Page 17 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

Augo and Roger straightened like a pair of children being reprimanded by a parent.

Daisy cleared her throat, sensing the conversation being shut down. “Well, thank you all for…all that.” Nailed it. Way to make things less awkward. “I think I’ll be heading back to California tomorrow, so I should probably head out. Throw my things together.”

She paid for her meal quickly, before she could get roped into another controversial conversation, and stepped out of the diner.

A deep knot burrowed into her chest. She’d really thought…when she saw that house…maybe God really did have plans for her. But then again, when it came to things that mattered—her job, her heart—she really couldn’t afford to leave them up to the Big Guy anyway. It was a blueprint for failure. So, maybe it was for the best. The house was beautiful, but it needed a lot of work.

“Maybe it’s time to cut my losses,” she muttered to herself. “Start fresh back in California.”

She glanced toward the docks down the way, wondering what time the first ferry departed in the morning. A smart Daisy would have simply left after the tense confrontation with Hunter, but she wasn’t ready to face the world yet. Not without a plan. So she’d decided to stay one more night. She’d get a fresh start in the morning.

Daisy turned off Main Street, the glow of the little town hidden as she entered the street heading toward the dock. The sun had set on the island, scattering stars in its wake, and Daisy gaped up at them in awe. She’d never seen so many stars, not even growing up in Illinois. There must be something special about Jonathon Island to make them shine like that.

She stepped onto the long boardwalk leading up to the ferry. The wood thumped beneath her boots as she passed below vintage lampposts, their lights dripping into the calm water. The nip in the air that had chilled her to the bone that morning had faded to a temperate fall breeze.

Reaching the empty ticket window, Daisy’s eyes glanced off the posted schedule, wandering to the sound of churning water.

Fifty yards out, the 10:00 p.m. ferry was pulling up to the dock, its hull breaking through the lapping waves.

The ferry drifted to a stop along the pier, and one of the workers hopped over, hurrying to secure the vessel. A moment later, a ramp extended from the ferry to the dock, and the last passengers made their way off the boat.

Her eye caught on a familiar figure as he stepped off the ramp. His dark hair hung over his eyes, shoulders slumped as though carrying an invisible weight. He looked exhausted. His head lifted, and his eyes met hers. Hunter paused. His weary gaze hardened, the lines of his jaw tightening. Clearly, she was still unwelcome.

His voice blended with the depths of the water behind him. “What are you still doing here?”

Daisy hesitated. Stepped toward him. “Hunter…I’m really sorry about the house. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Hunter rolled his eyes. “That’s a first for you.”

Daisy’s polite expression soured. “Excuse me?”

He pushed past her, his heavy steps thrumming the boardwalk. “What do you want, Daisy?”

She couldn’t believe him right now. Here she was trying to make him feel better—for what reason, she couldn’t for the life of her understand—and he was treating her…well…like anex. Which was crazy, because he had ghosted her. Not the other way around. “What Iwantedwas to try to make you feel better. Butnow, I want to know what your problem is.”

He spun back. “Myproblem?”

“Yes,yourproblem.” She snapped, hand on her hip. “At first, I thought you were just mad that I broke into your house. But apparently, it’s me, specifically, that you’re upset about.”

He looked at her through incredulous eyes. “You don’t remember, do you?”

“Remember what?” She flopped her arms in the air in a dramatic shrug. “Remember the way you kissed me and then completely dropped out of my life? I remember that. But for some reason, I feel like I should be the one upset about that.”

“I kissed you?” He laughed. “As if I’d ever want to do that. No.Youkissed me. And then you stole my designs. You and yourpartner.Or don’t you remember that as part of the story of Daisy Decker’s Big Break?”

Daisy’s jaw dropped. Stunned. “That’s not true?—”

“It’s fine. I’m over it. But you’ll excuse me if I’m not thrilled to see you.” Hunter let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “It figures that you’ll get what you want anyway,” he said, his voice rough with exhaustion. “You always do.”

Daisy blinked. “What do you mean?”

“The house. He’s gonna sell it,” he said, wincing as the words left his lips. “There’s nothing I can do. I’ve spent the past twelve hours poring through trust documents and legal sites, and there’s nothing I can do.” He dropped his shoulders, running a hand over the back of his neck. “So, I guess start pulling your earnest money together, because in a few weeks, when I hit my thirty-first birthday, the Barrett house goes on the market.”

The defeat in his voice struck Daisy hard. Despite everything, she felt for him. “That’s…that’s not what I wanted at all…Is there anything that can be?—”

He cut her off with a sharp shake of his head. “No. There’s not anything any of us can do. Not unless you know someone who wants to marry me within the next six months.”

“Sorry—did you saymarryyou?”

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