Page 23 of A Brambleberry Summer

Logan’s face lit up. “Can we go, Dad? And can Rosa come with us?”

Wyatt cleared his throat, his mind suddenly full of images of warm tropical nights and soft, flower-scented breezes.

“That would be fun. But Rosa has a busy job here. She probably wouldn’t have time.”

Logan seemed unconcerned. “Maybe we could go with Aunt Carrie, Uncle Joe and Bella. That would be fun, too.”

Not as fun as Hawaii or Honduras with Rosa, but, of course, Wyatt couldn’t say that. To his relief, a moment later Logan’s attention was diverted from snorkeling and travel when he saw another friend from school ride up to the taco truck along with her parents on bikes.

“There’s my friend Sadie,” he announced. “I need to tell her something.”

He handed the leash to Wyatt and hurried over to talk to his friend. Wyatt realized that left him alone at the table to make conversation with Rosa.

“What part of Honduras are you from?”

He didn’t miss the way she tensed a little, then seemed to force herself to relax. “A small fishing village near the coast. I left when I was a teenager.”

“How did you go from a small village in Honduras to living at Brambleberry House and running a gift shop on the Oregon coast?”

She shrugged. “A long story. The short version is thatmi TiaAnna is part owner of the house, along with her friend Sage. Anna and her husband live in Portland while Sage and her family spend most of their time in California. Anna needed someone to run the gift shop for her. I have a retail marketing degree and was working a job I didn’t enjoy that much in Park City.”

“Utah?”

“Yes. Have you been there?”

“No. I’m not much of a skier. My parents used to take us to Mount Hood when I was a kid. I never really enjoyed it.”

She smiled a little. “I do not ski, either. It seems a silly pastime to me.”

“I guess some people like the thrill. You’re not an adrenaline junkie?”

“No. Not me. I have had enough adventure for a lifetime, thank you.”

He wanted to pursue that line of questioning but didn’t have a chance as Logan and their food arrived at the picnic table at the same time.

They had never really made a conscious decision to eat together, but it somehow felt natural, especially as their dogs were nestled together and had become fast friends.

What happened to Hank’s restlessness? Wyatt wondered. Right now, the dog did not look like he wanted to move.

The food was as good as always, the chicken flavorful and the salsa spicy.

He spent a moment helping Logan get situated, then turned his attention back to Rosa. “So you were saying you lived in Utah but you don’t like to ski. And that you have had enough adventure and aren’t an adrenaline junkie.”

She took a drink of thehorchatashe had ordered. “Utah is beautiful year-round. In the summertime, I do like to hike in the mountains and mountain-bike with my parents andprimos.Cousins,” she explained at Logan’s quizzical look.”

“I have oneprimo. Cousin. Her name is Bella.”

Rosa smiled at him. “I know your cousin very well.”

“You sound like you are close to your family,” Wyatt said.

“Oh, yes. Very. My family is wonderful. My parents, Daniel and Lauren Galvez, are the most kind people you will ever meet. Daniel is in law enforcement, as well. He is the sheriff of our county.”

“Is that right?” He found the information rather disheartening. If she had law-enforcement members in her own family, his occupation wasn’t likely to be the reason she was so distrustful of Wyatt.

“Yes. Everyone loves him in Moose Springs and the towns nearby. And my mother, she is the doctor in town.”

“The only one?”

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