Page 36 of Captiva Café

The driver's side door opened, and a tall man with sandy hair and thoughtful eyes emerged. He stretched slightly before walking around to join them.

"And here's the proud papa," Sarah said, giving him a warm hug. "How are you, Gareth?"

"Good to see you, Sarah," he replied. "The drive from Naples was longer than I remembered. Someone," he glanced fondly at Emma, "needed to stop every thirty minutes."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Try having a tiny human using your bladder as a trampoline and see how long you can go between stops."

Sarah laughed and linked her arm through Emma's. "Come see Mom, she’s been just as excited as I’ve been to see you both.”

As they started toward the inn, Gareth opened the trunk to retrieve their luggage. "I've got this," he insisted when Sarah moved to help. "You two catch up. I imagine there's a lot to cover."

"You have no idea," Emma said, her eyes twinkling. "Sarah's been texting me about the mysterious guest staying here."

"Merritt. She's...interesting. Very quiet, but Maggie says she plays beautiful music on her guitar late at night. They went on an island tour yesterday."

Maggie met them at the top of the stairs. "Emma! Gareth! You made it!" She hurried down the steps, arms outstretched. "Oh, Emma, look at you! When is this little one due?"

"Two weeks, give or take," Emma replied, accepting Maggie's gentle hug. "Though Gareth has been packing the hospital bag in the car every morning, just in case."

"Better safe than delivering on Alligator Alley," Gareth defended himself with a smile, setting down the suitcases to give Maggie a one-armed hug.

"Well, you're in the right place now," Maggie assured them. "Dr. Wallace is just ten minutes away in Sanibel if anything happens, and she delivers all the island babies."

"Hopefully this little one waits until we've at least seen some houses," Emma said. "I refuse to make a major real estate decision without personally inspecting every closet and cabinet."

"You're really going through with it?" Sarah asked excitedly. "Moving to the island?"

Gareth nodded, his expression softening as he looked out over the palm trees swaying in the breeze. "This place holds a special spot in our hearts. It’s where we first met and fell in love. It feels right. Like a fresh start."

"Plus," Emma added, "I can't think of a better place to raise a child than somewhere with warm winters and beaches within walking distance."

"What about your work at National Geographic?" Maggie asked, leading them toward the inn.

Emma smiled. "I've already arranged to continue my research consulting remotely. And Gareth can write from anywhere."

"Speaking of which," Gareth said, a hint of pride in his voice, "the new book's doing rather well. The publisher's already talking about a tour next spring."

"Which you will have to do without me and the baby," Emma interjected firmly. "I'm not dragging an infant to twenty cities in thirty days."

They reached the wide porch, and Maggie gestured for them to sit while Paolo appeared with a tray of iced tea and lemon cookies.

"Perfect timing as always, Paolo," Sarah said, taking a glass.

"It's my superpower," he replied with a wink, setting the tray on the table. "Welcome back to Captiva, Emma, Gareth. The island's missed you."

"We've missed it too," Emma said, easing herself into a wicker chair with a grateful sigh. "Naples is beautiful, but it doesn't have the same...I don't know..."

"Magic?" Maggie suggested.

"Exactly." Emma took a sip of her tea. "So, tell us everything that's happened since we left. Sarah's texts are entertaining but woefully incomplete."

"Well," Maggie began, settling into her chair, "where to begin? Linda St. James is still terrorizing the book club, Chelsea's considering opening her own food truck..."

"And there's Merritt," Sarah added, with a meaningful glance at Maggie.

"Ah yes, our newest guest," Maggie acknowledged. "Checked in three days ago, booked for two weeks. She plays the guitar beautifully but mainly keeps to herself."

"Sounds like someone who's figuring things out," Emma said, her eyes softening with understanding.

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