later.

He had been nice enough to return the ring.

She could read a few emails, especially if he was begging for her to come back.

It wouldn’t happen, but it would make her feel a bit better that he knew he’d messed up.

She checked her online calendar. She wasn’t scheduled to see Lilly next week, but Lilly had asked her to email Jolene her hours for the week.

And her bookstore hours were back to normal. Well, except for tomorrow morning.

She needed something else to keep her busy.

Dalton, Natasha, Aunt Melody, and even her mom had filled her hours the first few weeks after she moved home.

Now it was time for her to act like she lived here and wasn’t visiting and expecting people to entertain her.

She had the guidebook to write, but she could work on it for only a couple of hours a day before her brain started to fry.

Besides, she needed to do something that didn’t feel like work.

In Seattle, on nights when Romain worked late, she’d gone to shows, grabbed coffee, or gone shopping with friends. Friends that now hadn’t even called in weeks. Did they think that being cheated on was catching? Or, more likely, had their friendship been one of convenience versus true connection?

As she finished her fried rice, she pulled out the summer catalog that was in her tote and looked at the available classes.

Before, with her dad’s urging, she’d been focused on getting a degree in business.

Now she wasn’t sure that was in the cards for her.

Instead, she found a class called The History of Mystery.

Bonus, she needed the English elective. It was being held for six weeks, on Monday and Wednesday mornings.

She wouldn’t have to change her work hours at all.

Of course, at the bookstore, changing her hours would mean the store would be closed on nights she couldn’t work.

Not a great way to pay back her mom for giving her a job.

She was getting ready to close the shop when Dalton’s text arrived.

Cissy’s working the Seattle ticket booth tonight if you still want to talk to her about Robert Meade. She hasn’t talked to your uncle yet. Hurry and get down here. The ferry’s just coming into the dock.

Meg quickly typed an acknowledgment telling him she was on her way, and got her bag and Watson out the door.

She locked up and hurried down to the ferry.

As they walked, Watson kept looking back, as if asking why they weren’t on the road home.

After the third time, she laughed and rubbed his head.

“We’re taking a boat ride tonight. We’ll be home soon, in time for your favorite remodel show. ”

The walk-on line for the ferry was short. Tourists were already back in Seattle, and residents were ready to call it a night. Unless they worked a night shift. The woman in front of her turned, and she realized it was Violet. “Hey, are you heading in to work or play?”

Violet frowned, then recognized Watson and, finally, Meg. “Sorry. It’s always weird to see someone out of context. You’re Dalton’s new girl, Meg, right?”

“Dalton and I are friends. I grew up on the island and moved back.” She pulled on Watson’s leash, and he sat, waiting to board. Meg tried her question again. “Do you work in Seattle?”

“Yeah, I took on an evening shift to try to save money for my own place. I’m moving back in with my parents again.

Nate and I broke up.” She glanced out toward the island.

“I’m a little shell-shocked. I thought we were on the path to something permanent.

Then he tells me he’s been seeing someone on the side and I need to move out. ”

Meg felt for Violet. Of course, she’d had the same experience—well, almost—a month before. “I’m so sorry. I know how you feel. My fiancé basically left me at the altar. Now he’s hanging around, trying to talk and, I guess, make up. I’m not buying it, though. I’m better off without him.”

Violet blinked several times, staring at Meg. “Oh, I didn’t know. Luna said you and Dalton were dating, and I figured you must have met in Seattle. Especially after Nate said you were working for L. C. Aster.”

“My aunt knows her and got me the job when I decided to move home. I’m also working for my mom at the bookstore.

I’m living in an apartment over my aunt’s garage.

So yeah, it’s kind of a setback. But I’m glad I found out now and not after we had a kid or a house.

” Meg saw Dalton walking toward them. “Maybe it’s a restart, not a setback.

You should come by the bookstore some night when you’re not working. I bet we have a lot in common.”

Violet glanced behind her at Dalton walking up to them. She turned back and smiled. “I’ll do that. Just be straight with him if you’re not interested. He’s a super nice guy.”

When Dalton reached them, he smiled at Violet. “Long time, no see. Are you heading into Seattle for some fun?”

“No, work, I’m afraid.” She nodded at Meg, taking out her phone. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Sounds good.” Meg turned to Dalton. “You didn’t have to come get us. I know how to get on the ferry.”

“Yeah, but I have permission to take you up to the captain’s deck. I think you’ll love the view.” He took her arm and turned back to Violet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be here, and I only got permission for Meg.”

Violet looked up from her phone. “You’re a good man, Dalton. Go get ahead of the crowd.”

As they walked down the enclosed dock toward the ferry, Dalton glanced behind them once. “I’m missing something.”

Meg told him about Nate breaking up with Violet. “She was blindsided.”

“Honestly, I am, too. I didn’t think Nate had it in him to cheat on Violet. She’s too good for him.” Dalton opened a door once they were on the ferry, and they climbed the stairs. “I’m beginning to think my sex are all idiots.”

“Except you,” Meg teased.

He met her gaze, then dropped it. “Yes, except me.”

The ride to Seattle was fun. Meg learned a lot from the crew as they maneuvered toward the Seattle skyline. As they got closer, Meg watched the captain and Dalton lock gazes, and then she was hustled downstairs to the main deck.

“Sorry. Jim was breaking all kinds of rules letting you up there, so we needed to get you down before anyone found out. I was in the Coast Guard with him. He’s a stand-up guy.

” Dalton walked her to a side chair where she could still see the lights of Seattle.

“We can sit here until we dock. Then I’ll take you to meet Cissy.

I’ll have to leave you there, so don’t miss the ferry back. ”

“Watson would kill me. He already thinks it’s past his bedtime.” Meg reached down and rubbed his head. “Thanks for doing this.”