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“I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.”

– Oprah Winfrey

“I swear, the man is such a snack, all I could do was drool,”

Plumeria said, shaking her head as she folded the pile of t-shirts and arranged them neatly.

“If I hadn’t been on a date, I would’ve totally tried to approach him last night at Sunfish. How have you not met him yet, Sierra?”

Sierra Lourde grinned at her new part-timer, a college student who adored fashion and wanted to study retail. Her youthful energy brought a welcome spark to Flirt, even though she had no experience and needed training.

“My sister has been trying to set us up, but we keep missing each other. He may be a little old for you though, right?”

Plumeria sighed, her dark eyes dreamy.

“Who cares? I don’t want to marry him.”

One of the customers overheard their conversation and cut in.

“I agree with Plumeria. I told my cousin to take one of those wild horse tours so she could meet him. Besides being attractive, he’s the sweetest man. Do you know he’s been the most active volunteer for Judy with the sea turtles?”

Brooklyn, her manager and close friend, called out from behind the register.

“I heard that, too. Plus, he’s been helping Marco install a whole new financial software program since the store is doing so well. I can’t believe he’s from New York. He fit in so quickly here.”

“Maybe he’ll stay,”

Sierra said, amused at the enthusiastic gossip. The Outer Banks may be a stretch of gorgeous beach that beckoned endless tourists, but Corolla was a small town. The locals loved an interesting newcomer, especially a mysterious, gorgeous man like Kane Masterson.

In a short amount of time, Kane had captured the town’s attention. Seems he’d appeared one day at Brick’s door and began working for Ziggy’s Tours, showing tourists the wild horses. Her sister, Aspen, had come for a summer visit from New York and began dating Brick, so she’d been quickly charmed by his best friend. Women were crazed to date Kane, but every time Aspen pushed her to meet him, Sierra backed off.

She wasn’t interested in chasing after the town’s hottest bachelor.

She wasn’t interested in any man right now.

“Maybe you’ll actually give this one a shot,”

Brooklyn said cheerfully.

“Lord knows, you’ve turned down every other single guy around here.”

Sierra gave her friend a warning look.

“Don’t start, or I’ll declare a clearance sale and

make you work late. Our customers don’t need to know about my love life.”

“What love life?”

Plumeria and the lone customer laughed. Sierra drew in a breath, though she was used to her friend’s ribbing.

“Let’s focus on the lunch rush and making some sales, shall we? I’m sure Kane Masterson will still be around at closing.”

On cue, the cheery sound of the bell alerted the influx of a new group of customers.

Sierra happily fell into her daily routine of running Flirt, her beloved shop she’d created from scratch.

The buzz of happy conversation mingled with the scent of lavender.

Soothed from the feminine energy bursting around her, Sierra’s gaze swept over the space with pride.

The boutique was located in Duck, set beside a café and toy store close to the busy center of town.

When she first decided to open her own business, she knew she’d never be able to afford the spaces by the water, but she’d gotten lucky snagging this last commercial spot near the action.

Sierra signed her lease at a time when the landlord just wanted his last empty store filled.

Flirt was filled with unique clothing, jewelry, and accessories with a beach vibe.

There were no cheap T-shirts or mugs here.

Instead, shelves displayed delicate perfume bottles, jewelry boxes, and candles.

Artwork by local artists was strategically placed on the walls.

Sierra knew décor was one of the most important draws for a store, so it was roomy enough to move and everywhere a customer looked, something grabbed the eye.

Bold color, a glittery stone, the mix of jade or wood, an elegant curve to a candlestick; it was not only a clothing shop, but an experience.

Sierra wanted each item to serve a shopper’s impulsive ways and wandering gaze.

God, so much had changed these past few years.

When her ex-husband had first dragged her out here from New York, she’d struggled.

She’d wanted to be near Aspen, but he’d gotten a big job at a well-respected wealth firm, and Sierra knew she had no choice.

He’d been the moneymaker.

Sierra had barely graduated after her parents’ death, managing to squeak by with a sociology degree.

Yeah.

That’d been a real smart move.

She ended up in Corolla with no friends, no family, and no job.

How many years did she struggle to make a beautiful home and become what her husband needed? How long did she struggle to figure out what she really wanted in life?

Now, she had carved out her own path, with a tight group of friends, her sister, and a thriving business.

It was a long way from the unsure, lost woman who’d just discovered her husband cheating, blowing every part of her life to smithereens.

Sierra had never believed fashion could be her career.

In her head, people who ran shops went to the Fashion Institute or knew secret things about the industry, but once she began working at a boutique after the divorce, Sierra quickly figured out most of the staff had no clue.

It took her under a year to know more about running the place than the owner, and when she spoke up too many times, she’d gotten fired.

It was one of the best things to happen.

Sierra loaded up on business and online master classes, then applied for a bank loan to open her own place. It was as if the universe had finally opened up the path clearly before her, removing all obstacles. And now Flirt was a success. She’d built a steady client base, even during the off-season, and woke up energized to start her day.

If only she had someone to share it.

Pushing the thought out of her mind, she refocused on the responsibilities of the day.

Groups were already flowing through the aisles and clustered around the jewelry cases.

