Katherine stood on the front porch, chatting with two guests that were staying a couple more days. There weren’t many bookings this time of year. Molly usually tried to sneak past when Katherine was playing hostess, but more often than not the woman brought her into the conversation. That was how she knew the husband and wife, laughing and sipping what was most likely tea, were here from New Jersey on business. Molly waved to all three of them and took the path down to her home. Their home. Her smile widened and the sound of a saw cut through the air.
Instead of going through the front door, she went around the side of the cottage that mirrored the main house and found Sam Alderich. He was not only an adored member of the community and Katherine’s son but a magician of sorts. Somehow, he’d made Molly believe in words like “forever” and “always.” They’d moved in together not long ago and though she’d had a few sleepless nights wondering if they were rushing, she couldn’t deny that with Sam was her favorite place to be.
When the saw stopped, Sam straightened from the hunched position he’d been in and examined the cut.
“It’s looking good,” Molly called out so she wouldn’t surprise him as she came through the back gate.
He turned and the smile he gave her made her heart catch. How? How did he do that every time? Sam set down the wood and walked over to her, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.
“It looks fantastic now,” he said with a grin.
She poked him in the admirably hard stomach and laughed. “Charmer.”
“Doesn’t mean it isn’t true. How are you?”
“I’m good. Glad to be home,” she said, not wanting to get into the day just yet. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.
He hugged her tight, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m a little dusty. You’re going to get dirty.”
“Totally worth it.” She snuggled into his chest.
Her back screen door shut and footsteps clomped their way. “Break time is over. Knock off the PDA,” Chris, Sam’s best friend and the acting sheriff of Britton Bay, said.
He handed Sam a can of cola and popped the tab on his own.
Molly stepped back and gave him a mock glare. “I’ll remember that in a half hour when we go help Sarah on set.”
Chris grinned and took a long drink. When he lowered the can, he reached out and tugged a strand of Molly’s hair. She’d never had siblings but she imagined the affection and irritation she felt toward Chris was a good sample of what it would have been like.
“I’m the law around here. I have different rules,” Chris said.
Sam snorted out a laugh and took a drink of his own soda. “Nice try, man.” He hooked a finger in one of Molly’s belt loops and tugged her closer. “You’re still okay to go work on the set even after what happened today?”
Molly shook her head. “Why does this town even bother with internet? How on earth did you find out about Clay? I presume that’s what you’re talking about?”
Chris chuckled, set his pop down. “Will you always underestimate the local grapevine?” He began cleaning up the tools and wood. Sam and Chris were building a covered deck off of the back of the cottage.
“I don’t. I know how fast it is, but really, how?” She stood with both hands on her hips while the two men cleaned up.
Sam winked at her. “Chris stopped in at Bella’s to get some donuts to take to Sarah. Dean was grabbing a coffee, mentioned it to him.”
Molly rolled her eyes and headed for the back door. “I’m not sure The Bulletin is even necessary. We’ll be lucky if we can keep your mom’s party a secret.” She shook her head again. “I’m going to walk Tigger and then we’ll head over?”
“Sounds good,” Sam called after her. She heard the two men chatting and laughing through the screen door as it swung shut behind her.
Tigger, her adorable mixed-breed black and white dog, bounded out of his bed in the corner of the living area and barrelled toward Molly. It was quite comical, really, the way his legs moved faster than the rest of his body. He flopped down once in his efforts to torpedo her with affection. Going down on her knees, she rubbed his back and then his belly when he rolled over.
“Oh my goodness. It’s like we’ve been apart for years. How are you, buddy? You good? Oh, I missed you, too. How about tomorrow you come to work with me?”
Work was where they’d found each other. The little guy had startled her behind The Bulletin when she’d parked and heard a strange noise by the dumpster. They’d adopted each other and Molly had been secretly thrilled when no one claimed the stray pup.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk,” Molly said, getting up and going to the front door, the pup at her heels. Tigger’s love of walks worked in Molly’s favor since she was addicted to Calli and Dean’s sea salt fries and the lemon loaf her friend Bella served at Morning Muffins.
“Just a quick one, bud,” Molly said as they left through the front door. Despite the rumors she’d heard about the tension on set, she was eager to see the progress and meet the infamous Magnolia Sweet.
* * * *
Unless she stuck to the forested trails and away from the beach, no walk—with or without Tigger—was ever quick. Right after Molly had arrived in the small coastal town right outside of Portland, she’d found walking paths that allowed for privacy and went all through the hills along the beach. But the truth was, she preferred walking on the beach to walking beside it. Which inevitably meant stopping to chat with tourists and locals.
Tigger did not mind at all. Like her, he was a people person…or people dog. The trail from Katherine’s house took her to a set of stairs that led down to a quieter area of the beach. She’d start there and head up to Main Street. Tigger loved the attention. He yanked on the leash, stopping Molly in her tracks and growled at a piece of driftwood partially covered by the sand.
Molly bent to retrieve it. “Really? You trying to show the stick who’s boss?” She waved it in front of him, laughing at the way his tail wagging made his whole butt move. “Not so scary now, huh?” She glanced around quick and saw that there was no one close by. “One throw. That’s it.” She tossed the stick and let go of the leash at the same time, laughing when he momentarily got distracted by the leash following him. The tide was in but Molly didn’t have much distance to her throw so it didn’t matter. She remembered that Sam had been telling her about a summer baseball tournament he was part of. He’d asked if she wanted to join.
“I’ll need to work on my throw a bit,” she said out loud as the dog trotted back, tripping only once over his leash.
“Good boy. Look at you, conquering that mean stick.” Grabbing the leash, they carried on with their walk. The sun was starting to set over the ocean, the colors blurring across the sky as the wind picked up. She loved the sound of the waves and the smell of the water. Surprisingly, to her at least, she loved the feeling that Britton Bay was home.
Molly stopped along the beach twice, once to let a little girl pet Tigger, simultaneously begging her moms for a dog. Both women shared amused glances with Molly while also loving Tigger up. They didn’t say yes to their daughter’s request, but Molly grinned when she walked away and realized they hadn’t said no either. The second time was to say hello to one of the locals who was heading back from the pier, a fishing rod over his shoulder.
Molly loved the cadence of it