Page 21 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

Hunter envied Miles’s newfound faith. The Barrett boys were all raised in the church, but Miles had found something greater than the motions. For Hunter, however, he needed a faith he could keep at arm’s length. Something safe and predictable.

And yet, as he stood there, his family’s legacy slipping through his fingers, he couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to have faith like that. The kind that could move mountains—or save houses.

He glanced up at the worn plaque that hung above the door to the house, the verse etched into the wood by the craftsman who built it.For I know the plan I have for you…

With a sigh, he turned away. Prayer might work for Miles, but Hunter needed something more tangible. He needed a plan.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he pulled his phone back out. He scrolled down the contact listed to “Do Not Call Her” and typed a message:

Hunter

Meet me at the house at ten. We need to talk.

* * *

She could not believe she’dproposedto Hunter Barrett. Like some crazed, desperate lunatic. Daisy groaned and rolled over, stuffing her face into her pillow. It was no use; no amount of smothering was going to erase the humiliation.

I…don’t have time for this.For your crazy was what he meant.

“Ugh, I’m a mess,” she breathed as she slumped from the bed. Sitting up, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and tapped the screen.

Black.

“Figures.” She’d been so upset when she made it to back to her hotel room the previous night, all she’d wanted was to wash the day away with a hot shower and go to bed. She’d forgotten to charge her phone. “I guess that rules out booking myself a flight back to reality.” At least until it had a chance to charge.

Daisy let out a sigh, dropping the phone into her lap. Her gaze lifted to the window, remembering the coffee shop from the previous morning. “Might as well get some caffeine while I’m at it.”

Thirty minutes later, Daisy stepped into the quaint coffee shop and instantly felt the kind of comfort only coffee shops and bookstores could give.

Her eyes swept across the room, taking in the rustic charm of the weathered wooden tables and black metal chairs. Soft morning light filtered through the large windows, casting a bright glow on the pastel teal display case and the walls adorned with vintage coffee signs and local artwork.

The coffee shop was quiet this late in the morning, only a handful of locals bustling in and out.

Daisy stepped up to the counter, eyeing the menu hanging against the subway-tiled wall behind the register.

A woman with bright-red hair stepped up to greet her. “Morning. What can I get for you?”

“Well, I was going to get a regular black coffee.” Daisy pointed up at the regular menu, and then her finger darted to the next sign over, the one decorated with chalk pumpkins, leaves, and acorns. “But then I saw the seasonal menu.”

The barista grinned, turning to glance at the menu with her. “We do like to keep it fun around here.”

“Clearly,” Daisy agreed. “Can I try the caramel apple macchiato? I could use some cozy fall vibes right about now.”

“Absolutely.” The barista rang up her order and Daisy pulled out her card to pay, but before she could hand it over, another arm reached across her, slipping a ten across the counter.

“I’m buying,” an older woman said. “And my usual, if you don’t mind, Jill?”

Daisy turned to find her favorite waitress, Vera, standing behind her. “Morning, sweetie,” she said. “Thought you’d be headed back to California by now.”

Jill peeked over the espresso station. “You two know each other?”

“Oh sure,” Vera replied. “Daisy’s been a regular down at Martha’s the last couple of days”—she turned to Daisy—“ItisDaisy, right?”

“It is,” she replied with a polite smile. “And thank you for the coffee. That was sweet of you.” And then she remembered Vera’s question. “And I was just about to book a ticket, just as soon as my phone is charged.”

Daisy glanced around the room.

“There’s an outlet next to that booth there,” Jill provided, sliding Daisy’s drink across the counter along with Vera’s.

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