Brooklyn chatted up some teens who were trying on charm necklaces, complimenting them all with her usual warm energy.

Plumeria worked the register, and the hours passed by in a blur.

Finally, there was a lull, and Brooklyn walked over.

“Plumeria, go take your break. I appreciate you staying with me during the rush.”

The girl lit up at the praise.

“No problem. Hey, do you think you can put the new silver hoop earrings aside for me? I get a discount, right?”

Brooklyn grinned.

“Thirty percent. The Jasmine Concept collection, right?”

“Yes, they’re so dope.”

Sierra laughed.

“I just persuaded her to give me more of her stuff. We’ll definitely keep them for you but don’t make me put a limit on your purchases. You need college tuition.”

Plumeria gave a cheeky grin.

“But I need to look good first. See ya later.”

She strode out, her distressed denim jeans, cute crop top, and dark braids the perfect walking advertisement for Flirt.

Brooklyn sighed.

“Remember us at that age?”

“Nope.”

Her friend shook her head, walking to the back to pull her salad from the refrigerator.

“Well, I do. I was partying nonstop, and in love with someone new every month. I was also worried about the future, and thinking I wasn’t skinny or fabulous enough. What a waste.”

Sierra began refolding graphic t-shirts with signature quotes.

“Youth is wasted on the young, remember? Can’t tell them anything because they need to experience it, just like we did. At least you settled down and married a nice Jewish man like your Mama wanted.”

Brooklyn sat down and popped opened her Tupperware.

“Trust me, she was worried for a while. She loves Greg more than me by the way she acts around him. Like he did me this huge favor by marrying him.”

“Did he?”

Sierra teased.

Brooklyn gave her a mock glare.

“Funny. Speaking of marriage, I wanted to see if you’d be open to meeting someone.”

“Oh, hell, no. Not after the last so-called meeting you tried to trick me with.”

“Come on, Sierra! How was I supposed to know the guy still lived in the basement at his mom’s house? Greg said he had just gotten a promotion and was moving up the corporate ladder.”

“I’m not starring in Failure to Launch. I’m tired of blind dates and trying to force connections. I’m happier staying home. The universe will send me my person when I’m ready.”

Brooklyn stared.

“Did you get a brain transplant? Because trusting anything other than your own power is not what you do. You make things happen, remember? You believe in yourself.”

Sierra straightened the candles on the shelf.

“Please tell me I don’t say that crap. Sounds like a self-help influencer. If a man is meant to be mine, he’ll show up at my doorstep or deliver my pizza or—I don’t know—just appear! Until then, I’m thinking of making a big move and want your advice.”

“I’m here. And yes, you should definitely get on a dating app.”

“Brooklyn, this is serious. I’m talking real commitment serious.”

Blue eyes widened and she nodded.

“Okay. I’m ready. Tell me.”

“I may get a…cat.”

Brooklyn blinked.

“Are you kidding?”

“No. God, just the thought of it makes me nervous, but somehow, it feels right to take this next step? Bring a living creature into my home that I have to take care of. It’d be a rescue, of course. I haven’t even mentioned this crazy plan to Aspen. What do you think?”

Brooklyn slumped in her seat and focused on her salad, looking disappointed.

“I think your announcement sucks. I’m afraid if you get a cat, you’ll never leave the house again.”

Sierra laughed.

“Childless cat ladies can rule the world in their own way.”

“Okay, you got me there.”

“Getting a cat will go with my new philosophy. Maybe I’ll meet a childless cat guy and we can live happily ever after.”

“You’re so weird.”

That got them both laughing, and then new customers came in. The rest of the afternoon was busy until late evening, and by the time they closed, Sierra was ready to collapse. Unfortunately, she had a ton of spreadsheets waiting for her so it’d be a long night. Maybe it was time to hire a bookkeeper. Her profit margins were healthy, but taking on another employee was a huge step. She looked at anyone who worked at Flirt as her responsibility, and she’d hate to hire too quickly if the budget got squeezed. Offseason was always the tightest time on the island, and her landlord had been acting strange lately. She had a feeling rent was going up, but every time she tried to pin him down on re-signing her lease, he made an excuse and disappeared.

Her Spidey senses were tingling. And not in a good way.

She reminded herself things were going perfectly. She loved her life, though watching her sister and Brick fall hard for each other set off a deep longing she didn’t know how to soothe. She was happy for Aspen, but wondered if she’d ever be able to truly let another person in again.

Her thoughts flashed to him.

A shiver raced down her spine. The one night she’d let herself go and experience the type of passion her parents embodied. The type of surrender written about in books and movies that promised happily ever after but mostly led to disaster. The memory of that night was a constant companion, but belonged in Pandora’s box, never to be flung wide open. She’d walked away, sensing if she stayed, her life would have been led off course.

Losing her parents and experiencing a divorce taught her two valuable lessons she wasn’t about to repeat.

She was never chosen.

And everyone left.

The thought was a pang in her gut, but she was used to smothering the feeling. Better to stop the endless dating cycle and be happy on her own. But it was definitely time to push herself to make a new commitment to something that could offer growth.

After all, her marriage may not have worked out, but her shoe collection?

Worth the care, investment, and patience. It was legendary.

A cat may be the perfect next step.

Sierra was almost ready to take the leap.